The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-02-18

uatteIl tuh uiu suSu cucctatc sei''Oe
in 1861 IN Missouri was altogether
different from that which subsequently
won fame at the second battle Of
Corinth, at Chickamauga and upon
other well known battlefelds east Of
the Mississippi.
In the fall Of 1861 Bledsoe was .
captain OF artillery under Generals
Rains and Price in southwest Missouri.
His battery then consisted Of four or
Eve pieces, the famous 'sOld Sscra-
pento." = ~ls-pOunder, being the larg-
est. The history Of this cannot is
interesting. 1t was captured at Sacrs-
uenio, MencO, in the var with the
DeighbOring republic, by Generals
Doniphau and Price. 1t was considered
very valuable not only because Of Its
effectiveness in battle, but also from
the fact that there was supposed to be
8 large quantity Of silver In its compo-
sition.
BLEDsoE's BATTERY AT FORT SCOTT.
II was about the 18th Of September,
1861, that General Rains was encsmped
on Drywood, s small stream In Vernon
county, Missouri, where he had been
engaged in recruiting troops for the
confederate service.
A DAY OF two before General Prices
army had arrived at the camp, aug
meniing the force 1900 or 5000 men.
A detachment OF federal troops from
Fort Scott attempted 10 surprise Gen.
Rains, and Unexpectedly found them.
selves face 10 face with Prices whole
army. A lively little skirmish followed,
the BledsOe battery doing most Of the
firing from the confederate side, and
forcing the federals TO retreat toward
Fort Scott, whence they had come.
: In this engagement Captain Bledsoe
me wasthss-s-a&psaiSs xAs-strEakb b.
s mimic ball in the thigh and severely
: wounded. 10 conversation the old
commander said that he did not pay
2 much attention to the wound, however
d thinking il did not amount to much.
TFrequeutiy," said be. "a bulle
a would strike one aide Of the cannon
10 rebound and bit one Of the men. Tn
ball would be fattened by impact witt
Il the metal, and, though 1t would smar
and burn the skin, would not penetrat
;. the flesh. l just supposed that ih
ball that struck me-" said the colonel
"Fas one Of those pesky bullets re
. bounding IRON the cannon, an
thought no more OF II until my foe
= slushed the blood 10 my boot, and
. realized that I was badly wounded"
. Tbs old colonel will say very littl
:. about The waf adventures that sre 8
. creditable 10 him, but | have Il froI
bis nephew, ex-P Postmaster Charlie
Ingsls. Of Nevada, No., who was wit
9 him after be was wounded, and at th
q battle Of Lexington, that Col. Bledsc
J, was not out Of the service or abser
y, from bis battery q single day Q
account Of this w01nd,
Is BLEDsoE RIDES IN A WAGON.
q On the forced march from yerno
.R county to Lexington, Bledsoe ~
driven in a spring wagon, in which b
sst in q rocking chair and kept alon
= with his command. In the evening
when the army went into camp, Nv
or more Of the soldiers would lift th
chair and the colonel out Of the WACO
~ and the physicians would dress b
wound.
Q, ~ The battle Of Lexington, whic
{. took place bot three or four days afts
10 be was wounded, Colonel Rledsoe o.
ID bis rocking chair beside bis oil
battery and directed the capnonadInl
y The colonel turned his chair Arouu
be 20 that bis back was toward the tow
lie In order that be might not see II
: white flag from the college thst meal
surrender. and it was not until Geperl
us Price himself told him 10 quit irin
.. thai be ordered his gunners 10 cea,
Smelling the town. It WSS tbs colonel
ae old home, and these federal trooy
from Illinois, whom be considered /
ID interlopers, had pillaged bis dwelling
Il. driven sway his cattle and ru,hlessI
o. destroyed his properly,
II was some time 10 March, 1856:
near Little Rock, that Bledsoe too
charge Of the second battery, under b
~ % command Ia the war. This batter
had been organized under Captain Tul
.. gho took charge Ct it al Springfield O
. New Years day, 1852. It consisted
a about $50 men. This battery 600
:. crossed to the east SIDE Of the hissi
OF sippi, where II took part in some Of N
y heaviest fighting Of the war, unde
ID Reauregard, Hosd and Johnston.
II HE DoD0ED THE RId SHELLS.
y An amusing incident, In which 90.
Bledsoe figured, occurred about th
time the battery crossed the river. 4
Stirmjsh between SharPshOOters WI
:. taking place, I'D the battery wal nc
engaged. Several OF RlOdsqs's me
is kept lodging the minnie balls while
= gsgs filling about them like hail, an
?; the colonel twits3 them about it. Jul
then . shell came crashing thrqggk th
:. bonghs Of the tree beneath which tn
ssi0as yss standing cutting Of a l,rs