Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-10

disclosing to him that HOhson was her
ideal hero. The young man took the hint,
and now he visits his girl oftener than of
yore-stays longer and enjoys himself a
heap more"
On Sunday occurred the thirty-sixth an
niversary of the battle Of Springfield. the
well known but perhaps in~distinctly re-
membered details of which are interesting
ly recalled by a writer in the Republican:
1.-The Federals were commanded by Brig
adler General e. r. Brown. while the late
Ex-Governor Marmaduke led the Confed-
crates. At that time Springfield was a
great military depot for the Federal army
of the frontier which, under Generals
Schofield. Heron and Blunt. was down in
Northwestern Arkansas resting on the
laurels won at Prairie Grove. There were
forts, cannon. muskets. powder. shot. shell,
provisions. quartermasters' stores and hos
pital supplies in great abundance. with
but few soldiers here to protect them.
Nearly all the available troops had gone
to the front. and a detachment of eight
companies of the Eighteenth Iowa infantry,
under Lieutenant Colonel Cook, was the
only regular garrison in the place. The
Third Missouri state militia, under Colonel
Walter King, ten companies. 800 strong.
were temporarily here. In addition to this
there were about 100 sick and wounded
soldiers in the hospitals in charge of Sur
geon s. H. Melcher, formerly the assistant
surgeon of Solomon's old Fifth Missouri,
and there were also perhaps 800 furloughed
men and convalescents in a camp in the
north part of this city awaiting t%ransporta-
ton. pay, ETC., while at Ozark and other
points were ~detachments of the Missouri
state militia. Colonel Boyd's' and Colonel
Henry Sheppard's regiments of the enrolled
militia were lying around loose at their
homes throughout Greene, Lawrence and
other counties. About January /, 1863, Gen.
eral Marmaduke. who was in Arkansas,
learned that there was a big fat prize in
Springfield to be had for the taking. The
weakness of the garrison and the exact
condition of the town were described to
the Confederate commander with great cx-
a~ctness. General Marmaduke divided his
army into two columns. One, under Colo
mel Joseph c.. Porter, was to move from
P~ocahontas, Ark. and, coming by Hart.
the neighborhood of Springfield on The
east by the evening of January 10. Port.
er's forces consisted of the cavalry regi.
ments Of Cotton Green and Burbridge and
a battalion or two besides-SW men. TIL
main column. under the immediate com.
mand of General Marmaduke, consisted
Of Colonel 10 Shelby's brigade, com.
posed of Shelby's old regiment, Their
led by Lieutenant Colonel Gordon, Ct
Lafayette county: Colonel Gideon Thomp'
sons regiment. Colonel Jeans regiment
Colonel Ben Elliott's battalion, Colonel En-.
NETT McDonald's battalion, or regiment
and Captain r. A. Collins battery Of two
pieces, the entire brigade numbering about
1000 men. All of the forces, including
Porter's, were mounted. Shelby's brigade
was to leave Louisburg, Ark, come north
into Missouri through fancy county, swoor
down upon the isolated Federal posts al
Forsyth and Ozark, capture them and bt
on the south of Springfield by January II
and join forces with Joe Porter. On the
evening of the 7th a Federal scouting
party arrived in Springfield and gave the
alarm. General BROWN sent out swift mes.
sengers, who communicated with Colone
Johnson's Tw~enty-sixth regiment. Colone
Sheppard's ~Seventy-second and Colone
Marcus Boyd's s~eventy-fourth. ordering
them to concentrate Immediately at Spring
field. About 10 o'clock on the morning q
January 8 the boys in blue met the Con
federates near State street and gave battle
which lasted until sundoyn, when Genera
Marmaduke was forced to retreat. Tit
Federal loss was eighteen killed outright
some twelve mortally wounded. who with
in two months died from wounds and dis
ease combined. The wounded numbere
about 100. DR.. Melcher says that eight!
Confederates were buried from first to last
Sixty wounded were also left in charge o
General Ma%rmaduke's surgeons. Of whom
only twenty-eight were alive on Januar!
81. showing that only the more dangerousl!
wounded were left behind"