The National tribune., 1900-09-27
Fighting THEM OVER.
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
BEATING BUSHWHACKERS.
4 Lively Story of the Fight at fayette. Nc
in the Fail of 1854


in the Fail of 1864.
EDITOR NATIONAL. TRIBUNE: In you
issue of Aug. % is an article entitled
Bush and Prairie" by Ira NJ. Mallory
Sergeant, Co. G, 18th Ill. Cav. The com
rade is in error. There were some of the
18th at Glasgow, Mo-, in Howard Co., bu
not in Fayette, Mo-, for Co. A, 9th Mo
Cav, wintered in Fayette and next Spring
| QS6g Co. II, 9th Mo-, to which l be
longed, with Co. l and one other company
was sent to Fayette, and all four compan
les were camped in pasture at the edge
of town. We were there until the Price
raid, and no other troops were there. Now,
how came 10 sick men in Fayettc to pro-
tect the town, when the 18th was not in
Fayette "a hours at any one time and was
not there three times in 1864?
About Sept. %, 1864, the four compan-
les, except a heavy guard, after night
fall, were sent on scout. Next morning,
the 9th, we struck a trail, followed it
through farms, meadows and timberland,
then came out in public road opposite q
house that was about $50 yards off the
road.
Six of US rode down. There were bush
whackers in the barn, we were told by n
negro. We opened the lot gate and by
that time they had seen us and opened
fire ON us. The barn was a story high
on the opposite side, so if they were to get
the horses out they would have to come
out with us within 30 steps of the door.
They jumped out of a back window. Our
other men were now coming as fast as
their horses could carry them. By the
time we could get through the lot fence the
bushwhackerS were across 4 little pasture.
Our Ma Or sent a few men after them.
The rebels were all killed. They asked
and gave no quarter.
Fifteen of us were sent back to Fay
IA III
Smith. The next day Bill Anderson and
others lodged the command that was out
trying to locate them and coming to Fay
cite. Only 10 fought them, and there
were only 90 all told. Ten were cut off
at the Court House, who did the bush
whackers considerable damage as they
came up the street las they came to the
sight, on account of the buildings). An
other 10 were in the college, and others
were cut off and got out of the way the
best they could; still others were in hos
pital. They came on the camp yelling
and shooting. l ran to my tent to get my
arms, but before could get out three holes
were shot through the tent.
By this time the fight was on despe-
rately. They did their best to rout US,
but being aware Of their cruel practices
we preferred death fighting to being made
prisoners. So we whipped them and they
fell back over hill. We dared not follow.
Some of the men We're in four log
shanties that Co. A wintered in; others
were in a gulley just in front of the shan
ties, while six or seven Of us were in the
open at the corner of paling fence. l
think we kept them from fianking US by
that position.
When the rebels had gotten themselves
together again they yelled and charged.
They could spur their horses On to us, but
when the animals would get so close that
the blaze of fire from our guns was poured
into their faces they would whirl around.
They turned back over the hill a sec
ond time, and a comrade and l soon Slip
ped out to see what they were doing.
We had not gone far before one of them
galloped along back of their line in plain
view. We fired and the horse fell. Then
they came at US again and it was more
desperate struggle than ever, they know
ing there were but four of US. We finally
whipped them, but not until they had done
their best to finish us. One of our two
killed was On guard at the gap in the
fence; his name was Benton, of Co. A,
9th Mo. Cav. William Ballou, of Co. A,
was wounded. His case will show that
he was not sick man of the 18th Ill. Cav.
The guerrillas left eight dead.
During the fight Bill Berry put his little
son John ON horse and told him to 20
after the men, and he found them at Rock
port, about 10 miles away, not 80, as the
comrade has it, and no other troops but
our own men came back with the boy;
but they said they had left others at Rock
port.
The comrade is not fair to the comrades
who lost their lives at Centralia when he
says they never fired a shot, for they
killed several bushwhackers. f. e. Ben
ton, of Spurgeon, Mo-, says his father, q
doctor, living close to the battle ground,
kept a bushwhacker and Union soldier,
both wounded, hidden in his pasture, each
without the knowledge of the other. l
was at Centralia the next day. The mus
kets picked up were not loaded. The COM
rade says each of the Union killed had a
bullet-hole in his left eye. Did Anderson
make each hold the left eye up to be shot
into? or perhaps he was left-handed.-
JAMES NJ. JACKS, Co. II, 9th Mo. Cav,
Riggs Mo