The National tribune., 1900-08-23

doing much hard riding and fighting. Cos.
A and B, under command of Maj. Hill
lard, went to Weston. Cos G and ID to
st. Joseph. Capts. Butts and Waite of
these companies, being assigned to special
duty, left Co. G under Phil McRae, who
had command of that company up to and
including the Price raid; also Co. ID.
Lieut.. Phil McRae made us think of
sWild Bill" both tail, well-made men,
both daring and brave. Bills eyes were
blue; Pills were black. Bills lips were
thin, clear cut; the other possessed
six feet high, bony, muscular. Both md
good work for their country. Phi en-
listed in Co. L. ,Sth Cav, and was in the
battles of Williamsburg, Frederick, An
tietam. and scores of Sklrmlshes. On
Oct II. '6:. at the battle of StevenSburg,
Va. he was wounded in the head and or
dered into recruiting service, and Joined
the nth at st. Charles. From st. Joseph
these troops were loaded on two trains
and started for Macon, Mo-, Gen. Fisk
being in the last train. \ short distance
east of Brookfield, Mo-, the track was
obstructed and train came to halt, at
the same time being fired upon. 1t be-
ing night, and quite dark, the boys fell
out lying down on either side, waiting
for developments. The rear train did not
appear. A staunch Union man came and
informed our men that only eight or ten
proceed with safety. The bushwhackers
had taken four Union men prisoners and
departed. Without further molestaton
the train went to Macon. where Col. ORA
per, of the 9th Mo-, took command. Our
men were informed that they were des-
tined for Howard and Boone Counties to
fight the Anderson and James brothers
with their 800 border ruffians, men who
fought under the black flag, who gave no
quarter nor asked any. At Fayette one
of the guerrilla spies came to camp and
was knocked down with a carblne. He
was kept till morning, but for lack of evil
dence was let go with the injunction that
if ever found in camp again he would be
shot.
Here the Union citizens would hunt for
the guerrillas and vice versa. Leaving Is |
sick men at Fayette we proceeded to |
Rocheport. but before arriving there the |
command was attacked, when quite spir-
tied contest took place, the enemy fleeing. |
By the time this action was well over Ar
derson'S guns were heard about four miles |
distant, where he had surprised some Mis-
souri, troops, capturing eight wagons and
killing 16 men. Anderson then turned his |
attention to our boys, who had entered
RochepOrt and were eating their supper.
PicketS were out, and one post of five
men fired into AndcTSOn's gang at close
range, killing two and wOunding several
others. The citizens buried the dead the
The command. when daylight appeared,
moved out to the scene of the battle of
the day previous, where the wagons had
been captured and the dead men lay.
Striking the trail of the bushwhackers the
men followed it for a mile or more, when
the trail was lost, the band scattering.
While still hunting in all directions for
the trail messenger arrived from Fay
cite, 80 miles away, stating that Anderson
was there fighting IS sick boys our men
had left there. Away went our men, Nc
Rae at their head, riding on the run, their
objective point 30 miles away. Sheridan's
20-mile ride has been immortalized but this
deed has slumbered unrecorded nearly 40
years. Seventy men rushing madly into
300 guerrillasi In less than three hours
that devoted band had covered that dis
tance in hot July day.
Our sick had taken refuge in the build
ings, had killed six of Bill Anderson's
men. One of our sick boys being isolated
from the rest, had been killed by the guer
scalp to a gate-post. About 20 of Ander-
sons men were wounded. On the boys
went after Anderson's force, but they scat
tered, remet and captured train at Cen
tralia, in which We're % sick soldiers, all
of whom were killed, 18th boy being
among them. To their rescue went Maj.
johnson, who was commanding some raw
one-year State troops. He found Ander-
son tive miles south of Centralia, near
Singleton's barn. Mr.. Johnson's men were
riding unframed horses and armed only
with muskets. He remained in Centralia
with 80 men. sent the rest of his COM
mand, 80 men, under two Captains to 90
after Anderson. From the village out it