The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1901-12-28
written by resident of Mexico, MOI

'NN" VI OhC lCh lhCll VIII were
executed at Palmyra, Mo-, Oct. IS,
1862:
Willis Baker, Lewis county.
Thomas Hempson, Lewis county.
Morgan BiXier, Lewis county.
j. Y. McPheeterS, Lewis county.
Robert HutSon, Rails county.
John NJ. Wade, Rails county.
Marion Lair, Rails county.
Capt. ThOS. A. Snider, Monroe
county.
Elzear Lake, Scotland county.
There was perhaps no single event
Of the civil war of Missouri that
attracted more attention and was
viewed with more horror than the
shooting Of ten men at Palmyra by
order of Gen. John Mcneil on the
18th day of October, 1862. Palmyra
is situated ten miles southwest of
Quincy, H., near the Mississippi river.
1t was on these border lines between
the free and slave states that the
fraternal strife was waged with the
greatest bitterness. 1t was the for
tune Of the writer to have his home
at Palmyra at the time referred to
and during most of the years Of the
war. Most of the citizens Of the town
and county were southern men and
southern sympathizers, though some
families were divided and brother was
arrayed against brother and father
against son. A short time before the
event of the shooting of the ten men,
Col. Porter, in command of large
body of "bushwhackers," as they
were called, clashed into Palmyra and
made an attack on the court house
and jail, in which number of rebels
were held as prisoners by the union
forces then in possession of the town.
NV house was in line between the
firing parties, which made it rather
an undesirable place of residence for
myself. wife and two children. Col.
Porter succeeded in releasing some OF
the prisoners, and took with them an
old citizen Of the town, union man,
by the name of Andrew AulSman.
This man Aulsman, while not in the
ranks of the militia, had made himself
very obnoxious to the southern people
by reporting to the union authorities
those whom he regarded as rebels OF
rebel SympathizerS; and it was a mat
ter of rejoicing in the town that he
was carried away by Porter'S men.
was lamenting the loss of fine bay
horse that PorterS men seemed tC
take a fancy to as they were retreat
inc from town. At this time Col
Straughn, of Shelby county, was tho
provost marshal of the district, anC
Gen. John Mcneil cOmmandant at the
post. A few days after the Porter
raid. an order was issued by Gen
McNeal, at the inStigation of Col
Straughn. as | understood, to the
effect that if within ten days Aulsmar
was not brought in alive and delivered
up, ten men, prisoners in the hands o.
the federals, would be shot in retalla
tion. This order was regarded as
mere threat and not much Importance
attached to 1t by the citizens. AS The
days rapidly passed. however, anc
nothing was heard of Aulsman, some
uneasiness began to be felt by the cit
izens. This uneaSineSS was increased
as the limit Of the ten days ap
proached, and it was learned that ter
men had been selected by lot to bt
executed if AulSman was not orough'
in at the expiration of the time Ahc
vet scarcely anyone in town couIc
bring themselves to believe that Sucl
n diabolical order would be carried
ont. The men selected to be shot
were taken at random from among
large number, mostly held under SuS
picion, who had not had trial ou'
were supposed to be bushwhackerS' OIL
rebel sympathizerS. At last the ter
days expired and AulSman did mol
lappear, and for the simple reason tna'
he was dead, having been shot In th'
woods by his captors. This, however
was not known at the time by th'