Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1901-07-18

w aSnlnSIol, July L. nc oul-
cry in American newspapers about
recent British cruelties in South
Africa is reminder that war ev-
crywhere, by whatever people
practiced, comes very near being
what General Sherman called it.
AS killers, the English race, wheth-
er of the native breed, or the
transplanted American kind, is
fully as fierce and wicked and far
more potential than the bloody
minded Spaniards and Turks whom
the world has so long wrongfuily
given the record. Nothing has
vet come to notice in the British
Boer war which exceeds some OF
the so.called horrors of our own
civil war.
In considering the darker side
of war it should always be remem-
bered that many apparently bar
barous things are done which are
only incidents of IA policy to limit
more extensive horrors, Just as Il
man is legally put to death for
murder, in times Of peace to pre-
vent other murders.
Practically at one period, ms
proved by the official records, the
black flag was raised in Missouri
in the fearful fratricidal struggle
waged by its passion-crazed citl-
zens, arrayed on the side of the
Union or against it. Valuable
lives were taken or spared on the
mere within or impulse of individ-
uals clothed with brief arbitrary
power. Men were shot down from
the roadside by ambushed foes
with rs little hesitation as Il deer
or runaway; prisoners were TAX
en- out and riddled with bullets
without a trial, and peaceable cit
liens were hanged up to their own
gate posts with no more cOmpunc-
| ton than Il housewife wrings the
neck of chicken. Sometimes nc
quarter was given in the desperate
fights between the rebel guerrilla
bands and the Union Missouri
militia organized by General John
NJ. Schofeld.
Several of these fights were fal
bloodier than some of the so-calleC
battles in South Africa. August
6, 1862, in the four hours en-
gagement ut Kirksville, Mo, be-
tween the Union Colonel McNel
and Porter, the guerrilla leader
the latter was defeated with loss
of about $50 killed and 800 wound
ed. The Union loss was twenty
eight killed and sixty wounded
Mcneil captured many prisoners
for this was not a "black flag
occasion. Who has ever heard OF
the battle" of Kirksville! Littl,
was said about it at the time, be
cause those were days of real bat
ties.
Lifetime neighbors and friends
even brothers, were parted i'll sucl
n warfare by Il bitter antagonisn
that nothing but blood could as
suage. They prowled like lndi
ans. When they met on the fel(
it was generally fight to II finish
The life of the man who was over
come was not worth straw
When one side got the other go
ing" no mercy was shown. 1t wa'
in the scores of obscure, often I'M
mentioned fights between the
smaller bands in the lonely by
ways of the State that the creates
destruction occurred, and the mos
murdcrOuS atrocities We're perpe
trated. The noted guerrilla, Bill
Anderson, captured Il North Mis-
souri, railroad train at Centralia
September ~, 1864, on which, a
passengers, there We're number
of unarmed Union soldiers return
ing to their homes. OF these
twenty-fOur were taken out ant
shot to death in cold blood. Tn
o-called "battle" of Centralia oc
Cured the same day Anderson
lying in wait with 800 men, sur
rounded Major a. Y. +. Johnston
who was unwittingly pursuing
with small party of State militi
and ont of IA men he killed ZIG
Johnston among the number, tw
only being reported as wounde'
and six missing. The dead bodie
were horribly mutilated. Tha
wnS n nrettN Glenn sMapn