Arizona republican., 1901-05-17
A BIT OF HISTORY
Some Old Missouri Memories of Col
 A. E. Banta.

Twas on the 4th of May
 Forty years ago today,
 Camp Jackson was surrounded by the
 Hessians;
 Lyons was there
 With Barenstein and Blair,
 To drivs us from our Happy Land Of
 Canaan"
 The foregoing is the first verse of new ballad of those days, and will be recalled by many of the members of your Missouri colony of Phoenix. The Canaan" referred to was Camp Jack son. located south of and close to the United States arsenal near the St. Louis. Mo.
 Early in the spring of '6l, Caleb F. Jackson, then governor of Missouri. issued an order through his adjutant general. calling out the states force which was to redezvous at Jefferson City. In the meantime N. B. Forrest. I think 1t was Forrest. established an- other rendezvous near the United States arsenal below St. Louis and around it Camp Jackson. Governor Jackson was in hearty sympathy with the secession movement. and did al within his power to have the conven- ton called together for the purpose of passing Q secession ordinance declar- ing the State of Missouri out of the union" In this he failed. but sue ceeded in forcing through that con vention a resolution declaring the state in a state of armed neutrality as a compromise measure. Under the guse of this armed neutrality res- olution. Jackson hoped to be able to authorize and equip all the available military force of the state and have it concentrated at two points, VIZ Jefferson City and Camp Jackson. General Sterling Price, a veteran or the Mexican war. whose family home was near Brunswick in Clinton county. Mo-. was rendered the command Of all the state forces. At heart General Price was unionist and strongly op- posed the secessio movement, and be- ing very popular throughout the state Governor Jackson knew 1t was abso- lutely essential to the carrying out or his plans that General Sterling Price become identified, at least on the sur face, with the governors precon- ceived and secret schemes for seces- sion. To accomplish this result. Jack son put up all sorts of spacious pleas and plans to induce General Price to join him in his armed neutrality schemes, trusting to time and clrcum- stances for its final consummation. Jackson and his ilk were scheming pol iticians, while Price was plain, blunt soldier, and history has written the record of the two forces-the politician gets the chicken pie.
 Governor Jackson's plan" was first to organize his forces and to arm them as best he could with squirrel rifles, shotguns or any old thing In the shape of firearms. This was done and the state troops which rendezvoused at Jsfferson City were thoroughly armed. But in order to divert suspicion as to his interior motives, Jackson ordered all troops that were to rendezvous at Camp Jackson to do so without arms"
 The governors plan seemed to be working smoothly enough, and he mo- tified the southern leaders to have a little political patience yet awhile" and he would treat them with a great surprise After the men had been drilled and disciplined into something like efficient soldiers. a pretense would be found, prearranged riot or the like at St. Louis. to move the Jefferson City force on that city or within easy striking distance thereto. This Jeffer- son City force comprised several thou sand men. and while at that city were