The Sunday globe., 1901-05-26

defending the State house, while the
majority thought prudence the better
part of valor and favored going furth-
er South. 1t looked like a speedy ad-
journment would take place without
voting the presiding officer the usual
vote Of thanks. After the panic had
partially subsided another message
was received from prominent gentle
man in st, Louis, who was in full SYM
pathy with the Governor and Legisla-
ture. This was also read and was as
follows:
An officer Of the United States ar.
my here, has received orders to raise
four regiments Of troops for Missouri
The last dispatch was a great relief to
Vest and his friends; il gave them an
easy breathing spell for a short time.
lt was afterwards ascertained that the
first dispatch was sent by Union man
in st. Louis as feeler to test the sim
cere fighting qualities of the secession
members, who were so anxious for a
fight, The members did not lay down
their arms at this false alarm; 1t was
only when the news reached Jefferson
City that Colonel Lyon had actually
captured Camp Jackson and 6S9 pris-
oners and was then moving on Boon
Vllle, that there was a genuine panic,
ana every man struck out for his own
safety. Vest and General Jackson we're
the first to make the break, and a bee.
line for the Southern part Of the State.
where they thought they would be safe
from danger. The Governor, with as
many members as could keep up with
MIN, matted at Neasho to hold a meet
ing of the Legislature They took DOS
! session Of fbn old
in that town for a legislative hall
and here the remnant Of the once
spirited and determined body of war
statesmen met to consider what was
best to be done to pull Missouri into
the rebellion.
Even in this sacred building. which
had been dedicated to religious wor-
ship, they could not deliberate in peace.
They had not more than gotten down
to business when Old Jim Lane swept
down on them from the Kansas side
and put the Governor and his Legisla-
ture to inglorious fight. There was no
safety for them except in the rear Of
General Prices army, as the war began
| 10 close down too hard and there was
! bloody fighting all around The NOV.
/ ing Legislature became tired and de-
moralized. Some Of them Joined Prices
army and others scattered out over
| different sections of the country. Lud
Peyton was one of these and he was
subsequently sent to the Confederate
| Congress, where he soon died. There
was such an army Of camp followers
and loungers hanging around Prices
army that the old general issued an
order compelling every able bodied
man from Missouri to either enlist in
the Confederate army or leave the
camp. This order bore heavily on lit
tie George Vest, for said he I am not
a soldier but a statesman; I am not
built for a soldier However the or
ders of cruel war had to be obeyed and
Vest left us, He spent his last night
in camp with me and early the next
morning started out in the direction
of Arkansas l did not hear Of him
again until in Richmond, when one
day much to my astonishment one of
the boys came around with a small
printed hand bill, which announced
that Geo. G.. Vest, of Boonville, Mo-,
was candidate for the Confederate
Congress. There were several boys
from Vests district in the command,
so we got together and elected George
to Congress without any ballotbox
stuffng or intimidation. It was a free
ballot and fair count and that is the
reason why George was so much in IA
vor Of fair elections since he won his
first Congressional honors by a fair.
honest count, for twenty-five Of us did
It, and old Governor Jackson put the
Great Seal Of the State of Missouri on
his certificate. Mr.. Vest found great
difficulty in reaching the Confederate
capitol, but he finally accomplished
most of the distance from Missouri on
foot, as other means of transportation
were exceedingly hard to get. He final
ly, after numerous hair-breadth es-
capes from Yankee scouting parties
and involuntary participation in num-
erous skirmishes and battles, secured
horse from an old mountaineer,
named Langley. Mrs. Langley, sympa.
thizing with the ragged condition Of
her distinguished guest, presented him
with a pair Of new buckskin trousers
she had made and laid away for her
husbands Sunday wear. They were
about six inches too long, but the old
lady advised him to roll them up and
when they needed patching he could
cut off the ends Of them. This was in
the Ozark Mountains and Vest, after
kindly thanking the Arkansas patriots
for their timely relief, mounted the
horse they had given him and set out
for Little Rock. In a day or two's jour
ney he rode into camp of the Sixteenth
Missouri, formerly Colonel Jackman's
command, near Fort Smith. He was
greeted by the boys as a dam Yankee
spy and preparations were immediate
ly made to swing him up. Vest pro-
tested who he was and excited de-
mands for his papers, with rope dan
Cling in the hands of the soldiers,
drew from him the following:
"'Boys, l am from Missouri, and
have been elected to the Confederate
Congress at Richmond, and here is the
certificate of Governor Jackson The
document was Immediately scanned,
and Vests life was saved. One of the
soldiers remembering some of the
proceedings of the Legislature of
which Vest was a member. came for.
ward and said:
Boys, I know this little rascal; he is
the chap that raised so much hell in
the Legislature among them Union fell
lows. He is the one who told them
Yanks that II they expected to put all
their dead soldiers on ice, Abe Lincoln
would have to make a contract for
Greenland's Icy mountains
"At the conclusion of this speech
Vest was lifted from his saddle and
greeted with Rebel yell, as the boys
bore him triumphantly on their should
ers to Colonel Jackson's tent who was
a personal friend Of the Confederate
Con ngressman.elect. Otter leaving Lit
tie Rock, that was the last the Mis-
souri, boys ever saw Of George in a
camp Of the Confederates. He remained
in Richmond until the close Of the war.