The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-05

OH IN NOrLn ana South, anu WHel dill
loyal men were gathering to the call
of the nation for aid recruiting officers
were busy mastering men in all cities
of the country.
In Chicago at that time regiment
was being reorganized from the ruins
of the Chicago ZouavSs. On April
10, when four companies had already
been mustered in, a telegram stating
that four steamers would leave st.
Louis for Memphis laden with military
supplies and equipments for the South,
was received at Chicago. The four
companies were fitted out in hurry
and sent to Cairo to intercept. the
steamers when they would pass that
place.
The four hundred men were supplied
with old flint lock guns which were
refitted and altered for the use of per-
cussion caps. They arrived at Cairo
April 81, and Immediately proceeded to
throw up Notifications on the river
bank. They took logs, painted them
black and mounted them on the works
to initiate cannon. Two light field
pieces were placed among these imita-
ton guns.
When the preparations were COM
pleted the small garrison Of the extern
porized fort awaited the coming of the
steamers. Soon they hove in sight;
and canoes. and each with an old re-
fitted fiintlock and six cartridges, pro-
ceeded to attack the steamers. The
field pieces on the shore opened fire and
the men in the boats concentrated their
limited supply of ammunition on the
pilot houses. The steamers, however,
showed no resistance. They rounded to
and surrendered.
On board the boats were five hun
dred tons of gunpowder, two batteries
of artillery, one thousand stands of
Sharp's rifles and Colts revolverS, to-
gether with a large number of uni
forms, all intended for the army of the
South. In this dauntless band of Hill
nois boys was a corporal named Will
liam Quinton.
Col. Quinton to Retire.
Such was the first military expert
ence of Col. William Quinton, now of
the First United States Infantry. Col.
Quinton will reach the age of retire.
ment the fifteenth of this month. He
is stopping here, attached to the staff
of Col. Kobbe, pending the expiration
of the intervening time. His regiment
is stationed at Mindanao, in the Phil
ippines, but owing to his approaching
retirement, Col. Quinton has been al
lowed to remain here.
Col. Quinton Is a hearty, hale and
hardy soldier produced by the many.
campaigns through which he has
passed. He is q veteran of forty-one'
years of service, extending through the
Civil War, the Indian wars on the
Western palms. the Philippine war and
the short war with the Boxers in China.
He has seen and participated in many:
stirring scenes and incidents, and the
story of his experiences is very inter-
eSting.
Shortly after the engagement with
the steamboats, just described, Corporal
Quinton was transferred to the 18th IL
linois volunteers, as first sergeant.
In October of the same year he was
promoted to second lieutenant, and
Immediately thereafter he was trans
ferred to the signal corps as signal
officer. In that capacity he served on
the staffs of Gen. Mitchell, Gen. Lovel
Rosseau, Gen. Geo. H. Thomas, Gen.
jeff G. Davis and Gen. T. H. Farmer.
Was In Many Battles.
He was present at the battles of
Perryville fought in Kentucky Oct. 8,
1852, Stone river, or Murfreesboro,
Hoover's Gap, Chickamauga, Mission
Ridge, Ackworth, New Hope Church,
Peach Tree Creek, Jonesboro, which
session of Atlanta. That battle was
the last fight of the Atlanata cam
paign. Lieut.. Quinton was ordered
from Atlanta to return to Chattanooga,
where he arrived when the surrounding
country was infested with confeder-
ates. He was unable to join Gen.
Thomas at Nashville on that account.
He and his party made many efforts
to break through the confederate lines
but were stopped each time. They
were in Chattanooga when the battle of
Nashville was fought.
After the war Lieut.. Quinton was
discharged from the signal corps at
San Antonio, Tex, May 1, 1856. On
June IL, 1857, he was appointed first
lieutenant in the Thirty-t third Infan-
try, which he Joined at Atlanta. Soon
after that he was transferred to the
Seventh Infantry, and Joined that reg
iment in Montana in June, 1870. He
continued to serve on the Western
plains for eight years, till the fall OF
1878.
During this period the army was
constantly engaged in warfare with the
Indians, who ravaged the settlements
and beset the stage coaches that were
then in use as the means of transporta-
ton across the prairies. Many were
the fights and skirmishes that the SOL
diers had with the treacherous red
skinned warriors. The soldiers were
often detailed to guard surveying par
ties who were engaged in laying out
the route of the Northern Pacific rail-
road.
Attacked BY Cheyennes.
In 1872, in the month Of August, a