The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1903-02-05

en- route to Jefferson City with three
regiments of troops to capture the
legislature and hang all the secession
lists of that body. Thank God for
thatr exclaimed one OF the Union
members from a back county. "A
few pairs OF pillow lines well used on
some members OF the house will do
the Union cause some good
"The widest excitement prevailed;
members reached for their muskets;
some were for defending the state
house, while the majority thought
prudence the better part OF valor and
favored going further South. 1t
looked like a speedy adjournment
would take place without voting the
presiding officer the usual vote oil
thanks. After the panic had partly
subsidized it was ascertained the mes
sage was a hoax intended to test the
courage of the legislative warriors
shortly after, however, the news
reached jefferson City that Colonel
Lyon had actually captured Camp
jackson and 63s prisoners and was
then moving on Boonville. There
was general panic and every man
struck out for his own safety. Vest
and Governor Jackson were the first
to make the break, and a bee line Tor
the southern part Of the state, where
they thought they would be sale
from danger. The governor, with as
many members as could keep with
him. halted at Neosho to hold a meet
ling of the legislature. They took
possession of the old Presbyterian
church in that town for legislative
hall. and here the remnant OF the once
spiritsd and determined body OF
war statesmen met to consider what
was best to be done to pull Missouri
into the rebellion.
"They had not more than gotten
down to business when old jim Lane
swept down on them from the Kan
sas side and put the governor and
his legislature to inglorious flight
There was no safety for them except
in the rear OF General Prices army,
as the war began to close down too
hard and there was bloody fighting
d all around. The moving Legislature
became tired and demoralized. Some
. of them Joined Prices army, and 9th
, ers scattered out over different sec
!. lions OF the county. There was such
an army OF camp followers and loung
! ers hanging around Prices army
that the old general issued an ordel
n compelling every able bodied maj
n from Missouri to either enlist in th'
9 Confederate army or leave the camp
n This order bore heavily on Georg
!, Vest, for, said he, 4 am not asoldier
q but a statesman; | am not built 10
II a soldier
n However, the orders OF cruel wa
!. had to be obeyed, and Vest LETT us
!. lie spent his last night in camp wit
, me, and early the next mornin
n started out in the direction ofArkar
% sas, did not hear Of him again unit
in Richmond, when, one day, niue
n to my surprise, one of the boys cam
h around with small printed hant
# bill, which announced that Georget
"A Vest, of Boonville, Mo-, was cand
"a date for the Confederate congress
+. There were several boys from Vest
district in the command, SO we &c
or together and elected George to col
"A gress without any ballot box stuffir
- Decentralization. 1t was free ballt
o. and a fair count, and that is the re
90 son why George was so much in
"A yor of fair selections since he won b
a first congressional honors by a Ia
nj honest count, for twenty-five OF
did it, and old Governor Jacksonp
be the great seal Of the state OF Missot
IN on his certificate.
Il. "Mr. Vest had many hairbread
Ma escapes and adventures trying
%. reach Richmond, the more serious
Ied these being with Confederate trool
q. Sometimes he was taken for a 81
%; and at other times had great di
est Guilty IN escaping from Impressive
cd as a soldier. He rode into the cal
,.. OF the Sixteenth Missouri commal
near Fort Smith, Ark. He wasgre
m by the boys as "a damned Yam
ada spy and preparations we're im'
AL. diately made to swing him up. '