Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-09-03
THE BATTLE FIELDS.
OLD SOLDIERS TALK OVER
ARMY EXPERIENCES.
me Blue and the Gray Review Incl
dents of the Late War, and in a
Graphic and Interesting Mapner
Tell Of Caup, March and Battle.

1t is customary for the teacher Of
United States histor to inform her
pupils that the first battle OF the civil
war occurred at Bull Run, on the DIST
of July, 1861. and it seems strange
that in all these years no Missouri
voice has been raised in protest
against this false dictum
At Fort sumter much go'd anmuni-
tion was shot away; but it seems that
Maj. Anderson finally surrendered be-
cause he was not fond of diet Of
pork. At Monroe CITY. almost two
weeks before the battle OF Bull Run.
there was bona fidc' battle which
lasted two whole dayS--and OHc man
was killed.
At the spring convention the Union
vote had out weighed the secs iG II t.
and compromise on II sO-ca.l"d ncu-
traltty vas effected hut there was no
neutrality i'm the heart Of the gov
ernor; and the thon in his side.
the menace to his peace and to his
plans was the Hannibal and st.
Joseph railroad the roai that had
| been built with Boston capital ana
was operated almost wholly by Ger
mans all of whom were loyal to the
| Union. When word reached John W.
Brooks, the president Of the r3n |, that
| Cla.b Jackson was going to ear up
the Yankee railroad he appealed to
President Lincoln for military pro &C.
ton. In response to this app III the
President ordered Col r. IT, Smith
with the 10th Illinois infantry. to cross
the river and do sentinel duty alon- the
railroad a
| The strategic point for northe n Mis-
souri, was an almost imprrgnable posi-
| ton between the forks Of Salt river,
and here Col. Tom Harris hHl been
mastering his recruits and his camp
was already about 900 strong. On the
18th of July Gen Lyon ordered col.
Smith to march upon Harris aad
break up the camp.
The plans of the campaign Were
| faultless, with one except on. The
colonel neglected to order fair wealth
er, and it rained. The soldier, did not
mind the booming of the cl0uu guns,
That seemed quite appropria g. 1t was
the drenching rain that rcnde. ci Their
spanking new uniforms all Soggy chat
somehow took the romance out Of the
situation and made them wish. aS they
crawled out of the box cars ut VI II
roe, that thS had remained at home.
Next morning the sun ShO.c ont
| oil k
fast was over the mOmcn.oUS mlrch
was begun. As the soldiers wtr max
ing their way through n narrow detic
in the Swinkey hills an unseen fee
opened fire on them at short rance. \
few took down their muskC and
fired a counter salute into the ambus
cade Of thick timber and undcrhrush.
bushes, and Capt. Grigsby's force OF
fifty guerrillas fed through the woods
like q herd Of frightened deer fer one
Of their number had he II MORALLY
wounded.
This little adventure served to warn
Col Smith that he was marching into
what. be termed "vrritahle death
trap" and he determined tn get 'ut
before more damage was done. 1t was
/ already most 4 o'clock. 80 1t Was deem
ed best to go into camp for the night
Not until then did 1t dawn upon the
commander that he had left his train
load OF supplies and ammunitlon at
Monroe, with not 50 much as a police
man to guard II. And the cloud OF
smoke that presently enyeloped the
heavens made plain the fact that there
was something doing at Monroe. The
loss to the Federal cause through the
destruction of the, station, train and
supplies was about $4,000; but the
loss was really much greater than this,
a loss that was not to be estimated in
cold figures, the loss of pride preStlge
and-dlnner. Col. Smith had in him
the making OF successful com
mander, and ii required just such an
experience as this to put him on his
mettle
AS soon as the scene of the recent
"confagration," as he finally termed It.
was reached, he sent his men to work
picking up bolt pins and nuts from
among the smoldering ruins of the
train, This helped them to realize
that they had burned their fingers, -
and the scraps Of metal could be used
instead of orthodox artillery ammuni-
ton. Then he took possession of the
seminary building and put himself in
position to endure a siege.
Soon the news was carried over the
country that 600 Yanks We're freed
up at Monroe, and every ablebodied
man and child within radius of a
dozen miles turned out to see the fun.
Col Harris finding that Col. Smiths
little visit had been deferred. deter
mined that the proposed meeting
should take place, even II he had to
change his role from host to guest.
Accordingly, he summoned all his men
and marched to Monroe where he sat
down in front OF the seminary and
waited for the Union commander IN
come out aid shake hands" BY noon
Of WAdnesiay tha Orb NJ IuIv thara