The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-02-14
STRAY LEAVES FROM MISSOURI HISTORY.
Proclamation of General Price to the People of Central
and North Missouri
FROM THE MISSOURI ARMY ARGUS. NOV. p,
An Appeal to the People to Rise and Expe he Hessar
and the Jay-Hawker."

The following extract from the
Army Argus, peripatetic newspaper
Of the early days OF the war, will be
of ini erest to many OF our readers,
since this proclamation has
not been reprinted in recent years.
At The. time of this proclamation, j.
W. Tucker was the editor of the
Argus and Wm. f. Wisely was army
printer. IL has not been certainly
determined whether the Argus was
printed at Lexington at this partic-
ular time or not
PROCLAMATION.
FELLOW CITIZENS: Ia the month of
June last l was called to the COM
mand of handful of MiSsourians,
who nobly gave up home aud COM
fort to espOuse, 10 that gloomy hour,
the cause of your bleeding country,
struggling with the most cause
less and cruel despotism known
among civilized men. When peace
ard protection could no longer be
enjoyed but at the price of honor and
liberty, your Chief Magistrate called
for fifty thousand men to drive the
ruthless invader efrom soil made
fruitful by your labors and consecra
ted by your homes.
To that call less than f0e MoNSanc
responded; out of a male population
exceeding 100000 men one IN fortj
only stepped forward to defend witt
their persons aud their lives, thu
cause Of constitutional liberty ant
human rights
Some allowances are to be made OF
the score Of want of military organ
i2Ation; a supposed want of arms; th'
necessary retreat of the army south
ward; the blockade Of the river, ant
the presence of an armed and organ
lied foe. But nearly six months hav
now elapsed; your crops have beel
titled, your harvests have been reaped
your preparations for winter have bee
made; the army Of Missouri, organize
add equipped, fought its way to tn
river; the foe is still in the field: th
country bleeds, and our people groa
under the infections Of foe, marke
with all the characteristics Of barbal
ian warfare, and where aO7U are til
900 TO avenge our wrongl aud fire
our country? Had fifty tho isand me
hocked to our standard, with thei
shot-guus 10 their hands, there woul
not now be a Federal hiTelng in th
State to pOllute our soil. Instead
ruined communities, starving familit
and desolate districts, we should hay
had a people blessed with protection
: and with stores to supply the wan
and necessities, and comforts of lif
Where are those $4,000 men? Al
I Mlssourians no longer true to then
( selves? Are they timid, time-ser
ing, craven race, fit only fer subie
g ton to a despot? Awake, my cou
. trymen, to a sense of what constitut
the dignity and true greatness OF
free people 4 fen men have fougl
your battles. A few men have dare
e the dangers Of the battlefield. A fe
have borne the hardships of the can
t the scorching suns If summer, u
d frosts of winter, the malaria Of u
swamps, the prlvations incident
], our circumstances, fatigue and hu
/ ger, and thirst, often without blan
), cts, without shoes, with lnsufficle
= cloth ng, with the cold wet earth I
y a bed, the sky for covering, aud
t stone for a pillow, glad only to me
y the enemy on the field, where sor
r paid the noblest devotion know
}. among men on earth to the cause
u your country and your rights, wi
r their lives,
But where one has been lost on t
field, three have have been lost
diseases induced by privation a
ie TOLL During all Of these trials,
% have murmured not; we offered
ID we had on earth at the altar Of
ID SGiansn ccuatrg~-our own belov
N Missourl-and we only now ask Q
ID fellow ltizens-- our brethren, to col
'e to US and help to secure what we ha
gained, and to win our glorious