The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-03-09

take place without voting the presid-
ing officer the usual vote of thanks.
After the panic had part!y subsidcd,
1t was asc:rtaincd the message vas q
hoax intended to test the courage of
the legislative warriors
Shortly after, however, the news
reached jefferson City that Cnlonci
Lyon had actually captured Camp
jackson and GD prisoner, and was
then moving I'll 10 Boonvilc. There
was general panic, aud every man
struck out for his own safety. Vest
and Governor Jackson were the first
to make he break, and bee lire for
the southern part of the State, where
they thought they would be safe from
danger.
The Governor, with as many mem.
bers as could keep up with him, halt
cd at Ncosho to hold meeting of the
Legislature. They took possession of
the Presbyterian Church of that town
for Legislative hall, and here the
remnant of the spirited and deter
mined 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 Kansas
side and put the Governor and his
Legislature to i1slorious fight. 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 ali
around. The moving Legislature be.
came tired and dcmoralizeG. Some of
them Joined Price army aud others
scattered out over different sections
of the country.
There was such an army Of camp
followers and loungers hanging around
Prices army that the old General
issued an order compelling c, cry able
bodied man from Missouri: to either
enlist in the Confederate Army or
leave the camp. This order fell heav-
lily on George Vest. for. said he: 4
am not solder, but statesman l
am not built for a soldier
However, the orders of cruel war
had to be obeycd, and Vest left us.
He spent his last night in camp with
me, and early the next morning start
ed out in the direction of Arkansas.
did not hear Of him again until in
Richmond, when. one day, much to
my surprise, one of the boys came
around with small printed handbill,
which announced that George G. Vest,
of Boonville, Mo-, was candidate for
the Confederate Congress.
"There were several boys fro n
Vests district in the command, 80 we
got together aud elected George to
Congress without any ballot-box stuff
ing intimidation. 1t was fres bal.
lot and fair count, and that is tho
reason why George was so much in
favor 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 Mis- |
souri, on his certificate.
mfr. Vest had many hair. breadth
escapes and adventures trying to reach
Richmond, the more serious of these
being with Confederate troops. Some
times he was taken for spy, and at |
other times had great difficulty in es,
Gaping from impressnent as soldier.
lie rode into the camp of the Six
teenth Missouri command, neer Fort
Smith, Ark. lie was greeted by the
boys as a damned Yankee spy and |
preparations were Immediately made |
to swing him up. Vest protested |
who he was, and cxcited demands for
his papers, with rope dangling in
the hands of the soldiers, drew from
him the following:
Boys, I 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 member, came
forward and said:
Boys, I know this little rascal. |
He is the chap who raised 90 much
hell in the Legislature among them
Union fellows He is the one who
told them Yanks that II they expect |
I'D to put all their dead soldiers on