The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1904-04-14
Las, shot Of the War.

John j. Jones OF Cottonwood Falis, |
Kan. Is the latest claimant for the dis |
tlnctlon Of having fired the last shot In |
the civil war.
Mr.. Jones, who was In Kansas City
this week. tells In interesting story
of how, on May n. 1865. q detachment
OF the Third Wisconsin cavalry. OF
which he was a member. chased
band OF guerillas. among which was
Jesse James. He fired at the bandit.
The shot. he asserts, was tho last
fred during the war.
Mr.. Jones was twenty years old nj
the time and n private in the wiscon.
sin regiment. He Ia now foreman OF
stone quarry In Cottonwood Falls.
This Is his story:
"In April. 1865. the Third wiscon-
sin OF which I was n member. was as
signed to Missouri To assist In the sup
preston of the guerillas, who were
terrorizing the state. Including tho
Home Guard. We made our headquar-
ters IN Lexlngtod and We did not
have to organize searching parties to
discover bushwhackers who would
give up arguments.
The incident In which figured so
conspicuously took place on May IL.
1866. A party of seventeen OF us were
returning along the Warrensburg road
10 Lexington from a scouting trip. We
had reached a point about four and
half miles from there. when We heard
sounds OF conflict ahead. Putting our
horses to a gallop we suddenly came
upon the scene OF the trouble. A de
tachment Of nine or ten guerillas was
exchanging few shots with n party OF
foriy.two of the Home Guards.
when the bushwhackers. one oi
whom was Jesse James. saw our rein
forcements coming up they charged
the Home Guards. and. brushing then
aside, galloped up n narrow byroad
Two of them separated from the mali
body and pointed their horses nosei
across the field. A part OF my detach
ment began the chase for these, Will
seven OF us started after the others.
81 rode the best horse In our part!
and before knew IL was consider
ably In advance OF my companions
gaining rapidly on the guerillas-
afterward learned that tho HON
Guard did not take up the chase. a
they feared an ambush.
; Il had not gone far when I sa'
ahead OF me the bushwhackers, halte'
They fred three OF four shots at m
/ and then continued the retreat.
could hear my companions coming al
| aEt A I
4 a hot pace. A hundred yards furthS
5 on the guerillas pumped n few moi
Intellectual shots at me. Turning
: bend In the road I again came upO
q the band, and my predicament th
8 time was no enviable one. The
7 were drawn up in line. and only
n ditch separated them and me.
g Il had been coming at a fast gallo
. and II was impossible for me to chec
q my horse, as they think thought
4 would try TO do. Digging my spul
}. into my horse took the jump. Att
= the fight I measured the ditch an
Is found Il seventeen and a half fe'
q wide.
|" -When I refined up I was In Il
y midst OF the band and my surrend'
y was demanded Immediately. My hors
2 however, was lashlng about, and
~ communicated this spirit TO the
mounts. The horses became unma
l. aReable, and to this. think. owe n
- life. for none OF them could shoot wit
out taking a great chance OF shootiI
one OF their own party. Hearing n
:" companions coming, the guerilla
- again retreated. haltlng about tv
hundred yards further on. The roi
formed a horseshoe bend. so that Il
distance between us, straight aerO'
was about thirty yards. There was
poud TO separate Us. and tried TO c
across the water TO get ahead OF the
Others OF my party coming up. no
ever. we determined 90 again folio
the ieelng guerillas along the road.
"After a short chase the guerill
refined up and backed into n thi
growth OF underbrush to relol
Presently one advanced far enou
out OF cover Ia take shot.
.sThe man was Jesse James. ]
shot was effective, striking him full
the right breast. We saw him n
IN the saddle and drop his revolv
Then he disappeared In the und
brush, and although the chase "
continued We did not succeed In ei
turing any Of the band.
-on May 2i Dave Poole. an ONE
of the guerlllas. surrendered In w
rensburg with forty OF his band
Cant. John Bernard OF the Third W
consin. Jesse James was among I
plumber, and II was then learned a
Il was he that ! wounded. Jan
was brought into Warrensburg on
stretcher and was taken TO an upI
room IN the hotel. He and becai
quite friendly. He told me that. SO
after we save up the Chase. his ca
panions left him. FIRST hiding him ir
olump OF bushes. Twenty-four hol
later he vas picked up BY a farmer.
7 was three yeaFp end q half recovefl
from the wound.
~sums time later, A. a reward
nv ncigon that day ! waa offered
choice batwee fautenanta q