Mexico weekly ledger., 1904-01-28
PRICES FAREWELL.
HON. W. Il. KEENAN, TELLS RE
PUBLIC CORRESPONDENT
OF SURRENDER OF MIS-
SOURI, TROOPS.
CHAOTIC CONDITION FOLLOWS
TIE ANNOUNCEMENT.
Well-Known Ex-Confederate Says II
Was Proposed to the Missouri
Troops to Locate in Old
Mexico Rather Than
Return Under
the Sting Of
Defeat

iOCdblttkf Idbiiti Oudu fCuuih htitC III
der the sting of defeat. Mr.. Kennan
said this week that he had never seen
correct story OF The incidents Of the
surrender OF his portion Of the defeat
ed army, which was Parsons brigade,
lcommanded by Gen. Levin NJ. Lewis,
and John r. Clark's brigade, COM
manded by Col Mitchell, at the time
Of the surrender Mr.. Kennan says:
II served as private, corporal and
sergeant winding up four years SER
vice as Adjutant OF a Missouri bat
TALON, with the rank and pay OF a
First Lieutenant OF infantry, in the
Confederate Army, Transmissippi De-
partment.
General e. Kirby Smith, at the
time Of the surrender OF the depart
ment in the latter part Of May, 1865
was supposed to be in command, with
headquarters at Shreveport, La. Gen
eral Sterling Price and General S. B.
Buckner were subordinate to General
Smith. Parsons and Clark's Mis-
souri, brigades, together with several
Arkansas and Texas brigades OF in
lfantry, we're encamped at and around
lCollinsburg, La F, a small village about
thirty miles northwest Of Shreveport,
when the news OF Lincoln's assassina-
tion and the surrender Of General Lee
reached the army through general
order which was read TO the troops
while on dress parade.
"Here will add that when the order
announcing the death Of Mr.. Lincoln
was read there was not a-word OF ex-
ultation escaped the lips Of single
soldier. On the contrary, a deep
shadow OF sorrow fell instantly upon
the entire army. This expression was
no affection, the soldiers felt in their
hearts what they so plainly exhibited
lin their faces. Somehow they seemed
to feel instinctively that In the
assassination of Mr.. Lincoln they had
lost a friend. AS Adjutant of the
battalion took the order and draped
lit with black lines, leaving it in my
desk, which l left In camp when we
surrendered.
shortly after this the army march
led to Shreveport and encamped in a
Igrove OF timber that fringed the city
lon its western border and where wood
and water abounded. Gen. Joseph e.
Johnson, In command Of the remnant
Iof the Confederate Army east OF the
Mississippi river, had not surrendered,
and there was talk among the men
and officers of keeping up the struggle
indefinitely and of johnson crossing
| the river with what was left OF bis
army, joining US and taking command
with the view of holding Louisiana
and Texas. No definite action was
taken to this end, and short time
latter reliable news came that all OF
jthe Confederate forces east of the
mississippi river had surrendered, laid
ldown their arms and returned paroled
to their homes.
"At this intelligence all hopes OF
prolonging the struggle vanished, II
being demonstrated that any further
effort would be futile. The most ex.
cellent discipline which had prevailed
among the soldiers up TO this time
and which had rendered them almost
invincible In battle, instantly faded
away like dew before the morning
sun. Soldiers who were perfectly ODE
dent to every command Of thell
officers a moment before the news o.
lohnson's surrender were, moment
after, so quickly was the change per
ceptible, to be controlled only by ths
kindest and gentlest persuasion. The
Texans and the ArkaDsans, to a man
without orders or leave, with thel
/, guns and what they could gather from
the ordnance stores and the depletet
commissary, left hurridly for thei
: homes, which we're not far away.
Remaining was an army Of severa
thousand Missourians, including tn
: commands OF General Shelby and Gen
eral Marmaduke, who were now gath
Ierlng In and about Shreveport, so
miles from their homes The neaees
Federal military post was more thar
a hundred miles away and the Con
federates were without supplies &
subsist them for twenty-four hours
without money of any value, withou
credit: in short, without any way 0
Iobtaining subsistence other than b
force. General e Kirby Smith, CON
mander Of the department, was at
sent, where none knew, although o.
April q, 1855, he issued a high-sound
ling general order urging tn
soldiers % stand by their color
and maintain their discipline. wha
was TO be done was the burning ques
tion OF the hour, earnestly asked b
both officers and the gallalt men Ii
the line.
PLAN TO SELL COTTON,
General Price, in company wit
General Simon Boliver Buckner, re
Iquested-they did not command, 70
all that was left Of the oiiicer was tn
insignia OF rank on the collar OF th
lcoat- the soldiers to assemble in Al
abandoned cotton field lying adjacen