Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1904-01-28
From the 81. LouIs RepublIc.

MEXICO, Mu., Jan 16. - Furmei
r preventative. W. II KEENAN,, IT this
city, one Of the ex iiUa d Managers
,h the ex-Ijunftder Hume at Hig.
ginsvi.le, ,e l. au inlcreN ing srrry 1T
Cue last days Of the c'infederacy, Or
rather OF the first days of the recon-
sCructiun. Mr. Kennan was stationed
Aith his cnmmand near Shreveport at
the timc 1T Che surrender, aud be and
bis men at one time considered the
matter Uf travelling TO Did Mexico and
locating, rather than return home un-
der the sting of defeat. Mr.. Kennan
said this week that he had never seen
a correct story Of the incidents of the
surrender of his portion Of the defeat
ed army, which was Parsons brigade,
commanded by Gen. Levin NJ. Lewis,
and John B. Clark's brigade, COM
manded by Col Mit,helI, at the time
of the surrender. Mr., Kennan says:
II served as private, corporal and
sergeant, winding up four years. SER
vice as AdjutanJ Of Missouri bat
TALON, with the rank and pay of a
First Lieutenant Of infantry, in the
Confederate Army Transnaissippi De-
partment.
General e. Kirby Smith, at the
time of the surrender OF the depart
ment in the latter part Of May, 1855
was supposed to be in command, with
headquarters at Shreveport, La Gen
eral Sterling Price and General s. B.
Buckner were subordinate tn General
Smith. Parsons aud Clark's Mis-
souri, brigadeS, together with several
Arkansas and Texas brlgades Of in
fantry, were encamped at and around
OOllinsburg, La , a small village about
thirty miles northwest Uf Shreveport,
when the news nf LiucOlns aSSasSina-
tion and the surrender Uf General Lee
reached the army through general
order which was read 70 the troops
while IN dress pirade
"ueTe will add that when the order
announcing the death Of Mr.. Lincoln
was read there wa, not word Of ex-
ultagi0n escaped The lips Of single
soldier. On the cDntrary a deep
shadow q. SORROW fell instantly upon
the entire army. This expression was
no afl pcJi n. the SuldI RS felt in their
hearts what they 81 painly exhibited
il, their faces. somehow they seeme1
t0 teer inGtincrively that in the
a. sassiu.. tim VI Mr. Lincoln they had
lost \ friend AS idjutaut Uf the
battalion took the order aud draped
1t with black lines, leaving 1t in my
desk. which | lett in camp when W.
surrrnderen.
"Shurtly alter this the army marcn'
ed to shreveport aud encamped III d
grove OF timber that fringed the city
on it's western border aud where .wUUc
and water ablunded Gen Joseph e
johnson, in command Of the remnant
OI the Confederate Army east Of th'
Mississippi river had not surrendered
duu bIeIG Who Tain uLuNAs ShV hASA
and officers Uf ke ping up the struggle
indefinitely aud Of Johnson crossing
the river with what was left OF hi
army. Joining Us and taking command
with the view OF holding Louisiana
aud Texas. No definite action wa
taken To this end, and a short tim
after reliable news came that all o
tine Confederate forces east Of tn
Mississippi river had surrendered, lai'
down their arms and returned parOle'
to their homes.
"At this intelligence all hopes U
prOlonging the struggle vanished,
being demonstrated that any furthe
, effort would be futile. The most ez
cellent discipline which had prevaile
J among the soldiers up 70 this tim
: and which had rendered them almoS
r Inylncible in battle, instantly fade
away like dew before the mOrnin
sun, Soldiers who were perfectly OBJ,
Q dent to every command Of the
= oficers a moment before the news {
( tJOhnson's surrender we're, q momeI