The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-09-22


us narrated TO nae. 1t was one of those
lamentable affairs-entirely too frequent in
| Waf-wherein the lives OF good men are
needlessly sacrificed by the blunders OF
reckless or incompetent officers.
For some days previous to Quantrells
attack on BiuHts party, the guerrilla
chief had been collecting his murderous
bushwhackers, unknown to the Federal au-
| thorities, in the vicinity of Baxter Springs
for the purpose Of attacking Lieut.. Ponds
little garrison ut that place. 1t is esti-
mated that the gnerrillas numbered about
a company each of the Sd Wis. Cav. and
list kans. Colored Inf. Blunt's escort was
| one company of the Sd Wis Cav. and one
company of the 14th Kans. Cav, prob
ably about 100 men.
On the day of the catastrophe Guam
trell had made his attack on Ponds camp,
surprising and killing several men who
were caught outside their rifle pits, but
found the little garrison better prepared
for defense than the rebels had expected,
ana PondS men We're successfully stand
ing them off. Just at this time (about
noon) Quantrells men, who were in the
timber, near Ponds camp, spied Blunt
little command approaching. Seeing that
there was only small party with Blunt,
and as they evidently were not aware Of
the presence of the enemy, Quantrell quick
~ decided to change his plan and make a
sudden dash on Blunt's command, as
promising better prospect of success than
lighting Ponds men in their intrenchments.
! Withdrawing his men from the vicinity
or fonds camp, he fell back into the tim
Der, and keeping out of sight of Blunt
men, he moved along northward in the
edge OF the woods till directly opposite the
approaching party, which was moving
along the road all unsuspicious of danger,
IN the open prairie between Willow Greek
and Baxter Springs, about a quarter of a
mile from the line of timber-an old aban-
doned field with a knocked-dow fence in
tervenng between the woods where Guam
trell had formed his line and road that
Blunt was travelling on.
| Up to this time Ponds command was
not aware of Blunt's approach, and al
though Blunts men had heard some firing
half mile head of them. they thought
nothing strange of it, and did not seem to
suspect that a skirmish with the enemy
had been going on there.
Blunt was riding in his fine two-horse
carriage. his saddled horse being led by
a servant just in rear. He had ordered
his band to the front in the fine, gaudily-
painted six-mule band wagon, and was pre-
pairing to surprise Ponds garrison with
a sudden burst of martial music as he
| neared the Springs.
just at this juncture Blunt's attention
was called to the line of mounted rebels
riding out of the timber and moving brisk
ly across the old field toward him. At
| first it was thought to be Ponds company
of cavalry out on drill but it was quick
| ly seen that there were too many of them
for one company, and they did not have
me regulation appearance of drilled sol
| diers.
Beginning to suspect that they were
| rebels. Blunt mounted his horse and made
In nffn ~f 81, &
| meet the charge, but too late-the yelling
devils, with Quantrell himself in the lead.
were onto and among the surprised SOL
diers, shooting down and riding over all
they came TO. Taken SO completely by sur
prise. and at such disadvantage, it is
no discredit to Blunt's soldiers that they
broke and fled-every fellow for himself
trying to save their lives as best they
could. What else could they do under the
circumstances?
Few OF them escaped the murderous
| fiends. however, for they killed all they
lovertook-even those who surrendered
being shot down as soon as disarmed
Blunt. with about dozen officers and
men, outran the guerrillas and ESCAPED to
the top OF neighboring hill just westward
OF the held. where. as the rebels returned
from following them, they halted and
watched the destruction iof their outfit.
Mrs. Thomas was riding in her carriage
somewhat to the rear, and when the at.
tack on the escort was made Mr.. Bridges
newspaper man, connected with the
Fort Scott "Monitor"), who was riding
with the command. caught a cavalry horse.
whose rider had just been shot off him.
and leading it back to Mrs. Thomas's car.
riage. hurriedly assisted her to mount. and
they both struck out across the prairie
toward Fort Scott, and fortunately es-
capped
While the rebels were galloping across
the field to attack Blunt's party, johnny
Fry, one of Tufts "Buckskin Scouts. !"
being drunk as a fool" galloped out to
meet Quantrell and enthusiastically called
out to him,
Il order you to withdraw your men from
| the field, sir, by Gen. Blunt's command !"
Quantrell merely answered, Get out of
my way" as he shot Fry off his horse,
killing him, and rode On without even
slowing up.
Maj. Curtis, Blunt's Acknowledgement.
was ovcrtaken and killed by Quantrell him.
self, also, as he (Curtis) went pacing
along following Blunt's retreating party.
Lieut.. Farr. of the Sd Wis, was also
killed. l don't remember to have heard
the names of any other commissioned Off
GERS who lost their lives in this affair.
Sometime afterward / met big Ser
geant of one of the companies of the e.
cort, who was called Big Jack" whose
face was badly dlShgured by scars from
Quantrell's bullets. He told me that
Quantrell shot him through the BODY FIRST.
and he fell of his horse, supposing him.
self mortally wounded. As he Law on his
back the guerrilla chief rode up and stood
his horse over him, and reaching his p;stui
down close to Jacks face, said to him. as
he fired two balls into his face:
| when you get to hell tell the devil
this is Quantrell's work."
The fiend then rode of, supposing that
he had finished the big Sergeant, but by
good luck none of his wounds proved fatal.
and he recovered, but will never look pref.
ty again.
| When the soldiers stampeded, the band
started to run, also, in their wagon, but
were soon overtaken by the bloodthirsty
bushwhackers, who surrounded the band
wagon and shot the musicians where they
sat, only one of them succeeding in getting
out before being killed-O'Neal, the bass
drummer, who had formerly been an ac-
tor in a Leavenworth theater, and also a
newspaper correspondent, jumped out and
ran a few steps before he was brough,
down. His body was found, where he fell,
a few steps from the wagon. The rebs
then took the mules and set fire to the
wagon.
The six-mule teams were overtaken and
| diSuOSed of in like ma nner-fha taamv 70 &c,