Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-01-11
Letter From C. K. Polk.

Ed. Register Il wish to note some
of Col. .Murphy's statements in re-
gard to my former article.
The Colonel says that I said I
was detailed to bury the dead. l
did not use the word detail, and
was not detailed to bury the dead.
| said was left in the rear; or, as
| meant to say that my company
was in rear guard of command
that day. Twas instructed to visit
the fort to see if the dead had been
collected and to get the number of
dead. I did not use the word de-
tail in connection with my visiting
the fort. The men detailed to that
work had the dead collected when
I arrived at the fort, about or 8
o'clock A. M. Now the reader can
form his own opinion in regard to
the dead and wounded at the bat
tie of Pilot Knob, as nearly all of
the ColonePs witnesses on the
Confederate side gave both the
number of the dead and wounded,
SO it is not necessary to apply the
Colonel's rule of average. The
Colonel intimates that I claim Al
was all the men killed. | said 400
killed, wounded and missing.
Strike out the word "missing" and
count it as you please.
Now I do not expect my count
of Al to change anything that has
been recorded or written. The
writing and recording of the cir
cumstances of a battle does not
make it right unless it is right;
and if it is right, nothing that can
be written will change it. In re-
gard to the dead that were picked
up two weeks after Prices raid,
under existing circumstances at
the time, to place it as neglect OF
duty of Price's men, is leading to
a question do not wish to discuss.
The part took in the battle was
obeying orders and doing what
was directed to do.
l belonged to Greene's Third
Missouri Regiment. We occupied
a position behind the bank ot
Knob Creek, near log pen, OF
house, between the fort and the
creek, in a secure position, be.
cause we made it secure by silenc.
ing the guns on the fort with oul
Enfelds, and practicalling silenc-
ing the fort. The dead and wound
ed of Marmaduke's command were
removed that evening. We were
halted there and remained in readi.
ness to charge the fort at any time
until dark. But Gen. Price hao
changed his plans by giving Gen
Ewing a chance to come out of the
fort, expecting Gen. Joe Shelby tc
cut him off on his retreat and his
capture would be sure; and if he
did not leave the fort it was to be
attacked the next morning.
i The Colonel says a great dea,
about Gen. Prices withdrawing il
front of Ewing's little band, and
my low estimate put on the valol
of the Confederate soldiers. die
not say that Gen. Prices army
abandoned the field; neither do
think that my comrades will con-
denim me for speaking out once il
forty years.
Yes, we had a gun disabled OF
Shepherd Mountain. This mus
have been the gun that Thos. New.
man saw disabled. We do no
deny that the loss was as Mr.. New.
man represents. But that was no
the gun further west. There was
a small gun further west on the
top of Shepherd Mountain, COM
manded by Capt. Thos. Williams
of Cape Girardeau county, Mo
| The range of this gun was dowr
the north slope of the mountain
west OF the stockade, where the
timber was cleared away from the
| foot of the mountain, in range o1
the southwest corner Of the fort
| 1t fred two shots, the first taking
effect in the fort, and the second
disabling a gun. This is said te
the only battery that put a shot
inside the fort. Now, that you
(may know what | am talking
about: The Third Missouri, com.
manded by Col. Cotton Greene o1
st. Louis, went onto Shepherd
Mountain with this gun; after the
| two shots had been fired this regi-
ment was ordered down the noun
tain to take part in the assault or
the fort. The gun was ordered tC
be taken back to Ironton. Greene's
regiment marched north down the
mountain until they reached the
clearing at a point west Of the
stockade, turned east and soutt