The National tribune., 1907-07-11
GEN. LYONS SWORD.
Testimony That He Wore None at Will
sons Creek-The One In the Museum
Some Other Officers.

Editor National Tribune: In your is
sue OF April is an item i'll the
Washington columns regarding IA sword
in the National Museum, said sword
purportinS to be the one worn by and
belonging to Gen. Nathaniel Lyon ut
the battle of Wilson's Creek. The item
states, "One of the battery officers was
Churchill Clark, a cousin of the General.
and when the body was sent back to
the Federal lines next day under a flag
of truce he unlocked the sword from
the belt and put it on" etc. The facts
are. the body was turned over to me
by Gen. Rains. by order of Gen. Price
and L proceeded from the Ray house
with a volunteer Confederate escort in
charge of Orderly Sergeant Bracket, of
Churchilrs Arkansas Mounted Infantry,
arriving in Springfield about o'clock
Aug. 10, 1861.
There was on the body no sword bel. .
shoulder straps or other insignia of
rank except single breasted rcgula-
ton Captains coat.
From May !. 1861, for five weeks
was Il member of Gen. Lyons military
household at the arsenal, in St Louis.
meeting him many times every day. |
do not recollect ever seeing him wear
ing sword or a sword belt
After returning to Springfield with
the wounded from the battle of Car
thage. about July Z, | saw him every
day up to $50 O'Clock p. m, Aug. g..
when we were about ready to move to
Wilson's Creek, and do not remember of
seeing him with a sword.
/ am the officer who received the
body from Gen. Price, brought it TO
Springfield that same evening of the
day of the battle turned it over to
Mai. Schofeld, Gieut.-Gen. SchoficId
!ater), prepared the body the next day
for burial placed the body in /; coffin
made by Presley Beale a cabinet maker
Of Springfield. These facts are matters
of history, all having been thoroly in
vestigatcd proven and published in
the history of Greene County in 1888
! also send you a statement by Col D;i-
vid Murphy. of st. LOuis.--S. Fl. Mclch-
er. Surgeon. 5th Mo-, Aug. 10, 1861,
Springfield. Mo.
st. Louis. Mo-, April IL. 1907.
Col s. Fl. Melcher: Your letter of
the 10th inst. is at hand. In reply TO
your inquiry concerning the clothing
and arms worn by Gen. Lyon at the bat
tie of Wilson's Creek. fought Aug. 10
1861. will state that / was with Maj.
Osterhaus's battalion Of the I'd Mo. when
it made its last bayOnet charge. and re-
ccived Il aunshot wound in my leg
which disabled me.
/ went to the rear for surgical assist
ancc. and after having the bullet cx-
tracted by Lieut.. Lothrop, of the 4th
L. s. Art, proceeded to inspect the
field. and wandered about among the
dead and wounded. In this way l es-
pied Private Edw. Lehman, of Co. B.
I'd U. s.. crouching by the side of d
body which was covered with a U. S.
Army overcOat.
asked Lehman if the body was that
of the General. He answered with a nod
of his head. / asked him why ne did
not have the body taken into Spring
field? He answered by asking me the
question, What can a private soldier
do?"
Observing one of Capt. f. A. Carr's
| hailed it, told the teamster that
Lyon into Springfield. The teamstcr
turned his wagon from the road up
to where the dead General lay and the
three of us lifted the body into the
wagon, requiring the wounded soldiers
therein to make room for the body. and
| saw the wagon drive off in the di-
rcction of Springfield. AS you say. the
General wore Il Captains uniform coat
sword. l met the General frequently
at the st. Louis Arsenal. also en- route
TO and on the march from Boonvillc
without epaulettcs, sword belt or
south to Springfield prior to the battle.
and never saw him wear either i sword
or belt-David Murphy, St Louis. Mo
! concur in the above.-Barney Sea-
man. Secretary, First Missouri Asso-
citation.