Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-05-01
Civil War Stories
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| mduu0u Dy capt.. "A. y. Alien, was SCa-
toned at Fort Leavenworth, Kan,
and We're ordered to Atchison, Kan, on
provost duty. After the company ar
rived at Atchison and went into COM
| Portable quarters for the spring, the
situation had been carefully canvassed
and the trouble fully investigated. 1t
was found that large number of ne
groes in that vicinity were missing and
that a band of bushwhackers had a
rendezvous about 10 miles east of At
Gibson, at one time great slave plan
tation, who were suspected of gathering
them up for the purpose of taking them
into Texas and there to sell them as
slaves.
On the 10th day of March, 1862,
| Capt. A. c. Allen sWore in two new re-
cruits who had come in from the far
western part of the state of Kansas,
known as the Hegwer brothers. On
their journey they had many narrow
escapes in making their way from their
home in Chase county, Kan, compelled
to travel of night and hide in the tim
Der along the streams in daytime. They
were living in that part of the country
where the Anderson brothers resided,
and the Quantrill gang was raiding
through that country almost daily.
The boys had been spotted as Union
sympathiZers, and were compelled to
make their way to the front and join
the army or be waylaid by the guer
rillas.
On the 9Th day of May, Capt Allen
sent for the younger brother, Henry
who was but II years old, and very
small for his age, not over five feet FIVE
inches tail, weighed only a little over
100 pounds and looked to be not over
II years old, as no one would have
taken him to be soldier. Neither
would anyone have believed him to
have had the amount of experience
that he had gone through. He had
crossed the plains in SO and also in
go, fought Indians at different times,
hunted buffaloes and wolves and was
accustomed to all kinds of hardships.
The Captain informed him that he
had a very important and dangerous
duty to perform, and wanted to know
if he had the courage to undertake a
task of that kind. Young Hegwer said
that ''if it was in his line of duty as a
soldier" that when he enlisted he did
not expect to shirk any of the duties
that were required Of him, and that he
was ready and willing to undertake
anything that was possible.
WELL" said the Captain, young man
. I am glad to hear you express yourself
as willing to undertake this most haz-
ardous undertaking. I do not know of
, anyone in my command capable to I'M
dertake this except you
"This company has been sent here,
said the Captain, for the purpose OF
] detecting a band of bushwhackers who
have been kidnapping a lot of negroes
t for the purpose of taking them South
> and selling them as slaves" CAT that
time slaves were from 5000 to 81 ,20C
per head, according to their age, in the
southern states) THE place suspect.
ed the Captain said ''is an old slave
plantation about Is miles east of here
that l want you to go to, but you will
f have to be very careful in your under
taking or we will never see you alive
again. Put on your citizens clothes
, that you had on when you enlisted, and
get yourself ready to start in the morn
ing. Make your plans, and let me
know in the morning how you are go
ing to carry them out"
The next morning young Hegwer was
seen crossing the Missouri river on a
> ferryboat, making his way in north
easterly direction, so that he would ar
rive from the north when he got to the
plantation that there would be no sus-
picion that he had been sent from At
Gibson. His disguise was perfect. No
one would suspect him as being a sol
der 1t was almost dark and raining
when he arrived at the old plantation.
, When he got to the gate he was met by
an old gray-haired man about 20 years
!, old, very pleasant and polite. Young
Hegwer babe him the time of day. and
INQUIRED if it would be possible for him
to stay all night, that he was very
, tired, wet and hungry, and that he had
; come long way that day and was not
able to go much farther. The old gen
tleman looked at him rather pitifully,
hesitated quite a little while, finally
wanted to know, Where air you 'gwine
and wha' air you from?
Young Hegwer stated that his folks
lived in Doniphan county, Kan, imme-
diately west of st. Joseph, Mo-. that
his brother was with the rebel Gen.
Price. somewhere in southern Missouri
. that his father was dead and his moth
er was rather cross to him, and that he
, had run away from home. That
pleased the old gentleman very much,
and he took very hearty laugh over
it. He took him in the house, gave him
something to eat, and insisted that he
: must make himself at home, and that
they were getting up an expedition to
J go into that country themselves, and
that it might be possible he could go
with them. That suited young Hegwer