The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-06-04

oiu yin StlcSl DTeNtTl. MOludy ulOTu-
ing you may have the position" This
was Friday afternoon. At once we
sent a telegram: Company accepted
If in barracks Monday; spread the
news quick" The company reached
Chicago on time and was assigned to
Company d quarters
l am anxious to tell your readers
about the siege of Lexington, Mo. Lex
ington is situated in q bend on the
south side of the Missouri River, and
on bluff 125 feet high. There was
at that time no town at the base Of the
bluf-just a ferry across the river to
a junction with the railroad to st.
Louis. Twenty-Five miles west is Kan
sas City, with extensive railroad con-
nections reaching far and wide. l did
not think that Lexington was STRAIT
egic point because it was impossible to
fortify it successfully. We were at JEFF
ferson City, Mo-, when orders came to-
make a forced march to relieve Lexing-
ton. We left Sept. 10, 1861, early in
the morning. each soldier carrying five
| days rations, and reached Lexington in
the dusk Of the next evening. getting
| into the earth Notifications to the rat
tie of the rebel infantry guns. We
posted our guards and at once got to
work strengthening the breastworl1s.
working in reliefs all the night
The garrison consisted of one regi-
ment of Missouri "Home Guards 500
strong: @le battery of six-inch guns
and one battalion of the First Illinois
Cavalry. 400 horses and men. These
men had no, sabers and were armed
with only the old-fashioned horse pis-
| tolls used in the Mexican war; The
Home Guards had the old Springfield
muskets. Our regiment had the i'm
proved Springfield muskets, but not
much ammunition. as it was a forced
march and provisions, ammunition and
US.
Sept -. 1861. reports indicated five
| days rations for the men. There was
one well on College Hill. and for water
we expected relief would come soon.
Dense, heavy timber inclosed Licking
| ton. making a veritablc death trap for
our men, as nearly all the trees in good
range were used by the rebels sharp
shooters TO pick of our men at every
exposure, with no harm to the rebels.
General Price was in command, and
our scouts said he had fully $4,000 men
and more coming every hour. On Sept.
| 16 we took one of the>college buildings
for hospital. and had the hospital flag
hoisted OVER it. There was yet no word
| from General Fremont. On Sept. IL
| the rebels charged our hospital and
captured it, although the. hospital flag
was plainly in sight. Captain Mont
gomery of Company B was ordered to
retake the hospital. He captured it.
but could not hold it. The enemy came
upon him in such great numbers that
he gave the order to retreat. Com
pany Il lost forty-two men in that
charge.
| On Sept. 20 We were still without
help from General Fremont, and had
no food for the men anu no water.
| The rebels made movable breastworks
out of hemp bales and were gradually
| getting nearer 10 us. Sept. 81 we were
again without food and water. 1t be-
gan to look as if we were forgotten and
forsaken. Sept. % Company ID was or
dered out TO the point TO relieve Com
pany X. There had been no burial of
the dead in the ten days we had been
there: the corpses were swollen like
monsters and the dead horses looked
like elephants. The hemp bales were
within twenty-five feet of our works.
If hat was exposed a volIey of bull
lets was fired into it. All we could do
was to sit still and watch the enemy
sharply.
| went forward and asked Captain
Simpson to a conference. at is folly"
| told him, ito prolong the misery. Col
onel Mulligan ought to be told that our
case is hopeless"
"Who will tell the colonel this2" be
asked. "Will you?v
IF you ask me TO call on him 1 will
CO." replied, and he said: go, lieu
tenant"
/ started toward headquarters, real
izing that l had a delicate as well as
a difficult task before me, and with no
idea how Colonel Mulligan would re-
ceive the message. When l had nearly
reached the building headquarters
met Colonel Mulligan coming around
the corner.
Colonel" 1 said, may / talk with
your
Certainly. Lieutenant Mcclure" he
answered.
By this time the sharpshooters had
US in fairly good range and the bullets
were spluttering in the ground or sing
ing liz the air. Colonel" | said, let
us go back few paces.' Then | con-
tinued
Colonel Mulligan, l hope you will
not misjudge me, but l must speak now.
| There is no food or water in the camp !;
there has been none for four days. The
dead OF the past ten days are unburled I;
for ten days we have been looking for
re-enforcements, but none have come,
and we feel that you can consistently
and honorably surrender your forces. T"
He looked at me a moment, and sud
denly his eyes flooded with tears. After
an interval Of silence he said
Lieutenant Mcclure, l accept your
suggestion as the wisest thing to do,
Go back to Captain Simpson and say
that I viii at once order. the adjutant
to lower our dag and | VIII ask for an
armistice."
| Just as ] got back to Company d I
heard great shout, rebel shout. We