The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-04-23
Civil War Stories


IL was the 1st day of April, 1862,
that Co. 3, 9th Kansas Cavalry, COM
manded by Capt. a. C. Allen, was sta
toned at Fort Leavenworth, Kan,
and were 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 a large number Of ne
groes in that vicinity were missing and
that a band of bushwhackers had a
rendezvous about ID miles east of At
Gibson, at one time a 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 tall, weighed only little over
100 pounds and looked to be not over
IA years old, as no one would have
taken him to be a 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 80 and also in
go, fought Indians at different times,
hunted buffafOeS and wolves and was
accustomed to all kinds of hardships.
The Captain Informed him that he
had very important and dangerous
duty to perform, and wanted to know
ii he had the courage to undertake a
tnak Of TINT kind. Young Us8Wcr said
that "8 Il HHy In hr line Of duty n
soldier" that when he enlisted b did
not eypcct 10 shirk any Of the dIitiss
that wess Fcqhrei sf him, ana that he
was ready and willing to undertake
anything that was possible.
Well" said the Captain, young man
1 am glad to hear you express yourself
as willing to undertake this most haz-
ardous undertaking l 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 band of bushwhackers who
have been kidnapping a lot Of negroes
for the purpose of taking them South
and selling them as slaves" Cat that
time slaves were from 5000 to 81 200
per head, according to their age, in the
southern states.) 1.-The place suspect
ed" the Captain said, lis an old slave
plantation about Is miles east of here
that want you to go to, but you will
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"
After studying a little while young
Hegwer said: II will come over this
evening and tell you my plans"
Promptly at o'clock Hegwer re-
ported that he was ready to start early
in the morning; that he would take his
time. get to the plantation 4 little be-
| fore dark and there insist on staying
all night If possible When he had
| fully discovered what he wanted to find
out he would write letter to his broth
| er indicating to him what was neces-
sary. The Captain said, You have laid
your plans WE'LL" handed him So, and
wished him good luck in his undertake
ing.
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
| Hcgwer 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 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
| 1t. 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
go into that country themselves, and