The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1909-04-22
.RECOLLECTIONS OF 1861 IN
MISSOURI.

read before 8 recent meeting Of MArmsduke
Camp.
ABOUT the LIST Of May 1861 when
Claiborne F. Jackson, Governor OF
Missouri, was trying 80 maintain an
armed neutrality In the var between
the States, he had a conference In St.
Louis with Gen. Nathaniel Lyon,
commander OF the o. S. forces In
Mo at which time he attempted to
persuade Gen. Lyon not to enlist
any soldiers for the Union army In
this state nor to bring In any from
other states; promising that he
would not, on that condition, per-
NIT any soldiers to be enlisted for
the South In Mo-, nor allow any Con-
iederate soldiers to enter the state.
This proposal was defiantly rejected
by Gen, Lyon and within a day or
two Governor Jackson issued a proc.
lsmstion calling for $4,000 State
troops TO enlist for the purpose OF
resisting Invasion and protecting the
rights, liberties and property OF the
people OF Mo,
This was the Missouri State Guard,
and was under the flag OF the state
OF Missouri. 1t was commanded by
Gneral Sterling Price by appointment
from Gov. Jackson. Gen. Price was
up TO this time staunch Union man
and had presided only a short time
before over a convention which al.
most unanimously rejected secession.
A few days afterwards Gen. Frost
surrendered to Gen. Lyon about
1000 Of these State Guards on the
10th OF May at Camp Jackson which
was In grove just outside the city
limits OF st. Louis at or near 5000
Olive st.
Gen. Lyon next moved on Jeffer-
son City with a view OF capturing
Price and Jackson and the small
army OF few hundred, which had
assembled there under Gov, Jack
sons call for $4,000 men. They
however fell back to Boonville, where
there was slight skirmlsh, and then
to Lexington, where they recruited
an army OF about 5000 fighting
men, with an equal number OF dead
beats and camp followers.
10 the mean time Gen. Lyon had
assembled a large force at st. Louis,
and Gen. Franz Siegel was In the
southwest with a small army. To.
ward the latter part OF June Gen,
Price moved his army to southwest
Missouri and encountered Gen. Siegel
on the 9Th of July near Carthage In
Jasper county. He chased Siegel
nearly all day across the prairie but
let him get away, with the loss Of
very few men on either side; and this
battle OF Carthage has always been
referred to by writer's on the Union
side as q signal victory for Gen
Siegel; but 1t was only a horse race
and Siegel got the best Of 1t and
escaped. Gen. Price then moved or
to Mcdonald Co., where be csmped
on cowskin creek until about the LEI
OF August, when he started TOWARD
Springfield, where Gems. Lyon and
Siegel had concentrated a large army
outnumbering the force that Price
had; but Price was REINFORCED by
several regiments from Texas, Ar
kansas and Louisiana making hit
available force about equal to that
OF Lyon.
On the evening OF the 9th OF Aug
ust he camped ON Wilson's creeI
about 10 miles southwest Of Spring
field, expecting to move on thai
place soon, where Lyon had about
10000 men. But on the morning o.
the 10th OF Aug. Gen. Price was sur
prised In camp at daylight by an at
tack In force by Gen. Lyon, where
Lyon expected another 'signal vic
tory" But Lyon was surprised tc
find that the shot gun and squire
rife were such effective weapons ir
the hands Of Missouri farmer boys
The fighting was severe on bott
sides. Gen. Lyon was killed and be
fore night the Federal army was II
full retreat on Springfield, nor die
they stop there long, but continued
on to Rolla which was then the ter
minus OF the 8. W. branch OF th'
Pacifc!.R. R., now the Frisco. Gen
Priceithen moved up and occupied
Springfield, his re-eniorcements hav
Ing returned to Arkansas; for JET