The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-08-08
When the Johnnies Ran
Story Of Battle Of Athens, Most Northern Battle of the
Civil Counterpart of Bull Run

MACON, Mo-, Aug. 8.-While the
North was in sackcloth over the dis
aster at Bull Run fifty years ago
there was a comic battle in Missouri
in many respects resembling the STAN.
pede in the east, the difference being
that out here the Johnnies did the
running. Possibly it was the result
of the Missouri Bull Run that stiffen
ed the northern backbone, and showed
that a Johnnie Reb' would skedad
die as quick as Yank if you went
at him right. AS there was no real
cause for the army Of Mcdowell to
leave the field Of Manassas in such
hot haste, neither was there reason
for the mad flight Of Col. Martin
Greene's army from the handful OF
soldiers under Col. David Moore. In
neither case was the victor equipped
with cavalry, and a moments refec-
ton might have convinced the men OF
the retreating armies that their legs
were just as good as those of their
opponents, but in time of trouble men
don't sit down and figure our prob
lens of that sort.
The battle of Athens, in Clark
county, close to the Iowa line, was
fought fifty years ago, August 5, 1861.
BY many it was claimed to have been
the most northern battle of the civil
war. being quite ways north Of
Gettysburg. Within recent months
monument has been erected on a
farm in Columbiana county, Ohio, near
Wellsville, where Gen. John H. Nor
gan surrendered. The claim is only
made. though. that this was the far
thest north reached by the Confeder-
ate forces. So, as the record stands,
Athens was the farthest north bat
tle
Col. Martin Greene had an army
yariously estimated at from 1900 to
1000 raw recruits, armed with all
sorts of weapons, and many without
any. There were two terrible" look
ing cannon, from which great things
were expected. Greene,s men had
made triumphal progress through the
northern part Of the state, scattering
small forces of '"Yanks" and placing
rebel banners on courthouses. They
had acquired considerable confidence
through these operations, and when
they learned there was federal force
somewhere about the corners Of Iowa
and Missouri they were eager to &c
against it.
The briefest and most conprehen
sive account of this battle was describ
ed long before in these words:
The king of France marched vi
the hill with 10000 men; the king
of France marched down again.
Col. David Moore had the true sol
der blood in his veins, and he had
nc idea OF letting his little fedora
command become scared OF a greai
ct of farmers armed with squire
rifles and corn knives. So he lined
up his forces against bluff on The
l es Moines river and opened a fire
I 1t was quite a little fight for six o.
seven hours, but with little execution
on either side The deadly" cannon
barked and howled, but didn't hi
anything. The federals had regular
army guns and they would shoot furth
er and hit harder than the weapons
of the confederates. Two Of Col
Moore's sons, John and Will. Tough
with the confederates. Col. Moor,
and his son Will had, just previously
organized and drilled rival companie
| in the town of Union. Every Satur
day morning each company-one TO
the union and the other for the soutl
would march about the square AM
execute all sorts OF military maneuy
ers. The people were dreading tina
every day something would occu
that might precipitate an encounter
because feeling was running high.
The writer has talked with man
survivors o. the battle of Athens, an
/ there have been varying views as t
what brought on the rout of the Johr
MES. Some say Col. Moore was re
enforced and that the new men wen
into action hurrahing SO loudly an
shooting SO swiftly that Col. Greene
linen acquired a bad spell of home
sickness all at once
The late DR.. ]. T. Norris, who wa