Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1911-06-22
FIRST ARMED STRUGGLE.
War in Missouri-The Battle Of
Bonneville, 30 Years Ago.

The battle Of Boonville was
fought fifty years ago last Satur-
day. Many old settlers of Au-
drain will recall some Of the
events of that early day. Teh bat
tie of Boonvile was not great
battle as battles went III that great
war; it was lust minor incident,
scarce written down in the annals
of the times and after fifty years
almost forgotten. Still June II,
1911, is the ffticth anniversary, |
and the Battle of Bonneville has
some claim on the public atten-
ton even after the lapse of half |
century. 1t was the first |
armed struggle between organic
ed Confederate forces and the
Federal government in the State
of Missouri in the great Civil War
which followed, and the names of
men who led the contending fore
es are written large on the scroll
wherein are recorded the names
of great MiSSourians.
The events which led up to the
battle of Boonville are these:
June II, 1861, Governor c. F. Jack
son and Gen. Sterling Price left
Jefferson City, where the state
legislature was holding an eXcit-
ed session, for st. Louis, where
they held a four hour conference
with Gen. Nathaniel Lyon and Col.
Frank p. Blair. with a view, if pos
sible, of making some kind of a
compromise assuring temper
airy # not permanent peace be-
tween the federal and state-or
| COnfederate-forces in Missouri.
| Jackson s demand was that FEEDER
al troops should not be quartered
in or marched through Missouri.
Nothing was accomplished, and
Jackson and Price returned to JEFF
ferson City that night, burning the
railroad bridges behind them and
cutting the telegraph wires. On
, their arrival at the state capitol
/ Jackson issued a proclamation in
, which he called upon the people to
"rise then, and drive out the in.
; vaders who have dared to desc.
crate the soil which your labors
have made fruitful and which is
p consecrated by your homes.
Lyon and Blair took this as d
p declaration of war in Missouri
and at once prepared to march
against the capitol, and on the day
p after its isSuance-June 13-em
, barked their forces for that point
D The second Battalion of the First
p Missouri Volunteers, one section
{ of Totten's Light Artillery, anC
/ two companies of regulars were
. loaded onto the latan, and the
4 First Missouri, the other section!
\ of TOtten's Artillery and a de
{ tatchment of volunteers with Gen
n eral Lyon and his staff, were pu
4 on board the j. c. Swan and Thu
4 force of about | 800 men steamed
Q up the Missouri. They reached
o Jefferson City on the afternoon o
il June 10 and found it abandoned
| by jackson and Price, who haC
# gone to Boonville, where the!
were collecting a force to resis
the anticipated attack. Leavin!
Col. Henry Boernsein in possession
and command at the capital with
II considerable force, Lyon anC
. Blair re-embarked the rest of thei
q troops and steamed away 70
Boonville June 16. AT Boonvill
L General Price was taken seriOusl,
Ia i'll and on the sixteenth took tn
: steamer White Cloud for his HON
D in Charlton county, leaving Cover
nor Jackson in command of tn
70 hastily collected, unframed an,
10 badly armed forces of the state.
,e These troops were marshaled il
Il battle array about six miles belov
~ Boonville, on the farm of William
" NJ. Adams. Seven miles beloy
BOOnyille Lyon and Blair disem
barked their forces and marche
e. mp for battle. The Federals open
te ed with artillery and sent a cOupl
% of 6-pOund shells through Farme
20 Adam 5 house, the marks of whic
nj are said to be still visible. The
followed the musketry fire whic