The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1911-09-26

precOncerted plan TO invade the state.
Grant Seizes Paducah.
General .. S. Grant was at this time
in command Of the Union forces in
southeastern Missouri and moved i'm
mediately. Polk had entered Ken
lucky on Sept. 4. Zollieofer ON the
9Th, and Grant threw his forces across
the river and seized Paducah on the
9Th. He found Confederate flags fly
ing in the town in anticipation Of the
seizure of the place by the Confeder
ates. In fact, the southern forces
turned back when informed that Pa
ducah was already occupied by the
Federals Grant issued the following
pronunciamento:
Il have come among you, not as an
enemy, but as your fellow citizen; not
to maltreat or annoy you, but to re-
spect and enforce the rights Of all
loyal citizens.
"An enemy in rebellion against our
/ common government has taken posses
sion of and planted his guns on the soil
of Kentucky and fired upon you Co
lumbus and Hickman are in his hands.
He is marching upon your city.
am here to defend you against this
enemy, to assist the authority and SOW
ereignty OF your government.
II have nothing to do with opinions
and shall deal only with armed rebel
lion and it's a1ders and abettors You
can pursue vour usual avocations with
out fear. The strong arm OF the gov
eminent is here to protect its friends
and punish its enemies. Whenever it
| is manifest that you are able to defend
| yourselves and maintain the author
| ity of the government and protect the
| right of loyal citizens | shall withdraw
the forces under my command"
The signature to this proclamation.
~. S. Grant," did not command the
attention that would have been given
it one year later, but was doubtless
! hailed with JOY by the loyal citizens
of Paducah, who forthwith tore down
| the Confederate flags.
On the day previous to Grants oc-
cupation Of Paducah Governor Magof-
fin had shown his hand. The legisla-
ture had already met on Sept 2, and
three days later Magotfin sent in a
message demanding that the Union
troops under Nelson at Scamp Dick
Robinson" and other bands raised in
the state should be withdrawn. In re-
! Spouse the legislature took exactly the
opposite tack. By decisive majorities
| it passed resolutions demanding that
the Confederate troops withdraw and
voted down an amendment including
the Union troops in the order; declared
that the soil of Kentucky had been in
vaded and called on the governor to
summon the military forces OF the
state to drive out the invaders; asked
the national government for aid and
assistance and requested General Rob-
ert Anderson, the hero of Fort Sumter.
| who had since been assigned to Ken
lucky, to enter upon "the discharge of
his duties
This was putting Kentucky into the
contest with vengeance. Governor Ma
coffin promptly vetoed the resolutions
but the legislature no less promptly
passed them over his veto. Not only
so. but 1t took other steps to put Ken
lucky On an armed footing as a Union
state and to place its war supplies and
soldiers at the disposal of the national
| government At last the fiction of neu
| trality was cast aside, and the Blue
Grass State took her stand with her
sisters at the north.
Heretofore the line Of battle had
been a broken one, extending through
| Virginia and what is now West Vir
ginia, ending with Kentucky and re-
snming its course again through Mis-.
souri,. Now the gap was filed, and the
line became continuous from Missouri
in the west to Virginia in the east.
Buckner Threatens Louisville.
Generals Polk and Zollicoffer were
not the only COnfederates to invade
the state. Simon B. Buckner, formerly
of the Kentucky state guard, but now
a Confederate brigadier, rapidly en-
tered the state with the design to cap
ture Louisville. He was swiftly ap
preaching by railroad when the au
thOrities took alarm and sent out an
engine to investigate. This was cap
tured by Buckner, but the fireman es
capped, got handcar and ran back tc
the city to give the alarm. General
Anderson interposed Union force. and
Buckner stopped at Bowling Green.
Kentucky's action had immediate pc
htical effects. Senator John c. Brack