University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1912-11-17
WHEN A GARRISON HELD COLUMBIA
Confederates, Federals and Guerrillas in Turn
Brought Home to Boone County
the Meaning of War

versation with Colonel Sweeney, an
attempt was made by stranger to
assassinate Colonel VIM. F. Switzler,
editor of the Statesman and a Union
man. The assailant was prevented
from firing by recruiting officer who
had followed him.
One Of the prominent events in the
military history of Columbia was the
advent into the town January 2, 1861,
of a portion of the Missouri Volun-
teers later known as Merrill's
Horse" They pitched their tents on
the campus, established a military
prison and garrisoned the town until
July. During the stay of the force
in Columbia many citizens were ar
rested, a few of them tried by court
martial and others banished from the
state for bridge burning, recruiting
within the Federal lines and VIOLA
tions of parole. Several hundred
others were required to give bond
and take the test oath.
Guitar Recruited Cavalry.
Early in January, 1862. Odon Gui-
tar, then a lawyer of Columbia, was
authorized to recruit a cavalry regi-
ment, and on February II, Colonel
Guitar arrived in Columbia with two
companies of his regiment and united
with Merrill.
The following month a military
commission convened at Columbia
and tried Edmund ]. Ellis, editor of
the Columbia Standard, on a charge
of giving information through his LIP
ger for the benefit of the enemy al d
encouraging resistance to the United
States. He was found guilty and
sentenced to exile from the state.
The nearest approach to a battle
within the city limits of Columbia was
in August, 1862, when two hundred
guerrillas. under Captain Young
Purcell of Audrain and Lieutenant
John Brown of Boone. dashed into
Columbia and took the Federal troops
by surprise. The guerrillas picketed
all the principal streets leading out
of town, allowing no one to pass in
or out They then proceeded to the
jail and released three Confederate
prisoners. While this was going on
another squad of them became intOX-
icated and decided to make a raid on
The office of the Columbia Statesman.
Fortunately Colonel Switzler, the ed
ltOr of the paper, was out of town at
the time The guerrillas, however,
decided to demolish the Office and
proceeded to do so but finally were
dissuaded from their intention by
Confederate citizens of Columbia. All
this time the pickets and the Federal
troops kept up constant firing from
behind houses and fences but no one
was seriously injured. The main OBJ
ject of the guerrillas seemed to be to
release the prisoners and they left
town soon after this was accom-
plished.
From this time on Columbia was
virtually governed by the Federal SOL
diers. An illustration of this occurred
on the Fourth of July, 1868, when two
ladies living near Columbia we're ar
rested by order of Captain H. NJ.
Cook, commander of the military post,
for getting off the sidewalk into the
gutter to avoid passing Union flag.
The Exodus of Slayes.
The existence of a Civil War prac-
tically abolished slavery long before
President Lincoln issued his Emanci-
patton Proclamation, for the legal
ties which bound the slave to the mas
ter became very weak and uncertain.
Therefore, as early as the summer Of
1868 the negro exodus began and
slaves abandoned their masters with
impunity. Later in the same year
Columbia was made a post for the
enlistment of negro volunteers and
many of the runaway slaves Joined
the army.
On September 27, 1864, band of
more than two hundred outlaws un-
der the notorious guerrilla chief, Bill
Anderson, made a dash upon Centra-
liza. They cleaned out the town thor
oughly. They sacked the stores and
the depot, carrying away everything
of use and burning the remainder.
While they were plundering the
freight room of the depot they came
across a case of boots, which they