The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-04-28
SOLDIER
SO YEARS AGO
IS RECOGNIZED
Adj Gen. O'meara Sends
Mayor a Certificate of
His Service.
TELLS HOW SOLDIERS
HUNG GUERILLA IN ga
Kage Carried Mail on Horseback
Between Cape and
Bloomfield.

Nearly ffty-one years after he had
been mustered out of service in the
Volunteer Missouri Militia, Mayor
Rage yesterday received a certificate
of his service signed by Adiutant-
General John B. O'Meara of the Mis-
souri, National Guard.
The Mayors certificate shows that
he served in a company under Captain
Ezra King as a bugler and he was
mustered out of service at the close
of the Civil War, after having been a
member of the company for 120 days.
The Mayors most important mill
tary service was performed prior to
his connection with Captain Kings
company, however, when he was a
member of the McNeal Black Flag
regiment. As a member of that mill
tia he saw real fighting in the Civil
War days and was prevented from
going from the Cape into the opera
tions in the West by his parents.
McNears Black Flag regiment was
the Second Missouri. The Mayor en-
listed in the Cape Girardeau company
of the regiment when he was a lad
under age. Eventually his militia
company was called into service in the
war. He wanted to go along, but his
parents refused to allow him to re-vol-
unteer and re-enlist for the Federal
service.
He withdrew as his comrades de-
parted for the war. P7.ius to that. IN
1864, they had been in service around
the Cape and Mayor Kage then rode
the post-road between the Cape and
Bloomfield, carrying the U. S. mails
on horseback between the two towns.
The road was only a trail and the
country was infested by guerillas.
One time before the company de-
parted for war service, the men were
called upon to so to Bloomfield to
capture a guerilla named Bolden. He
was caught after q battle in which
several shots were fired, none taking
effect in any of the men.
Bolden was brought to the Cape
and was placed in the guardhouse. A
short time after the arrival Of the
guerilla leader in the Cape. band of
soldiers went to the guardhouse here,
ver-powered the ,sentries, took their
man out and proceeded to have a
hanging party.
They selected a site located in the
rear of where the Hospital now is
located. Mayor Rage declared there
used to be an old German butcher who
lived on the site and who had one of
these old-fashioned front gates which
had an arch under which the visitor
to his home would drive. This arch
was about eight feet from the ground
The soldiers selected it as an admir-
able location for hanging party and
proceeded to attach the guerilla's body
to the cross-bar and raise him so that
his toes missed touching the ground.
After the Black Flag company left
the Cape, Captain King, a personal
friend of Mayor Kage, organized an
other company in 1865. Without tax,
ing counsel with his parents, the May
or enlisted on February rs, 1865, and
was ordered into active service or
April Is, 1865. He was relieved from
duty on June 20, 1865.
Mayor kage obtained the certificate
of membership in the guard after hav,
ing had a conversation Sunday with
William Surrell of East Prairie, No.
who was a comrade of the Mayor il
the company. Mr.. Surrell had recelv
ed his certificate but a short time
before and suggested to Mr.. Kagt
that he could obtain his likewise.
The records on the certificate arr
taken from the rolls in the office O.
the auditor of the War Department.