Mexico weekly ledger., 1921-08-04
Were Making Raids
Near Here Just 81 Years Ago

At a nalf dozen residents OF
Mexico will recall an incident of the
early days of the Civil War that oc-
Cured ffty-seven years ago near
Centralia, when guerillas were plum
dering farms and stores in this vici-
nifty. Even tho it were as hot as it is
today you would doubtless have for
gotten the s~weltering rays of Old
Sol, when these bushwhackers came
up.
The story has to do with a raid by
the guerillas or bushwhackers who
played havoc in many nearby sections
during the days of the Civil War. The
Incident in question relates to an at
tack upon the Centralia stage.
A writer of history records the
story in substance as follows:
The bushwhackers, who were out
law soldiers belonging to neither side
engaged in the war, frequently plum
dering farms and places of business.
They were characterized as wander
ing in armed bands over the county,
robbing the citizens day and night
Unfortunately Of whatever property
they possessed"
Stopping the Centralia stage coach
at Hallsville, the bushwhackers inquir
ed if there were soldiers aboard. A
Mr.. and Mrs. Karnes, and a furlough-
ed soldier, by the naIne of James Pal
mer, of Cedear township, were in the
stage. Palmer was dressed in civilian
clothes. He told his name and ack-
nowledged his identity as a soldier.
The bushwhackers ordered him
from the stage, took his pistol away,
ransacked his trunk, and marched him
of on the road leading west from
Hallsville into a patch of woods and
there shot him. His body was found
four days later not from from Red
Top church. 1t had been covered with
logs and brush. Learning of the aft
fair, the commander Of the post at
Sturgeon ordered the people around
Red Top to bury the soldiers body.
In September of the same year, the
.grerillas raided Centralia and at that
time captured the Columbia stage as
it approached Centralia. The stages
passengers included Hon. James S.
Rollins, then representative in Con-
gress. just as the bushwhackers be-
gan to search the stage and go
through the pockets of the passen-
gers, some one cried out that the
train was coming, and the band hur-
ried Off toward the station for the
purpose Of loting the train.
The train was moving northward
from st. Louis and among it's passen-
ges, numbering more than 125 per-
sons, there were % discharged and
furloughed Federal soldiers. The
guerillas ransacked the train, robbed
the express car and rified the maths.
The soldiers were removed from the
TRAIN and taken to the south side Of
the railroad and formed in line.
Bill Anderson, the leader of the
bushwhackers, rode to the line and
addressed the men. saying, Boys, is
there q sergeant among your"
There were several soldiers of that
rank in the line, but no one spoke.
Anderson repeated the question and
added that is there i, '1et him step
out" Following this, Sergeant
Thomas Goodman, Of the First Reg
iment, Missouri Engineers, only five
days from his outfit, then in Atlanta,
Ga, stepped to the front and looked
the guerilla leader squarely in the
eye.
Anderson then ordered his men to
remove Sergeant Goodman to a place
Of safety and 10 take care of him.
The remaining men lined up were
fired upon by the guerillas, and all
were killed.