Mexico weekly ledger., 1921-08-04

Missouri troops. who had been In the
siege Of Vicksburg, was transferred
70 the Trans Mississippi DEPARTING
then commanded by General Kirby
E, Smith, made his appearance in this
section on a recruiting expedition. In
April, 1854, General Smith made a
detail of ten men, of his best and
most daring scouts to go to north
Missouri to recruit men for the SER
vice. Pursued by Federals from the
south side, these men got across the
river just below jefferson City. After
travelling about twenty miles north
ward in Galloway county, they separ-
ated, each going to his former home.
Bryson went to the home of John
Barnes south of Centralia and there
recruited four men. Near C~entralia
Bryson ran CSC a company of Fed
erals guarding a wagon load of am
munition and guns, being taken from
C~entralia to Columbia. Bryson, with
his men, opened fire on the Federals,
and though Major Evans in charge
of the troop, had a full company, they
ran, abandoning their charge. Bryson
captured rs guns and 10000 rounds
Of ammunition and soon raised a COM
pany Of sixty-two men. He soon af-
terward captured a train of Federal
horses at Centralia. He then started
on a scout to capture Mexico. While
north of Mexico about ten miles one
morning, he divided his men into
small punches in order to breakfast
at different houses, One Of these
houses was that Of Peyton Bolts.
The lieutenant who had ordered
breakfast at the Bolts home failed
to leave a guard there to look out for
Federals. While Mrs. Bolts was pre-
pairing a breakfast a Federal troop
came along and seeing that unusual
preparations were being made for
breakfast compelled Mrs. Bolts by
threats of killing her husband to tell
that the breakfast was for a band Of
rebles. The Federals concealed them
selves and when Bryson with ten men
returned to the house to eat break
fast, they were fired upon at close
range by the Federals, killing one
horse and wounding Bryson. Bryson
fell back into the woods and rallied
his men, but when he got back to the
Bolts house, they were all gone, car
rying with them as a prisoner the
man whose horse they had killed.
This fight occurred the day before
the Bill Anderson fight at Centralia,
and for that reason in the minds of
some, Bryson has been connected with
Anderson in the guerilla warfare of
North Missouri. Bryson was never
connected with Bill Anderson though
Britton in his 1.-THE Civil War on the
Border" puts Bryson down as a
guerilla, and classes him with Ander-
son, Todd and others. He was a reg
ular Confederate soldier and at the
time of these occurrences was re-
cruiting. Captain Bryson was taken
care of by Logan Mundy and John
Ellis Of that ~neighborhood, until he
recovered from his wounds. He was
kept in the timber near their houses.
Bryson was attended by DR.. w. r.
Rodes, then of Santa Fe, now residing
in Mexico. While Bryson was still
unable TO rservice, the first lieutenant
of the company, under Bryson's in
structions, joined General Price near
Boonville. By the time Bryson was
able to travel, seventy-five men had
come to him and he started to the
southern army and after a long and
tiresome march, ~rejoined Kirby Smith,
with whom he remained until the sur
render. Captain Bryson returned to
Missouri after the war and married
the daughter Of Logan Mundy, with
whom he became acquainted while
being nursed for his wounds. He
now lives in Gainesville, Texas, and
is treasurer of Cooke county.