Copy
of letter written August 3, 1861, by A. Warner, a resident
of Monroe City, to his nephew in Ohio.
Mr.
S. C. Warner Unionville, OH
Monroe,
August 3, 1861
Dear
Stephen:
Since
my last letter to you startling events have occurred here.
Our place here seemed destined at one time to become one
of the seats of war in Missouri. We have heard the roar of
the cannon, the whistling of the balls, and have seen the
smoke of cannon brought to bear in hostile array by brethren
against each other — almost a bloodless battle. God grant
that we may not witness the like again.
On
the night of July 8th, Col. Smith of the 16th regiment of
Illinois volunteers arrived at this place with about six hundred
men for the purpose of breaking up an encampment of
Secessionists under the command of Gen. Tom Harris, encamped
about twelve or fifteen miles south of this place. A heavy
rain prevented their forward movement until the next
morning when about nine miles from this place they were
ambushed and fired into. They brought their cannon to bear
upon the enemy and soon disposed of them. The federal troops
had three wounded, none killed; the Secessionists reported
none killed, one wounded. The federal troops retreated into
the open prairie and encamped for the night. I will,
however, say before proceeding further that this execution
of the federal troops was inadvised, ill-planned, and badly
executed. They landed here in eighteen cars and went off on
their expedition, leaving them without guard.
The
9th passed quietly at this place, but as I left the depot
late in the evening my suspicions were somewhat aroused from
seeing some armed men passing about and from some threats
which I heard with regard to a sick soldier whom they had
left here; consequently I telegraphed to the commander at
Hannibal to send a guard to protect the property here. He
had no men that he could spare but sent a train to Palmyra,
requesting the commander there to send a guard. But he was
in the same predicament, expecting an attack and no men to
spare. When morning came was grateful to find all right, no
depredations having been committed, and went to the wheat
field with my boys stacking wheat.
You
may well judge my astonishment and dismay when about nine
o’clock I saw the black smoke arising from the depot, and
in a few moments the whole building together with the
eighteen cars and the carpenter shop wrapped in flames. I
ordered my boys to jump on their horses and go to help to
keep the fire from spreading to other buildings. I came by
the house and was about to proceed to the village when my
niece, Mrs. Van Swearingen, drove up in great haste, saying
that her husband had sent her down to beg me not to come by
any means. They had shot a man by the name of Hodgkiss and
swore they would kilt every man that came about. They were
perfectly frantic. I thought that prudence was the better
part of valor and remained at home.
A
company of twenty-five men was headed by Capt. John L. Owen,
a wealthy farmer living about six miles from the depot, who
had organized under the military law and raised a company of
‘some fifty or sixty men. Everybody was surprised that
he should commit such an act. Men who were present, both
Union and Secessionists, tried to dissuade him from it, but
no, he said he had his orders and was bound to do it. And
dearly has he paid for it, for the next day his residence
with all its contents was burned by the federal troops and
his stock driven off. The burning of his home was wrong and
not approved of by the commanding officers.
After
setting fire to the depot the company went out to meet the
returning troops which were now three or four miles distant,
but one or two shots from their field piece disposed of
them. The federal troops marched in and took possession of
our seminary, occupied by the Messrs. Comings, principals of
the school, and commenced throwing up fortifications. The
Secessionists were hovering about and an attack was expected
at night. Word came that they had three or four cannon.
People in the village were much alarmed. Van Swearingen and
family and the Comings and others came to my house to get
out of the way of the cannon balls. My kitchen, servants’
house, and stable were filled with Irishmen, women and
children. The night passed off without an attack. Early in
the morning the Secessionist troops began to assemble. The
whole prairie seemed to be alive with them. About two
o’clock the cannonading commenced by the Secessionist and
at long intervals replied to by the federal troops. At this
time things looked very squally. The federal troops were
nearly out of ammunition. The Secessionists had torn up the
road and destroyed culverts in order to prevent
reinforcements. Telegraph destroyed so that no information
could be obtained. But to our great joy about four o’clock
the cannon was heard in the distance, reinforcements were
coming; but as they had the road to repair it seemed a long
time before they hove in sight. And when they did appear
such scampering was never before seen. They went in all
directions, leaving the man who hauled their cannon alone to
hitch his horse and bring it off. We call it the “battle
of the spurs.” They fired twenty-three rounds at the
seminary building, only three of which took effect, the
building not materially injured by them.
We
had a fine view of the whole skirmish. The seminary
building is hardly three-fourths of a mile from our house.
The Secessionists’ cannon was about the same distance from
us. From the roof of our porch we could see the whole of the
affair and the whole surrounding country, which was black
with men and horses, supposed to be about 2,000. If they
had had a good commander and better arms and better courage
they might have taken the federal troops. I am sorry to say
that the federal troops behaved very badly here. Many
families through rear had left their homes. All such were
robbed of everything that they could carry off, furniture
broken up, etc. Some families who were at home, supposed to
be Secessionists, also suffered much. 1-Hennenies and
pigstys were robbed. Both Union and Secesstonists have
suffered very much. I have a colored boy who is a shoemaker.
They robbed his shop of all that was worth carrying off. I
was, however, fortunate enough to have taken out most of
the boots and shoes the day they came in for fear of
accidents. They stole nothing from my farm or residence, and
in all instances when they came to my house behaved very
well.
Missouri
is in a most deplorable condition. It is said that our
Secessionist governor said he would take Missouri out of the
Union or he would take her to hell. If hell is a condition
instead of place he has been successful in taking her to the
latter place.
Our
state convention recently in session has deposed the
governor, the lieutenant governor, anti secretary or state,
and appointed a governor, lieutenant governor, and
secretary of state pro tern, their acts to be submitted to a
vote of the people on the first of November next. The men
appointed to fill the above named offices are all good Union
men and many the best men of the state. How this thing will
operate as yet it is impossible to tell. We all hope for the
best.
We
expected you had heard a very exaggerated account of the
engagement here and thought I would state to you the facts.
I suppose you have heard that many prisoners were taken.
Some twenty-five or thirty were brought in at different
times, most of whom proved to be Union men, or men who had
not the depot has been tried and admitted to bail
under $10,000 bond. I would say much about our ruined and
distracted country, but time will not permit. Although
some threats have been made against Union men yet I have
never had any fears of being disturbed. I do not believe if
I had gone to the depot the day the depot was burned that
they would have molested me. The man whom they shot and
wounded is an avowed abolitionist and has been accused of
tampering with Negroes; at any rate has been very imprudent
in his conversation. In this part of the state there seems
to be but little ill feeling existing between Secessionists
and Union men at present. Should the Secessionists get the
upper hand it is hard to say what the result would be. There
are many man of desperate fortunes among them.
I
suppose the abolitionists expect to subjugate the South.
There will have to be some tall fighting done first. Abolitionism
and Secessionism I consider twin sisters, although fighting
avowedly for a different object. The result of both isms is
the same—dissolution of the Union. I am a Union man, but
not a black republican. I do not believe in Mr. Lincoln’s
administration. I think a different policy would have
brought about a very different result. War should •have
been the last means resorted to, and I am inclined to think
that Mr. Lincoln
will think so too before he whips the South. I have not time
in •this letter to give you my views. I may hereafter say
something more upon the subject. Of all the wars in the
world, civil wars are the worst. The horrors of this war are
too terrible to contemplate.
Yours
truly, A Warner. |