CHAPTER VII. GEN. LYON BEGINS AN EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGN
Gen. Sterling Price was soldier enough to recognize that Gen. Lyon was a different character from the talking men who had been holding the center of the stage for so long. When his trumpet sounded his sword was sure to leap from its scabbard. Blows were to follow so quickly upon words as to tread upon their heels.
At the close of the interview of June 11, Gen. Lyon, with Col. Blair and Maj. Conant, returned to the Arsenal, while Gov. Jackson and Gen. Price hurried to the depot of the Pacific Railroad, where they impressed a locomotive, tender and cars, and urged the railroad men to get up steam in the shortest possible time. Imperative orders cleared the track ahead of them, and they rushed away for the Capital of the State with all speed.
At the crossing of the Gasconade River they stopped long enough to thoroughly burn the bridge to check Lyon's certain advance, and while doing this Sterling Price cut the telegraph wires with his own hands. The train then ran on to the Osage River, where, to give greater assurance against rapid pursuit, they burnt that bridge also.
Arriving at Jefferson City about 2 o'clock in the morning, the rest of the night was spent in anxious preparation of a proclamation by the Governor to the people of Missouri, which was intended to be a trumpet call to bring every man capable of bearing arms at once to the support of the Governor and the furtherance of his plans.
According to the Census of 1860 there were 236,402 men in Missouri capable of bearing arms, and if the matter could be put in such a way that a half or even one-third of these would respond to the Governor's mandate, a host would be mustered which would quickly sweep Lyon and his small band out of the State. The proclamation to effect this which was elaborated by the joint efforts of Gov. Jackson and Col. Snead, the editor of the St. Louis Bulletin, a Secessionist organ, and the Governor's Secretary and Adjutant-General, together with Gen. Price.
Considered as a trumpet call it was entirely too verbose. Col. Snead could not break himself of writing long, ponderous editorials. The more pertinent paragraphs were:
To the People of Missouri:
A series of unprovoked and unparalleled outrages have been
inflicted upon the peace and dignity of this Commonwealth
and upon the rights and liberties of its people, by wicked
and unprincipled men, professing to act under the authority
of the United States Government. The solemn enactments
of your Legislature have been nullified; your volunteer
soldiers have been taken prisoners; your commerce with your
sister States has been suspended; your trade with your
fellow-citizens has been, and is, subjected to the harassing
control of an armed soldiery; peaceful citizens have been
imprisoned without warrant of law; unoffending and
defenseless men, women, and children have been ruthlessly
shot down and murdered; and other unbearable indignities
have been heaped upon your State and yourselves....
They (Blair and Lyon) demanded not only the disorganization
and disarming of the State Militia, and the nullification of
the Military Bill, but they refused to disarm their own Home
Guards, and insisted that the Federal Government should
enjoy an unrestricted right to move and station its troops
throughout the State, whenever and wherever that might, in
the opinion of its officers, be necessary, either for the
protection of the "loyal subjects" of the Federal Government
or for the repelling of invasion; and they plainly announced
that it was the intention of the Administration to take
military occupation, under these pretexts, of the whole
State, and to reduce it, as avowed by Gen. Lyon himself, to
the "exact condition of Maryland."
The acceptance by me of these degrading terms would not only
have sullied the honor of Missouri, but would have aroused
the Indignation of every brave citizen, and precipitated the
very conflict which it has been my aim to prevent. We
refused to accede to them, and the conference was broken
up....
Now, therefore, I, C. F. Jackson, Governor of the State of
Missouri, do, in view of the foregoing facts, and by virtue
of the power invested in me by the Constitution and laws of
this Commonwealth, issue this, my proclamation, calling the
Militia of the State, to the number of 60,000, into the
active service of the State, for the purpose of repelling
said invasion, and for the protection of the lives, liberty,
and property of the citizens of this State. And I earnestly
exhort all good citizens of Missouri to rally under the flag
of their State, for the protection of their endangered homes
and firesides, and for the defense of their most sacred
rights and dearest liberties.
This proclamation was given out to the press, but even before it appeared the Governor had telegraphed throughout the State to leading Secessionists to arm and rush to his assistance.
This did not catch Gen. Lyon at all unawares. He had long ago determined upon a movement to Springfield, which, being in the midst of the farming region, was the center of the Union element of southwest Missouri. Immediately, upon reading the Governor's proclamation, he saw the necessity of forestalling the projected concentration by reaching Jefferson City with the least possible delay. Before he retired that night he had given orders for the formation of a marching column, and had placed the affairs of his great Department outside of this column, of which he proposed to take personal command, in the hands of Col. Chester Harding, to whom he gave full powers to sign his name and issue orders.
Having thought out his plans well beforehand, Gen. Lyon began his campaign with well-ordered celerity. Part of the troops he had at command were sent down the southwestern branch of the Pacific Railroad to secure it. Others were sent to points at which the militia were known to be gathering to disperse them.
Gen. Lyon himself, with his staff, the Regulars, infantry and artillery, and a force of volunteers, embarked on two steamboats to move directly upon Jefferson City by the way of the Missouri River.
They arrived at the Capital of Missouri about 2 o'clock in the afternoon of June 15, and were met with an enthusiastic reception from the loyal citizens, of whom a large proportion were Germans. Gov. Jackson had only been able to assemble about 120 men, with whom he made a hasty retreat to Boonville, about 50 miles further up the river, which had been selected by Gen. Price as one of his principal strategic points. Boonville is situated on the highlands at a natural crossing of the Missouri, and by holding it communication could be maintained between the parts of the State lying north and south of the river, and thus allow the concentration of the Militia, which Gov. Jackson had called out. The hights on the river bank would enable the river to be blockaded against expeditions ascending it, and the entire length of the stream to Kansas City, about 100 miles in a direct line, could be thus controlled.
The Missouri River divides the State unequally, leaving about one-third on the north and two-thirds on the south. Of the 99 Counties in the State, 44 are north of the Missouri River, but these are smaller than those south.
Gov. Jackson had telegraphed orders for the Brigade-Generals commanding the districts into which the State had been divided to concentrate their men with all haste at Boonville and at Lexington, still further up the river, nearly midway between Boonville and Kansas City. The beginnings of an arsenal were made at Boonville, to furnish arms and ammunition.
Gen. Lyon saw the strategic importance of the place, and did not propose to allow any concentration to be made there. He did not, as most Regular officers were prone, wait deliberately for wagons and rations and other supplies, but with a truer instinct of soldiership comprehended that his men could live wherever an enemy could, and leaving a small squad at Jefferson City, immediately started his column for Boonville, sending orders to other columns in Iowa and Kansas to converge toward that place.
Progress up the Missouri River was tedious, as the water was low, and the troops had to frequently disembark in order to allow the boats to go over the shoals. It was reported to Gen. Lyon that about 4,000 Confederates had already concentrated at Boonville.
While Gen. Price was the Commander-in-Chief, several prominent Secessionists were commanders upon the field of the whole or parts of the force. The man, however, who was the most in evidence in the fighting was John Sappington Marmaduke, a native Missourian, born in Saline County in 1833, and therefore 28 years old. He was the son of a farmer, had been at Yale and Harvard, and then graduated from West Point in 1857, standing 30 in a class of 38. He had been on frontier duty with the 7th U. S. until after the firing on Fort Sumter, when he resigned to return to Missouri and raise a regiment for the Southern Confederacy. He was to rise to the rank of Major-General in the Confederate army, achieve much fame for military ability, and be elected, in 1884, Governor of the State.
The column immediately under the command of Gen. Lyon consisted of Totten's Light Battery (F, 2d U. S. Art.); Co. B, 2d U. S.; two companies of Regular recruits; Col. Blair's Missouri regiment and nine companies of Boernstein's Missouri regiment; aggregating somewhere between 1,700 and 2,000 men. On the evening of Sunday, June 16, the boats carrying the command arrived within 15 miles of Boonville, and lay there during the night. The next morning they proceeded up to within about eight miles of the town, when all but one company of Blair's regiment and an artillery detachment disembarked and began a land march upon the enemy's position. The remaining company and the howitzer were sent on with the boats to give the impression that an attack was to be made from the river side.
The people in the country reported to Gen. Lyon that the enemy was fully 4,000 strong, and intended an obstinate defense. He therefore moved forward cautiously, arriving at last at the foot of a gently undulating slope to a crest one mile distant, on which the enemy was stationed, with the ground quite favorable for them. Gen. Lyon formed a line of battle about 300 yards from the crest, with Totten's battery in the rear and nine companies of Boernstein's regiment on the right, under the command of Lieut.-Col. Schaeffer, and the Regulars and Col. Blair's regiment on the left. It was a momentous period, big with Missouri's future.
The engagement opened with Capt. Totten shelling the enemy's position and the well-drilled German infantry advancing with the Regulars, firing as they went. The question was now to be tried as to the value of the much-vaunted Missouri riflemen in conflict with the disciplined Germans. The former had been led to believe that they would repeat the achievements of their forefathers at New Orleans.
Under the lead of Col. Marmaduke, the Confederates stood their ground pluckily for a few minutes, but the steady advance of the Union troops, with the demoralizing effect of the shells, were too much for them. Col. Marmaduke attempted to make an orderly retreat, and at first seemed to succeed, but finally the movement degenerated into a rout, and the Confederates scattered in wild flight, led by their Governor, who, like James II. at the battle of the Boyne, had witnessed the skirmish from a neighboring eminence. The losses on each side were equal—two killed and some eight or nine wounded.
Lyon pushed on at once to the camp of the enemy, and there captured some 1,200 pairs of shoes, 20 to 30 tents, and a considerable quantity of ammunition, with quite a supply of arms, blankets and personal effects.
The detachment which had gone by the river on the boats aided in securing the victory by a noisy bombardment with their howitzer, and landing at the town, captured two six-pounders, with a number of prisoners. The Mayor of Boonville came out and formally surrendered the town to Gen. Lyon and Col. Blair. Parties were sent out the various roads to continue the pursuit, and Gen. Lyon issued the following proclamation, admirable in tone and wording, to counteract that of the Governor and quiet the people, especially as to interference with slave property:
To the People of Missouri:
Upon leaving the city of St. Louis, In consequence of the
declaration of war made by the Governor of this State
against the Government of the United States, because I would
not assume in its behalf to relinquish its duties and
abdicate its rights of protecting loyal citizens from the
oppression and cruelties of Secessionists in this State, I
published an address to the people, in which I declared my
intention to use the force under my command for no other
purpose than the maintenance of the authority of the General
Government and the protection of the rights and property of
all law-abiding citizens. The State authorities, in
violation of an agreement with Gen. Harney, on the 21st of
May last, had drawn together and organized upon a large
scale the means of warfare, and having made declaration of
war, they abandoned the Capital, issued orders for the
destruction of the railroad and telegraph lines, and
proceeded to this point to put in execution their purposes
toward the General Government. This devolved upon me the
necessity of meeting this issue to the best of my ability,
and accordingly I moved to this point with a portion of the
force under my command, attacked and dispersed hostile
forces gathered here by the Governor, and took possession of
the camp equipage left and a considerable number of
prisoners, most of them young and of immature age, who
represent that they have been misled by frauds ingeniously
devised and industriously circulated by designing leaders,
who seek to devolve upon unreflecting and deluded followers
the task of securing the object of their own false ambition.
Out of compassion for these misguided youths, and to correct
impressions created by unscrupulous calumniators, I have
liberated them, upon condition that they will not serve in
the impending hostilities against the United States
Government. I have done this in spite of the known facts
that the leaders in the present rebellion, having long
experienced the mildness of the General Government, still
feel confident that this mildness cannot be overtaxed even
by factious hostilities having In view its overthrow; but
if, as in the case of the late Camp Jackson affair, this
clemency than still be misconstrued, it is proper to give
warning that the Government cannot be always expected to
indulge it to the compromise of its evident welfare.
Having learned that those plotting against the Government
have falsely represented that the Government troops intended
a forcible and violent invasion of Missouri for the purposes
of military despotism and tyranny, I hereby give notice to
the people of this State that I shall scrupulously avoid all
interferences with the business, rights, and property of
every description recognized by the laws of this State, and
belonging to law-abiding citizens; but that it is equally my
duty to maintain the paramount authority of the United Sates
with such force as I have at my command, which will be
retained only so long as opposition shall make it necessary;
and that it is my wish, and shall be my purpose, to devolve
any unavoidable rigor arising in this issue upon those only
who provoke it.
All persons who, under the misapprehensions above mentioned,
have taken up arms, or who are now preparing to do so, are
invited to return to their homes, and relinquish their
hostile attitude to the General Government, and are assured
that they may do so without being molested for past
occurrences.
N. LYON,
Brigadier-General, U. S. Vols., Commanding.
Several thousand of Jackson's Militia had already assembled at Lexington, nearly midway between Boonville and Kansas City. When they heard of the affair at Boonville they realized that they were in danger of being caught between the column advancing from that direction and the one under Maj. Sturgis, which Gen. Lyon had ordered forward from Leavenworth through Kansas City, while a third, under Col. Curtis, was approaching from the Iowa line. They dispersed at once, to fall back behind the Osage River, at Gen. Price's direction. Thus Lyon gained complete control of the Missouri River in its course through the State, enabling him to cut off the Confederates in the northern from those in the southern part of the State.
Another success which came to him was the seizure of the office of the St. Louis Bulletin, and the discovery there of a letter from Gov, Jackson to the publisher, which completely proved all the allegations that had been made as to the Governor's action, decisively contradicted the material assertions in his proclamations and vindicated Gen. Lyon from the charges against him of undue precipitancy. The letter was long, personal and confidential. In it he said:
I do not think Missouri should secede today or tomorrow, but
I do not think it good policy that I should so disclose. I
want a little time to arm the State, and I am assuming every
responsibility to do it with all possible dispatch. Missouri
should act in concert with Tennessee and Kentucky. They are
all bound to go out, and should go together, if possible. My
judgment is that North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas will
all be out in a few days, and when they go Missouri should
follow. Let us, then, prepare to make our exit. We should
keep our own counsels. Every man in the State is in favor of
arming the State. Then let it be done. All are opposed to
furnishing Mr. Lincoln with soldiers. Time will settle the
balance.
Nothing should be said about the time or the manner in which
Missouri should go out. That she ought to go, and will go at
the proper time, I have no doubt. She ought to have gone out
last Winter, when she could have seized the public arms and
public property, and defended herself. That she has failed
to do, and must wait a little while. Paschall is a base
submissionist, and desires to remain with the North, if
every Slave State should go out. Call on every country paper
to defend me, and assure them I am fighting under the true
flag. Who does not know that every sympathy of my heart is
with the South? The Legislature, in my view, should sit in
secret session, and touch nothing but the measures of
defense.
Though in point of fighting and losses this initial campaign
ending with the skirmish at Boonville had been
insignificant, its results far surpassed those of many of
the bloodiest battles of the rebellion. The Governor of the
State was in flight from his Capital; his troops had been
scattered in the first collision; control had been gained of
the Missouri River, cutting the enemy's line in two; and
above all, there was the immense moral effect of the defeat
in action of the boastful Secessionists by the much
denounced "St. Louis Dutch." This alone accounted for the
acquisition of many thousand wavering men to the side of the
Union. Missourians were not different from the rest of
mankind, and every community had its large proportion of
those who, when the Secessionists seemed to have everything
their own way, inclined to that side, but came back to their
true allegiance at the first sign of the Government being
able to assert its supremacy. The Government was now aroused
and striking—and striking successfully. Its enemies were
immensely depressed, and its friends correspondingly elated.
Gen. Lyon's next thought was to drive Gov. Jackson and his
Secession clique out of Missouri into Arkansas, free the
people from their pernicious influence, protect the Union
people, especially in the southwestern part of the State,
and keep tens of thousands of young men from being persuaded
or dragged into the rebel army.
He would demonstrate the Government's position so
convincingly that there would be no longer any doubt of
Missouri's remaining in the Union.
