At last some drunken ruffians, by threatening to open the coffin and “cut the d—d heart” of the body for a relic, so frightened Mrs. Phelps, causing her to fear that the remains would be mutilated in some horrible manner, that she asked Gen. Price to send a detail and bury the body. This was done by volunteers from Guibor’s and Kelly’s infantry, of Gen. Parsons’ division, at that time encamped on Col. Phelps’ farm. It is believed the body was not buried until the 14th. The slave, George, dug the grave, which was in Mrs. Phelps’ garden. Some of the soldiers stamped on the grave in great delight. An Irishman told Capt. Guibor, “Be jabers, we shtomped him good.”
On the 22d of August there came to Springfield a party in a four-mule ambulance, bearing with them a 300-pound metallic coffin. This party was composed of Danford Knowlton, of New York City, a cousin of Gen. Lyon; John B. Hasler, of Webster, Mass., the general’s brother-in-law, and Mr. Geo. N. Lynch, the well-known undertaker, still of St. Louis. From Rolla in, the party was accompanied by the gallant Emmett McDonald, who had been up to arrange for an exchange of prisoners, and from whom, Mr. Hasler says, they received many attentions and favors.
Arriving at Springfield, Mr. Hasler says, they visited Gen. Price and handed him a letter from Gen. Fremont explaining their mission, which was to bear the body of Gen. Lyon. As the letter was directed “To whom it may concern,” Gen. Price, after glancing at the address, threw it contemptuously aside, saying he could read no document thus directed. At the same time he offered to grant them every facility for procuring the body of their dead relative.
Repairing to Phelps’ farm the party disinterred the body and placed it in the metallic coffin, after removing the zinc case made by Mr. Vaughn. Gen. Parsons, whose division was encamped on the farm, came up, introduced himself, and Mr. Hasler says, “showed us numerous civilities. Among other attentions, he tendered a guard for the body and team over night, which was accepted.”
The next day the party left Springfield and were in Rolla on the 25th and in St. Louis the 26th. Here a military escort joined. From thence the party proceeded to Eastford, Connecticut, the birthplace of the general, which place was reached September 4th, there being great receptions and honors paid the body in the cities and towns en route. September 5th the body was buried in the family burying ground at Eastford. “Upon the coffin, as it lay in the Congregational church when the funeral ceremonies were being rendered,” says Mr. Woodward, who was present, “were placed the hat, a light felt, which the general had waved aloft when rallying his ranks at Wilson’s Creek, and also the sword, scarred and weather-beaten from sharing in the long hard service of its owner.” The hat was brought from the battlefield by the wounded men in the wagon in which the general’s body was first placed, and was given to Mr. Hasler by the driver, who had preserved it. Both hat and sword were given to, and since have been in the possession of the Connecticut Historical Society.
Gen. Lyon was born in Eastford, Connecticut, July 14, 1818. He entered West point in 1837; graduated in 1841, standing eleventh in a class of fifty. He served in Florida in 1841-2; was in the Mexican war under Taylor and Scott; in California and on the frontier from 1850 to 1861. He was never married. The statement that he bequeathed his private fortune to the Federal government is erroneous.
FOOTNOTES
[1]The fight at Dug Springs was called by some of the Confederate officers, derisively, “Rains’ Scare.”
[2]The following is a literal copy of the memorandum given to Col. Phelps by Gen. Lyon, when the former left Springfield. Lyon instructed Phelps to give this to Fremont: “Memorandum for Col. Phelps.—See General Fremont about troops and stores for this place. Our men have not been paid and are rather dispirited; they are badly off for clothing and the want of shoes unfits them for marching. Some staff officers are badly needed, and the interests of the government suffer for the want of them. The time of the three months volunteers is nearly out, and on their returning home my command will be reduced too low for effective operations. Troops must at once be forwarded to supply their place. The safety of the State is hazarded. Orders from Gen. Scott strip the entire West of regular forces and increase the chances of sacrificing it. The public press is full of reports that troops from other States are moving toward the northern border of Arkansas for the purpose of invading Missouri. Springfield, July 27.”
[3]From statements of two prominent Union men of Greene county who were present.