PALMYRA, Mo., Oct. 8, 1862. JOSEPH C. PORTER: SIR: Andrew Allsman, an aged citizen of Palmyra, and a non-combatant, having been carried from his home by a band of persons unlawfully arrayed against the peace and good order of the State of Missouri, and which band was under your control, this is to notify you that unless said Andrew Allsman is returned unharmed to his family within ten days from date, ten men who have belonged to your band, and unlawfully sworn by you to carry arms against the Government of the United States, and who are now in custody, will be shot as a meet reward for their crimes, among which is the illegal restraining of said Allsman of his liberty, and, if not returned, presumptively aiding in his murder. Your prompt attention to this will save much suffering. Yours, etc., W. R. STRACHAN, Provost-Marshal Gen. Dist. N. E. Missouri. Per order of Brig.-Gen. Commanding McNeill's column. A written duplicate of this notice he caused to be placed in the hands of the wife of Joseph C. Porter, at her residence in Lewis County, who, it was well known, was in frequent communication with her husband. The notice was published widely, and as Porter was in North-East Missouri during the whole of the ten days subsequent to the date of this notice, it is impossible that, with all his varied channels of information, he remained unapprised of Gen. McNeill's determination in the premises. Many rebels believed the whole thing was simply intended as a scare — - declaring that McNeill did not dare (!) to carry out the threat. board coffins. The condemned men were conducted from the prison and seated in the wagons one upon each coffin. A sufficient guard of soldiers accompanied them, and the cavalcade started for the fatal grounds. Proceeding east to Main street, the cortege turned and moved slowly southward as far as Malone's livery stable. Thence turning east it entered the Hannibal road, pursuing it nearly to the residence of Col. James Culbertson. There, throwing down the fences, they turned northward, entering the fair grounds (half a mile east of the town) on the west side, and driving within the circular amphitheatrical ring, paused for the final consummation of the scene. The ten coffins were removed from the wagons and placed in a row, six or eight feet apart, forming a line north and south, about fifteen paces east of the central pagoda or music-stand in the centre of the ring. Each coffin was placed upon the ground with its foot west and head east. Thirty soldiers of the Second M. S. M. were drawn up in a single line, extending north and south, facing the row of coffins. This line of executioners ran immediately at the east base of the pagoda, leaving a space between them and the coffins of twelve or thirteen paces. Reserves were drawn up in line upon either flank of these executioners. The arrangements completed, the doomed men knelt upon the grass between their coffins and the soldiers while the Rev. R. M. Rhodes offered up a prayer. At the conclusion of this, each prisoner took his seat upon the foot of his coffin, facing the muskets which in a few moments were to launch them into eternity. They were nearly all firm and undaunted. Two or three only showed signs of trepidation. The ten days elapsed, and no tidings came of The most noted of the ten was Capt. Thomas the murdered Allsman. It is not our intention A. Snider of Monroe County, whose capture at to dwell at length upon the details of this trans- Shelbyville, in the disguise of a woman, we reaction. The tenth day expired with last Friday.lated several weeks since. He was now elegantOn that day ten rebel prisoners, already in custo-ly attired in a suit of black broadcloth, with white dy, were selected to pay with their lives the pen- vest. A luxurious growth of beautiful hair rolled alty demanded. The names of the men so select-down upon his shoulders, which, with his fine ed were as follows: personal appearance, could not but bring to mind Willis Baker, Lewis County; Thos. Humston, the handsome but vicious Absalom. There was Lewis County; Morgan Bixler, Lewis County; nothing especially worthy of note in the appearJohn Y. McPheeters, Lewis County; Herbert ance of the others. One of them, Willis Baker Hudson, Ralls County; John M. Wade, Ralls of Lewis County, was proven to be the man who County; Marion Lair, Ralls County; Captain last year shot and killed Mr. Ezekiel Pratte, his Thos. A. Snider, Monroe County; Eleazer Lake, Union neighbor, near Williamstown, in that counScotland County; Hiram Smith, Knox County. ty. All the others were rebels of lesser note, the These parties were informed on Friday even-particulars of whose crimes we are not familiar ing, that unless Mr. Allsman was returned to his family by one o'clock on the following day, they would all be shot at that hour. Most of them received the announcement with composure or indifference. The Rev. James S. Green, of this city, remained with them during that night, as their spiritual adviser, endeavoring to prepare them for their sudden entrance into the presence of their Maker. A little after eleven o'clock A.M. the next day, three Government wagons drove to the jail. One contained four and each of the others three rough with. A few minutes after one o'clock, Colonel Strachan, Provost-Marshal General, and the Rev. Mr. Rhoads, shook hands with the prisoners. Two of them accepted bandages for their eyes-all the rest refused. A hundred spectators had gathered around the amphitheatre to witness the impressive scene. The stillness of death pervaded the place. The officer in command now stepped forward and gave the word of command: " Ready; aim; fire!" The discharges, however, were not made simultaneously-probably through want of a per fect previous understanding of the orders and of course of proceedings and practice which has been the time at which to fire. Two of the rebels fell customary in the Courts of the United States and backward upon their coffins and died instantly. Louisiana-his judgment to be final and concluCaptain Snider sprang forward and fell with his sive. And I do hereby authorize and empower head toward the soldiers, his face upward, his the said Judge to make and establish such rules hands clasped upon his breast, and the left leg and regulations as may be necessary for the exdrawn half-way up. He did not move again, but ercise of his jurisdiction, and to appoint a Prosedied immediately. He had requested the soldiers cuting Attorney, Marshal and Clerk of the said to aim at his heart, and they obeyed but too im- Court, who shall perform the functions of Attorplicitly. The other seven were not killed out-ney, Marshal, and Clerk, according to such proright; so the reserves were called in, who despatched them with their revolvers. The lifeless remains were then placed in coffins, the lids, upon which the name of each man was written, were screwed on, and the direful procession returned to town by the same route that it pursued in going. But the souls of ten men that went out came not back. Friends came and took seven of the corpses. Three were buried by the military in the public cemetery. The tragedy was over. ceedings and practice as before mentioned, and sation to be certified by the Secretary of War. [L. S.] WILLIAM H. SEWARD, It seems hard that ten men should die for one. Under ordinary circumstances it could hardly be justified. But severe diseases demand severe remedies. The safety of the people is the supreme law. It overrides all other considerations. The madness of rebellion has become so deep-seated that ordinary methods of cure are inadequate. To take life for life would be little intimidation to men seeking the heart's blood of an obnoxious enemy. They could well afford to make even exchanges under many circumstances. It is only War Department, WASHINGTON, 23 October, 1862. by striking the deepest terror into them-causing I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true them to thoroughly respect the lives of loyal men copy, duly examined and compared with the origithat they can be taught to observe the obliga-nal, of the Executive Order of the President of the tions of humanity and of law. United States, constituting a Provisional Court for the State of Louisiana. ment. Secretary of State. Witness my hand and seal of the War Depart- [L. S.] Chief Clerk. Doc. 11. PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S ORDER, ESTABLISHING A PROVISIONAL COURT IN LOUISIANA. EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, October 20, 1862. THE insurrection which has for some time pre Doc. 12. Secretary of War. GENERAL BLUNT'S OFFICIAL REPORT. Brigadier-General J. M. Schofield, Commanding vailed in several of the States of this Union, in- BATTLE OF "OLD FORT WAYNE,” ARK. cluding Louisiana, having temporarily subverted and swept away the civil institutions of that State, including the judiciary and the judicial authorities of the Union, so that it has become necessary to hold the State in military occupation; and it | being indispensably necessary that there shall be some judicial tribunal existing there capable of administering justice, I have, therefore, thought it proper to appoint, and I do hereby constitute a Provisional Court, which shall be a Court of Record, for the State of Louisiana, and I do hereby appoint Charles A. Peabody, of New-York, to be a Provisional Judge to hold said Court, with authority to hear, try and determine all causes, civil and criminal, including causes in law, equity, revenue and adiniralty, and particularly all such powers and jurisdiction as belong to the District and Circuit Courts of the United States, conforming his proceedings, so far as possible, to the GENERAL: I have the honor to report that, in pursuance of your instructions of the twentieth instant, I left camp at Pea Ridge at about seven o'clock P.M. of that day with the Second and Third brigades of my command, consisting of the Second, Sixth, and Tenth, and the Eleventh Kansas, and the First and Third Cherokee regiments, the First Kansas and the Second Indiana batteries and four mountain howitzers, leaving the First brigade, Gen. Salomon, to protect my rear and flank, and my supply train, meeting the command of Gen. Herron about midnight, which caused considerable delay. I did not reach Bentonville until daylight of the twenty-first. At the latter place I halted until five o'clock P.M. at which hour my train, left behind at Pea Ridge, came up. Having learned from my scouts, sent out during the day, that Cooper and Standwaite were at or near Maysville, with a force variously estimated at from five thousand to seven thousand men, I determined, if possible, to reach their camp and attack them by daybreak. The distance to march was thirty miles, and the road through a rough, and wooded, and hilly country. Three miles from Bentonville I directed my train to go into camp and follow in the morning at daylight, and moved the column forward, Col. Cloud's brigade being in the advance. At about two o'clock in the morning the advance was halted by Col. Cloud, with the view of letting the column close up. The men were weary and exhausted, and no sooner were they halted than they dropped down in the brush by the wayside and were soon fast asleep, being in the rear of Col. Cloud's brigade. After waiting half an hour at a halt, I took a portion of my body-guard, went ahead to learn the cause of the delay, and ordered the command to move on, going myself with the advance-guard. After proceeding five miles further, an open prairie lay before us of some five miles in extent, over which we had to pass to reach the rebel camp. At this point I went ahead of the advanceguard, accompanied by Capt. Russell, of the Second Kansas regiment, and two men, for the purpose of getting information. In this we succeeded admirably. Stopping at a large, fine house, at the edge of the prairie, and disguised as rebel soldiers, just escaped from the Federals, and wishing to get with Cooper's command, readily enlisted the sympathies of the lady, whose husband was a soldier in the rebel camp. informed me where their pickets stood, of the location of their camp, and of their strength, which was near seven thousand men, two Texan regiments having joined them the day before. She I now moved the advance across the prairie, and halted a quarter of a mile from their outpost, which was at the edge of the timber, on a little wooded stream, near the town of Maysville. From this point I sent companies B and I, of the Second Kansas, under the command of Captain Hopkins, by a circuitous route, to enter the town in the rear of the enemy's pickets, for the purpose, if possible, of capturing them without alarming their camp. This, however, proved fruitless, from the fact, as I afterwards learned, that they heard us advancing across the prairie, and ran in, alarmning the town as they went, from which all of the male inhabitants speedily decamped, to seek rebel protection. It was now near five o'clock, and my desire was to attack at daylight; but, while waiting to give Captain Hopkins time to get in the rear of their pickets, on going back to ascertain if the column was closed up, I learned, much to my surprise and disappointment, that during the last two or three hours' march, the only troops with me had been three companies of the Kansas Second, two of which had already been sent ahead, under Captain Hopkins. The main column was back seven miles, where it was first halted. After sending a messenger back to order it up, I proceeded, with the one company remaining with me, to the town, and reached there at the same time with Capt. Hopkins. There I learned that intelligence of an approach had gone ahead of us, and fearing that the enemy would retreat, I sent Col. Cloud, who had come up with me in the advance back, to move his brigade forward as rapidly as possible, while, with the three companies, I determined to push ahead, attack the enemy, and endeavor to hold them until reënforcements could arrive. Finding an intelligent contraband, whose master was in the rebel camp, with the locality of which he was well acquainted, I had no difficulty by promising him his freedom, in engaging his service as a guide. The route from Maysville to the timber where the rebels were posted lay across the prairie in a south-westerly direction, about three and a half miles distant. Dashing on rapidly, we drove the pickets from the open ground under cover of the timber. The remainder of the Second Kansas, with the two mountain howitzers attached, now came galloping up, and the whole regiment was quickly formed in line, and under command of Lieut.-Col. Bassett was ordered to skirmish the woods on foot to ascertain the position of the enemy. At this point five of my body-guard captured ten armed rebels, who had been out of camp and were endeavoring to get back to their command. Lieut.-Col. Bassett, not being able to asIcertain the whereabouts of the rebel forces, was ordered to withdraw his men from the woods and mount them. Advancing through an opening in the timber, about a quarter of a mile in width, I discovered the enemy in force, their line extending across the open ground in front and occupying the road between the point I occupied. Reconnoitring their position and movements, and their line, was a pasture of open ground some two hundred yards, and two fences intervening. Believing that the enemy were contemplating a retreat, I determined to lose no time in trying the effect of a few shell upon their ranks from the two little mountain howitzers. The Kansas Second was accordingly moved forward in line to the first fence and the two howitzers, under command of Lieut. Stover, supported by company A, of the Second Kansas, under Lieutenant Johnson, were ordered to advance through the fence to within two hundred yards of the enemy's battery, from which position Lieutenant Stover opened upon them with shells and with much animation. The fire was returned by the enemy's guns, and in a few minutes the entire line engaged the small force I had opposing them. I then dismounted the entire regiment. The Kansas Second formed then on foot, and I ordered them to advance through the fence to within short-range of the enemy's position, which order was obeyed with alacrity, they opening upon the rebel lines a terrific fire with their Harper's Ferry rifles. The enemy observing our small force upon the field, the main column not having yet come in sight, attempted to overwhelm us by superior numbers, and, by flank movements, to obtain possession of the projecting woods on my right and left. glect of the column to move forward as ordered― I have little doubt I should have succeeded in destroying or capturing the entire rebel force. Too much praise cannot be awarded to the gallant Second, under the command of Lieut.-Col. Bassett, which took a prominent part in the affair of the morning. Truly have they added new lustre to their laurels won at Wilson's Creek. With less than six hundred men, our numbers, and with guns without bayonets, charged the enemy's line and artillery, and drove them from the field. Fortunately, at this juncture the Kansas Sixth, Col. Judson, and the Third Cherokee regiment, Col. Phillips, came upon the field. The former was ordered to advance upon the right, and the To mention names where all, both officers and latter on the left, which they did by rapid move- men, did their duty so well and so nobly, may ments, throwing back the flanking columns of seem, I fear, invidious. Yet I feel that I ought the enemy. At the same moment company B, to say to Captain Crawford, who commanded the Capt. Hopkins, company D, Lieut. Moore, com- battalion that made the charge upon and cappany E, Capt. Gardner, company H, Lieut. Ball, tured the rebel battery, great credit is due for his and company K, Capt. Russell, of the Second gallantry; and the names of Capts. Ayres, RusKansas, all under command of Capt. S. J. Craw-sell, Hopkins, and Gardner, and Lieuts. Moore, ford, made a gallant charge, driving in their centre, capturing tl eir artillery, and bringing it in triumph from the field. The battle was now won; the enemy began flying in disorder before our victorious troops. The Second Indiana battery, Lieut. Rabb, came up in time to pay its respects to the rear of the fiving enemy with excellent effect. Col. Judson, of the Sixth Kansas, and Colonel Phillips, of the Third Cherokee regiment, pursued them in their retreat for a distance of seven miles, skirmishing with their rear, and leaving quite a number of their dead strewn by the way, when their horses becoming exhausted from the long and wearisome march of the night before, they were obliged to give up further pursuit. The rebels, as I have since learned, did not halt in their retreat until they had reached Arkansas River at Fort Gibson, seventy miles from the battle-ground, where they arrived thirty hours after their rout at Old Fort Wayne. The casualties in my command were one killed on the battle field belonging to the Kansas Second, and nine wounded, and four mortally, since dead, three belonging to the Kansas Second, and one to the Kansas Sixth. Cosgrove, Ballard, Lee, and Johnson, and Sergeant Baker, all of whom commanded companies, are worthy of especial and honorable mention. Lieut. Stover proved himself not only a gallant officer but a good artillerist, abundantly shown by the effect produced by his little howitzers. Lieut.-Col. Bassett also demonstrated his gallantry and ability as an officer upon the field. The officers and men of the other regiments were disappointed at not being in time to take a part in the conflict, and only failed to distinguish themselves for want of opportunity.' If such opportunity occurs, they will prove themselves as equal to the emergency as the gallant Second has done. In closing the report it is justly due to acknowledge the efficient services rendered upon the field during the engagement by the following members of my division staff, namely: Major V. P. Van Antwerp, Inspector-General, and Capt. Lyman Scott, and Lieuts. J. Fin. Hill and M. J. Collier, Aids-de-Camp. I have the honor to be, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant. JAMES G. BLUNT, Brig.-Gen. Commanding First Division Army of the Frontier. Of the enemy's killed and wounded I have LEAVENWORTH "CONSERVATIVE" ACCOUNT. been unable to procure a full and accurate statement. About fifty of their dead have been found NEAR MAYSVILLE, ARK., October 23. upon the field and buried by my command. We overtook the enemy here, yesterday mornMost of their wounded were taken away, yet a ing, attacked and took from him four pieces of number of them have been cared for by our sur-cannon, and drove him from the field. geons. Some who were found in houses some My last, under date of the twentieth inst., ten miles from the battle-field, report their loss in killed and wounded at one hundred and fifty; and of the men working their battery, who were Texans, all except four were either killed or wounded. The battery captured consists of three six pounder brass guns and one twelve-pounder brass field howitzer, with horses, harness, and caissons complete; we also captured quite a large number of horses and a portion of their transportation and camp and garrison equipage. It was my intention to have surprised and attacked them at daybreak, and had it not been for the unfortunate occurrence of the night-the ne written on the battle-field of Pea Ridge, indicated that we were to march that night, the whole army, as I then supposed, under the command of Gen. Schofield, directly south on the Fayetteville road, in pursuit of the enemy. Information, however, coming to hand that they had divided their forces, Marmaduke, Rains, and others, with one portion of it, to proceed south-east, in the direction of Huntsville, and Cooper and Standwaite with the other west, through Bentonville to Maysville, into the Indian country; our forces were therefore divided to meet the emergency. Gens. Schofield and Totten, with the Missouri rush, firing as it went straight up to the muzzles of the enemy's guns, driving his cannoneers from them, seizing the four brass pieces and bringing them in triumph from the ground. division, went in pursuit of Marmaduke and com- two little howitzers, and thus the matter went on pany, while Gen. Blunt, with the brigades of for some time. Finally, impatient of longer delay, Weer and Cloud, followed Cooper and Standwaite, the word was given for the gallant Second to adleaving Gen. Salomon, with his command, includ-vance, (on foot, of course,) which it did with a ing Stockton's and Blair's batteries, at Pea Ridge, to keep open communication with the rear, protect the trains, etc. We marched from there on Monday night at nine o'clock, and by two o'clock had reached Bentonville, a distance of some twelve or thirteen miles, where the command halted and remained through the following day for the trains to come up. At sundown started again and marched during most of the night. The road was rough and rocky, up hill and down much of the way, and a great deal of it through timber. At between two and three o'clock word came from the rear that Col. Weer, who two days before had thrown up his brigade command and returned to that of his regiment, (the Tenth Kansas,) had drawn out of the line and halted for the night. It was a most brilliant and daring act, of which the gallant victors, nay, all of Kansas may well be proud. Before us and close at hand, lay the forces of the enemy, probably not less than seven thousand strong, concealed mostly by the woods. The head of our own anxiously looked for column, the Eleventh Kansas, Sixth Kansas, Rabb's and the Kansas batteries, etc., were still back three miles or more toward Maysville, while the rear of the column, Weer's regiment and others, were still further back, perhaps eight or ten miles off. New orders were sent for the advance to come up rapidly, which it did accordingly-had been A little later a halt took place also in front; doing, in fact, all the time since the dawn of day. Gen. Blunt being at that time some distance to The Sixth, headed by its gallant Colonel, Judson, the rear of the heads of the column, immediately came galloping over the four miles of prairie betaking his body-guard, he went ahead, overtook tween Maysville and the point where the fight the Kansas Second, (now under the command of was going on. The horses of Rabb's battery Lieut.-Col. Bassett,) which constituted, the ad- under trot, and the men of the splendid new vance-guard, and reached Maysville before day- Eleventh regiment at double-quick, under the light, driving the enemy's pickets from it. Mays- lead of Ewing, Moonlight, and Plumb, until they ville is almost directly west, (a little to the north,) were nearly exhausted, and made the distance in and some twenty-three miles distant from Benton-admirable time-Moonlight himself, by the way, ville, immediately on the boundary line between Arkansas and the Indian Nation. It is seven or eight miles south of the north-west corner of Arkansas. Proceeding on from there after a brief halt some four miles in a south-westerly direction, over an open, beautiful prairie, the enemy were found at the edge of the woods near this point, which is the site of an old United States military garrison, long since abandoned. It may be found laid down on some of the maps-is so on one now before me as "Old Fort Wayne," at the junction of Spannivaw and Welster creeks. on foot at the head of his men. Arrived upon the ground, Rabb's battery was placed in position with the customary promptitude of its youthful commander, and at once the six mouths of the fierce spiteful pieces were heard barking away at the foe who had retired into the woods-giving forth music that was truly inspiring. The Eleventh and the Sixth were formed into line of battle on the right of the position occupied by the Second, and close up to the woods. Soon, also, the First and Third Indian regiments, Cols. Wattles and Phillips, arrived upon the ground, and were placed upon the left, with orders from Gen. Blunt to sweep the woods in a wide circle and Eleventh advancing simultaneously on the right. All went ahead, and some skirmishing ensued at different points, but no considerable force of the enemy was overtaken. Again they had fled. Coming up with the enemy, Gen. Blunt had with him as before stated, no other force but three companies of the Kansas Second that hap-in that direction and find the enemy-the Sixth pened to be in the lead, and his body-guard of some twenty-five or thirty men. He at once determined to attack, and made his arrangements accordingly. Soon the other companies of the Second arrived upon the ground, the whole regiment numbering not to exceed six hundred men all told. They were dismounted to act as infantry, Gen. Blunt directing the movement in person, and encouraged the men, promptly and efficiently seconded by Col. Bassett and all his officers. The regiment had with it two little mountain howitzers, and the men were armed with Harper's Ferry rifles without bayonets. Emboldened by the very small number of our people present, the enemy brought out his artillery clear of the woods, and commenced blazing away at them industriously, but a very few hundred yards intervening between the two lines, and no obstacle in the way. Of course the compliment was returned promptly and with a will from the What the casualties of yesterday's affair have been is not yet known. Four of the Kansas Second, slain in the attack upon the battery captured by it, were buried a few hours later in the open prairie, under three or four small quaking asp trees, a short distance north of the battle ground. Several others were, more or less, severely wounded-some of them perhaps to die, and others to recover. The battery captured yesterday consists of three six-pounders and one twelve-pounder fieldhowitzer, all brass, and supplied with some thirty or forty rounds of ammunition. One of the caissons was knocked to pieces by the shells from our howitzers, and another hauled away. |