CHAPTER IX.

THE REBELLION IN MISSOURI.

CLAIMS OF SLAVERY IN MISSOURI.-STEPS PREPARATORY TO SECESSION IN MISSOURI.-HEROISM OF CAPT. J. H. STOKES.-MILITARY PREPARATIONS AT ST. LOUIS.-EFFORTS OF GEN. LYON.CAPTURE OF CAMP JACKSON. REIGN OF GEN. HARNEY. -OVERTURES OF JACKSON AND PRICE.-PROCLAMATION OF JACKSON.-THREATENING STATE OF AFFAIRS.-MOVEMENTS OF LYON.-BATTLE OF BOONEVILLE.-STATE OF THE COUNTRY.-HEROISM OF SIGEL.-BATTLE OF CARTHAGE.

Ir is a singular circumstance, if indeed it may not be called providential, that, at the breaking out of the rebellion, the line which separated the loyal from the disloyal States, was so notably geographical. The governors of the Northern Border States were not only of undoubted loyalty, but men who had never sympathized with the previous movement of Southern politicians, in behalf of slavery. Elected on a platform of opposition to pro-slavery propagandism, they did not need the shock of open rebellion to enlist their heartiest efforts on the side of liberty and national life. The executive, on the other hand, of the Southern Border States, with the exception of Gov. Hicks, of Maryland, were, from the beginning, warmly enlisted in the effort to break asunder the Union. Their sympathies and political affiliations were all on the side of the rebellion. Under cover of professions of a desire for peace, for neutrality, for State rights, they plotted and labored to carry their respective States into the Southern Confederacy, without regard to the wishes or interests of the people. The history of affairs in Missouri, affords one of the most striking illustrations of the dishonest and treacherous methods, which were taken by those in power to drag the people of their States into a course of action, which was as antagonistic to their desires, as it was hostile to their interests and subversive of their rights.

In the autumn of 1860, the gubernatorial chair of Missouri was filled by Claiborne F. Jackson. An unscrupulous member of the pro-slavery party, he at once entered into the treasonable plans of his associates. It was indeed evident to every unprejudiced mind, that all the interests of Missouri demanded the perpetuity of the Union. The dismemberment of the country, would have turned the trade of the West from the Mississippi River into Eastern channels, and would have abandoned St. Louis, now one of the great commercial centres of the West, merely to her own local trade. The State would also thus have been separated from the great North-west, with which, by nature, her interests and destiny are evidently linked.

The claims of slavery could not afford even an apparent reason for secession in her case. Missouri suffered all the evil effects, and secured none of the fancied benefits, of the slave system. Neither her climate nor her products called for negro labor. Her slaves were not in sufficient numbers to be efficient producers-many entire counties possessing less than a hundred, but were enough materially to mar her prosperity. Her genial clime, and majestic streams, and fertile lands, invited emigration. But because of slavery, dishonoring labor, and thwarting education, and obstructing the progress of religion, the tide of emigration recoiled and rolled back from her eastern border into Illinois, or turned northward to the less attractive State of Iowa, or overleaping the slavery-infested State, flowed on into the remoter West. In case, too, of separation, Missouri could not long have kept the few slaves then in the State. Bounded on three sides by free States, which would ever have afforded an asylum to the fugitive, and from two of which she was separated by no natural boundary of mountain or river, the prospect of freedom, so near and so accessible, would have proved too tempting to her slave population to have been resisted.

The great majority of the population of the State, influenced by such considerations, were earnestly loyal, though there was a powerful and an exceedingly active minority, who were prepared to unite their fortunes with the South. "I have been from the beginning," said Gov. Jackson, in a letter to David Walker, "in favor of prompt action on the part of the Southern States; but the majority of the people have differed with me."

No sooner was the result of the Presidential campaign known, than the work of preparing to take Missouri out of the Union commenced. In January, 1861, the Legislature passed an act calling a convention, and providing for the election of delegates. Thus they apparently intended to submit the course of the State to the choice of the people. But this was far from being their real design. They had other plans in reserve, should they be beaten at the polls. They determined to accomplish by violence, what it might not be possible to accomplish by appeals to passion and prejudice. The event showed their sagacity. The convention proved itself largely and strongly loyal. The rebel leaders, however, did not wait to know the popular choice. They purposed at once to put the State on a war footing. With a view to this, they commenced the organization of voluntary forces of Secessionists. The troops, thus raised, they proposed to place under the almost unlimited control of the Governor, and to pay the expenses out of the State treasury-a plan subsequently put into execution.

In addition to this, they made their arrangements to seize the arsenals, and other public property of the United States, if possible, before President Lincoln should be inaugurated. Lest this course should be resisted by a popular uprising, secret military organizations were formed, pledged, at the first tap of the drum, to draw the sword and exterminate every Unionist who did not yield to this usurped power of the State authorities. In these movements the Governor was intensely active. He entered into

correspondence with the leaders of the rebellion in the seceded States. He pledged Missouri to secession. He sought the coöperation of the Southern States, to aid in forcing Missouri into the rebellion. All these operations were conducted with the utmost secresy. The avowed principle of the Secession party was State neutrality. To treason to the Union, they added treachery to the people; duplicity and falsehood.

In his public addresses, Gov. Jackson said that Missouri had no war to prosecute. In his private correspondence, he declared that he only wanted time to arm the State, in order to accomplish its secession from the Union, and that the State ought to have seceded before. In public, he justified arming the State, as necessary to protect her people from aggressions from any assailants. At the same time, he privately invited the army of the Southern Confederacy to enter Missouri, and commenced the execution of those plans which were afterwards consummated, by welcoming within her borders an army from the South of 20,000 rebel soldiers. In public, Gov. Jackson urged the people to avoid all excitement and disorder. In private, he connived at plans tending to the repetition in St. Louis of the scenes of St. Bartholomew's day, by the massacre of all citizens who did not acquiesce in his schemes for the overthrow of the national authority.

Such was the state of affairs in Missouri at the time of the inauguration of President Lincoln. The rebels soon struck their first determined blow, which was intended to "fire the South," and to bid the General Government defiance, by attacking and reducing Fort Sumter. The nation was thus at length roused, and the President issued his proclamation for 75,000 troops, to protect Washington from threatened assault. Gov. Jackson had declared that Missouri would be "faithless to her honor, and recreant to her duty, were she to hesitate a moment in making the most ample preparations for the protection of her people against all assailants." And yet this same man, who had sworn allegiance to the Constitution of the United States, insolently and traitorously denounced the President's call for troops to protect the nation's life, as "illegal, unconstitutional, revolutionary, inhuman and diabolical."

He immediately called an extra session of the Legislature for the purpose of taking measures to organize and equip the militia, to raise money, and put the State, in all respects upon a war footing. The Secessionists, however, did not await the action of the Legislature. More rapidly than ever they pressed the work of organizing military companies. On the 20th of April, they seized and plundered the United States arsenal at Liberty, near the Kansas border. They laid plans for the seizure of the arsenal at St. Louis-a far richer prize-containing a large quantity of army stores. The rebels watched the arsenal, day and night, to prevent any of its contents from being removed by the United States authorities. The bold and sagacious action of a single individual, saved the arsenal from capture, and thus probably saved the State to the Union.

On the 24th of April, Capt. James H. Stokes, of the regular army, received through the hands of Gov. Yates, of Illinois, a requisition, from the Secretary of War, at Washington, for ten thousand muskets from the United States arsenal at St. Louis. Proceeding to the city, for the pur

pose of removing the arms, he found the arsenal surrounded by an almost impenetrable mob. The undertaking was apparently hopeless. The rebels would not willingly allow a gun to be removed, and there was no United States force in the vicinity able to cope with them. To wait for help was also fatal, for Gov. Jackson had rendezvoused at Jefferson City, but a few hours distant, by river or by rail, two thousand armed men, whom he ordered to St. Louis, immediately upon hearing of Capt. Stokes' arrival. Thus delay was inevitable defeat. By an ingenious stratagem Capt. Stokes accomplished that, which by force he could not have accomplished.

He boxed up five hundred old flint lock muskets, which had been sent to the arsenal to be altered, and, at night, with affected secresy, carted them to a steamer, as if to send them up the river. The spies followed them, and roused the mob, who took the bait. They seized the boxes, and carried them off with great exultation. Still a few spies remained to watch the arsenal. By an adroit movement they were suddenly seized and placed in the guard-house, cut off from all communication with their confederates. Then commenced, in earnest, the night's work. It was resolved, not merely to fill up the requisition, but to send off for safe keeping the entire contents of the arsenal. By 2 o'clock in the morning, 20,000 muskets, 5,000 carbines, 500 revolvers, 110,000 cartridges, besides cannon and miscellaneous accoutrements had been moved to a steamer, which, by previous appointment, had come to the arsenal landing. Only 700 muskets to arm the patriotic St. Louis volunteers, were left behind.

"When the whole was on board," says the Chicago Tribune, from whose graphic report this statement is taken, "the order was given, by the captain of the steamer, to cast off. Judge of the consternation, when it was found that she would not move. The arms had been piled, in great quantities, around the engines, to protect them against the battery on the levee, and the great weight had fastened the bows of the boat firmly on a rock which was tearing a hole through the bottom at every turn of the wheels. A man of less nerve than Capt. Stokes, would have gone crazy. He called the arsenal men on board, and commenced moving the boxes to the stern. Fortunately, when about two hundred boxes had been shifted, the boat fell away from the shore and floated into deep water. "Which way?' said Capt. Mitchell, of the steamer.

Straight to Alton, in the regular channel,' replied Capt. Stokes. "What, if we are attacked?' asked Capt. Mitchell.

"Then we will fight,' replied Capt. Stokes.

"What, if we are overpowered?' said Capt. Mitchell.

"Run her to the deepest part of the river and sink her,' replied Capt. Stokes.

"I'll do it,' was the heroic answer of Capt. Mitchell; and away they went, past the secession battery, past the entire St. Louis levee, and on to Alton, Illinois, where they arrived at 5 o'clock in the morning. As soon as the boat touched the landing, Capt. Stokes, apprehensive that he might be pursued by the Secessionists, who had several companies of armed men, ready to move at a moment's notice, and steamboats in abundance at their command, ran to the market-house and rang the fire-bell. The citizens

were aroused, and flocked pell-mell to the river, men, women, children, in all sorts of habiliments. Capt. Stokes informed them, the patriots of Illinois, of the posture of affairs, and of the importance of transporting instantly the heavy freight, up the steep banks of the river to the cars. Never was there a more beautiful illustration of the maxim that 'many hands make light work.' The whole population, young and old, males and females, rich and poor, with the noblest enthusiasm toiled together, and in two hours the whole cargo was deposited in the cars, and the train moved off triumphantly for Springfield, amidst cheers such as have rarely been heard upon the banks of the Mississippi, or of any other stream.”

This movement enraged the Secessionists, but did not check them in their traitorous schemes. Defeated in their first design, they resolved to get possession of St. Louis in another way. The Governor had already called an extra session of the Legislature. It met on the 2d of May, and proceeded to pass what is known as the Military Bill. This enactment provided that all members of the militia, should take an oath of obedience to the State authorities, irrespective of any obligation to the United States. It closed the public schools of Missouri, and appropriated the school fund to military purposes. It placed the whole militia of the State at the disposal of the Governor, a notorious Secessionist.

Under pretense of forming a camp of instruction, Jackson commenced gathering a large military force in the suburbs of St. Louis. These troops were supplied with muskets, and even with heavy cannon, by the Southern Confederacy. These arms, with other munitions of war, were sent up river to St. Louis, in boxes labeled marble. Over the tents secession flags were flying, and the two main avenues of the encampment were named Davis and Beauregard. The badges of rebellion were worn by many the soldiers. Jefferson Davis was enthusiastically cheered-Abraham Lincoln as loudly groaned. The entire camp was under the command of Gen. D. M. Frost, a well-known Secessionist.

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St. Louis commands the northern portal of the Mississippi. It was regarded by the rebel leaders as next in strategic importance to Charleston and Pensacola. The possession of the city gave them control of the State. It seemed hardly doubtful that they would attain their object, for, with the State government at their control, the militia subject to their will, and the keys of the treasury in their hands, it was not easy to see what power could arise to thwart their designs. All the forces of the National Government were at that time demanded to protect Washington, nearly a thousand miles distant. Nowhere, during the war, excepting, perhaps, in East Tennessee, did loyal men contend against more formidable difficulties. Nowhere did loyal courage and devotion shine more brightly, or accomplish more glorious results. For the preservation of St. Louis from the rebels, the nation is largely indebted to the courage, energy, far-sightedness and patriotism of Captain, afterward General, Nathaniel Lyon.*

* Nathaniel Lyon was born July 19, 1819, in Ashford, Conn. In 1837, Mr. Lyon, then in his eighteenth year, entered West Point, where he graduated in due time, the eleventh in his class. Appointed second lieutenant in the infantry, he served in the Seminole war, on the Mexican frontier, and in the Mexican campaign, where he was promoted to a captaincy. When peace was de