Mobile Register
June 25, 1861
Page 4
From
Missouri
A
special dispatch to the St. Louis Republican of the 19th, gives the
following accounts of the affairs at Boonsville and at Kansas City:
The
Federal troops landed five miles below the encampment of the State forces. The latter had a battery near Boonsville,
pointed towards the river, but it was circumvented by the Federal troops and
proved useless.
Gen.
Lyon immediately advanced on the State troops, and was met in a lane where the
firing commenced. The remainder of the
description was substantially as reported last night. Gov. Jackson was about a mile off, surrounded
by Capt. Kelly’s company as a body guard.
It is reported that he was severely reprimanded during the engagement,
by his own party, for cowardice and lack of discretion.
Col. Parsons was
not in the fight, having previously been reported sick. Boonville was not injured, no shots having
been fired into it. Gen. Price’s absence
is thus accounted for: On Sunday morning
the pickets brought a report that seven steamboats were coming up the river
with Federal troops. A consultation was
immediately had between the Governor and Gen. Price, and the Governor ordered
the State troops to disperse, not being able to sustain themselves against such
a force. Price then went home. The troops, however, determined to have a
fight. Col. Marmaduke then became
disaffected and resigned. A few hours
later the report about the steamboats proved untrue, and the Governor ordered
the troops to prepare for resistance, appointing Mr. Little to command. There are no reliable accounts as to the
number of killed, wounded, or prisoners.
It is stated that Gen. Lyon had at one time the State troops in a
position where he could have killed them in large numbers, but that he ordered
the firing to cease and proceeded to make prisoners. It is said that the State troops are
gathering in the counties west of here, and that another stand would be made in
Jackson county.
Advices
from Kansas City via St. Joseph, give the following account of an engagement
near Independence of Thursday last. A
detachment of Federal troops under Capt. Stanley with a flag of truce, visited
the camp of the State troops to ascertain the purposes of Capt. Halloway. During the conference Stanley observed
movements being made with the design of attacking him, and ordered a retreat.
His
detachment, while retreating, was fired upon by the State troops at an order
given by a private, but the fire was so irregular that they killed their own
commander, Capt. Halloway, and J. B. Clanahan, and severely wounded several
others of their own men. Stanley’s
troops did not fire, having received orders not to do so under any
circumstances. Stanley retreated to
Kansas City and reported the affair, when Capt. Prince with a strong body of
troops attacked and routed the State forces, capturing thirty horses and a
large lot of baggage. There are now
3,600 U. S. troops and volunteers in Kansas City.
JEFFERSON CITY,
June 16—People living near Syracuse have arrived to-day, saying that 600 State
troops, retreating from Booneville with six cannon, reached Syracuse
yesterday. They said they were going to
draft men from that neighborhood, and would take at least every one who could furnish
a horse.
Various
reports as to the number of killed were in vogue. The probabilities are that about 160 were
killed. There is no possible doubt that
a battle was fought and the State forces completely routed, but the telegraph
being out of order between here and Booneville, we can’t get entirely authentic
accounts of the affair.
[Transcribed by Sharon Strout]
