Today in History:

697 Series I Volume XXII-I Serial 32 - Little Rock Part I

Page 697 Chapter XXXIV. ACTION AT BAXTER SPRINGS, KANS.

who knew Major Curtis acknowledge his superior ability, and in his particular duties he had no equal. Beloved by the general and all his staff, his loss has cast a heavy gloom over us, "whose business is to die," unusual and heartfelt. In looking over the field, the body of Lieutenant [A. W.] Farr was found next to where the first attack was made, with marks of wounds by buckshot and bullets. The lieutenant was unarmed at the time of the attack, and had been riding in a carriage, but had evidently jumped therefrom and attempted to escape on foot. Lieutenant Farr was a prominent young lawyer from Geneva, Wis., and had been a partner of General B. F. Butler, at Worcester, Mass. At the time of the breaking out of the rebellion he took a patriotic view of the difficulty, and, although a strong Democrat, like General Butler, had accepted a position where he thought he could be of service to his country, and has fallen in the good cause. Well does the writer of this remember the night before his death, while we were lying on the ground with our blankets over us. The lieutenant said it was not ambition nor gain that prompted him to enter the army, but only that he might do his mite towards crushing the rebellion; that he did not seek promotion, but was willing to serve where he could do the most good. Truly a patriot was lost when Lieutenant Farr was killed. Other dead, many of them brave and true men, were scattered and strewn over the ground for over a mile or two, most with balls through their heads, showing that they were killed after having surrendered, which the testimony of the wounded corroborates. They were told, in every instance, that if they would surrender and deliver up their arms they should be treated as prisoners of war, and upon doing so were immediately shot down. Sergt. Jack Splane, Company I, Third Wisconsin Cavalry, was treated in this way, and the fiend that shot him, after taking his arms, said, "Tell old God that he last man you saw on earth was Quantrill." Sergeant Splane is now alive, although he received five balls, one in his head, one through his chest, one through his bowels, and the others in his leg and arm. Private Jesse Smith was shot nearly as bad and under the same circumstances, but he did not lose his consciousness, and says that the rebel who shot him, and as he lay upon his face, jumped upon his back and essayed to dance, uttering the most vile imprecations. Some unarmed citizens that were with us were killed,a nd their bodies stripped of clothing. Take it all in all, there perhaps has not a more horrible affair (except the massacre at Lawrence, in Kansas) happened during the war, and brands the perpetrators as cowards and brutes. I will here also state that a woman and a child were shot at the camp; both will recover. It was done premeditatedly, and not by random shots, and the brute who shot the child was killed by a shot from the revolver of Sergeant McKenzie, Company C, Third Wisconsin Cavalry.

I respectfully call your attention to the facts set forth in this report, in hopes the Government will see fit to retaliate for the actions of this band of desperadoes, who are recognized and acknowledged by the Confederate authorities, and whose report of this affair stated that the brutality of the beast was exultingly published by the Confederate papers, and approved by the Confederate officials. Captain A. H. Campbell, Fourteenth Kansas Volunteer, while a prisoner in the hands of the enemy at Fort Smith, Ark., was in presence of this person, Quantrill, and heard him say that he never did, and never would, taken any prisoners, and was boasting of the number of captured soldiers he had caused to be shot, stating particulars, &c. These facts should be published to the civilized world, that all may know the character of the people against whom we are contending. I would also respectfully call


Page 697 Chapter XXXIV. ACTION AT BAXTER SPRINGS, KANS.