Today in History:

388 Series I Volume XIII- Serial 19 - Missouri - Arkansas Campaign

Page 388 MO., ARK., KANS., IND. T., AND DEPT. N. W. Chapter XXV.

[Sub-inclosures.]


HEADQUARTERS FOURTH REGIMENT CAVALRY, Mo. S. M.,
Platte City, Mo., May 8, 1862.

Brigadier General BEN. LOAN:

Under orders from Brigadier-General Blunt, of Fort Leavenworth, a lieutenant, with a detachment of 20 men, cave into Platte City on yesterday and arrested two citizens of this county; also took from the possession of one Mr. Baker a sorrel mare claimed by the wife of one of Jennison's men. Also on to-day a detachment came over and arrested three more citizens of this country. The cause of these arrests seems not to be based upon disunion or secession.

The circumstances are as follows, then you can draw your inferences:

On Tuesday last a man by the name of Atchison and a woman by the name of Boyer came from Kansas to Missouri, in the neighborhood of Farley, in search of a horse belonging to Mrs. Boyer's husband. They found in the possession of a Mr. Baker [Walker?] a mare which Mrs. Boyer claimed as the property of her husband.

Mr. Baker called upon his neighbors to prove that Mrs. Boyer was mistaken as to the ownership, but failed to do so the satisfaction of Mrs. Boyer and Atchison. Atchison drew his revolved and swore that he would take the mare anyhow, which he did, and started to Kansas. The citizens in and about Farley pursued and arrested Atchison and brought him back to Farley and brought suit against him before Justice Patton, which was set for trial on yesterday (Wednesday) at 1 o'clock. The justice of the peace early yesterday morning sent to these headquarters for protection to the court, as he had reason to believe that more would over from Kansas and take the prisoner from them. I sent a detachment of men and had the prisoner brought to this place and turned over to the civil authority. The case came up for a hearing before a justice of the peace, but was dismissed for some error or informality in the papers and prisoner discharged. He returned in the course of an hour with the detachment of soldiers and made the arrests. General Blunt's orders were to arrest all persons who assisted in the arrest of Atchison. They made two arrests yesterday and there to-day, all for the same crime.

I did not protest against the proceedings, not knowing the extent of General Blunt's jurisdiction, or whether he had a right to come into your department and interfere with the enforcement of civil law or make arrests of persons that were trying to enforce civil law; and not desiring to conflict with my superiors, I deemed it my duty to lay the case before you, which I have done as nearly as may be.

Your obedient servant,

D. DALE,

Major, Commanding Post Platte City.


HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF NORTHWEST MISSOURI,
Saint Joseph, Mo., May 9, 1862.

Brigadier-General BLUNT,

Commanding District of Kansas, Fort Leavenworth, Kans:

GENERAL: I have just received from Major Dale, in command of the forces at Platte City, a communication, from while the inclosed paragraph is extracted.*

---------------

* Probably first paragraph of preceding letter.

---------------


Page 388 MO., ARK., KANS., IND. T., AND DEPT. N. W. Chapter XXV.