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417 Series I Volume XLI-I Serial 83 - Price's Missouri Expedition Part I

Page 417 Chapter LIII. PRICE'S MISSOURI EXPEDITION.

they are restrained from depredations upon the class favored by the bushwhackers. I will promptly and vigorously urge the people to a response to your admirable General Orders, Numbers 176. You have struck the keynote. Let the masses rise up in their strength and give an exhibition of their devotion to loyalty and the Union, and Price will never again invade Missouri with his thieving horde. I am placing ever county court-house in as safe condition as possible, but there are so many towns to protect, so many railway, bridges, stations, and trains constantly exposed to attack, capture, and destruction by the fiends, that we must expect serious trouble in that direction. I will keep you posted daily of movements in the district.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CLINTON B. FISK,

Brigadier-General.

Major General W. S. ROSECRANS,

Commanding Dept. of the Missouri, Saint Louis, Mo.

GLASGOW, September 27, 1864.

The train on the North Missouri Railroad, bound north from Saint Louis to-day, was captured at Centralia Station by Bill Anderson and his friends. Twenty-one soldiers were taken therefrom and shot. The passengers were robbed and the train set on fire, and put in motion had been there, ready, an hour when the train came up. They had the citizens of the town under guard, thereby preventing intelligence of their presence being communicated to the approaching train. Perkins and Thrailkill were reported as co-operating with Anderson, being near by and in sight of the depot. General Douglas, Lieutenant-Colonel Draper, Major Leonard, and Major King are each in that neighborhood with an aggregate of 600 troops, and some of them ought to fall upon the villains. More than half of this murdering party are young men from Boone County, fed, protected and encouraged by many of the citizens of this region. We have troops at all the telegraph stations, but it is impossible to guard all stations with the forces at our command. A few of these barbarians can capture, rob, and burn a train at any of the way-stations.

CLINTON B. FISK,

Brigadier-General.

Major-General ROSECRANS,

Saint Louis, Mo.

GLASGOW, September 28, 1864-10.25 a.m.

Major Johnston, Thirty-ninth Missouri Volunteers, with a detachment of this command, engaged the guerrillas at Centralia yesterday at 3 p.m. A sharp, severe fight ensued, with considerable loss on both sides. Particulars are not yet received. Major Johnston reported killed. Colonel Draper, Ninth Cavalry Missouri State Militia with 300 men was marching rapidly toward Centralia at 5 o'clock yesterday evening. At midnight General Douglas was moving in the same direction with 150 men. Major King is in the same neighborhood with 200 men. The guerrillas are said to have numbered 600 last night, and

27 R R-VOL XLI, PT I


Page 417 Chapter LIII. PRICE'S MISSOURI EXPEDITION.