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

Page 438 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LIII.

leading from the river eastward, were swept by Shelby's guns. These guns also annoyed our men in the houses along the ridge clean to our left flank. Every available shelter was taken by the enemy, and he cautiously and slowly but constantly, advanced his skirmishers to points nearer to us, and when he had established them at any position closed upon them until he ad a heavy force within from thirty to fifty yards of us all along our line and partly around our right. By noon I had become convinced that I could not hold the place if the enemy chose to make an assault. My line was so thin that it could be pierced anywhere and I could neither shelter nor re-enforce it; while to give up any one position in it was to lose the whole. I tried in vain to find one company even which could be spared to send in on the left. Every man had been engaged for hours and every one was needed where he was; at the same time I could see movements of the enemy forming his lines on my flanks and front indicating his intention to make a an assault. Clark's artillery too was moved up to short range so as to tell upon the houses where we were sheltered; they would soon be untenable. In this situation I consulted with some of the officers as to the practicability of cutting our way out and finally abandoned the idea of doing so and came to the conclusion to capitulate, if honorable terms could be obtained, in order to save the lives of my men and of the citizens as well as to save the city itself which would have been sacked and destroyed had it been taken by assault. I ordered the public property destroyed. Major John R. Moore, commissary, Missouri State Militia, burned his stores, amounting to about 50,000 rations; but the quartermaster's stores on the levee (brough from Lexington) were captured by the enemy. At 1.30 o'clock I surrendered on the terms that the garrison should march out with its arms and colors; officers to retain their horses, side-arms, and private property; the men to retain what private property they had belonging to them; persons and private of citizens to be respected. After the arms were stacked the men were sworn by a staff officer of General Clark not to take up arms against the Confederate States during the war and not to give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. I was not consulted about this step. Paroles were offered through me to the officers with me. I declined to give my consent until I could refer to the orders of the War Department, on the subject. Captain Holloway had and produced the orders of 1863. He with Lieutenant-Colonel Hynes and myself, came to the conclusion that under the second paragraph of General Orders, Numbers 49, series 1863, the paroles offered us might be accepted and I so notified the officers. After the surrender a steam ferry-boat arrived from below. On the 16th the officers' paroles ere taken and we were permitted to rejoin our men. We were all sent across the river under escort and conducted to the La Mine River on our wy to the nearest Federal post. We there met Captain Glaze, who had been sent by Brigadier-General Fisk to relieve our escort and conduct us to Boonville, where he was. We were treated with courtesy and kindness by General Clark and nearly all of his officers whom we came in contact with. I desire particularly to acknowledge the assiduous care which Lieutenant Graves, of the Third (rebel) Missouri Volunteers, commanding our escort, bestowed upon us and the good behavior of his men. Had they been our own troops we could not have been better treated.

Major F. G. Porter, medical director District of North Missouri, took charge of the hospital during the battle, with Dr. J. Q. Egleston, surgeon Forty-third Missouri, and Doctor Todd, citizen of Brunswick, to assist him. The two last were left in charge of the sick and wounded


Page 438 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LIII.