Today in History:

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

Page 604 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LIII.

yards of him, then covered him with his carbine and ordered him to dismount and surrender or he would fire. Marmaduke dismounted and his horse galloped off. Seeing that I was an officer the boy offered to turn him over to me, but I declined being burdened with a prisoner. General Marmaduke then said, "Sir, you are an officer. I claim protection at your hands. I am a general officer-General Marmaduke." I then took charge of him and informed him that I would protect him until delivered to you as a prisoner of war, at which he seemed very much relieved. The boy then spoke up and said, "Colonel, remember I took him prisoner. I am James Dunlavy, corporal of Company D, This Iowa Cavalry." I told the boy (who was severely wounded in the right forearm, but who still grasped his pistol with vigor and energy) to come along also, and he should have the honor of being introduced to you as the captor of Marmaduke. On the way General Marmaduke complained of being dismounted, and Dunlavy promptly apologized, saving, "If I had known you were a general officer I should have allowed you to remain on horseback." Marmaduke then informed me that he was very faint and weak and could not walk much farther. Meeting a soldier with a led horse I took charge of him and mounted the prisoner. Soon after this I met Major McKenny, of your staff, and proffered to turn the prisoner over to him, but he was too intent on getting to the front to be troubled with him. On my way back I saw one or two general officers, but preferred delivering my prisoner to the commanding general of the Army of the Border, and you will remember that I accordingly placed him in your own hands, at the same time introducing his captor and giving his full name, company, and regiment. This is the true, unvarnished story of the capture of General Marmaduke, about which there has been so much misrepresentation in the newspapers. Having rid myself of this responsibility, I again hurried to the front. When I overtook the advance I found it halted at the foot of the precipitous mounds descending into the Osage Valley. Leaving Colonel Cloud, of your staff, here, Captain Hinton and myself pushed forward on to the skirmish line, away in the advance, almost as far as we could see over the smooth prairie, and on arriving there we could plainly see the rebel column moving straight in the direction of Fort Scott. At the same time a smaller column was effecting a junction with it which came from a point to our right higher up the Osage, and which was most probably the force engaged by Colonel Moonlight near Fort Lincoln.

The column in our front moved off and disappeared from sight, while our own line still remained stationary in our rear. I picked up an orderly from the skirmish line, who belonged to the Second Kansas Cavalry, and sent him back to Colonel Cloud with a message requesting him to try to get General Pleasonton to move forward, as I feared for Fort Scott, and at the same time got a citizen who had come forward with us to make a detour to the right and try to reach Fort Scott with a verbal message to the commanding officer to hold out to the last if the enemy struck him, as we were immediately upon his rear. Minutes passed and still our line did not move. I grew impatient and sent another man of the Second Kansas with a second message to Colonel Cloud, requesting him to see you and tell you that the enemy was moving in a direct line toward Fort Scott, and that to save it something must be done immediately. I feared that some one unacquainted with the topography of the country had led you to believe that the enemy was diverging to the east, as I knew at that time he was not. At length my suspense was ended, and the line began to move, and from this on there was no unnecessary


Page 604 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LIII.