Today in History:

259 Series I Volume XXXIV-IV Serial 64 - Red River Campaign Part IV

Page 259 Chapter XLVI. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO., June 7, 1864.

Major-General ROSECRANS, Saint Louis, Mo.:

The following dispatch, received to-day during the Governor's absence, is respectfully referred to the commanding general:

BOONVILLE, June 7, 1864.

Governor HALL:

Your petitioners, loyal, in view of the fact of our best citizens being murdered and robbed, shot down in cold blood of late, we ask permission to raise a company of home guards for home protection, a part of which is to be kept in active service all the time, at our own expense. We would like to get arms, but we can arm and equip ourselves if necessary. We must do something or leave the country. Please answer immediately.

E. H. HARRIS,

ELI WELLS,

N. HENDERSON,

M. PEAK,

Committee.

C. C. BAILEY,

Major and Aide-de-Camp.

FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANS., June 7, 1864.

Major-General ROSECRANS, Saint Louis, Mo.:

First Steward D. T. Riley and the pantryman, Patrick Lyons, of the steamer Prairie Rose, were arrested here yesterday for disloyalty. They shipped with Captain William Eads at Saint Louis and produced a great deal of trouble on the trip up. The Prairie Rose was fired into by guerrillas near Miami, an these men refused to aid in defending the boat, saying that they would do nothing against the Confederacy. Lyons said he had been in the Confederate Army and declared his sympathy for the rebel States. Both men left the Prairie Rose below here and came up on another boat. Lyons declared his intention to raise men to capture this vessel at some future time at any sacrifice, averring that the colored porters on the boat should be the first men hanged. Captain Eads was before my provost-marshal-general, from whom the above facts were elicited. He also states that several suspicious circumstances had transpired, fixing complicity of bad intentions upon the two men names, among which were that the oil-can of the boat, in Riley's charge, was punctured with a knife blade and the oil scattered over a large portion of the guards of the boat. Riley is said to be the man through whose instrumentality the Gaty was taken by guerrillas last year. He is also said to be well known by river men generally at Saint Louis. I will send the men in irons. The captain and crew are witnesses.

S. R. CURTIS,

Major-General.

PILOT KNOB, June 7, 1864.

Lieutenant H. HANNAHS,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General:

Got no dispatches from you yesterday until after dark. Line was down all day. The four companies of the Third left for Sullivan Station yesterday morning about 10 o'clock. Will get there even-


Page 259 Chapter XLVI. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION.