Today in History:

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

Page 316 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter XLVI.

are drunkards, gamblers, whore-house pimps, thieves, murderers, house-burners, and Captain Fish is as mean a man I ever knew. I think he would fight rebels or bushwhackers, but he will make 10 bushwhackers, or rather run and drive 10 men in the brush, where he will kill 1. His men never had any property until since the ear, and have got nothing, and it is all to gain with them and nothing lost. They have never paid any tax worth mentioning, and all they want is to keep up an excitement so they can steal, and the worst of al is they all belong to institutions or orders of some kind, I think called the Missouri Knights, and they are all bad men that belong to it. The Kansas thieves or jayhawkers belong to it, and all know each other whenever they meet, and Fish and his men will not catch right signs. You may take my word for that. This way of gong through the country cursing and insulating peaceable men and women, and just as loyal to the country as any one-any man who don't sanction their conduct and can't give them their thievish signs, and has got a good horse, or revolver, or anything they want, or feed them, is a rebel or bushwhacker. Well, sir, these men have acted in such a way that good Union men as ever was are afraid of the, and some of them would be afraid to go with them if sent for on any business, and I think they will do this country a great injury if they are permitted to scout.

Ever since they drew arms they have been every day riding around through the country in squads ordering men and women to cook for them, pressing horses and revolvers. For instance, at De Kalb, where there was no need for them, they would stay two or three days at a time, and curse people, and order their meals as insulting as could be, threaten to shoot and burn their houses if their demand was not complied with, and the works [of] all this is they will swear and lie for one another, and prove themselves clear of anything they are guilty of, and if a man complains of their treatment or reports on them he is in danger of his life, for they will shoot him or burn his house. They will do al these things, and therefore men are afraid to report them to you as they ought to. For the proof of what I write, do you or some other man you may select dress yourselves in disguise and to into their camp and stay one or two days, represent yourselves as being from Kansas and want help to get some horses from the rebels and Paw Paws of Missouri, and watch, and you can catch the signs spoken of; and if you can get enough of that sign to convince them you are one of them, of the Kansas jayhawkers, you can find out all about them. Let on as you belong to some Kansas regiment and want to come over to Missouri for the purpose of stealing from rebels and Paw Paws, you can get enough. You must go with them to the bar and during with them if you want to get the inside track.

Well, sir, you don's hear of Captain J. H. Davis' men stealing and insulting men and women; you don't hear of Captain Howard's men at Rushville doing so, and you can hear of no complaint of these men, for these men are the tax-payers, and the men who have the good of the country at heard, and have an interest in the peace of the country. You can get the truth of what I write if you will try. I will give you the names of some men you can't doubt the loyalty of: E. Watson, at Rushville; G. D. Tolle, at De Kalb; Sheriff Ashbaugh and Jim Finey, at Businin [?]; J. Wills, Cornelius Roberts, T. H. Irvin, at De Kalb.


Page 316 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter XLVI.