The Courier of the Ozarks

by Byron A. Dunn

  CHAPTER XIV

  TEN LIVES FOR ONE

  Harry succeeded in clearing the village in safety, and, when about halfa mile away, halted and looked back. Porter's men were already leavingthe place, and Harry saw they had quite a number of prisoners. Porterhalted in an open meadow near the edge of the village, and the prisonerswere gathered together.

  "My God!" groaned Harry. "Are they going to murder them all?"

  But the prisoners were not murdered. They were all paroled with theexception of four, to whom allusion has been made.

  Harry watched until he saw the paroled men start back to the village,and the guerrillas riding away. He drew a long breath of relief. Thefact was, McNeil held so many of Porter's men prisoners that theguerrilla chieftain dare not command such wholesale murder.

  "What is to be done now?" asked Harry of himself. "I know," he criedsuddenly. "If I can make Monticello before night, McNeil can get toWhaley's Mill nearly as quickly as Porter. I'll make Monticello or diein the attempt."

  Thus saying, he turned his horse to the north and rode swiftly away. Hehad gone some distance when he suddenly drew rein. "Great guns!" heexclaimed. "I have forgotten Bruno. He will stay by that blanket untilhe starves."

  He reined in his horse and sat a moment in deep thought. "It's no use,"he sighed. "It's full five miles. I can never go back and makeMonticello in time. Poor Bruno! I won't let him suffer for more than aday or two."

  His mind made up, Harry rode on at as swift a pace as his horse couldstand. Residents along the road gazed in wonder as Harry dashed past.Most of them took him for a guerrilla fleeing from his foes, and lookedin vain for blue-coated pursuers. A number hailed him and two or threesent a ball after him on receiving no answer.

  When about half way to Monticello three rough-looking men blocked theroad, demanding his name and the reason of his haste.

  "I'm carrying the news to the boys," he explained. "Porter capturedPalmyra this morning."

  "Yo' un don't say. But who air yo' un carryin' the news to?"

  "To Sam Dodds. Porter wanted him to rally all the boys he could and joinhim at Whaley's Mill."

  This was a guess by Harry. He only knew Dodds was a leader among theguerrillas in that section of the country.

  "That's a lie. Sam Dodds is with Porter and--" The guerrilla never gotfurther. Harry's revolver cracked and the fellow rolled from his horse.Bending low over his horse's neck, Harry was off like a shot.

  For a moment the other two guerrillas were dazed by the unlooked-forattack, then drawing their revolvers sent ball after ball after Harry,who, as they fired, felt a sharp pain in his left arm, but he only urgedhis horse to greater speed.

  One of the guerrillas sprang from his horse and went to his fallencompanion. "Dead as a doornail," he exclaimed. "Shot through the heart.Jack, let's after that boy. I reckon one of us winged him, for I saw himwinch. We 'uns can come back and see to poor Collins heah, after wecatch him. I reckon that young devil was the famous boy scout of theMerrill Hoss. I've heard Porter say he'd give a thousand dollars for himdead or alive."

  Without further parley, leaving their dead companion lying in the road,the two guerrillas mounted their horses and started in pursuit. Harry bythis time had gained a good lead, but the guerrillas' horses were fresh,and they gained on him rapidly. As dark as it now looked for Harry, hisbeing pursued proved to be his salvation, for he had not gone more thantwo miles when six guerrillas blocked the road.

  "Halt and give an account of yo'self!" they cried.

  Without checking his horse, Harry shouted, "Yanks! Yanks!"

  The guerrillas saw the cloud of dust raised by Harry's pursuers andwheeling their horses fled with him. Harry now had company he did notrelish, but not for long. Coming to a cross road which led into a woodthey turned into it crying out to Harry to do the same, but to theiramazement he kept right on.

  "Reckon he's so skeered he didn't notice," said one.

  "Hold," said another, "thar's only two comin' an' they don't look likeYanks. If they be, we 'uns can tend to them."

  Drawing their weapons they waited for the two to come up, when theyfound they were two of their own gang. Explanations were made and therewere curses loud and deep.

  "We 'uns air losing time," cried one of the first two. "The feller'shoss must be badly winded. We 'uns can catch him."

  The leader of the six shook his head. "No," he exclaimed, with an oath,"it's all off. Thar is a scouting party of Yanks up the road. Theychased us. That's the reason we 'uns are down heah. That feller willfall in with them before we 'uns can ketch him."

  So, much to their chagrin, the guerrillas gave up the chase and went toattend to their dead comrade.

  About five miles from Monticello Harry overtook the scouting party, nowon their way back to that city. Taking Harry for a guerrilla, theyordered him to surrender, which he did very willingly.

  Harry was white with dust, blood was dripping from his left hand and hishorse, white with foam, stood trembling.

  The lieutenant in charge of the party rode up. "Well, young man," hebegan, then stopped and gazed in wonder.

  "Good Heavens!" he exclaimed. "It's Harry Semans. Harry, what's up?"

  "Porter is on the warpath. He has captured Palmyra," gasped Harry.

  The news was astounding.

  "When?" cried the lieutenant.

  "This morning. But I have no time to talk. Give me a fresh horse. I mustsee McNeil."

  "But your hand, my boy. Let me send one of the boys with the news."

  "No, no!" cried Harry. "I must see McNeil. The wound is nothing. It isnothing but a scratch."

  Harry took a horse from one of the troop, and accompanied by thelieutenant and three men rode post-haste for Monticello, leaving thetroop to come more leisurely.

  General McNeil was greatly surprised by the news. He had supposedPorter's band to be entirely dispersed.

  "You say the garrison did not surrender?" asked McNeil.

  "No, but Porter plundered the town and took every Union man in the placeprisoner. From what I could see he paroled all, or most of them."

  "God help Andrew Allsman if they captured him," exclaimed McNeil; "butif Porter dares--" The General said no more, but his jaws came togetherwith a snap.

  Harry now told the whole story and ended with: "General, they are torendezvous at Whaley's Mill. You can catch them if you act promptly.It's not much farther to Whaley's Mill from here than it is fromPalmyra; and Porter has no idea you can get there nearly as quickly ashe."

  McNeil lost no time. Fortunately there was a battalion of the MerrillHorse at Monticello, and he could muster five hundred men for thepursuit.

  "I wish you could be with us," said the General to Harry.

  "I certainly shall be," answered Harry.

  "But your wound, and thirty-six hours without sleep or rest," said theGeneral.

  "My wound is nothing," said Harry, "but that reminds me it has not beendressed, and that I am nearly famished, but I will be ready as soon asyou are."

  "Only cut deep enough to make it bleed freely," said the surgeon, as hedressed Harry's arm. "You will be all right in a week."

  "I'm all right now, except a lame arm and an empty stomach," laughedHarry, "and I will attend to the stomach now."

  It was not long before McNeil, at the head of five hundred stouttroopers, was on his way to Whaley's Mill, every man eager for theconflict. But as Harry rode there came to him the thought of Bruno. Hisfirst impulse was to turn back and ride for Palmyra, but he knew howdangerous it would be, and then he felt his duty was to continue withMcNeil. It would not make more than a day's difference, and if hestarted alone, the probabilities were he would never get to Palmyra, sowith a heavy heart he rode on.

  All through the night they rode. Porter, never dreaming McNeil couldreach him so quickly, went into camp at Whaley's Mill to await suppliesand reinforcements.

  The next day McNeil was on him like a thunderbolt. Never was there asurprise more complete. Many of the guerrillas
cut the halters of theirhorses and without saddles or bridles galloped furiously away.Frequently two men were seen on one horse, digging in their heels andurging him to the utmost speed.

  The relentless Merrill Horse were after them, cutting, shooting andtaking prisoners those who threw down their arms and begged for mercy.For two days the pursuit was kept up, and at last in desperation Portercried to the men who had kept with him, "Every man for himself." Andevery man for himself it was. The band was totally dispersed.

  When Porter saw all hope was lost, he paroled three of the fourprisoners he had kept; but Andrew Allsman was held, and from that dayall authentic news of him ceases.[11]

  [Footnote 11: It is claimed by friends of Porter that he also paroledAllsman, and that he had nothing to do with his disappearance.]

  Porter did not rally his band; he collected as many as he could and fledsouth into Arkansas, where he held a commission as colonel in a regimentof provisional troops. Owing to this pursuit six days had elapsed beforeHarry could get back to Palmyra. During this period the thought of Brunokeeping his lonely watch over that blanket caused Harry many a sharppain. More than once he thought of deserting and going to the relief ofthe animal. Those of the officers who knew the story laughed at Harry'sfears, saying no dog would stay and watch a blanket until he starved,but Harry knew better.

  Upon reaching Palmyra he rode with all haste to the fair grounds wherehe had left Bruno. He found the dog lying with his head and forepaws onthe blanket, his eyes closed. So still he lay, so gaunt he looked, thatHarry's heart gave a great bound; he feared he was dead. But the momentHarry's footsteps were heard, Bruno gave a hoarse growl and staggered tohis feet, every hair on his back bristling. But no sooner did he see whoit was than he gave a joyful bark and attempted to spring forward tomeet him, but fell from weakness.

  In a moment Harry's arms were around his neck and he was weeping like achild. The dog licked his hands and his face in an ecstasy of joy.

  "Bruno, Bruno, to love me like this, after I left you to starve anddie," sobbed Harry, "but I couldn't help it, if the guerrillas had seenyou they would never have let you live. They would rather have your lifethan mine, and Bruno you are worth a dozen of me."

  If ever a dog was cared for and fed tidbits, it was Bruno, and in a fewdays he showed no signs of his fast.

  The taking of Palmyra was a humiliating affair to General McNeil. Thatthe town in which he made his headquarters should be raided, every Unioncitizen in it captured, one shot down and another carried off, and inall probability murdered, was a bitter pill for him to swallow.

  He had often declared that if any more murders were committed in hisdistrict he would shoot ten guerrillas for every man murdered. Had thetime come for him to make that threat good?

  McNeil was not naturally a cruel man; to his friends he was one of thekindest and most generous of men, but to his foes he was relentless. Hebelieved that the guerrillas of Missouri had broken every law ofcivilized warfare, and were entitled to no mercy. But now that the timehad come for him to make his threats good, he hesitated. He arose andpaced his room. "No, no," he murmured, "I cannot do it. There must besome way out of it."

  Just then his provost marshal, Colonel W. R. Strachan, entered the room.Strachan was a coarse featured man and his heavy jaw showed him to be aman of determined will. His countenance showed marks of dissipation, forhe was a heavy drinker, and this served to further brutalize his nature.That he was cruel could be seen in every lineament of his face. But hewas a man of marked executive ability, and when occasion demanded hewielded a facile and ready pen. His defence of McNeil in a New Yorkpaper showed him to be a man possessing ability of the highest order.

  Such was the man who came into the presence of McNeil at this criticalmoment. He stood and regarded McNeil as if he would read his verythoughts, and then remarked, cynically, "I haven't seen anything of thatproclamation of yours yet, General."

  McNeil started as if stung. He hesitated and then said, "Strachan, Ican't make up my mind. It seems so cold blooded."

  "The Rebels say you dare not," sneered Strachan.

  McNeil flushed. "I allow no man to question my courage," he answeredhotly.

  "Pardon me, General, it is not your physical courage they question. Thatis above criticism. It is your moral courage, the courage to do right,because it wrings your heart to do right. You feel for the ten men youdoom to die, but, Great God! look at their crimes. Does not the blood ofthe Union men murdered by Porter's gang cry for vengeance? Think ofthat. Think of Carter, and Preston, and Pratt, and Spieres, and Carnegy,and Aylward--but why enumerate every one of these men murdered by theseassassins. Now they come and, right under our very eyes, carry offAllsman, to be foully dealt with--and yet General McNeil hesitates."[12]

  [Footnote 12: All of these men named by Strachan had been cruellymurdered by guerrillas.]

  "Say no more, Strachan," cried McNeil, "the proclamation will beforthcoming."

  A cruel smile played around the lips of Strachan as he saluted hissuperior and departed.

  The next morning a proclamation appeared, directed to Joseph C. Porter,saying that if Andrew Allsman was not returned before the end of tendays ten of his followers held as prisoners would be taken out and shot.

  The proclamation was posted on the door of the court house and soon amotley crowd gathered around to read it. Some read it with satisfaction,some with lowering brows, but the most with jeers.

  "McNeil will never do it. It's only a bluff," declared a sullen-lookingman.

  A tall, lank, cadaverous native ejected a mouthful of tobacco juice anddrawled, "Directed to Joe Porter, is it? That's a mistake; the Generalshould have directed it to the devil. He's the only one who can returnole Allsman."

  "Think so, do you?" said a soldier, who, overhearing the remark, laid aheavy hand on the fellow's shoulder. "Come along with me."

  Protesting vehemently, the fellow was taken to prison. This episodeended public criticism.

  There were not many in Palmyra who believed Porter could return Allsmanif he wanted to; the universal belief was that he had been murdered.What would McNeil do when the man was not returned, was the question.The general belief was that the proclamation was only a bluff to try andscare Porter; so the people of Palmyra went about their businessdisregarding the ominous cloud hanging over them.

  As the days slipped by and Allsman was not returned and no explanationmade, McNeil began to be uneasy. He caused the proclamation to be madethroughout all Northeast Missouri. He even sent Harry on a dangerousride to deliver a copy to the wife of Porter, and to beg her to get acopy to her husband, if she knew where he was.

  She replied she did not know where he was. The fact was, Porter had fledsouth, as has been noted, but McNeil did not know this.

  No representations were made to McNeil that Allsman had been paroled byPorter, as was afterwards claimed by Porter and his friends, and that hewas afterwards murdered by unknown parties. His proclamation was utterlyignored.

  The ninth day arrived and Strachan sought his chief. "Well," he growled,"the time is up tomorrow and Allsman has not been returned. He will notbe. We might as well prepare for the execution."

  "Is there any way out of this, Strachan?" asked McNeil, with muchfeeling. "I hate this."

  "Going to show the white feather?" sneered Strachan.

  "No, but what if I issue a proclamation that if the men who actuallymurdered Allsman are given up these ten men will be spared?"

  "They will pay just as much attention to it as they did to your firstproclamation," said Strachan. "General, if you do not carry out yourproclamation there is not a Union man in the State whose life will besafe, and their blood will be on your hands. You will be cursed by everyloyal citizen, and your enemies will despise you as a coward. Better,far better, you had never issued any proclamation."

  McNeil felt the force of Strachan's reasoning. It would have been betterif no proclamation had been made. To go back on it, and at the eleventhhour, would proclaim him weak a
nd vacillating, and the effect might beas Strachan said.

  "Go ahead, Strachan. I will not interfere," he said abruptly, and turnedaway.

  Strachan departed highly elated, and repaired to a carpenter shop, wherehe ordered ten rough coffins made. The village suddenly awoke to thefact that the execution would take place. Then faces grew pale, and alljeering ceased. McNeil was besieged by applicants imploring him to staythe execution. Among these were a number of Union men. But McNeilremained obdurate; his mind was made up.

  Strachan picked out ten men among the prisoners and they were told thaton the morrow they must die. Why Strachan picked the ten men he did willnever be known. They were not chosen by lot.

  Among the ten men was a William S. Humphrey. Mrs. Humphrey had arrivedin Palmyra the evening before the execution, not knowing her husband wasto die. When told of his fate she was horrified, and in the earlymorning she sought Strachan to plead for his life, but was rudelyrepulsed. Then with tottering footsteps she wended her way to theheadquarters of General McNeil. He received her kindly, but told her hewould not interfere.

  Half fainting she was borne from the room. Her little nine-year-olddaughter had accompanied her as far as the door. Catching sight of thechild, she cried with tears streaming down her face, "Go, child, go toGeneral McNeil, kneel before him and with uplifted hands beg him tospare your father. Tell him what a good man he is. How he had refused togo with Porter after he had taken the oath."

  The little girl obeyed. She made her way to General McNeil; she kneltbefore him; she raised her little hands imploringly; with the tearsstreaming down her face she sobbed, "Oh, General McNeil, don't have papashot. He never will be bad any more. He promised and he will not breakthat promise. Don't have him shot. Think of me as your little girlpleading for your life."

  She could say no more, but lay sobbing and moaning at his feet. Thestern man trembled like a leaf; tears gathered in his eyes and rolleddown his cheeks.

  "Poor child! Poor child!" he murmured, as he gently raised her. Thenturning to his desk he wrote an order and, handing it to an officer,said, "Take that to Colonel Strachan."

  The order read:

  COLONEL STRACHAN:

  If the fact can be established that Humphrey was in Palmyra when Porter was here and refused to leave, reprieve him and put no one in his place.

  McNEIL.

  When the order was delivered to Colonel Strachan he raved like a madman.He had had ten coffins made, and though the heavens fell, they should befilled. Like Shylock, he demanded his pound of flesh.

  "For God's sake!" said Captain Reed to Strachan, "if you must have thetenth victim, take a single man."

  Strachan stalked to the prison and glancing over the prisoners calledout, "Hiram Smith."

  A young man, twenty-two years of age, stepped forward.

  "Is your name Hiram Smith?" asked Strachan.

  "It is," was the answer.

  "You are to be shot this afternoon."

  The young man drew himself up, gazed blankly at Strachan for a moment,and then without a word turned and walked across the room to where abucket of water was standing. Taking a drink he turned around with theremark, "I can die just as easily as I took that drink of water." Andthis young man knew he had but two hours to live.[13]

  [Footnote 13: It was currently reported at the time, and believed foryears, that young Smith voluntarily offered himself as a substitute forHumphrey; and that McNeil accepted him as such, and had him shot, afterhis performing an act that would have placed him among the world'sgreatest heroes.

  This is what the author believed until in writing this book he wrote toPalmyra for the full facts in the case, which were furnished him by Mr.Frank H. Sosey, editor of the Palmyra Spectator.

  No doubt this belief had much to do in intensifying the feeling againstGeneral McNeil].

  The time came and amid the groans and sobs of the populace, the ten menwere taken to the fair grounds, where seated on their coffins, theybravely faced their executioners.

  The firing squad consisted of thirty soldiers, three to a man. A fewhundred pale faced spectators looked on. The fatal order was given andthe volley rang out.

  From the spectators there burst a cry of horror. Strong men turned away,unable to look. Many of the firing squad were nervous and their aim wasbad; others had shot high on purpose--they had no heart in the work. Ofthe ten men, only three had been killed outright. Six lay on the ground,writhing in agony; one sat on his coffin, untouched.

  "Take your revolvers and finish the job," thundered Strachan.

  Harry, who had witnessed the scene, fled from it in horror, as did mostof the spectators. It was a scene that those who lived in Palmyra willnever forget. The fair grounds was never again used as such. It was aplace accursed.[14]

  [Footnote 14: The Palmyra incident has gone into history as one of themost deplorable during the war. Even at this late day it is more oftenreferred to than the horrible massacres committed by Anderson andQuantrell.

  That General McNeil did not violate the rules of civilized warfare willbe generally admitted, also that his provocation was great. But theincident always hung over him like a cloud, and was the means ofdefeating him for several responsible official positions. The dark blotagainst McNeil was that he did not bring Strachan to account fordisobeying his orders, and that he took no notice of the awful crime ofwhich Strachan was accused in connection with this affair.

  As for Strachan, his acts showed him to be a brute, and in connectionwith this affair a crime was charged against him for which he shouldhave been court-martialed and shot. He was court-martialed a year or twoafterwards, but not for the Palmyra affair, and sentenced to a year inmilitary prison, but never served his sentence, as he was pardoned byGeneral Rosecrans. He died in 1866, unwept and unmourned.]