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Guerrilla Atrocities.
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Butchery of Soldiers and Citizens
on the North Missouri Railroad -- Maj.
Johnson's Command of Militia Ambuscaded
and Almost Annihilated -- Maj.
Johnson Killed, but Twenty-five of
His Whole Command Escaped.
From the Missouri Democrat, 29th
Information derived last night from the North
Missouri Railroad is more than confirmatory
of the terrible news published yesterday morning
in the Democrat, in regard to the capture of a
train and the murder of between thirty and forty
soldiers by a guerrilla band under the notorious
Bill Anderson...
Bill Anderson's band of guerrillas, numbering
about 175 men, it seems, were being pursued
by Major Johnson in command of about one hundred
and fifty men detached from Col. Kutener's
regiment of Northeast Missourians... The
guerrillas had been chased out of Monroe county
and were on their way South, when they came upon
the town of Centralia, on the line of the
railroad. They entered the town about eleven
o'clock. They were dressed in Federal uniforms
and were well armed, mounted and equipped. The
citizens at first took them for the State
Militia. Shortly after their arrival, a gravel
construction train came along, which was seized
and stopped. A few minutes later the passenger
train from St. Louis arrived, which they also
immediately seized. Three civilians, who made
some resistance were shot in the cars, and either
killed or wounded, and were left on board. The
other passengers, including between thirty and
forty soldiers, were all ordered out of the cars,
and plundered of all their money and valuables.
As soon as the stripping was completed, the vile
miscreants commenced firing upon their captives,
the unarmed soldiers, some of whom attempted to
escape by running into the houses and out into
the fields, but were pursued and shot down like
wild game. Twenty-four of these soldiers were
thus butchered, seven of whom were of the First
Iowa Cavalry stationed at Mexico, and ten of whom
were discharged soldiers, veterans returning to
their homes from Atlanta, after a faithful three
years and four months service in the cause of
their country... After these men were thus hunted
and shot down, their bodies were beaten, their
heads cut off and hacked with swords, and every
possible indignity inflicted on them... The
murderous work having been accomplished, the
torch was applied to the depot, and the train
containing the three wounded civilians was fired
and started on its way up the road...
The band then passed on, and in about one
hour was followed by Major Johnson and his
command. Two or three miles beyond Centralia, in
Boone County... Anderson hid his men in the
bushes and awaited his pursuers. Major Johnson,
approaching the ambush, was fired upon. He
immediately withdrew his command, dismounted
them, and formed in line of battle. At this
moment the guerrillas burst from their
hiding-place with fierce yells and rapid firing.
Major Johnson's horses took fright and left him
and his men to wage the unequal contest on foot.
They had delivered but one volley when the
guerrillas were upon them, shooting, hacking and
slaying to the right and left. The militia made
no stand, scattered and fled in all directions.
Eighty-six of their number, including Major
Johnson, were killed in the very field where they
dismounted. Ten others were found dead in the
prairie toward Centralia. Out of the whole
command of about 150 men, 25 were all that...
escaped. A number of the dead bodies were brought
down yesterday to Mexico by train. Others will
be brought down today.
This completes our account of the most
horrible butchery our State has yet been
afflicted with...In brutality and fiendishness
these horrible deeds were never surpassed. The
people of the surrounding country are terribly
excited. They say these guerrillas have their
homes and their hiding places in Callaway County,
and that they never will have peace and
protection until that and the adjoining counties,
which are so notoriously disloyal, shall be
thoroughly purged of rebels and rebel
sympathizers...
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