Battle of Cole Camp
New York Times Article - July 7, 1861
The following article is transcribed from the New York Times, dated July 7, 1861:
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The Booneville correspondent of the Missouri Republican gives the following version of the late fight at Camp Cole:
Capt. COOK, pursuant to an order of Gen. LYON, had enlisted in Benton and adjoining counties, about 700 Union men -- three hundred for the active service, and four hundred Home Guards. On the 19th, there was about five hundred in camp. The head-quarters were at a great barn, belonging to J.H. MEYER, near Cole Camp. The camp was surrounded by a strong line of sentinels, and by scouting parties, so well guarded that no attack was apprehended. Most of those sleeping in the barn even left their muskets outside, as there was hardly room for them inside. Suddenly, at three o'clock in the morning, they were attacked by one hundred mounted men and two hundred and four infantry, with two, small cannon. The sentinels were shot down, and the guns taken possession of before the sleeping men awoke. Then the butchery commenced. "No mercy to the Dutch!" was the war cry. [Most of the Home Guards were Germans.] The defenceless men were assassinated without mercy. Capt. Cook fled at the beginning of the fight. There suddenly appeared upon the bloody field a company of our men, led by Capt. ELSNER, and they gave a most destructive fire upon the thick crowd of the murderers, killing many of them and driving the rest from the field. We lost 20 killed, 52 wounded, and 23 prisoners. The prisoners were conveyed to Warsaw, and there liberated on taking the oath not to bear arms any more against the Southern Confederacy. They report the loss of the enemy at 36, among whom are LEECH, of the Warsaw Democrat, SAM ATKINSON, Lawyer WHIPPLE, and several other secession leaders. The following is a list of our killed: -- Captain Carl Brill, Capt. McKey, Wm. Kautsteiner, Cord Ringen, John Lensey, F. Cracks, Claus Hink, Dr. Fitzen, T. Bergmann, John Blanken, John Voolrock, R. DeGoren, Jos. Balke, H. Dohrmann, J. Lohrs, J. Veedorf, Sohleesing, C. Meyer, G. McPartridge, Heney Otten, Henry Jacobs, J. Hauss, and four whose names I do not know. The state of things in Benton, Pettis, and Morgan counties, is dreadful. The bands of rebel murderers and thieves steal horses, stock, provisions, and everything they like. The venerable Judge TIREY, 72 years old, a strong Union man, and a slaveholder himself, was tied to a tree by JACKSON's mauraders, and shot like a mad dog. His body was literally torn to pieces. When will the hour of liberation and revenge come for us.
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