Who was Turner anyway?

Who was Turner anyway?

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A Turner Bugler, 2004

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The Cole Camp Fight.

NEWS OF 150 YEARS AGO

July/August 1861

From The Missouri Democrat, Monday, July 1, 1861.

THE COLE CAMP FIGHT.

RELIABLE PARTICULARS.

List of the Home Guards Killed.

State of Affairs in Benton, Pettis and Morgan Counties.

Judge Tirey Murdered by Jackson’s Marauders.

Boonville, June 25, 1861.
Editors Missouri Democrat:

Capt. Cook, pursuant to an order of Gen. Lyon, had enlisted in Benton and adjoining counties, about seven hundred Union men—three hundred for the active service, and four hundred Home Guards. On the 19th, there were about five hundred in camp. The headquarters 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 me awoke. Then the butchery commenced. “No mercy to the Dutch!” was the war-cry. [Most of the Home Guards were Germans.] The defenseless 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. Risner, and they gave a most destructive fire upon the thick crowd of murderers, killing many of them and driving the rest from the field. We lost twenty-six killed, fifty-two wounded and twenty-three 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 thirty-six, among whom are Leech, of the Warsaw Democrat, Sim Atkinson, lawyer Whipple, and several other secession leaders.

The following is a list of our killed:
Capt. Carl Brill,
Capt. McKey,
Wm. Kautsteiner,
Cord Ringen,
John Lensey,
F. Cracks,
Claus Hink,
Dr. Fitzen,
T. Bergmann,
John Blanken,
John Voelrock,
R. DeGoren,
Jos. Balke,
H. Dohrmann,
J. Lohrs,
J. Veedorf,
H. Sohleesing,
C. Meyer,
G. McPartridge,
Henry Otten,
Henry Jabobs,
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 every thing they like.

The stores of A. Smith & A. Hismeyer in Florence, and my own store in Sedalia are stripped of all our merchandise, so are many other houses of Union men. Myself and family fled for our lives.

The venerable Judge Tirey, 72 years old, a strong Union man, and a slaveholder himself, was tied to a tree by Jackson’s marauders, and shot like a mad dog. His body was literally torn to pieces.

When will the hour of liberation and revenge come for us.

UNION.