NEWS OF 150 YEARS AGO
May and June 1864
From The Missouri Democrat, Monday, May 16, 1864.
GUERRILLA RAID INTO HERMANN.
Captain Manwaring, of St. Louis, Murdered—The Citizens Fired Upon—Intense Excitement and Indignation—One of the Guerrillas Killed by Negroes—Further Details.
The usually tranquil town of Hermann, Mo., was thrown into a state of great excitement at about six o’clock last Saturday evening, by the sudden irruption of some twenty-five mounted guerrillas into the place. They were ununiformed, all armed with pistols and sabres, and a portion of them had muskets. They came from the Southwestward, entered by the upper part of the town, offered insolence to those of the inhabitants in their way, and rode rapidly to the ferry landing, as if intending to cross the river.
The startling intelligence spreading with great rapidity, crowds of excited citizens almost immediately gathered on Main street or the Levee. Among those present was Captain C. C. Manwaring, Enlisting Provost Marshal for the Second Congressional District, with Headquarters on Gratiot street, St. Louis. Upon a consultation of leading citizens, there being no military force at the place, Captain Manwaring was delegated to go to the strangers, and inquire of them who they were, on what business they came, &c. The Captain consented to do this and went down to the gang near the river. He informed them he had been directed by the citizens of Hermann to ask of them who they were, for what purpose they had come, and whither they were going. They replied indirectly and unsatisfactorily and he was on the point of repeating his queries when some citizen called to him and he stepped some distance backward to converse with them. While he was thus engaged, one of the guerrillas quickly wheeled his horse, rode up to the Captain, presented a large navy revolver within three feet of his head and fired. Captain M. fell, wounded mortally. The ball entered just behind the right ear, passed through his head and out at the left side of the nose. The entire gang, at the signal, together wheeled, fired indiscriminately upon the crowd of unarmed citizens and then galloped off. Happily no injury of a serious nature ensued from this volley. Several of the citizens had their clothes riddled by balls, and one man had his head grazed. The guerrillas did not stay to inflict more damage, but galloped swiftly off out of town, in the direction whence they came. Before leaving the vicinity, however, they scaled a bluff overlooking part of Hermann, and discharged a farewell volley of musketry at the place, but without hurting any one, so far as heard.
Two of the band in some manner became separated from it; one of the two got safely off in another direction, but the other was unhorsed and captured. The indignation of the citizens was intense, and the free blacks present, remembering the massacre of which the assassination of Captain Manwaring was but an instance, were furious. They rushed in and dragged the prisoner from his captors, who then rescued him from the negroes. These then again rushed forward, and once more tore him from the group of the white men, who now could protect him no longer. The blacks dragged him to the river, beat and stoned him till he was nearly dead, and threw him into the stream.
Our informant, Mr. Enos Clark, left this city at a quarter past eight o’clock Saturday morning for Hermann, in company with Captain Manwaring and several other gentlemen. Mr. Clark, who has been engaged in delivering addresses in behalf of the Sanitary Fair, left Hermann not long after his arrival, and returned at about seven p. m., an hour or so after the murder of his friend. He had but some half an hour longer to remain before starting for St. Louis, and in that brief period, amid the prevailing excitement and confusion, learned the facts, substantially as we have above stated them.
He understood that on the person of the beaten and drowned guerrilla were found a discharge from the rebel army, and passes to go through the army line, but did not learn his name.
No shots were fired by the citizens, who were completely unprepared and surprised. Afterwards several hundred of the residents in Hermann and vicinity gathered, mounted and armed, and set off in pursuit of the bandits. Mr. Clark telegraphed to St. Auberts that the Osage should be guarded at that point to prevent any attempts of the scoundrels to cross there.
From the following, communicated to us last evening, it appears that the guerrillas were followed five miles, one killed, another mortally wounded and three shot, while four succeeded in crossing the river, and seven of their horses were taken:
HEADQUARTERS, STATE OF MISSOURI,
ADJUTANT GENERAL’S OFFICE.
ST. LOUIS, May 15, 1863.
The following telegram just received at these headquarters:
HERMANN, MO., May 15, 1864, 10 A. M.
General John B. Greg, Adjutant General of Missouri:
Fight with guerrillas yesterday. Captain Manwaring killed, and one guerrilla. Followed them up for five miles; killed one more and mortally wounded another. Got seven horses; three shot; four crossed the Missouri river.
CHAS. D. RITZEN,
Captain and Assistant Provost Marshal.
From the above it appears that Captain Manwaring had died. Though he was still living when Mr. Clark left Hermann, speedy death was regarded as inevitable. Captain M. was insensible from the instant of his injury. He was a young gentleman of fine points and abilities, and held in high esteem by all who knew him. His sudden fate is a terrible blow to his interesting family, who were in Hermann at the time.
It is to be hoped that the requisite steps will at once be taken to [illegible] and deter those flying bands of murderers. To effect it, a policy of sharp and signal vengeance is indispensible, and should be immediately enforced.
