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STORICAL REVIEW . JULY 1961 The Battle of Lexington Published Quarterly By tfAtj w iwi I •wriTM ra i COLUMBIA, MISSOURI THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI The State Historical Society of Missouri, heretofore organized under the laws of this State, shall be the trustee of this State—Laws of Missouri, 1899, R. S. of Mo., 1949, Chapter 183. OFFICERS 1959-1962 E. L. DALE, Carthage, President L. E. MEADOR, Springfield, First Vice President WILLIAM L. BRADSHAW, Columbia, Second Vice President GEORGE W. SOMERVILLE, Chillicothe, Third Vice President RUSSELL V. DYE, Liberty, Fourth Vice President WILLIAM C. TUCKER, Warrensburg, Fifth Vice President JOHN A. WINKLER, Hannibal, Sixth Vice President R. B. PRICE, Columbia, Treasurer FLOYD C. SHOEMAKER, Columbia, Secretary Emeritus and Consultant RICHARD S. BROWNLEE, Columbia, Director, Secretary, and Librarian TRUSTEES Permanent Trustees, Former Presidents of the Society RUSH H. LIMBAUGH, Cape Girardeau E. E. SWAIN, Kirksville GEORGE A. ROZIER, Jefferson City L. M. WHITE, Mexico G. L. ZWICK, St. Joseph Term Expires at Annual Meeting, 1961 WILLIAM R. DENSLOW, Trenton FRANK LUTHER MOTT, Columbia ALFRED O. FUERBRINGER, St. Louis GEORGE H. SCRUTON, Sedalia GEORGE FULLER GREEN, Kansas City JAMES TODD, Moberly ROBERT S. GREEN, Mexico T. BALLARD WATTERS, Marshfield Term Expires at Annual Meeting, 1962 F. C. BARNHILL, Marshall *RALPH P. JOHNSON, Osceola FRANK P. BRIGGS, Macon ROBERT NAGEL JONES, St. Louis HENRY A. BUNDSCHU, Independence FLOYD C. SHOEMAKER, Columbia W. C. HEWITT, Shelbyville ROY D. WILLIAMS, Boonville Term Expires at Annual Meeting, 1963 RALPH P. BIEBER, St. Louis LEO J. ROZIER, Perryville BARTLETT BODER, St. Joseph W. WALLACE SMITH, Independence L. E. MEADOR, Springfield JACK STAPLETON, Stanberry JOSEPH H. MOORE, Charleston HENRY C. THOMPSON, Bonne Terre EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The thirty Trustees, the President and the Secretary of the Society, the Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and President of the University of Missouri constitute the Executive Committee. FINANCE COMMITTEE Five members of the Executive Committee appointed by the President of the Society at each annual meeting of the Executive Committee constitute the Finance Committee. L. M. WHITE, Mexico, Chairman ELMER ELLIS, Columbia GEORGE A. ROZIER, Jefferson City W. C. HEWITT, Shelbyville T. BALLARD WATTERS, Marshfield •Deceased Missouri Historical Review RICHARD S. BROWNLEE DONALD H. WELSH Editor Assistant Editor Published Quarterly by THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI VOL. LV JULY 1961 No. 4 The Missouri Historical Review is published quarterly at 119 S. Elson Street, Kirksville, Mis souri. Send communications and change of address to The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. Second class postage is paid at Kirksville, Missouri. The Review is sent free to all members of The State Historical Society of Missouri. Membership dues in the Society are $1.00 a year or $20 for a life membership. The Society assumes no respon sibility for statements made by contributors to the magazine. CONTENTS Page A UNION BAND DIRECTOR VIEWS CAMP ROLLA: 1861. Edited by Donald II. Welsh 307 CHOLERA IN MISSOURI. By James T. Barrett 344 THE MANAGEMENT OF ORGANIZED WAGON TRAINS ON THE OVERLAND TRAIL. By Leslie L. D. Shaffer 355 THE ADMISSION OF MISSOURI TO THE CONFEDERACY. By Arthur Roy Kirkpatrick 366 HISTORICAL NOTES AND COMMENTS Members Active in Increasing the Society's Membership 387 New Members in the Historical Society 389 Missouri News 394 Local Historical Societies 396 Anniversaries 401 Honors and Tributes 403 Notes 404 Historical Publications 411 Obituaries 415 MISSOURI HISTORY NOT FOUND IN TEXTBOOKS 418 CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM. .Verso Back Cover NATHANIEL LYON Back Cover THE COVER: General Sterling Price, hoping to seize arms, supplies, and an important strategic point on the Missouri River, reached Lexington on Septem ber 12, 1861. Colonel James A. Mulligan and his Union troops, charged with defense of the city, entrenched on the hill on which Masonic College stood. Price ordered heavy firing on September 18, and Mulligan surrendered two days later when he lost hope for reenforcement and his water supply was depleted. The cover picture, painted by an eyewitness, F. Dominico, a Hungarian exile, while the battle was in progress, is owned by The State Historical Society. A UNION BAND DIRECTOR VIEWS CAMP ROLLA: 1861 EDITED BY DONALD H. WELSH* One of the highly interesting Civil War items which has come to the Society recently is the journal kept by C. M. Chase at Rolla during the summer of 1861. Charles Monroe Chase, born in Lyndon, Vermont, in 1829, graduated from Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, in 1853. After teaching music and studying law in Cincinnati, he moved to Sycamore, Illinois, in 1856. Chase was admitted to the bar in 1857 and joined Jacob A. Simons in practice from 1858 to 1862, serving at the same time as police magistrate and as leader of a brass band. During this period he also edited the Sycamore DeKalb County Sentinel. On July 2, 1861, Chase and ten members of his band enlisted in the Thirteenth Illinois Infantry on a special three-month contract. The group left Sycamore on July 8, 1861, and Chase quickly enrolled five additional men, as his contract called for a band of 16 pieces. In his journal, which begins on July 21 and closes shortly after the band's discharge on October 10, Chase comments freely on army life and on the Rolla community, where he spent nearly the entire time. In 1863 Chase joined the staff of the Sycamore True Republican & Sentinel as Kansas correspondent, and in 1865 he returned to his birthplace to establish the Vermont Union, which he continued to edit until his death in 1902. The 1861 journal is published through the courtesy of its owner, the author's daughter, Miss N. Louise Chase, of New London, Connecticut, who earlier loaned the Society ten letters written from Rolla by her father during the same period. The original text is retained with changes in spelling and punctuation only where needed for clarity. Camp Rolla Phelps Co. Mo. Sunday July 21, 1861 One week ago last Monday night the Sycamore Brass Band left Sycamore to join Col Wymans 13th Illinois Regiment, at that time encamped at Caseyville Illinois. -1 *Donald H. Welsh, Ph.D., is assistant editor of the Missouri Historical Review. xColonel John B. Wyman commanded the 13th Illinois Infantry during the first months of the war. 307 308 Missouri Historical Review Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, February I, lS<J,i A View of Rolla and the Fort When we arrived in camp we . were in a poor condition to appear on parade, but we did appear, and made some bunglers work, both in marching and in playing. To day it has rained almost constantly. I have been out of the tent but once or twice. Have written three or four letters. We have not played a note on the horns during the day. We were excused from guard mounting this morn, and to night Dress parade was omitted on account of the rain, and our practice we have omitted. I cannot help thinking of the difference in camp and home life. Here we are content with simple necessaries, or even much less. Our fare here has consisted of hard crackers and pork with coffee, and sometimes cooked in a manner which could not be swallowed anywhere else except in camp. Our quarters are not the most comfortable. Sixteen of us quartered in a round tent 14 feet in diameter, without a chair or table, yet we get along. Nights sixteen in a bed is rather too thick for comfort. One man cant turn over without turning over the whole crowd like a pancake. Since we arrived here there have been two dances in town, with ladies belonging to men and officers in the enemies army; they seem tolerably well pleased with the Union Soldiers. Harsha2 and I played Base and Barytone for the music. Today two companies from this regiment returned to camp after 4 days scouting bring 25 prisoners, and about 30 horses. One man captured was a captain in the Secession army. Some of the boys spoke insultingly to him as the scouting party halted. He replied firmly—-"I am a soldier unarmed; dont you insult me in my pres ence." It was a good reply and convinced me that he was a man. This regiment is considered one of the best from Illinois. Everyone 2Mort E. Harsha was "1st Barytone" in the Sycamore Band. A Union Band Director Views Camp Rolla: 1861 309 likes Col. Wyman, and all his officers. ... It is now nearly nine o clock, the boys are all abed, or stretched out upon the ground with their shawls around them trying to go to sleep. Ill follow. Monday morning July 22 1861 We had boiled potatoes, fried pork, hard crackers for breakfast this morning. The potatoes were quite a treat. At eight this morn We performed duty, mounting guard. It is this. We play one quick step for the guard to march onto the ground, then a waltz or whatever we please for inspection of arms. Then a slow march and march to the head of the guard, then turn, cheer and march back to place on a quickstep. Then a short quickstep to march the guard off. The boys want to get off this duty as it consists of the same thing as dress parade. Our regular duty at mounting Guard and Dress parade requires nine tunes per day. After mounting guard we proceeded to the court house and drilled an hour and a half. Life not very good. Perhaps we are overdoing the thing. But most of the boys are good grit, and determined to persevere.