Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 239, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 October 1912 — STORIES of CAMP AND WAR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STORIES of CAMP AND WAR

GEN. LYON’S BODY RECOVERED Graphic Story Related by Dr. Melcher* Who Brought Corpse Out of the | Confederate Lines. ?<‘l Samuel H. Melcher, who now live* at 2327 West Jackson boulevard, Chicago, obtained the body of Gen. Lyoa from Gen. Price after the tattle of Wilson’s Creek and carried ft Into the Union lines, accompanied by a volunteer escort of confederate soldlsrs. I» his capacity of army surgeon Dr. MeL? cher was Immune from capture and Imprisonment by th# enemy and made his way without trouble to Gen. Price’s headquarters, assisted by a friendly colonel. He can speak authoritatively on the much discussed subject ofi Gen. Lyon’s garb at the time of the battle and states that the general waa dressed In military uniform. The story of the recovery of the body la told tai Dr. Melcher's own words as follows:! "When Col. Sigel’s reserve, which had retreated on the Wire road south, halted at the Thompson farm some of the men brought to me Gen. Rains' division surgeon, Smith, who had been captured while coming with help for. the wounded. I had him immediately released and we started tack on tta Wire road In the direction the fighting had taken place to look for wounded* Dr. Smith took the lead through the timber and proceeded In a northwest-? erly direction until we reached a large confederate emergency hospital, close by a big spring. "Receiving information that most of the wounded of the last part Of the battle were being attended to near the creek, we set out in that direction and were soon in the road crossing over Bloody hill. The position of the dead on both sides of our path showed how* terrible the struggle had been. Ont each side of the road were dead sol-1 dlers, the gray on one side and the blue on the other. Afte/going a Shortt time we started to count and, as wr did not wish to go back, we estimated?! that there were 300 or 400 on both sides of the path. M "Upon dismounting at the hospital the first and only person that I recognized was the long haired Col. Emmet McDonald, a young lawyer of St. Louis, one of the most outspoken secessionists. When he was taken at the capture of Camp Jackson in St. Louis he absolutely refused to be paroled and was accordingly brought to the arsenal and held a prisoner. , "As I had occa£on several timea| each day to pass the tent where Mo« Donald was held, I saw him standing In front of the entrance dressed in a* sort of French uniform, with? his arms folded, his ey«B glistening, his swarthy countenance seeming to threaten vengeance If he should ever HI free again. I had never met him and had no ill will, whatever opinion he might have, and so, as I passed, t ? simply touched my cap, and to mtjrj surprise he seemed each time to soften a little and touched his in return. . "So, when I saw him step quickly toward me as I entered the confed- . erate camp after the battle of Wilson’s Creek, and warmly take me by the hand, I was somewhat surprised. After talking a moment in regard to the wounded he Informed me thata Gen. Lyon was killed. Instantly> I said: ' 'Can I have his body?’ He at once said: ’Come with-me and see.’ He went with me directly to Gen. Price’s headquarter* and, as he had never known Ay name, he saifiiL?/ •This Is Gen. Lyon’s surgeon. He wishes the body. I want you to give it to him. He is the only officer who treated me decently in the arsenal.* g| "Gen. Price, who was dressed as an ordinary citizen, with no Insignia of rank except a black leather belt tag which was a small Colt’s revolver, held out his hand in a fatherly manner and we clasped hands. Turning ? to Gen. Rains, he asked if He knew* where the body was. Replying In affirmative, Gen. Rains was ordered to bring it for identification. In perhaps twenty minutes a wagon drove up, ants f I was asked to examine the contents. Upon raising the blanket which cov-?| ered the face of the dead man 1 at once recognize our general. "Gen. Rains asked: ‘What is your pleasure?’ and I replied that I would; like to have the body carried to tta ; Ray house. “As soon as a coffito could be made the body was taken to the Phelpa farm. After the body had been on hibition for several days Gen. Price ? ordereo It buried. This was ddhe Aug./ 14 by Col. Snead, who says: 1 buried him by Instructions from Gen. Price, and I said as I put him in the “That is the greatest enthusiast I ever./ saw and the greatest man.”' Aug. 2» an undertaker from St. Louis party of relatives came and had the - body exhumed and it was taken