A History of Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas: Being an Account of the Early Settlements, the Civil War, the Ku-Klux, and Times of PeaceMonks, William
History
A History of Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas: Being an Account of the Early Settlements, the Civil War, the Ku-Klux, and Times of Peace
Monks, William
Arkansas -- History -- 19th century; Arkansas -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865; Guerrillas -- Ozark Mountains -- Biography; Missouri -- History -- 19th century; Missouri -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865; Monks, William, 1830-1913; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narr
The next morning we broke camp and resumed our march. On the regiment
arriving at Cottonplant, Col. Dail reported to Gen. Upham and we were
ordered into camp. As soon as the citizens of the city learned of my
arrival, they requested Gen. Upham that I be invited to deliver a
speech in the city hall; that they had heard and read of Col. Monks
and they wanted him to deliver an address to the people at early
candle-light on the present condition of the state. There were about
seven or eight hundred men stationed at the post. After supper, the
adjutant sent an order by an orderly to detail about fifty men for a
patrol guard; that the soldiers had broken into the warehouse and were
taking out whiskey and other articles. I ordered the detail to be made
and report at headquarters for further orders. Our headquarters were
not more than forty yards from the warehouse. I spoke in an audible
voice, "Now, we claim that our mission as soldiers is to protect
persons and property. I want you to see that your guns and pistols
are well loaded, and go direct to the warehouse first and arrest all
soldiers that you find in or about the warehouse and take them to the
guardhouse and there keep them safe until further orders, and patrol
the city closely. Order all soldiers and officers who have not passes
to be inside of their quarters in thirty minutes, and if you find any
soldiers on the street after thirty minutes, arrest them and take them
to the guardhouse; if they resist you, shoot them; and if you have to
shoot, shoot to kill." About that time some man near the warehouse
called out: "Who in hell are you? This whiskey is Kuklux whiskey,
and we will take what we please." I replied, "If we cannot enforce
discipline over the soldiers, we will go back home and send others; you
will find out who I am if you wait until the patrol gets there."
I ordered the officer to sound the reveille. Inside of thirty minutes
every soldier was inside of his quarters. The citizens said that such
a thing had not occurred since the post had been established. Capt.
Sharp was reckless when drinking; he had mutinied and the men that were
disposed to be wild had terrorized the people of the city. Gen. Upham
had failed to enforce discipline over Capt. Sharp and his company.
Capt. Sharp had ridden up and down the streets before the regiment had
arrived and proclaimed, "when Colonel Monks arrives we will clean all
the Kuklux up." The citizens were considerably frightened on my arrival
in August, but after they saw how completely I enforced discipline
everything became quiet, they appeared to be perfectly secure in person
and property.
On the next night, at early candle light, the large hall was filled.
After being introduced by Gen. Upham, I spoke in part as follows:
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