Teaching Copperheads a Lesson

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2005

Autograph Letter Signed, “John S. Gray 1st Kansas Battery” 5p. quarto, Columbus, Kentucky, August 8, 1863, with cover to a friend in Iowa, and reads in part: “...Your long silence has almost made me think that you had entirely forgotten me. That civil life had crossed from memory the names that once were dear to you & I feared might have tainted you with the palest of Treason Copperheadism, but I could not for one moment credit the thought that such was the case. I believed you were made of truer metal than that - so true! that you could not be led astray by a few cowardly puppets who dare not openly express their sentiments but skulk about like so many sheep killing dogs. Imagine my joy on reading an article in a Keokuck paper under the heading ‘Another Copperhead Defeat’ with your name signed to it....The last letter I recieved from you was at Springfield, Mo. since that time we have done considerable travleing though not much hard marching....on the 12th [July] we crosseed the river & took the Ohio & Miss. R.R. for Seymour, Ind. to assist the militia in driving Morgan out of the state...We passed the entire lenght of Ill. and not a soul, male or female, came out to greet us. But at Vincends, Ind., how different our receiption. The streets were crowded with me, women & children...we were escorted to the Soldiers Home by Col. Harris of the Militia, where a splendid dinner was awaiting us...at Mitchell...we learned that Morgan had crossed into Ohio...We arrived at Indianapolis just as the sun was setting. The Battery was unloaded at the foot of Washington St. and we paraded before the State House and were escorted by the Gov. to the Soldiers Home, where we took supper...We stopped at a station in Illinois, to wood, and I was talking to a discharged solider, he told me that at the next station there was a grocery with a rooster for a sign. The rooster having a copper head. This was enough for the boys to know. I informed Col. Wier & told him our plan, & he had the train stopped. The boys marched out and ordered the saloon keeper to take his sign in. He refused. We then told him he could have his choice either take the sign in & take the oath of Allegiance or we would reduce his house to ashes. He swore he would do niether. The boys then got some torches & were going to execute their threat, when the report of a gun was heard and one of our boys was seen fall dangerously wounded. This was enought to raise the demon spirit that lay hid in their breasts and the torches were made use of. Revolvers and shotguns were used freely & some 6 or 8 citizens were wounded. They finally offered to take the oath, if we would stop buring the houses...Some 500 men came out and took the oath. The grocery keeper refused to take it - we gave him 1 minute to decide wheather he would take it or streach rope. He decided to do the latter. We run him up 3 times & the 3rd time he concluded to take the oath. It was administered & he went his way a wiser if not a better man. That is the way we deal with traitors...” Fine.

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