Homer,

Lookout Station is now Centertown, west Cole County. There was a cut then in the roadbed and two train shooting incidents there in August 1861. You are referring to the second one documented in "O.R" series 1, vol. 3, p. 140 and series 2, vol. 3, p. 140; Dyer's "Compendium" vol. 2, p. 798; the 1936 Moniteau County history on pages 19, and 141-2; the 1938 history of Jefferson City on pp. 135-6; and about four or five others. The occasion was the shipping of Johnson and Moniteau County Union home guard units to Jefferson City which was anticipated by local southerners who shot up the train pretty good on the grade. There were so many northerners on the train that some were riding on the tops of the cars. The Union forces deployed and caught and executed three southerners whose horses got away from them. When the train and it's casualties got to Jeff City, a new brigadier general named Grant sent them back to the locale of the shooting to "clean out that nest of Rebels" so they burned several homes in that area. My wife's ancestors were among the ambushers, so we know this one rather well.