The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board

Re: FYI--Antebellum banks in Missouri were a rarit

I'm a people person remember, and not an expert on Osceola or for that matter any other battle. Even the folks in St Clair County seem to have mixed emotions over the event even today. See http://stclaircountyhistory.editme.com/news for a nice listing of contemporaneous news articles of the time of the burning of Osceola. They are a mixed bag. From the reports there seems to be a consensus that a skirmish occured as Lane approached town and then once in town there was firing from concealment in the town's buildings that resulted in Lane firing upon the courthouse and burning a number of other buildings in the central part of the town. Lane then left to return to Westport with a fair amount of looted and captured material as well as "Contrabands" which I take to mean slaves.

So I think it safe to say Lane was there.

The entire town was not burned but the central portion around the courthose likely was burned.

There appear to be a number of southern men killed in town not a part of the skirmish that preceded Lane's arrival in town. If they were part of an established MSG unit it is not identified.

Hill's report (and he was part of Lane's staff) indicates Lane was in no mood to be nice after losing 2 men from these concealed in town skirmishers. He is also the only one to report that Lane made off with $100,000, but NB: He said it was Price and Raines money not from the bank. However if Lane took the gold and left only the local banknotes(which were worthless) then Vaughan would not have had gold to pay Harris as he had previously promised and the Vaughan Harris quarrel that took place later over the lack of gold may have some substance. Hill does not make clear what happened to the wounded or how the prisoners were handled, only that Lane apparently was not in the frame of mind to be nice. (I'm reading between the lines here....)

Eventually we may weave a smidgen of truth from the tales.....

John R.

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Benedict's New Book on Lane's Brigade
Re: Benedict's New Book on Lane's Brigade
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FYI--Antebellum banks in Missouri were a rarity
Re: FYI--Antebellum banks in Missouri were a rarit
Re: FYI--Antebellum banks in Missouri were a rarit
Re: FYI--Antebellum banks in Missouri were a rarit
Re: FYI--Antebellum banks in Missouri were a rarit
Re: FYI--Antebellum banks in Missouri were a rarit
Re: FYI--Antebellum banks in Missouri were a rarit
Re: FYI--Antebellum banks in Missouri were a rarit
Re: FYI--Antebellum banks in Missouri were a rarit
Re: FYI--Antebellum banks in Missouri were a rarit
$8,000
Re: FYI--Antebellum banks in Missouri were a rarit
"Burning of Osceola"
Re: FYI--Antebellum banks in Missouri were a rarit
The Vaughan Incident
Re: The Vaughan Incident
The Wagon Train of Drunks
Re: The Wagon Train of Drunks
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Re: John M Weidemeyer
Re: The Wagon Train of Drunks
Population of Osceola
Re: Population of Osceola
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Re: Population of Osceola
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"Jewel of the West"
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Re: "Jewel of the West"
Re: Benedict's New Book on Lane's Brigade
Thanks to All