In 1863, Lexington, Missouri newspaper editor Henry Davis gathered a series of articles into
a book entitled, “The Book of Chronicles of the City of Lexington, and Fragments of the
Book of Hadborim and Maazim”
In this unique work, Davis decided not only to tell the story of the Civil War in Lafayette
County, Missouri, but to do so in humorous Biblical verse. Here are some examples:
“And it came to pass that the cities of the South that had rebelled, chose one Jefferson to be
King of the whole nation. And now when the people of Lexington heard these things, it
pleased them well, and they said, We will also have Jefferson to be our King, and him only
will we serve.”
“Now it came to pass in those days, that Claiborne was Governor over the whole land of the
Pukites, and he had dominion over all their cities, and their chief men, their rules and their
Kings.”
“And he appointed one Sterling, whose surname is Price, to be the chief captain over all his
hosts, and his mighty men of valor, who had come up to fight against Abraham.”
“Now when it was told that Mulligan had surrendered himself, and all his fighting men, there
was great rejoicing amongst those who had joined themselves unto the rebellion, and the
people shouted aloud with joy—and they cried, Great is the glory of Sterling for what he hath
done for us. He is a god and not a man, and there is none other that is greater than
Sterling, the chief captain.”
“And the people shouted aloud, and cried out in the Pukite tongue, Hurrah for Price! Bully
for that! which, being interpreted, is, All hail unto Sterling!