LIVINGSTON COUNTY IN THE CIVIL WAR
by Carolyn Leffler & Sue Jones

“ . . . 14 June 1861--The Federal soldiers, the 16th Illinois, with Col. Wilson at the head, arrived in Chillicothe. As soon as Wilson was sure the bridge was safe, his next concern was to capture Slack. The Union soldiers marched to the square and broke into squads to search the town for prisoners and contraband. They placed a small cannon on the square. They had expected to find Slack still in town and were prepared for a fight. In the Reminiscences of General George Cook (quoted in Chillicothe Constitution 29 May 1873. Other groups met General Slack in Chillicothe. Capt. John H. McNeil of McNeil’s Rangers from Daviess Co. covered General Slack’s movement from Chillicothe. After a search of the town and learning that Slack had made his escape, Wilson brought some of the “sequesh’ citizens under arrest, but they were released as soon as they took an oath of loyalty. When war broke out, an Illinois regiment camped where the Hannibal Road crosses Grand River. A squad was sent to Chillicothe, and Crouch was arrested and taken to camp. The Colonel was asked what must be done with the prisoner, the order was, “wade him into the river and until further orders!” and the order was carried out to the letter, and the best man in the outfit stood waist deep in Grand River for the space of an hour or two, guiltless of any crime, unless it was being born on the wrong side of Mason & Dixon’s line. . . .”
http://www.livingstoncountylibrary.org/history_civilwar.htm