The Turnbo Manuscripts
by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925
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AN INCIDENT OF THE CIVIL WAR AT GLASSGOW, MISSOURI
By S. C. Turnbo
In speaking of the war Mr. William A. Andson who was born and reared in Howard County, Missouri, tells the following incident that occurred at Glassgow. "While General Price was making his raid through Missouri in October, 1864, there were six or seven hundred union troops fortified on the east side of town and while they were being attacked by the confederate forces under General John B. Clark the southern troops tore down fencing and paling in the town in their preparations for the assault on the federal works. Just before the attack was made General Clark sent in a flag with a message to the commandant of the fort by the bearer of the flag. "You are old, home boys and I do not want to hurt you." and requested the officer in command to surrender. He refused at the start but after a little fight the garrison gave up but not before the federals had lost eight or ten men killed and wound, one of which was shot through the temples. The ball passed in at one side and out at the other, but not withstanding this, he finally recovered. On the following Monday after the fight occurred the confederates burned a government boat loaded with supplies of clothing and provisions for the union troops. But before it was set on fire, the citizens and boys of the town and country were told to take what they wanted off of the boat. A number of men and boys went onto the boat and took off all they could carry such as federal uniforms and other things that were easily taken away. Some of the wiser heads remonstrated and begged the people not to carry off anything that belonged to the boat, not touch it even for it would cause serious trouble. My father and we children were at Glassgow while this was going on and my father instructed us not to touch the least thing on the boat and we obeyed him. Soon after the departure of the southern troops, the federal soldiers took possession of the town again and many of them scattered over the country collecting the goods that were carried off the boat by some of the citizens and killed three men who were found in possession of some of the uniforms. One of the citizens who was killed was Arthur Bramam who they met carrying some of the clothes back to Glassgow that he had carried away. They shot this man on the spot where they met him. The confederate soldiers who were at Glassgow were well-behaved."
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