I found a story which I'm posting here, it tells of a fairground and union
encampment site during the civil war here in Jefferson City Mo.
I found an 1869 map of jefferson city which had a fairground on it. most of the
original roads still exsit today, the fairground was abandoned in the 1880's for a
more modern one on the opposite side of town thats the local one that everyone
knew about and detected, but in reading the story I realized this older fairground
was on the other side of town. It was used as an open air concert hall until the
early 1970's.
So using the story, the old map and satallite pictures I was able to pinpoint the
exact spot of the old fairgrounds 70% of it still intact!!
Look at the name of the road in the satallite photo it says "fairmount blvd." the
pictures I'm posting are purposely low quality I hope you guys understand that but
in high resolution you can see the names of the roads and horses ands buggys
racing on the track of the old fairgrounds you can even see the names written on
the steamships
the "green" circle on the old map is the fairground, the rectangle in "red" on the
satalite photo is a large stone foundation with 8 diffrent step areas to access it, the
"yellow" circle is a large stone cistern thats still open and fed by a spring, the
"purple" is a stone wall about 4ft. high, and the "blue" is part of the track that still
visible from the ground...it was so much fun trying to find this spot its heavily
wooded now and only one house on the property and the owners were eager to
give there permission for me to hunt it. I have hunted it for 3 weeks now and the
diversity of the finds is awsome I will be posting the pics of the finds in the next few
days.
I hope you all enjoy this story and pics. jd
At the beginning of the Civil war shortly after the Battle of Wilson's creek and
before the Battle of Pea Ridge, while Price occupied the City of Springfield there
was an underground road of communication that extended from Jefferson City to
Springfield by which southerners would go from one point to another, and then
were finally directed to Price's Army in Springfield. They would come from Doctor
Lewis' home to the Nickolson house and the Nickolson's would then direct them on
to Versailles to Doctor James' home.
One day during the time of the underground system someone knocked at the door.
The ladies generally went to the door, for they were in the habit of shooting down
the men. In response to the knock Lucy went to the door. Two men were standing
there. One asked her if she was Miss Lucy Nickolson. She replied that she was
Miss Nickolson. He then said they wished to see her privately. They gave her a
messages from Mr. Harper, Mr. Thornton and also from General Price and
reported that they were out of quinine and morphine, and they were very much in
need of clothing. She told them she would help them. The following day she got
into the carriage and went over to Dr. Ellis'. Mrs. Jim Ellis and her sister were
there. After relating the conversation she had had with the two southern
gentleman she finally said, "Well, I will go after these things if you (Mrs. Ellis and
her sister) will go with me." I then went to Boonville. She went to Mr. Harper's store
(his brother kept the general store, also a drug store there). She knew he was a
southern man, so she called him aside, telling him what his brother George had
said. Lucy then said, "now, you will have to supply me with quinine and morphine."
"I can't do it," he said, "it would be the ruination of me; but here it is, I am
compelled to go downtown." She took the hint, and when he had gone, she closed
the door and helped herself. She got nearly all the quinine and morphine in the
store.
She then went to the dry goods store. She knew the owner quite well. she told him
she wanted some gray flannel and some black velvet. She bought two pieces of
gray flannel and told him "I am not going to pay for this now." He asked, "when are
you going to pay for them?" She replied, "Oh, some of these days." He wrapped
the flannel and velvet up for her and she left the store.
She and Mrs. Ellis cut the flannel in shirt lengths and made a skirt out of the whole
two pieces. In those days skirts were made very full and plaited to the belt. She
put twenty-two pair of home-knit socks in that skirt. It was the fashion to wear
velvet rolls on the head; so she made two immense rolls of velvet and filled on with
quinine and the other with morphine. She put one around the coil of her hair and
the other around the crown of her head. When she put the skirt on her dress
wouldn't touch the ground. Mrs. Ellis was very tall, so she gave her a loose
wrappers and she put on a white apron. Her brother brought out the carriage and
Mrs. Ellis let them have her horses. Dressed in that way she rode out of Boonville,
Mrs. Ellis with them. When they had gone almost to Versailles they met a company
of Federals. Her brother turned around to her and said, "Now, what are you going
to do? They will search the carriage?" She said, "If you will hold your tongue and
not speak a word, whether I tell a lie or not, I can get through all right." Mrs. Ellis
commenced crying. Lucy said, "Now, that isn't any way to do; if you are going to
cry I will just give up." The soldiers came up to where they had halted. One asked
where we were going. Lucy replied, 'I have an aunt out there about twenty-five
miles who is very ill; I want to get to see her before she dies. If you want to search
the carriage, you may - there is my valise." They picked up the valise, saw it was
very light - there was nothing in it - and put it down. The spokesman finally said,
"you say your aunt is ill?" Lucy said, "Yes, sir; she is quite ill." So they let her pass.
They got through the lines and went on out to Springfield where they stayed three
weeks and made up the flannel skirt into shirts.
On their way home they stopped at Dr. James' home in Versailles. While there it
turned bitter cold. She had just gone to bed one night when Dr. James came in an
said "Miss Nickolson, you will have to get up. There are three thousand Federals
and home guards not five miles from here." So her brother got out the horses and
carriage and off they rode. When they reached the creek it was just booming, and
so bitter cold that they could scarcely breathe. Brother stopped right at the creek's
edge and said, "Now, which will you do, go through the creek - 'look at it,' " he
says, "or fall into the hands of the Federals or the home guards?" She replied, "go
through the creek," and they went. The horses had to swim, the carriage rolled
back and the water came up to her waist. They were dripping wet and rode three
or four miles in that condition. Her brother's beard was just a sheet of ice.
They rode on until they came to the house of Mr. Garrett. Her brother called him
out and said, "We are just from the southern army and had to come through the
creek, and my sister is nearly frozen" (One whole side of her face she could not
move). They took her in and put her in a large tub of water where she remained
one entire day and night. She was nigh frozen. Her big toenails came out.
After a few days at Mr. Garrett's they started home. They had no more than
reached home when Judge Baker, a Union man, came to their house and said to
her mother, "You send Miss Lucy away, for Eppstein, provost marshal, knows that
she has gotten home and he is going to arrest her. They found out that someone
at Springfield, instead of keeping her visit to themselves, had written of it to their
friends. We made all arrangements to leave; but that very evening Eppstein sent a
party of men out and arrested Lucy and took her to Boonville. There she was
called before him. He made a great many ugly remarks, and she did, too. However
while she was there Colonel Crittenden11, came through with his regiment. When
he heard that Lucy was there he went to see her. He expressed a great many
regrets that "that Dutchman," Eppstein, had had her arrested. Crittenden said, "If
there is anything I can do to atone for this I will do it, for this is an outrage. I am not
out to make war on women and children." Lucy told him, "They have my brother
out at the fairgrounds in Jefferson City north of Monroe St., a prisoner likewise; he
has just returned from California and had nothing in the world to do with this
affair." So Colonel Crittenden set out and had him brought in and just turned them
both loose.
She went out home again. She had not been home very long before they sent out
to arrest her again for something - she never knew what, but she got off this time
and went to Boone county, where she taught school the entire winter. She had a
good many would be Confederate visitors, who were trying to get away.
One day a note was handed her in the schoolhouse. It was from Colonel Jackman.
Lucy said, "very well, very well," and tore the note into small pieces. She met
Colonel Jackman that evening and had a talk with him. The next Sunday Lucy
went to church at Rocheport. As they came from church Colonel Connell said to
her, "Why, there is a party of Federal Troops! What can they be doing out there?
They have an ambulance." Lucy said jokingly, "They are after you; they know
what a rascal you are."
They went on home and had not been there long before the troops came up.
Colonel Connell went out and they asked him if Miss Nickolson was there. There
was a Lieutenant Wood commanding. He asked if Lucy could be seen
immediately. She went out at once and said, "I am Miss Nickolson, what do you
want?" He replied, "I have an order here from General Guitar to arrest you. He
was Col. Odem Guitar at the outbreak of the war and was a Boone County
attorney. He issued a call for volunteers in Mid-February of 1862. On May 6, 1862,
after organizing, training and equipping his regiment he was commissioned as
Colonel and given command of the 9th Cavalry regiment of the Missouri State
Militia. This regiment was initially stationed in Camp Totten on the on the
fairgrounds at the outskirts of Jefferson City.By summer 1862 he was made
General.
" What! arrest me? What for?" He said, "I cannot tell you what for, Miss Nickolson,
but I have an ambulance here, and I would be glad if you would get in it and go
with us without any fuss." She replied, "Well, you don't expect me to fight, do you?"
He was very polite. She finally told Lieutenant Wood she would have to get her
bonnet and wrap. He said, "You will not try to escape?" She said, "How can I
escape? No; I am not going to escape; I will not get any one into trouble."
She just took time to write a note to Mrs. Lintz, the lady with whom she was
boarding and told her to get her trunk and burn every paper and everything she
could find. Then she went out and got in the ambulance and drove twenty-five
miles to Columbia, where she was left at the hotel for the night. There were two
soldiers detailed to walk beside her everywhere she went. When she went up to
her room to go to bed they went up and stood at her door. When she went down
to breakfast next morning they stood at the back of her chair. She attracted a great
deal of attention.
From there they went to Centralia. They sent an escort of one hundred men with
her. She said to Lieutenant Wood, "What are you sending so many men for? Are
you afraid I am going to try to escape? Well, now, you have better be careful, for
Colonel Jackman is in this vicinity, and you will hear from him." At this he was
much alarmed.
From there they sent her to St. Louis, where she was taken before Provost
Marshal Dicks. They plied her with questions; and tried to get her to tell if they had
taken the quinine and morphine. She never opened her mouth. They then sent her
to Gratiot street prison. There were never but two women put in that prison - Mrs.
Lowden was the other.
Lieutenant Wood told Marshal Dicks to make her tell about the quinine and
morphine, but she would not answer his questions. It would have gotten so many
people into trouble. The drug store and everything would have been burned down,
so of course she was not going to tell.
At the Gratiot street prison there was a man by the name of Masterson, who was
the keeper. He was a horrid man! When she was escorted into his presence, he
said: "Huh! southern aristocrat, dressed in silk! Wonder how she'll like prison
fare?" When she was taken to her room this Masterson led the way; when he
opened the door he said, "I hope you are not afraid of ghosts - this is Doctor
McDowell's dissecting room, and the floor and table are covered with blood." Lucy
said, "Well, I much prefer ghosts to Federals."
When Lucy entered the cell Mrs. Lowden commenced screaming and said "Oh,
they haven't brought you here, have they?" Lucy said, "Why, this is a very good
place." She cried and cried, saying "It is bad enough to bring me, a married
woman, here, but to bring a young girl here!" Mr. Masterson then went out, closing
and locking the door, and took the key with him.
Mrs. Lowden was almost dead with consumption. They had put her in prison
because she would not tell where her husband was. He was a southern courier.
They had taken her away from her children, one a six-months-old baby.
Just above them was the hospital. Every time they brought their meals they would
take the time to wash up the hospital, and down would come the water on the
ladies. They would have starved if it had not been for the Sisters of Charity. Mrs.
Lowden was a Catholic, so the sisters would come in with their baskets every day.
They always brought plenty and the meals were good, but somehow or other that
water didn't taste good.
The ladies had a straw pallet on the floor. One night Mrs. Lowden said, "Oh, there
is something in this straw!" They ripped the tick and found there were just two
mice in the straw. Mrs. Lowden was very frightened and began coughing and had
a hemorrhage. Lucy went to the door and pounded on it, crying, "There is a lady in
here who has a hemorrhage, and I want a doctor." "Damn her, let her die!" was the
reply. So she did not get a doctor, but she lived through it.
Lucy was there about three weeks. One day one of the officers came in and said
to Mrs. Lowden, "Can you stand trouble?" She sprang to her feet, thinking only of
her children. "Oh," she said, "one of my children is dead." "Yes; your baby died
last night of croup," was the reply. She commenced screaming and had another
coughing fit. Lucy said to the officer, "there is not one word of truth in that; you
know you are lying." She gave him a good tongue lashing. He laughed and said, "I
just wanted to see how much grit she had." Lucy said, "Well, you knew before you
came in that she is sick and has no grit." He then turned and walked out.
Masterson came in and brought Lucy one of those yellow envelops, saying, "Miss
Nickolson, I have bad news for you." "I don't suppose you have," Lucy replied.
Masterson continued, "Yes, I have; you brother was shot by Colonel Eppstein day
before yesterday." Lucy said, "well, I know that isn't so. Colonel Eppstein had no
right to shoot him; he would have been killed before night; my brother is not shot."
"Well," he said, "you seem to know." With that remark he turned and walked out.
Lucy's brother was not shot. At the end of three weeks the ladies were taken to
Chestnut street prison where they stayed for two weeks.
Colonel Dicks then said all the women who had been in prison for disloyalty must
be banished. They were Mrs. Frost, Mrs. Dr. Pallan, Mrs. McClure, Mrs. Clark,
Mrs. Haines, Mrs. Sappington, Mrs. Smizer and others. They all had children and
were obliged to leave them behind. When they got ready to start south the
children were all brought to say good-bye. You never heard such screaming - two
of the ladies fainted.
Then they were all put into ambulances and carried down to the boat. Major
McKinny had charge of the ladies, and they all went down as far as Memphis.
They got in the ambulances and were sent to Mississippi. After they got into
Mississippi they sent all the provisions back and said, "Now, you are in your own
country; you will have to depend upon it for something to eat and something to
drink."
Mrs. Frost, Mrs. McClure, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Smizer and Lucy were all in the same
ambulance. They didn't have a thing to eat from Sunday night until Wednesday
night. One of the Federals who was with their company came up to Lucy with a
cup of coffee and some of his hard tack, and asked her if she wouldn't eat it. He
said, "It is dreadful; I have children of my own and I know what it is." Lucy drank
the coffee, and that night they got into a farmhouse and they gave those in Lucy's
ambulance a meal. They then went to Columbus, Mississippi and there they
stayed awhile. General Frost hearing they were there, sent Colonel Smizer for
them and they went to Arkansas.
While in Arkansas, Lucy and Major Lindsay were married at General Frost's
headquarters. General Price's division was there also. The evening before their
wedding a lady in Pine Bluffs sent a large box with a note: "To the young lady who
is to be married tomorrow eve." Upon opening the box Lucy found it contained a
most elegant white satin dress, white slippers and white kid gloves, also a lovely
bridal veil. Lucy said to Mrs. Frost, "It would be the height of folly for anybody to
wear such beautiful garments at this distressing time when we are all nearly
starving." Lucy returned the box with a not thanking the lady for her kindness, but
told her under the circumstances she would much prefer being married in what
she had. However, the lady sent back the white kid gloves, insisting that she wear
them at least, so she did. Lucy was married in the year 1862. All the officers of the
brigade were present at the wedding.
After Lucy and Major Lindsay left Pine Bluffs they were tossed from pillar to post,
first one place, then another. They would pack their trunk nearly every week and
move; it would be only a short while till the Federals would be on us again. While
going through Arkansas they came upon two women who were digging with
spades along the side of the road. Upon making inquiry they found they were
digging a grave for a child. Major Lindsay got out of the ambulance, took the
spade, finished digging the grave, buried the child and said a prayer.
She was in Columbus the night after the battle when 800 of the confederates lay
dead upon the field. Major Lindsay was commanding the post at Louisburg. There
were three or four hundred women and their children at the post crying "Give us
bread, give us bread!" Major Lindsay sent to the quartermaster's and ordered that
everything that could be spared be given to the women and children.
Howdie this is some of the stuff so far, 3 of us have been detecting the area from
dawn till dusk, some of the coins are brand new like they were dropped yesterday
while other are pretty worn, so far no big silver other than quarters have been
found... there are a few semi key and key dates in awsome shape, it sure has
been fun.. we are putting a display together for the owner of the property hes a
sweet old man.
If anyone in this area would like to go with me your more than welcome to just
email me, the finds are getting slim but there is still more there. I have begun
another project now so I wont be hitting it alot . hh all jd
encampment site during the civil war here in Jefferson City Mo.
I found an 1869 map of jefferson city which had a fairground on it. most of the
original roads still exsit today, the fairground was abandoned in the 1880's for a
more modern one on the opposite side of town thats the local one that everyone
knew about and detected, but in reading the story I realized this older fairground
was on the other side of town. It was used as an open air concert hall until the
early 1970's.
So using the story, the old map and satallite pictures I was able to pinpoint the
exact spot of the old fairgrounds 70% of it still intact!!
Look at the name of the road in the satallite photo it says "fairmount blvd." the
pictures I'm posting are purposely low quality I hope you guys understand that but
in high resolution you can see the names of the roads and horses ands buggys
racing on the track of the old fairgrounds you can even see the names written on
the steamships
the "green" circle on the old map is the fairground, the rectangle in "red" on the
satalite photo is a large stone foundation with 8 diffrent step areas to access it, the
"yellow" circle is a large stone cistern thats still open and fed by a spring, the
"purple" is a stone wall about 4ft. high, and the "blue" is part of the track that still
visible from the ground...it was so much fun trying to find this spot its heavily
wooded now and only one house on the property and the owners were eager to
give there permission for me to hunt it. I have hunted it for 3 weeks now and the
diversity of the finds is awsome I will be posting the pics of the finds in the next few
days.
I hope you all enjoy this story and pics. jd
At the beginning of the Civil war shortly after the Battle of Wilson's creek and
before the Battle of Pea Ridge, while Price occupied the City of Springfield there
was an underground road of communication that extended from Jefferson City to
Springfield by which southerners would go from one point to another, and then
were finally directed to Price's Army in Springfield. They would come from Doctor
Lewis' home to the Nickolson house and the Nickolson's would then direct them on
to Versailles to Doctor James' home.
One day during the time of the underground system someone knocked at the door.
The ladies generally went to the door, for they were in the habit of shooting down
the men. In response to the knock Lucy went to the door. Two men were standing
there. One asked her if she was Miss Lucy Nickolson. She replied that she was
Miss Nickolson. He then said they wished to see her privately. They gave her a
messages from Mr. Harper, Mr. Thornton and also from General Price and
reported that they were out of quinine and morphine, and they were very much in
need of clothing. She told them she would help them. The following day she got
into the carriage and went over to Dr. Ellis'. Mrs. Jim Ellis and her sister were
there. After relating the conversation she had had with the two southern
gentleman she finally said, "Well, I will go after these things if you (Mrs. Ellis and
her sister) will go with me." I then went to Boonville. She went to Mr. Harper's store
(his brother kept the general store, also a drug store there). She knew he was a
southern man, so she called him aside, telling him what his brother George had
said. Lucy then said, "now, you will have to supply me with quinine and morphine."
"I can't do it," he said, "it would be the ruination of me; but here it is, I am
compelled to go downtown." She took the hint, and when he had gone, she closed
the door and helped herself. She got nearly all the quinine and morphine in the
store.
She then went to the dry goods store. She knew the owner quite well. she told him
she wanted some gray flannel and some black velvet. She bought two pieces of
gray flannel and told him "I am not going to pay for this now." He asked, "when are
you going to pay for them?" She replied, "Oh, some of these days." He wrapped
the flannel and velvet up for her and she left the store.
She and Mrs. Ellis cut the flannel in shirt lengths and made a skirt out of the whole
two pieces. In those days skirts were made very full and plaited to the belt. She
put twenty-two pair of home-knit socks in that skirt. It was the fashion to wear
velvet rolls on the head; so she made two immense rolls of velvet and filled on with
quinine and the other with morphine. She put one around the coil of her hair and
the other around the crown of her head. When she put the skirt on her dress
wouldn't touch the ground. Mrs. Ellis was very tall, so she gave her a loose
wrappers and she put on a white apron. Her brother brought out the carriage and
Mrs. Ellis let them have her horses. Dressed in that way she rode out of Boonville,
Mrs. Ellis with them. When they had gone almost to Versailles they met a company
of Federals. Her brother turned around to her and said, "Now, what are you going
to do? They will search the carriage?" She said, "If you will hold your tongue and
not speak a word, whether I tell a lie or not, I can get through all right." Mrs. Ellis
commenced crying. Lucy said, "Now, that isn't any way to do; if you are going to
cry I will just give up." The soldiers came up to where they had halted. One asked
where we were going. Lucy replied, 'I have an aunt out there about twenty-five
miles who is very ill; I want to get to see her before she dies. If you want to search
the carriage, you may - there is my valise." They picked up the valise, saw it was
very light - there was nothing in it - and put it down. The spokesman finally said,
"you say your aunt is ill?" Lucy said, "Yes, sir; she is quite ill." So they let her pass.
They got through the lines and went on out to Springfield where they stayed three
weeks and made up the flannel skirt into shirts.
On their way home they stopped at Dr. James' home in Versailles. While there it
turned bitter cold. She had just gone to bed one night when Dr. James came in an
said "Miss Nickolson, you will have to get up. There are three thousand Federals
and home guards not five miles from here." So her brother got out the horses and
carriage and off they rode. When they reached the creek it was just booming, and
so bitter cold that they could scarcely breathe. Brother stopped right at the creek's
edge and said, "Now, which will you do, go through the creek - 'look at it,' " he
says, "or fall into the hands of the Federals or the home guards?" She replied, "go
through the creek," and they went. The horses had to swim, the carriage rolled
back and the water came up to her waist. They were dripping wet and rode three
or four miles in that condition. Her brother's beard was just a sheet of ice.
They rode on until they came to the house of Mr. Garrett. Her brother called him
out and said, "We are just from the southern army and had to come through the
creek, and my sister is nearly frozen" (One whole side of her face she could not
move). They took her in and put her in a large tub of water where she remained
one entire day and night. She was nigh frozen. Her big toenails came out.
After a few days at Mr. Garrett's they started home. They had no more than
reached home when Judge Baker, a Union man, came to their house and said to
her mother, "You send Miss Lucy away, for Eppstein, provost marshal, knows that
she has gotten home and he is going to arrest her. They found out that someone
at Springfield, instead of keeping her visit to themselves, had written of it to their
friends. We made all arrangements to leave; but that very evening Eppstein sent a
party of men out and arrested Lucy and took her to Boonville. There she was
called before him. He made a great many ugly remarks, and she did, too. However
while she was there Colonel Crittenden11, came through with his regiment. When
he heard that Lucy was there he went to see her. He expressed a great many
regrets that "that Dutchman," Eppstein, had had her arrested. Crittenden said, "If
there is anything I can do to atone for this I will do it, for this is an outrage. I am not
out to make war on women and children." Lucy told him, "They have my brother
out at the fairgrounds in Jefferson City north of Monroe St., a prisoner likewise; he
has just returned from California and had nothing in the world to do with this
affair." So Colonel Crittenden set out and had him brought in and just turned them
both loose.
She went out home again. She had not been home very long before they sent out
to arrest her again for something - she never knew what, but she got off this time
and went to Boone county, where she taught school the entire winter. She had a
good many would be Confederate visitors, who were trying to get away.
One day a note was handed her in the schoolhouse. It was from Colonel Jackman.
Lucy said, "very well, very well," and tore the note into small pieces. She met
Colonel Jackman that evening and had a talk with him. The next Sunday Lucy
went to church at Rocheport. As they came from church Colonel Connell said to
her, "Why, there is a party of Federal Troops! What can they be doing out there?
They have an ambulance." Lucy said jokingly, "They are after you; they know
what a rascal you are."
They went on home and had not been there long before the troops came up.
Colonel Connell went out and they asked him if Miss Nickolson was there. There
was a Lieutenant Wood commanding. He asked if Lucy could be seen
immediately. She went out at once and said, "I am Miss Nickolson, what do you
want?" He replied, "I have an order here from General Guitar to arrest you. He
was Col. Odem Guitar at the outbreak of the war and was a Boone County
attorney. He issued a call for volunteers in Mid-February of 1862. On May 6, 1862,
after organizing, training and equipping his regiment he was commissioned as
Colonel and given command of the 9th Cavalry regiment of the Missouri State
Militia. This regiment was initially stationed in Camp Totten on the on the
fairgrounds at the outskirts of Jefferson City.By summer 1862 he was made
General.
" What! arrest me? What for?" He said, "I cannot tell you what for, Miss Nickolson,
but I have an ambulance here, and I would be glad if you would get in it and go
with us without any fuss." She replied, "Well, you don't expect me to fight, do you?"
He was very polite. She finally told Lieutenant Wood she would have to get her
bonnet and wrap. He said, "You will not try to escape?" She said, "How can I
escape? No; I am not going to escape; I will not get any one into trouble."
She just took time to write a note to Mrs. Lintz, the lady with whom she was
boarding and told her to get her trunk and burn every paper and everything she
could find. Then she went out and got in the ambulance and drove twenty-five
miles to Columbia, where she was left at the hotel for the night. There were two
soldiers detailed to walk beside her everywhere she went. When she went up to
her room to go to bed they went up and stood at her door. When she went down
to breakfast next morning they stood at the back of her chair. She attracted a great
deal of attention.
From there they went to Centralia. They sent an escort of one hundred men with
her. She said to Lieutenant Wood, "What are you sending so many men for? Are
you afraid I am going to try to escape? Well, now, you have better be careful, for
Colonel Jackman is in this vicinity, and you will hear from him." At this he was
much alarmed.
From there they sent her to St. Louis, where she was taken before Provost
Marshal Dicks. They plied her with questions; and tried to get her to tell if they had
taken the quinine and morphine. She never opened her mouth. They then sent her
to Gratiot street prison. There were never but two women put in that prison - Mrs.
Lowden was the other.
Lieutenant Wood told Marshal Dicks to make her tell about the quinine and
morphine, but she would not answer his questions. It would have gotten so many
people into trouble. The drug store and everything would have been burned down,
so of course she was not going to tell.
At the Gratiot street prison there was a man by the name of Masterson, who was
the keeper. He was a horrid man! When she was escorted into his presence, he
said: "Huh! southern aristocrat, dressed in silk! Wonder how she'll like prison
fare?" When she was taken to her room this Masterson led the way; when he
opened the door he said, "I hope you are not afraid of ghosts - this is Doctor
McDowell's dissecting room, and the floor and table are covered with blood." Lucy
said, "Well, I much prefer ghosts to Federals."
When Lucy entered the cell Mrs. Lowden commenced screaming and said "Oh,
they haven't brought you here, have they?" Lucy said, "Why, this is a very good
place." She cried and cried, saying "It is bad enough to bring me, a married
woman, here, but to bring a young girl here!" Mr. Masterson then went out, closing
and locking the door, and took the key with him.
Mrs. Lowden was almost dead with consumption. They had put her in prison
because she would not tell where her husband was. He was a southern courier.
They had taken her away from her children, one a six-months-old baby.
Just above them was the hospital. Every time they brought their meals they would
take the time to wash up the hospital, and down would come the water on the
ladies. They would have starved if it had not been for the Sisters of Charity. Mrs.
Lowden was a Catholic, so the sisters would come in with their baskets every day.
They always brought plenty and the meals were good, but somehow or other that
water didn't taste good.
The ladies had a straw pallet on the floor. One night Mrs. Lowden said, "Oh, there
is something in this straw!" They ripped the tick and found there were just two
mice in the straw. Mrs. Lowden was very frightened and began coughing and had
a hemorrhage. Lucy went to the door and pounded on it, crying, "There is a lady in
here who has a hemorrhage, and I want a doctor." "Damn her, let her die!" was the
reply. So she did not get a doctor, but she lived through it.
Lucy was there about three weeks. One day one of the officers came in and said
to Mrs. Lowden, "Can you stand trouble?" She sprang to her feet, thinking only of
her children. "Oh," she said, "one of my children is dead." "Yes; your baby died
last night of croup," was the reply. She commenced screaming and had another
coughing fit. Lucy said to the officer, "there is not one word of truth in that; you
know you are lying." She gave him a good tongue lashing. He laughed and said, "I
just wanted to see how much grit she had." Lucy said, "Well, you knew before you
came in that she is sick and has no grit." He then turned and walked out.
Masterson came in and brought Lucy one of those yellow envelops, saying, "Miss
Nickolson, I have bad news for you." "I don't suppose you have," Lucy replied.
Masterson continued, "Yes, I have; you brother was shot by Colonel Eppstein day
before yesterday." Lucy said, "well, I know that isn't so. Colonel Eppstein had no
right to shoot him; he would have been killed before night; my brother is not shot."
"Well," he said, "you seem to know." With that remark he turned and walked out.
Lucy's brother was not shot. At the end of three weeks the ladies were taken to
Chestnut street prison where they stayed for two weeks.
Colonel Dicks then said all the women who had been in prison for disloyalty must
be banished. They were Mrs. Frost, Mrs. Dr. Pallan, Mrs. McClure, Mrs. Clark,
Mrs. Haines, Mrs. Sappington, Mrs. Smizer and others. They all had children and
were obliged to leave them behind. When they got ready to start south the
children were all brought to say good-bye. You never heard such screaming - two
of the ladies fainted.
Then they were all put into ambulances and carried down to the boat. Major
McKinny had charge of the ladies, and they all went down as far as Memphis.
They got in the ambulances and were sent to Mississippi. After they got into
Mississippi they sent all the provisions back and said, "Now, you are in your own
country; you will have to depend upon it for something to eat and something to
drink."
Mrs. Frost, Mrs. McClure, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Smizer and Lucy were all in the same
ambulance. They didn't have a thing to eat from Sunday night until Wednesday
night. One of the Federals who was with their company came up to Lucy with a
cup of coffee and some of his hard tack, and asked her if she wouldn't eat it. He
said, "It is dreadful; I have children of my own and I know what it is." Lucy drank
the coffee, and that night they got into a farmhouse and they gave those in Lucy's
ambulance a meal. They then went to Columbus, Mississippi and there they
stayed awhile. General Frost hearing they were there, sent Colonel Smizer for
them and they went to Arkansas.
While in Arkansas, Lucy and Major Lindsay were married at General Frost's
headquarters. General Price's division was there also. The evening before their
wedding a lady in Pine Bluffs sent a large box with a note: "To the young lady who
is to be married tomorrow eve." Upon opening the box Lucy found it contained a
most elegant white satin dress, white slippers and white kid gloves, also a lovely
bridal veil. Lucy said to Mrs. Frost, "It would be the height of folly for anybody to
wear such beautiful garments at this distressing time when we are all nearly
starving." Lucy returned the box with a not thanking the lady for her kindness, but
told her under the circumstances she would much prefer being married in what
she had. However, the lady sent back the white kid gloves, insisting that she wear
them at least, so she did. Lucy was married in the year 1862. All the officers of the
brigade were present at the wedding.
After Lucy and Major Lindsay left Pine Bluffs they were tossed from pillar to post,
first one place, then another. They would pack their trunk nearly every week and
move; it would be only a short while till the Federals would be on us again. While
going through Arkansas they came upon two women who were digging with
spades along the side of the road. Upon making inquiry they found they were
digging a grave for a child. Major Lindsay got out of the ambulance, took the
spade, finished digging the grave, buried the child and said a prayer.
She was in Columbus the night after the battle when 800 of the confederates lay
dead upon the field. Major Lindsay was commanding the post at Louisburg. There
were three or four hundred women and their children at the post crying "Give us
bread, give us bread!" Major Lindsay sent to the quartermaster's and ordered that
everything that could be spared be given to the women and children.
Howdie this is some of the stuff so far, 3 of us have been detecting the area from
dawn till dusk, some of the coins are brand new like they were dropped yesterday
while other are pretty worn, so far no big silver other than quarters have been
found... there are a few semi key and key dates in awsome shape, it sure has
been fun.. we are putting a display together for the owner of the property hes a
sweet old man.
If anyone in this area would like to go with me your more than welcome to just
email me, the finds are getting slim but there is still more there. I have begun
another project now so I wont be hitting it alot . hh all jd
This is why I consider J.D.
a Great Treasure Hunter,
his research is incredible.
This is just one example of
his research abilities.
a Great Treasure Hunter,
his research is incredible.
This is just one example of
his research abilities.
Research
J.D.'s Research
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