396 MAJOR JOHN F. LACEY 



been in a hard fight and we would have felt it a disgrace 

 to be left behind. 



I saw the enemy were following us at close range and I 

 climbed into a cornfield and fell down repeatedly over the 

 pumpkin vines and bent cornstalks. Finally I got through 

 the field, when I saw that the enemy were far in advance 

 of me, marching along the road and following up our regi- 

 ment. I concluded to conceal myself in a thicket and try 

 to rejoin my regiment at Liberty after dark. 



Suddenly a squad of Rebel cavalry discovered me and 

 one shouted, "Here is one of them now." They took my 

 gun and my only money, a half dollar, letters from some 

 of my friends at home, but worst of all, my box of quinine 

 pills. They soon found I was unable to march and brought 

 up a horse and put me on it with so much force that I went 

 clear over and fell on the ground on the other side. One 

 of them said, "Boys, don't you see the fellow is sick?" 

 They then helped me on the horse with greater care and 

 two of them started back with me towards the river. They 

 rode on each side of me, holding my horse's reins, and 

 each fondled a double-barreled shotgun loaded with buck- 

 shot, the copper caps gleaming maliciously from the nip- 

 ples of the guns. We met several heroes in the rear of 

 the army as we went back, and two of them wanted to 

 show their bravery by shooting the Yankee right there 

 and then, but my guards forbade it and said, ' ' Don 't shoot 

 a prisoner." 



Arriving at the river, we crossed on the steam ferry- 

 boat "Little Blue," a name quite typical of my then con- 

 dition. We camped on the south side of the river all night 

 and the Rebel forces were ferried across and next morn- 

 ing started to join General Price's army which we under- 

 stood was besieging Lexington. 



Next day the Third Iowa sent details to visit the field 

 and bury our dead, after which they marched to Kansas 



