Doc. 161.-the attack on the “Sam Gaty.”
Leavenworth times account.
Leavenworth, March 31.
the steamer Sam Gaty, which arrived at our levee on Sunday evening, reports that she was stopped at Sibley, on Saturday morning last, by a band of from forty to sixty bushwhackers, supposed to be a portion of the gang under Todd or Quantrell, though at the time of the outrage in question in command of a man named Clifford.
As the boat was passing Sibley the pilot was hailed and ordered to run ashore, under penalty of shooting, and being within a few yards of the landing he had no alternative but to obey.
As the boat touched the shore she was almost immediately boarded and taken possession of by the guerrillas, who roused the Captain from his berth, it being then about two o'clock in the morning, and informed him that he was, for the time being, a prisoner.
About eighty contrabands being on the boat, they were ordered ashore, the bushwhackers being surprised to find so small a number, as they had been informed that there were three hundred; and they expected to find with them “Parson Fisher,” and threatened to burn the boat within fifteen minutes unless he was produced; but, being apparently satisfied with the Captain's assurance that the Parson was not on board, they did not execute the threat.
The Captain informed them that the contrabands were in charge of a private soldier, who could not be found.
When the negroes were marched ashore, the Captain asked the guerrilla leader what he intended to do with them.
He replied: “Blow their brains out!”
The Captain remonstrated with him, and finally he concluded to kill only the “bucks,” and forthwith eight or ten were murdered, the rest scattering and hiding in the darkness.
There were on board eight of the Missouri militia, two of McFarren's regiment, and six of Penick's. The guerrillas paroled the former, and killed two and wounded one of the latter, three escaping.
The bushwhackers kill all of Penick's men that fall into their hands.
They then proceeded to throw overboard some forty-eight wagon-beds, and from forty to seventy-five sacks of flour and rice that belonged to the Government.
They robbed every man on board, and the safe, which contained about six hundred dollars. One gentleman had some six or eight hundred dollars taken from him. The boat had a very large cargo, but it was not disturbed.
Mr. Wilson, who had charge of the negroes, had a narrow escape.
Before they came aboard a man told him to throw overboard his coat, lie down, and be covered up with a lot of castings, which he did. He is a resident of Kansas. One of Penick's men was taken for him and killed.
The action of Captain McCloy is warmly commended by passengers, and all are satisfied that he did the best he could under the trying circumstances in which he was placed.
The guerrilla leader said he had followed him from Napoleon; he expected the boat would land there., but it did not; he had a sure thing on him at Sibley.
The guerrillas compelled the Captain to leave before daylight, being afraid he would take the negroes on board again.
On reaching Independence the Captain made the fact known, and Colonel Penick immediately gave his attention to the matter, and so success-fully, that nearly all the contrabands will escape, as is telegraphed from that port to Captain Killen, and published elsewhere this morning.
The St. Joseph Herald learns the following additional particulars from an eye-witness:
The steamboat had arrived at Sibley's Landing where the channel was close to shore, and was hailed by some men on the bank, followed by the cracking of a dozen or more guns.
The pilot put her in shore, and George Todd and about twenty-five of his gang of guerrillas came aboard.
It was almost morning, and there was no moon.
The Rebels were dressed in butternut, having a pair of Colt's navy revolvers each, (and some as many as three and four,) and shot-guns and rifles.
Todd wore a large cloth coat, with an ample cape and flowing sleeves, and had also a slouched hat, which he soon exchanged with a passenger for a new light-colored beaver.
He gave the command, and the work of murder commenced.
The passengers were mostly ladies, and the few gentlemen were unarmed.
They first killed George Meyer, by shooting him in the back.
Meyer was formerly in this city, and when Colonel Peabody was here after the siege of Lexington, he was in Major Berry's cavalry command, acting as Quartermaster.
For a time he was Sergeant-Major of the Fifth cavalry, Colonel Penick.
During the last winter he was frequently engaged, with Assistant Secreretary Rodman, in the Senate at Jefferson City, in writing up the journal.
He was a young man of the most generous impulses, and will be mourned by a large number of men, who will avenge his death.
The cowardly butchers next blew out the brains of William Henry, a member of Captain Wakerlin's company.
He, too, was a St. Joseph boy, and was formerly engaged in a stall in our city market, and at one time, we think, labored for John P. Hax, a meat-dealer.
He leaves a wife and four children in our city wholly unprovided for.
They next led out to slaughter young Schuttner, of this town, whom they first robbed of two hundred dollars, then shot.
He revived the next morning, and will probably recover.
The most revolting act in the bloody drama
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was the ordering ashore of twenty negroes, drawing them up in line, one man holding a lantern up by the side of their faces, while the murderers shot them, one by one, through the head.
This inhuman butchery was within three yards of the boat.
One negro alone of all that were shot is alive.
Christ. Habacher, who lives near Hamilton's Mill, in this city, was aboard, but managed to hide his money, and got off scot free.
Charley, formerly bar-keeper for Christian Wagner, in Jefferson City, was robbed of every dollar he had, some four hundred and fifty dollars. Geo. Schriver, of this city, was led out to be shot, and a watchman on the boat halloed, “Hold on there; he is one of my deck-hands,” and they led him back, taking seventy-two dollars from him, being all he had except twenty dollars, which he had secreted on the boat.
George Morenstecker, a grocer, on the corner of Tenth street and Frederick avenue, in this city, and a Captain in the Thirty-third Missouri, was robbed of one thousand and sixty dollars and his gold watch.
The affair ended by the gang going aboard the boat, and compelling the passengers to throw overboard fifty wagon-beds, one hundred sacks of flour, and a large amount of other stores, including sugar, coffee, etc. Wearing apparel of ladies and gentlemen was indiscriminately plundered.
There were about eighty contrabands aboard, sent on their way to Kansas by General Curtis. Sixty jumped off and ran away, and are now under Colonel Penick, whose men are scouring the country for these murderers.
When the guerrillas drew their revolvers on the negroes as they stood in line, the women on the boat screamed and cried, and begged them not to kill them; but the work of death went on.