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“The Gate City”, Keokuk, Iowa August 15, 1961 p.2 c.1 A Secesh Account of the Battle of Athens Here is an account of the Battle of Athens which the secesh Bulletin of St. Louis certifies as “accurate:” We have been furnished the following letter, written by a gentleman at Athens, giving an entirely different account of the battle at that place. The gentleman who furnishes the letter endorses the reliability of the writer: “Col. Martin Green (brother of ex-Senator Green), at the head of 450 men, who had been organized under the military bill, attacked Col. Moore, who force numbered 650, and drove them across the Des Moines river, where Moore was reinforced from Keosauqua and other towns above. Green attacked them a second time and drove them before him, until Col. Moore was reinforced again, when after a hard fight, Green retreated, carrying off their two pieces of artillery, wounded, &c. Green had to fight in all from two to three thousand men, yet his boys fought with all the coolness of veterans, and drove them back in every hand to hand fight. Among the State troops who were killed, eight in all, were some of our best men. The following names are all I have obtained: Jos. Ewalt, Eli Butler, Mr. Moore, Mr. Williams, Young Bowles, all living in this neighborhood. There is no doubt but the Federals lost from 200 to 300 men, in killed and wounded. The country is thoroughly aroused and the masses are very indignant at the intermeddling with their rights by the people of Illinois and Iowa, who, at the instance and information of every intermeddling, cowardly Black Republican, send their armed hordes to rob and murder our best citizens. – A.B.O. (end) |