During July, 1862, Quantrill's command had been increased to
seventy five men, an addition of twelve men having been made by a union
with Jack Rider who had been ravaging the border counties on his own
account. With this force Quantrill decided to leave the Sni hills and
enter Harrisonville, which at this time contained a large amount of
provisions guarded by about one hundred raw Federals.
His plans were thwarted, however, by his advance guards
reporting large bodies of scouting militia on every side. The roads were,
in fact, so well protected by the Union forces that Quantrill was forced
to take to the woods, and was compelled to retrace his steps and make for
the Sni again.
After several days of hard marching, Quantrill pitched his
camp on Walnut Creek, in Johnson county, which he fortified by felling
heavy trees and making his retreat inaccessible to cavalry except at
passes left for the convenience of his own troops. Cole Younger was sent
out on the 13th of July to reconnoiter and forage, taking with him twelve
men well mounted. Upon reaching the house of Joe Larkin, a detachment of fifteen men was seen
riding up the road in advance of a large force of Federals. Cole and his men had dismounted and
their horses were feeding back of the house. Hastily calling his squad
together, he ordered them to hide behind some quilts, which had been
washed that day and left on the fence to dry.
Thus hidden, they awaited the approach of the Federal
advance, until they were in the road immediately opposite, when
suddenly the guerrillas arose as if from the ground and poured such a
deadly fire upon the fifteen astonished Federals that only one escaped.
The main body was so surprised at this sudden and fatal attack upon the advance guard,
that it halted and formed a line of battle in anticipation of a charge, as
the Federals had no idea of the size of the guerrilla force. At this time
an additional force of two hundred Butler county militia appeared, and
thus reinforced the Federals advanced while Cole mounted his men and retreated to the camp, where
preparations were made to receive the enemy. Quantrill had barely time to close
the passage through which Cole Younger and his squad had entered, before
the Federal cavalry, now four hundred strong, made a charge, but they
recoiled before the murderous fire of the well-protected
guerrillas.
A second charge followed, but again from the barricades
streamed flames of death until the stream was filled the dead. The baffled
and distressed cavalry fell back in broken ranks and formed on a hill two
hundred yards distant, evidently to hold a council. For two hours not a
sound disturbed the forest. The two armies were content to quietly
contemplate the intentions and strength of each other. In the afternoon,
about four o'clock, the Federals were again reinforced by another body of
two hundred men, and the attack was renewed. It was now 600 against 75,
but the 75 were Quanrill's Guerrillas.
A force of one hundred deployed down the creek and another
detachment of two hundred was sent to attack the guerrillas in the rear,
but the bluffs prevented the latter force from reaching a point where they
could be effective. A combined attack was agreed on, but when the charge
from the front was made again, the main body was unsupported by the three
hundred troops sent to attack the flank and rear, and a terrible repulse
was the consequence. The several disastrous charges made by the Federals
convinced them that the cavalry was useless against such a strongly fortified foe,
and a new plan of attack was resolved upon.
All the troops were dismounted and their horses secured in
the ravine five hundred yards north of the battle-ground. The combined
force then moved in infantry columns, and ascended the hill, reserving
their fire until the last moment. The sight now was a grand one. The
guerrillas, with double-barreled shotguns loaded deep with slugs and
buck-shot, lay low behind their barricades and waited the approach of the
enemy. Not a gun was fired, nor a word uttered until the Federals had
almost reached the sheltering
works and were preparing to scale them, when suddenly the gunfire
began. The line wavered under the fire, but the breaks were repaired in
the attacking column, and the charge continued. It was almost a steady
stream of deadly fire that poured into the Federals in their exposed
positions.
In spite of the protecting butts of large trees, the
guerrillas suffered severely. Quantrill was shot through the leg, but
still he fought and cheered his men while the blood ran away and wasted
his strength ; Cole Younger had his clothes riddled with bullets and his
hat shot off; George Shepherd was hit in the arm, and more than a dozen of
Quantrill's men were lying here and there, in pools blood. To make escape
more difficult, nearly half of Quantrill's horses were killed and the
country was filled with large
bands of scouting Federals and with trees, brush and lofty bluffs.
Four times the charging forces were beaten back from the
impregnable barricade, reeling under the flying pellets of death, but
rallying again and again until the shadows of evening obscured foe from
foe. The roar of battle ceased gradually.
Late in the
night Cole Younger, with two others, was sent out to locate the enemy for
the purpose of determining the safest avenue of escape. Quantrill's wound
was now giving him much pain, his fighting force was seriously crippled
and their ammunition almost exhausted. To remain and risk the battle which
was certain to be renewed in the morning, he realized would be sure defeat
followed by the most disastrous consequences. Directly after Younger and
his two comrades left the camp to reconnoiter a heavy rain began to
fall which, rattling among
the trees, permitted them to proceed with less fear of detection and
indisposed the Federal pickets to keep vigilant guard, for they were
already fairly exhausted from fighting, and naturally sought shelter and
rest.
It was nearly midnight, when the daring spy
returned and made his report to Quantrill. Cole had crawled inside the
Federal lines, located every squad and picket, and then found a clear
passage, but it was up a dreadfully steep. But even this information was
encouraging, and hurriedly yet silently the camp was raised, the wounded
mounted with aids, and the tattered ranks of the guerrillas were put in
motion. It occupied more than an hour's time to get the horses and men up
the hillside, and in the confusion the Federal camp was aroused to
Quantrill's intention. The darkness, however, was friendly to the
guerrillas and protected them in their escape, many of them being
compelled to ride double, owing to the scarcity of horses. The Sni hills
were reached, the wounded were left at the houses of friends, and hastily
the group separated so they could proceed with less fear of detection
.