Three members of Co. C, 1st Iowa Cavalry Murdered in Missouri

The sad news of the death of three members of Co. C, 1st Iowa Cavalry, murdered by guerillas in St. Clair county, Missouri, was received here yesterday, casting a shadow over our people.  The news came in a private letter from W. A. Clark, of the same company, and the only one of the foraging party who escaped unhurt.  Harbach and Cameron were from Burlington, young men of much promise, twenty one or two years of age.  Higgins about the same age we think was from the northern part of the county.  Stoddard, also about the same age, is from West Point, Lee county.  He is wounded in the arm and will probably recover.  Young Harbach and one brother who was a member of the 1st Iowa – is now in the 11th Regulars with Gen. McClellan.  His father is Captain of 1st Iowa Battery, now with General Curtis in Arkansas.  Below we print Clark’s letter, written to his brother in law, Mr. Fullerton.  Although not intended for print we see no impropriety in publishing it.

__________

OCEOLA, St. Clair Co., Mo., May 28

BRO. NICK: – It becomes my duty to notify through you the friends of some of the wounded and dead of our Company that were shot yesterday while out foraging.  Wm. G. Harbach, dead, M. Higgins, dead, Josiah Cameron and A. Stoddard wounded.  My horse was shot, and two or three balls penetrated my clothes, and a fine come caved me.  I had a comb in my watch pocket, the ball struck it and glanced off and just grazed the skin.

I will give you the particulars.  We started out in the morning after forage, 12 miles.  We got out all right, loaded the wagons and started back, and were eight miles from camp when we stopped at a creek to water our horses.  Harbach and Cameron were sitting in the wagon.  Higgins, Stoddard and myself were setting on our horses by the side of them talking when some twenty Jayhawkers, concealed in the brush, fired into us, killing Harbach, wounding Cameron, Higgins Stoddard and I supposed that I was wounded, but I am happy to say that I was not hurt.  My horse was shot from his head back to his tail.  Several shots went thro my coat, pants and hat.  I run my horse after he was shot some two miles before he fell, I then jumped over into a field where there was a man plowing; I jerked the harness of the horse and jumped on him bare back and rode about four or five miles as hard as he could run, when I overtook another foraging party.  I sent two of the men to camp for help.  It was but a little while before our men could be seen on a full gallop coming to our assistance.  I went back with them.  We found Harbach dead, Cameron wounded in the leg, it has since been amputated above the knee, Higgins wounded, has since died, Stoddard wounded in the arm.

I intended to start with the body of Harbach home this evening but could not get ice, and therefore could not start, but will bury here for the present.  The boys propose to send to St. Louis for a metallic coffin.  I will then fetch the body home.

We take no more prisoners.  We are going to shoot every man that we catch in the brush.

P. S. – Since I wrote the above Josiah Cameron has died.  We will be obliged to bury them here for the present, as the weather is so warm and there is no ice here.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, June 7, 1862, p. 1