ST. LOUIS. – Feb. 20. – Dispatches were received to-day to hurry repairs on the gun boat Lexington, and intimating that the evacuation of Columbus was the cause for the extra haste.
It appears that after all, very few wounded from the Fort Donelson fight will come here. The Sanitary Commission sends its President, James E. Yeatmen, down the river this evening with extra hospital supplies, contributed under a supposition that the wounded were coming here early this morning.
The Steamers White Could, Empress and Emma Duncan, arrived here with three thousand prisoners from Ft. Donelson. They landed at Bloody Island and leave immediately for Indianapolis and Chicago. They came under guard of the 20th Ohio and the 19th Illinois. They are a shabby lot of prisoners, no better clothed than the butternut prisoners who have been taken in Missouri.
The following named prisoners of war arrived last night by the Pacific Railroad from Sedalia in custody of Capt. Thompkin’s 8th Iowa Infantry: Brigadier General Price, Col, Dorsey, Col. Cross and Captain Jude, of Maj. Gen. Price’s staff; also C. J. Cunningham, Stephen F. Roberts, L. D. Sloss, Daniel C. Rodman, Harman Smith, Franklin Motz, Wm. Ranney, H. A. Massey, and O. J. Ross.
Gen. Halleck has commuted the sentence of the bridge burners, and ordered as follows: – In consideration of recent victories won by Federal forces and of rapidly increasing loyalty of the citizens of Missouri who for a time forgot their duty to their flag and country, sentence of J. O. Tompkins, W. Forshey, J. Patton, T. M. Smith, S. Scott, G. H. Cunningham, P. B Crowder and G. M. Pulliam, heretofore condemned to death, to be provisionally mitigated to close confinement in the military prison at Alton. If rebel spies again destroy Railroad bridges and telegraph lines and thus render it necessary for us to make severe examples, the original sentences against these men will be carried into execution.
No further assessments will be levied or collected from any one who will now take the prescribed oath of allegiance.
Boards of Commissioners will be appointed to examine cases of prisoners of war who apply to take the oath of allegiance, and on their recommendation orders will be issued from these headquarters for their release.
A letter from Lexington reports the 2d battalion of the 2nd Iowa cavalry, Col. Botly, and the 7th Missouri regiment of infantry, quietly stationed there.
Three companies of the Missouri 7th, on the march from Warrenton, overtook some rebels en route for Price and in the chase ensuing shot one of them, whereupon the rest surrendered. One prisoner is a notorious character named Hill, who robbed some of Mulligan’s men after the surrender of Lexington.
Letters from Springfield state that refugee families are returning.
Gen. Ed. Price and the rebel Colonels captured at Warsaw by a detachment of the 1st Iowa Cavalry, under Capt. Thompson, and Co. A, of the 8th Iowa Infantry. Gen. Price walked around to-day on parole. All the others left for Alton.
The Mississippi prisoners to-day were told that they were going to Lincoln’s Wigwam at Chicago, which incensed them highly, though hundreds were glad to hear of it. Some of the prisoners deny that over 3,000 prisoners were captured. Considerable trading took place at the steamboat landing in Confederate scrip and shinplasters.
Col. Fitz Henry Warren of the 1st Iowa Cavalry, who was under arrest, has been released, and resumed command of the Regiment. Charges frivolous as they were, have been denied by every officer of the command, and the Major who made them has been requested to resign.
The rebel Surgeons captured by Gen.’s Sigel and Curits below Springfield, have been allowed their liberty in accordance with Gen. Halleck’s orders proposing to exempt Surgeons from the ordinary penalties of prisoners of war.
A tug boat has gone to Cairo, to tow the Essex to this point. He is to be lengthened fifty feet, and her boiler dropped below the waterline. – Preparations are making to expedite matters as fast as possible.
A report was brought to head-quarters by a pretended refugee, who escaped from Columbus Tuesday night and reached Cape Girardeau yesterday morning, to the effect that Columbus and not been evacuated.
The 22d Missouri Infantry left for the seat of war to-day.
A mule dealer named Deith, was arrested to-day for defrauding the Government.
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, February 22, 1862, p. 3
