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  • Shooting the parson

    As a witness, I must bitterly protest the shooting of the Gray Summit pastor, and the circumstances surrounding his arrest on the Sabbath of October 4th.

    I and a Federal Lieutenant attended his morning service. It commenced and proceeded with regular alacrity, when folks inside the church soon noticed Federal solders circling with torches and angry stares through the rippled windows. Whispers circulated, disrupting the pastor’s readings from the Book of Mark. When wafts of smoke entered the church, the town sheriff tapped me on the shoulder suggesting I return to ranks.

    When I exited the church, "Hog" and a few others were pacing wildly with fixed bayonets – fire in their eyes. No amount of reason could convince them of the pastor’s integrity and allegiance to the Union. “There’s secesh in there!” Hog shouted. His rage could not be tempered to any reasonable degree, and no officers were nearby to restrain him. As a private soldier, I attempted no such physical restraint.

    Within one minute, the Federal Lieutenant emerged from the church, also confirming Hog’s assertion. "He's quoting Jeff Davis," the Lieutenant said. A fevered pitch spread to other men. I was incredulous. No such secesh preaching had occurred, and I am a sober and reliable witness of those proceedings.

    I can only hope my testimony will be taken under consideration, and a full investigation opened.
    Ray White

  • #2
    Re: Shooting the parson

    My only regrets of the action was that I laughed so hard at the "brave" sheriff" the flame went out and that we wasted two bullets on that parson. If we were worried with the sheriff, his shotgun could have been removed from the hall of the church.
    Patrick Landrum
    Independent Rifles

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Shooting the parson

      Well, at least I respect the house of the Lord, unlike some folks. I wasn't going to take that shotgun into His sanctuary. Plus, I had other weapons to fall back upon and before it was done, they were there with us. I suppose you missed them being brought into the churchyard.

      By the way sergeant, you would have got the first barrel since you had the torch, Hog would have had the second although I would have preferred to have the order reversed. I figured it would be over for me so I was just going to take as many with me as I could.
      Michael Comer
      one of the moderator guys

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Shooting the parson

        It was truly a shocking moment. Our dear Pastor, Rev. Cope, was relatively new to our community. He had moved to Gray Summit only recently. Although we had a good idea of his political leanings, he was always very careful to explain that all of God's children deserved love and understanding. He tried to promote harmony in Gray Summit, not to stir dissension, but he also felt that he had the right to preach as he saw fit from his own pulpit.

        The town was indeed divided. I confess I was surprised when I heard the Reverend mention the day of fasting and prayer instituted by Confederate President Jefferson Davis. I did not hear him praise Davis, but I supposed that he was referring to the idea that a prayerful observance of the day would be acceptable to the Lord in any case. Still, I was saddened to see that the Unionist citizens felt compelled to leave the church when Rev. Cope began to speak about the "usurpers" and "invaders." Lincolnite or not, these folks are our neighbors and friends and the divisions are painful to all.

        I was frightened to see the hateful looks on the faces of the dastards who carried torches and guns past the church windows. But nothing could prepare me for the horror that came next. Our good Pastor was taken out of the church bound in ropes. The soldiers marched him to the Mill immediately. The Reverend cried out in desperation, "Ladies, help me! Help me!" But before anyone could think or speak his captors had forced him behind the Mill.

        Within very few minutes a terrible shot rang out -- then another. For a long time we believed our dear Reverend to be dead. The women stood staring in horror, unable to move from the scene, even when the federal commander ordered us back into our homes. The women who work in the Inn, Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Good, ran across the green to the Mill to see what could be done for poor Rev. Cope.

        I will never forget the terrible sadness of Rev. Cope's cry for help.

        The last I heard, the bullet had entered his shoulder and he lost a great deal of blood, but he is still alive.

        Yes, there will indeed be a trial. The miscreants have been captured and the witnesses stand ready to testify.

        May Heaven have mercy on them, for Gray Summit will not.
        [FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]Silvana R. Siddali[/SIZE][/FONT]
        [URL="http://starofthewestsociety.googlepages.com/home"][FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"]Star of the West Society[/SIZE][/FONT][/URL][B]
        [COLOR="DarkRed"]Cherry Bounce G'hal[/B][/COLOR]:wink_smil

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Shooting the parson

          Sir,

          If you left the service before it was concluded, how would you know whether or not the Parson invoked the name of Jefferson Davis and the Confederate States government?
          Andy Ackeret
          A/C Staff
          Mess No. 3 / Hard Head Mess / O.N.V

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Shooting the parson

            Hog acted in self defense. The preacher is a shifty man who in fact was a rebel. He did in fact have a reference in his sermon to the rebel president Davis. I should know...before we left town I found his rough draft of the sermon.


            Here is what the parson said:
            "Therefore, I, Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, do issue this my proclamation setting apart Wednesday, the sixteenth day of November next, as a day to be specially devoted to the worship of Almighty God ; and I do invite and invoke all the people of these Confederate States to assemble......"


            On another note: Silvana may have an announcment coming shortly. Consider this case OPEN!
            Last edited by Hairy Nation Boys; 10-05-2009, 03:11 PM. Reason: Added rebel preacher remarks
            Nathan Hellwig
            AKA Harrison "Holler" Holloway
            "It was the Union armies west of the Appalachians that struck the death knell of the Confederacy." Leslie Anders ,Preface, The Twenty-First Missouri

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Shooting the parson

              Originally posted by GWHall View Post
              Sir,

              If you left the service before it was concluded, how would you know whether or not the Parson invoked the name of Jefferson Davis and the Confederate States government?
              Perhaps you are correct; it may have occurred after I left. But by the time I had exited, Hog had already made his wild assersions and drew up a large crowd. He could have heard no more than me. And I heard no secesh preaching.
              Ray White

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Shooting the parson

                I wanted to take that shotgun out of the doorway while no one was looking, but the Sergeant said that it was all right since it was the Sheriff's. Sheriff, you might have had the chance to pull one trigger, but that would've been your last action on this earth, I promise you that.
                Bob Welch

                The Eagle and The Journal
                My blog, following one Illinois community from Lincoln's election through the end of the Civil War through the articles originally printed in its two newspapers.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Shooting the parson

                  Did Hog say he was going to shoot the parson while he walked around the church?
                  Did Sgt. landrum say he was going to burn down the church?


                  The parson should also stand trial for stealing oatmeal that was intended for the men of Company I. While in his parsonage I found the draft and the oatmeal. Many a good union man went without breakfast...

                  You people of Grey Summit are lucky that we didn't burn your town down. '

                  Orderly Sgt Holloway
                  Company I 21st Missouri
                  Nathan Hellwig
                  AKA Harrison "Holler" Holloway
                  "It was the Union armies west of the Appalachians that struck the death knell of the Confederacy." Leslie Anders ,Preface, The Twenty-First Missouri

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Shooting the parson

                    There were some good Union men in Gray Summit before you all came to town - not anymore.
                    Michael Comer
                    one of the moderator guys

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Shooting the parson

                      Holler,
                      The only disappointing aspect of you and the Federals burning the town would be that it would have left nothing for us to burn. My other disappointment was that historically, even the most vile of men did not harm women and children for had that been the custom of the day, there would have been women in the grist mill when we burned it down with the bodies of the ten men we executed.
                      Tom Yearby
                      Texas Ground Hornets

                      "I'd rather shoot a man than a snake." Robert Stumbling Bear

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Shooting the parson

                        That damn Parson lashed out at the detail in the Mill. If we had no respect for the town people, we would have done what the Preachers men did instead of leave you ladies of Gray's Summit without one crooked whore mongering preacher.
                        Patrick Landrum
                        Independent Rifles

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Shooting the parson

                          Did anyone see Hog pull the trigger? And was he the only one? There was another solider with him...


                          Tom,

                          We should have been working together.
                          Nathan Hellwig
                          AKA Harrison "Holler" Holloway
                          "It was the Union armies west of the Appalachians that struck the death knell of the Confederacy." Leslie Anders ,Preface, The Twenty-First Missouri

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Shooting the parson

                            The only good Union men in Gray Summit marched out about noon on Sunday. That's all I've got to say on that issue.
                            Bob Welch

                            The Eagle and The Journal
                            My blog, following one Illinois community from Lincoln's election through the end of the Civil War through the articles originally printed in its two newspapers.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Shooting the parson

                              I saw him pull the trigger. And I heard him say he'd shoot it again. Of course, he missed the first time - probably would have the second time also.
                              Michael Comer
                              one of the moderator guys

                              Comment

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