Captain Flannagan ordered his lieutenant to bring out the battery of six pieces of artillery. In a few moments came the rumble of wheels, the rattling of trace chains and the tramp of many horses, and the six field pieces were wheeled into position on the rising ground about Lafayette street and Third. The town was wild with excitement. Officers were galloping hither and thither, and citizens pale and terrified were gathered in squads on the streets preparing to flee from the town. The Indiana regiment got under arms, came to the town on the double quick, with fixed bayonets, and by the order of Col. Wheatley were stationed in squads in the protection of the houses all around the artillery. A regiment of cavalry was camped on the Muddy over near Georgetown. An orderly was sent post haste for this regiment, and in a half an hour the entire command came thundering over the prairie from Georgetown, and completed the circle of troops around the battery. While the two bodies were standing awaiting some hostile movement, it was a period of the most intense anxiety. One shot or one hasty command would have produced a bloody fight, for the men on both sides were roused to fury, and ready for any desperate deed. But the artillerymen were outnumbered and surrounded, and the subordinate officers, including the lieutenant, disenclined to let the men fight. Col. Wheatly sent word to them that if they did not go back quietly to their camp in half an hour that he would open fire on them with his infantry, order the cavalry to charge the battery, and that he would not stop until every man in the battery was shot, sabred or bayoneted. Reluctantly and sullenly the guns were coupled up and slowly dragged back to camp and peace restored. This was the most exciting event of the war history in Sedalia, except the attack on the town by the Confederates in October, 1864.

On October 1, 1864, just two weeks before Jeff. Thompson's raid, the Sedalia Advertiser, with an enterprise that was most commendable, and a foresight that would do justice to the keenest and most foreseeing, newspaper man of the present "fast" days in journalism, published a price list of staple articles. For this paper, the only one in existence, so far as the writer could learn, we are indebted to Mr. William E. Bard, one of the settlers and business men of 1861. The following is the price list of October 1, 1864: Coffee per sack, $55@ $57; sugar per barrel $25@ $28; salt per barrel or sack $5.50 @ $5.75; washed wool $1.00 per pound; uncleansed wool 45 @ 50 cents per pound; hams, sides and shoulders of bacon 17@18 cents per pound; corn, $1.00 per bushel; wheat $1.25 @ $1.50 per bushel. Lumber: joist, from $15@ $50 per thousand cubic feet; scantling from $40@$47 per thousand; flooring from $60@$70 per thousand; siding $42.50 per thousand; shingles from $6.50@$7 per thousand; laths $10 per thousand. This was the common wholesale rate, (it is supposed,) furnished by Cloney, Crawford & Co. These were decidedly “war rates”

and such rates as would make the dealers and purchasers open their eyes, or swear according to his temperament or habits.

CHAPTER IV.-SEDALIA AFTER THE WAR.

The Effect of the War on the Town-A Picture of the Town as it was on New Year's Day, 1865-The New Men and Business Houses which were Added to the Town during the War-How the Wholesale Trade of Sedalia Began-The Grand Awakening in 1865-6 -The Newspaper of that Day-The First Brick Building Erected-The First Churches, Societies and Schools-First Public Hall, Street Grading, etc.

From the time of Gen. Thompson's raid, for a period of about six months, from October 1864, to April 1865, Sedalia was on a stand-still. But with the actual close of the war the town began a new life; the incubus of the war was removed from the shoulders of the young city, and she straitened herself for a fresh struggle. During the war the town had been constantly a military post, filled with soldiers and under their influence. During each year, from the date of the arrival of the railroad, a few business men came to the town and started business in answer to the inexorable laws of supply and demand, and these few additions each year had at the beginning of 1865, increased the population to about 1,000 people, or double what it had been when the railroad first arrived. Among the new business men who came to the city and established themselves in Sedalia during the war, exclusive of those already mentioned as the very first business men of 1861, are the following: Louis Kumm established a small gunsmith, ammunition and jewelry store, on the north side of Main street, on about the present site of P. S. Little's furniture store; Abram Meyer in 1862, established a large saddlery house, on the south side of Main, near the corner of Ohio street; Taylor & Co., wholesale dry goods; Louis Beck, a brother of Maj. William Beck; Jefferson Corpenning; Goodwin, a wagon maker; Mrs. Rauck, the only milliner in the city, who was noted for having a lovely daughter, young ladies being scarce in those days; John Stillwell, William Bockschmidt, Anderson and Tucker, Bixby and Houx, (had a store here in 1861, but did not come in person to the city until 1862.) In 1862 Geo. L. Faulhaber, late mayor, ran to Sedalia on the Pacific Railroad a messenger for the United States express company. He took charge of the office in 1863 and continued in charge until 1865. He was away for three years, then returned and became agent again, and is in charge of the office to-day. He is one of pioneers of the town and has had a beneficial influence upon it.

As soon as peace was declared and established in 1865, the people in Central Missouri and Sedalia began to turn the energies which had been expended in fighting to business enterprises. Those whose fortunes had been broken by the war wanted to recover them or restore them; those

in the east who wanted to seek new fields and fortunes, began at once to do it. Many soldiers who had been here during the war had made the possibilties of the town known to their friends elsewhere.

It is impossible to describe the eagerness and enthusiasm with which every one in and around Sedalia began to work. They worked with feverish haste and energy; every one seemed to rejoice at the return of peace, every one who had been in the country had a taste of genuine war which would satisfy them for a life time. Half a dozen men who are alive to-day predicted in 1863 that Sedalia would be what she is to-day. “It is bound to be a live, big town; I am going right there, stick my stake and stay till it sprouts or I wither," was a common expression among men of keen foresight in 1865.

The big southwest trade, which began with the town, started afresh in 1863, and continued to increase until 1865, now began to increase with a tenfold rapidity. This was augmented by the local trade. Men of energy from all the old towns around Sedalia, charmed by her youthful beauty, vivacity and "business go-aheaditiveness" came to the town and went into business. The farmers throughout the county began the work of repair; and as the slaves were no longer such, they began to look with eyes of favor on the sulky plow, the reaper and mower, the steam thresher, the wheat drill, the corn planter and the riding hay rake and the handsome, substantial steel axle and thimble skein wagon. It was simply astounding the demand there was in the spring and summer of 1865-6 for such articles. The intelligent class of former slave-holding farmers, "knowing a good thing when they saw it," bought and used these articles. The northern and eastern people who came to the town, had all been brought up to hard work; to habits of economy and self support; they were full of the vim, hard practical commercial instinct; they were full of push, and, the influence of the people and the town of Sedalia was soon visible to every one but those who would not see, throughout Central Missouri.

Sedalia was the missionary of a New Business Gospel, the representative of the New Era after the death of slavery, and it is only just now that the State has begun to recognize that fact. During the war Sedalia was like one of those hardy ground vines which had a large stone lying on top of it. It was full of latent vitality and the earth around the roots was full of richness, but the crushing weight upon it prevented it from growing, and though it could creep a little into the few openings around it, it merely lived until some kind power removed the weight from it. Then freedom, sunshine, air and its inherent vitality made it grow with an almost magical swiftness. At the end of the war Sedalia was still a village of "box houses." There were not a dozen buildings in the town that could have justly been called substantial.

When the first wild fury of war swept over the country the entire business of the town became stagnant, goods were removed back to Jefferson City and houses abandoned. This stagnation lasted from May, 1861, through the winter of 1861, and on until the middle of the summer of 1862. In the fall of 1862 the Union troops began to get a good foothold in the State, and Sedalia began to be an important military post. Then troops were stationed in the town and in the vicinity, and the country about it was somewhat tranquilized by the presence of the Union military power. Early in 1863 there were a number of large wholesale and retail houses in the town. Among them were the old houses of Cloney, Crawford & Co., Taylor & Co., Bixby & Houx, Wm. Beck, Theo. Bloss, and the stage companies.

All the supplies which were needed by the people in the wide area of country-then without railroads, south and southwest of Sedalia, were purchased in Sedalia. Wagon trains drawn by oxen, mules and horses, came not only from all south and southwest Missouri, but from south eastern Kansas, from Arkansas, from the Indian Territory and even from Texas. It was even then that the wholesale trade of Sedalia, which now amounts to nearly $3,000,000 and is represented by thirty commercial travelers, began.

The people of the Indian Territory used to bring great droves of Indian ponies and cattle here. Enormous quantities of hides, pelts and furs were also brought here, even in 1863, and exchanged for goods or shipped to the east. All the prairie around Sedalia was dotted with the camp fires and wagons of the frieghters. Down on Flat Creek, near the fords and large pools of water, there were camps all the time except in mid winter. The main street of the town was from day to day filled with covered wagons loading with goods. All this business was done by a very few houses, who took "big chances" against the dangers of the war, and doubtless reaped large profits. To show what business was done by the few houses it is necessary to state that in the year 1863 the house of Cloney, Crawford & Co., the largest and the pioneer business firm of the city, sold $270,000 worth of goods. The local trade of the town was light in proportion because so much of the population were under arms. At the end of the year 1864 the place was still temporary, and one big fire might have swept it away. There were no mills, no manufactories, no schools, no churches and but one railroad. On January 1, 1865, two and a half squares in length on the north and the south sides of Main streets had the business houses scattered on them. There were a lot of frame cottages, the principal residences of the town, up on each side of Jefferson and St. Louis streets, east of Ohio. The hotels and stables were over north of the present site of the Garrison House Park. There were.