'Cbe Conservative *
aud beou astride of her sooner than. he.
Without saddle or bridle , but with only
a rope halter and a sheep-skin to serve
as equipment , the old man wont along
that road leading southward , like a
courier , with a message of life to some
doomed culprit. Perhaps that'was his
true character that morning ; for , by 10
o'clock a. m. a dozen Grand Army men
were already assembled , and the other
half-dozen were momentarily expected.
At ten minutes after 10 o'clock , Mr.
Campbell returned with the informa
tion that ho and Judge Marlow had got
the flag from Vaughn and replaced it on
the staff , and that Vaughn had vowed
to die rather than to replace it him
self.
A New Occasion for Trouble.
For the next two weeks it was thought
that this episode would end all difficulty ,
when suddenly a new flame blazed up
and came very near to causing blood
shed. Two young men of the Illinois
crowd , came to the store one afternoon
and after some good natured chaffing be
tween them and Mr. Kincaid , one of
them all at once gave evidence of
, wishing. , to quarrel. Kincaid inxa
kindly manner , requested him to desist ,
but that seemed only to embolden him.
Then drawing a dirk and brandishing
it , lie asserted that he had come to
"bury its blade in the heart of some
before dark. " Buckeye , who was
at the grocery counter on the opposite
side of the room , sprang to Kincaid's
assistance and dealt the young man a
straight right-hander that shot him head
long into the road. Then seizing the
dirk he inserted its blade into a crack in
the building and broke it off at the hilt.
In the meantime the other chap had be
gun to make threats to kill Buckeye if
he should break the knife , and Joe
Kincaid had seized him and was hur
rying him off down the road , before
Buckeye could procure a gun from be
hind the counter. A week or so after
this occurrence , and when the com
munity had about recovered from the
attempted deadly assault at the store ,
the Rev. Alexander Campbell Bender ,
who lived at Patosi in Kansas , and
who was a brother-in-law to a couple of
the Missouri guerillas , foolishly stirred
up all the slumbering fires and resent
ments in the community , and inad
vertently hastened the climax and end
of all trouble. Rev. "Camp. " Bender ,
as he was familiarly known , had livec
there near the Kansas line during the
civil war , unmolested by either sideand
as a sort of hostage for the good be
havior of his two brothers-in-law to
ward the citizens of Linn county. He
had played his role well , and had suc
ceeded in winning the usual reward o1
the dough-face the contempt of both
sides.
On July 28 there was a large Seymour
and Blair rally at Butler , and Walnut
creek sent a large delegation , including
88 young couples , mounted on horses , to
represent the then 88 states in the
union. Upon their return , about 10
o'clock at night , these young people
wore making the welkin ring with their
songs , their frolic and merry laughter.
They halted in front of the store and
greeted their friends , Kincaid and
Buckeye , with three cheers and
much good natured badinage , and were
about to pass on , when Rev. "Camp. "
Bender and his charming daughter
drove up , and Bender fixed the atten
tion of every one , with a proclamation
of his intention to "address a few re
marks to all , whom it might concern. "
Kiucaid and Buckeye were standing
in the door. Up to that moment not a
harsh or unseemly word had been ut
tered by anyone , and the very best and
friendliest of feelings prevailed. With
Bender were six or eight wagons and
other vehicles , containing part of the
ugly - tempered political dyspeptics.
These crowded close about Bender in
such a manner as to give evidence of
some preconcerted program. Bender
stood up in his buggy and began in a
most blundering manner to rehearse
phases of the recent difficulties ; then
turning and addressing himself to
Buckeye , he said :
"I do not think it right to hoist the
flag over any school-house. I would not
send my child to a school over which a
flag floated. I would not preach the
gospel in a building that had a flag
flying over it ! "
At that point he was interrupted by
Buckeye with the emphatic words , ut
tered in a drawl"The you wouldn't !
I understand , Mr. Bender , that you are
billed for a sermon in McHenry's grove
next Sunday ! "
"Yes , sir ; I am going to preach
Mother Woodfin's funeral discourse on
that day ! "
"Well , if you do , you will preach it
under the Stars and Stripes ! "
"No , I won't ! If any one puts up a
flag in that grove next Sunday , I will
tear it down. "
"I will put the flag over the altar on
the stand , aud if you touch it I will kill
you the next second. "
"Come on with your flag and I'll
show you ! "
"Come on with your sermon and the
flag and I will bo there ! Good-by , Mr.
Bender , and may God have mercy on
your ornery , treacherous soul , next Sun
day ! "
An Event Forthcoming.
Far and near , spread the news of that
night's event at the store , and from far
and near , on the next Sabbath morning
came people to witness the event in
MoHenry's grove. On that morning ai
9 o'clock , Buckeye unattended , left
the store on foot with a beautiful
bunting flag of goodly size , flying grace
fully from the staff over his head , to
walk to the grove , nearly 8 miles distant.
It was a beautiful morning. A mile
: rom the store he heard a shout , off to
the westward , and saw two men hur
rying on foot across the prairie to join
lim. They were Hiratn and Ezelriol
Reynolds , who brought him word that
the other Grand Army boys were some
where ahead. The three men approached
the grove and , instantly they came in
sight of the crowds ; there was much
Dustle there. Hiram Reynolds was a
giant , with a quick , fiery temper , and
full of lion-like courage. To him , as
they wore entering the timber , Buck
eye spoke a few words of caution.
Hiram's nickname was ' 'Crat. ' ' "Now ,
Orat , " said Buckeye , "you must re
member one thing. The first shot be
longs to me. Don't you attempt to fire
until I have killed 'Camp' Bender , and
then , don't shoot , until I give you the
word. We must keep cool and level
headed. Keep your eye on Vaughn and
the Woofin boys , and keep me posted. "
Near the speaker's stand stood the
rear running-gears of a wagon , From
that point every man in the audience
was in sight. The Reynolds boys were
assigned to that station. Out of view
behind the stand , a dozen of the Grand
Army men sat in the shade , ready to
support their comrades. Bender's ve- '
hide had just driven up to the further
side of the audience where he alighted
and began earnest conversation with
his friends.
Buckeye having seen the Reynolds
boys take their position , at once walked
up the few steps , and tied the flag staff
to a sapling , so that the old banner of
the free hung downward over the Bible
on the speaker's table. As he finished
that , a loud word of command came
from McHeury's yard a few rods away ,
and looking itf that direction , the audi
ence saw the gate swing open aud 80 to
40 men come marching out and toward
the grove. Then there was a woman's
hysterical shriek. Buckeye quickly
quieted all alarm by calling out , "There
will not be a woman , a child , or an in
nocent man harmed here today. Please
keep your seats and be calm ! " The
marching men came into the grove aud
then with a good natured laugh , broke
ranks , demonstrating at once that
Buckeye was right regarding the
movement as "a bluff that don't need
calling. " Haying placed the flag over
the stand and in such posture that Bend
er would have to stoop just a little to
see to the rear of the audience , Buck
eye retired a few paces and braced his
back against a tree , and with folded
arms awaited the crisis. Every eye was
upon him , as Bender stepped upon the
platform , and , it needed not a trumpet
to tell what what would be the result if
the preacher attempted to make good
his threat.
The End of Copperheadism.
Laying aside his duster and hat ,
( Continued on page 18. )
, sr
k
