C. L. Willoughby of Mississippi; J. F. Paxton, professor of Greek in the University of Oklahoma, and Dr. C. F. Hicks of Cincinnati. Dr. Frank Thilly, who held the chair of psychology at the state institution for many years, and is now a member of the faculty of Cornell, is surely enough of a Missourian to come to our birthday party, inasmuch as he married one of the charming Matthews girls of Columbia.

"Among the great educators of the country there should be reckoned John J. Jacobs, who transferred his allegiance to West Virginia and was there elected governor; James Allen Smith, professor of political economics at the University of Wisconsin, and E. E. Bass, George L. Brown, Raymond Weeks and others too numerous to mention by name. One Missourian, however, must not be omitted. That one is B. T. Galloway of the Department of Agriculture at Washington.

"When it comes to inviting the Missourians in New York City, the committee on invitations will find itself with a rather large job on its hands. The Missouri Society of the metropolis, second in size only to that of Ohio, numbers 182 members.

"Bounding our invitations by the western ocean, we should see to it that one of them reaches Judge Louis L. Williams of Juneau, John Yantis Ostrander of Valdez and John H. Duckworth of Treadwell, all in Alaska. Along with them should come Miss Stella Dunnaway, the M. S. U. girl whose little schoolhouse is on the most northwesterly border of Alaska, the very most remote point on the continent. Two other former Missourians of that remote territory ought to be remembered for what they have achieved in the terrific pioneer work of that new country. These are Henry W. Miller and W. H. McNair of Copper Mountain. And there is no doubt that these six could handle hundreds of invitations, to be forwarded to other Missourians in various parts of Alaska-and Judge Williams insists that all of them are Missourians still, toiling to amass a fortune that they may return to Missouri and live in comfort on the fruits of their long, hard exile from home.

"From such a home coming we should learn how important Missouri is in the upbuilding of America."

CHAPTER XXIV.

MISSOURI IN THE WARS.

Battle of the Everglades-The Gentry Family-When the State Compelled Military Service— Benton's Mexican Plan-A Political Ballad of '46-Missourians Start for Mexico Without Orders-The Army of the West-Doniphan's Marching and Fighting-Sterling Price's Memorable Part-The Revolt of the Pueblos-Sergeant Drescher's Ride for Mercy-Execution of the Revolutionists-The Battle at Rosalia-William Cullen Bryant's Tribute to Doniphan's Expedition-New Mexico Annexed by Kearny-The Nerve of the Rangers-Homeward Bound-A Missouri Welcome-Long Live Governor Lane-The Historic Brass Twelve-Pounders-Troubles on the Kansas Border-John Brown's Invasion of Missouri-William Hyde, War Correspondent-The Southwest Expedition— Trophies of the Civil War-Shelby's Story of His Expedition-What Lincoln Planned for the Confederates-Negotiations with Maximilian—Missouri and the War With Spain -Bland, Dockery and Cochran-Sedalia's Object Lesson in Loyalty-Grant and Doniphan on Mexico-Mullanphy and the Cotton Bales-The American Spirit in Upper Louisiana-George Rogers Clark's Tribute-Francis Vigo, the Patriot-Battle of Pencour-The British Plans to Take the Mississippi Valley-St. Louis in the American Revolution-Captain Beausoleil's Expedition.

And this is Colonel Doniphan, who made the wild march against the Comanches and Mexicans. You are the only man I ever met whose appearance came up to my prior expectations.-President Lincoln to Doniphan at the White House.

A few days before Martin Van Buren was inaugurated in 1837, he talked to Senator Benton about the trouble the Seminoles were giving in Florida. Missouri's Indian problems had been settled so successfully and so easily that public men at Washington had often marveled. The President-elect sought an opinion from the Senator as to what should be done with the Florida situation which was grave.

"If the Seminoles had Missourians to deal with their stay would be short in Florida," the Senator said.

Mr. Van Buren asked Mr. Benton if he thought Missourians could do better in Florida than the regular army had done.

The Senator said he certainly did think so, and told why. There the conversation ended. After the inauguration bustle had passed by President Van Buren one day asked Senator Benton if it was practicable to get Missourians to go to Florida and make a campaign against the Seminoles.

"The Missourians will go wherever their services are needed," was Senator Benton's reply.

Thereupon the United States Government did the extraordinary thing of calling upon the governor of Missouri for two regiments of mounted men to go to Florida and fight the Seminoles. The governor issued the call, and the

rough riders and scouts of the Missouri valley headed by General Richard Gentry, Colonel John W. Price and Major William H. Hughes, twelve or fourteen hundred strong, came marching into St. Louis. They camped at Jefferson Barracks. Benton made a speech. Men and horses required several steamboats for transportation. They were taken to New Orleans, and thence to Tampa Bay. On the gulf a storm drove some of the vessels aground. Many of the horses were lost. The Missourians got ashore, and under the direction of General Zachary Taylor marched into the Everglades. At Okee-cho-bee lake they found the whole body of Seminoles under Sam Jones, Tiger Tail, Alligator and Mycanopee. The Missourians fought on foot. They depended upon the tactics and knowledge of Indian character which had never failed them. Gentry, shot through the body, and fatally wounded, kept his feet for an hour directing the movements of his men. The victory over the Seminoles was complete, but the ranks of the Missourians were decimated. Early in the foliowing year, the object of the campaign having been accomplished, the Missourians returned to St. Louis.

The Fighting Gentrys.

The Gentrys came to Missouri from Kentucky in 1816 after Richard Gentry had served in the war of 1812. They passed on to the Boone's Lick country where the head of the family participated in laying out Columbia, the county seat of Boone. The Gentrys were of Kentucky fighting stock. They "had no fear of man or beast, the British redcoats or the savage Indian," according to one of a later generation. After the war of 1812 several Gentrys came to Missouri. They were some of the nineteen children of the Richard Gentry who fought in the Revolution. Richard Gentry, best known in Missouri history as General Dick Gentry, came in 1816, passed through St. Louis and sought the famous Boone's Lick country. He made one of the welcoming speeches when the first steamboat reached Old Franklin, was one of the founders of Columbia, voted for Benton, served in the state militia as captain, colonel and major-general, made trips over the Santa Fe Trail, and raised the regiment of rangers which he commanded in the Seminole war. The Missouri rangers carried a silk flag presented to them by the patriotic women of Columbia. On the flag was painted:

"Good, good, for the conflict, our banner was high,

For our country we live, for our country we die."

Boone County contributed five of the companies of rangers which went to Florida to fight the Seminoles. The captains were Thomas D. Grant, David M. Hickman, Sinclair Kirtley, Elijah P. Dale and Michael Woods.

Mrs. Richard Gentry was the first woman put in charge of a post office. She performed the duties at Columbia more than thirty years, holding commissions under nine Presidents. The appointment was obtained by Senator Benton as a partial recognition of the services of General Richard Gentry in the Everglades.

Gentrys have been in every war fought on American soil. The Missouri Gentrys were in the Blackhawk as well as the Seminole war. They were in Mexico. They fought on both sides in the Civil war. N. H. Gentry was on the Confederate side and fell at Wilson's Creek. Captain Henry Clay Gentry was

on the Federal side and captured Gen. Jeff Thompson, the swamp fox of Southeast Missouri fame. A president of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad was Joshua Gentry. There have been Gentrys in the pulpits of both Baptist and Christian churches. The historian, Thomas Benton Gentry, in what he called "a confidential talk to the Gentry family," said a few years ago: "They have made good soldiers, good preachers and teachers, good lawyers, good legislators, good surgeons, good county court judges, good civil engineers, good justices of the peace, good city councilmen, good road overseers, good jurors and good citizens generally."

And then he cautioned the Gentrys "not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, but soberly." He reminded his relatives that "we have never yet furnished this country with a President, a Cabinet officer, a United States. Senator, a governor, or a federal judge." And then he lectured briefly and excellently on eugenics. "The secret is, my dear relatives, we have not paid enough attention to education, and to keeping up and improving our stock. Our young women are often too thoughtless in the matter of selecting partners for life. And our men when not engaged in war have been busy with their farms, their stock raising, their fine horses, cattle, sheep and hogs and money making, and have too much neglected education and cultivation of the intellect. I most earnestly call your attention to these matters, and as a brother urge you henceforth to be exceedingly careful and wise in the contracting of matrimonial alliances. Choose none but the very best stock, and then with the proper education and training, you may expect to raise statesmen, orators, great preachers, lawyers, inventors, and men of genius, as well as the well balanced, solid farmer and man of business. The early training of your children is a most important matter. You cannot be too careful to teach and train them with the highest standards of morality and religion."

The Militia Law.

Missouri's militia law in early days required all able bodied men between eighteen and forty-five to organize in companies and elect captains. Battalions, regiments, brigades and divisions were formed with majors, colonels, brigadiergenerals and major-generals. Once a month the company mustered in each township. Semi-annually the battalions were formed and drilled at the most convenient places. Yearly the regiment of the county was called together at the county seat. The regulations required all who had arms to bring them in good order to the muster. Those who had no arms drilled with sticks. The officers were compelled to buy their own uniforms, the honor of election by their commands and of commissions from the governor being considered sufficient inducement to do this. Under the operation of this law every Missourian learned something of the tactics and every part of Missouri acquired a fine assortment of men with military titles. Courts martial were held to try officers and men for failure to attend drills. The general muster at the county seat was the great day of the year. About the time of the Mexican war the militia establishment of the State became unwieldy. There were too many colonels. The privates grew tired of the muster calls. The legislature repealed the law.

Missourians in the Texas Struggle.

No other part of the United States had such close ties with Texas as did Missouri. Even before it had obtained statehood, Missourians in colonies were migrating to the land of unlimited range and no taxes. The Austins were leaders in the movement. It is tradition that a Menard founded Galveston. Flint in his travels about 1818 found many Missourians talking about emigration to Texas. During weeks of suspense in 1838 all St. Louis excitedly watched for boats from New Orleans. A crowd flocked to the levee to meet each arrival. “What's the news from Texas?" was the eager question. In the fight for Lone Star independence St. Louis had more than the interest of a city of the American republic. Members of St. Louis families, scores of them, had settled in Texas while it was under the Mexican flag. Austin had led a colony from Missouri. At the opening of hostilities forty young men had gone from St. Louis to help the Texans establish independence. Boat after boat brought bad news. At Goliad there had been slaughter. Houston was retreating, retreating with his front to the enemy. He was covering the flight of the fugitive women and children from Western Texas. He was nearing the San Jacinto. A Mexican army, three times as large as that of the Texans, was pressing eastward. That was the situation on which the interest and mpatience of St. Louis reached the crisis. The levee swarmed when the next New Orleans boat came in. A man with a broad brimmed hat leaned forward from the deck and waving his hand shouted:

"Sam Houston has whipped Santa Anna and got him a prisoner.”

Did they cheer? One who was there said that joy coming so suddenly upon anxiety, the first response was a great "Ah!" of relief. The throng pressed forward for details. Texas was free. The Mexican leader was a prisoner. His army had gone back to Mexico. St. Louisians had given good account of themselves in the fighting. Then came the cheering. "Hurrah for Steve Austin!" "Hurrah for Sam Houston!" "Hurrah for Texas!" And they sang:

"When every other land forsakes us,
This is the land that freely takes us."

The lid of suspense was off. St. Louis celebrated the good news far into the night.

In the 1844 Presidential campaign the burning issue with Missouri was immediate annexation of Texas. Polk, who was committed to that policy, carried the State by 10,000 over Clay, who owned land in Missouri, visited here and was very popular. There were few of the old Missouri families who did not have representatives in Texas.

Benton's Plan to Avert War.

Benton believed in 1846 he could settle quickly the trouble with Mexico. His proposition was that he be made lieutenant-general in command of all forces and that he be given $3,000,000 to obtain peace. The proposition met with favor to the extent that the Missouri Senator was given the commission of major-general. General Winfield Scott was a Whig. The Benton movement was political on the part of the Democrats who feared that Whigs might gain prestige by the war