Civil War Reminiscences of Cyrus Bussey, 1864

In July 1861, the rebels under Martin Green and Harris were organizing in North East Missouri. Union men were driven out and much alarm felt by the citizens of the southern border counties of Iowa. Col. Cyrus Bussey was serving as Aid de Camp to the Governor of Iowa and was specially entrusted with the safety of the southern border. He procured arms and ammunition and organized various companies in the Counties of Lee, Van Buren, and Davis. Col. David Moore with a force of about 400 “Home Guards” were attacked at Athens Missouri on the Des Moines River on the 6th of August by 1500 rebels under Martin Greene. The engagement was severely contested on both sides. The militia companies from Keokuk were sent out and rendered important service. The rebels were defeated with considerable loss. The news of this battle spread with great rapidity and was much exaggerated, causing the people for one hundred miles in the interior of Iowa to flock to the scene of the engagement with everything that would make war. Col. Bussey reached Athens the morning of the fight and found a large force concentrated and about ready to march into Missouri. Many of the people of Iowa were opposed to “invading the sacred soil” of Missouri. Col. Bussey therefore visited Maj. Gen. Fremont, at that time commanding the Dept. of the Mo., for the purpose of obtaining authority to use the Militia of Iowa in Missouri. in the event of their being such necessity, which arrangement was at once affected. During the interview with Gen Fremont, Col. Bussey was requested to raise a Cavalry Regiment at Keokuk, Iowa for United States Service the organization of which, it was believed, would have an influence to keep the country on the Southern border of Iowa and Northeast Mo. quiet. Col. Bussey, after some hesitation, consented to undertake the responsibility, which he could only do at considerable pecuniary sacrifice having a large business at home demanding his attention. He went to work with a determination calculated to ensure success and on the 13th day of August issued a call for volunteers requesting each volunteer to bring with him a good cavalry horse to sell to the Government. He left Keokuk on the morning of the 14th having arranged for the organization of a Company at Keokuk and visited Farmington, Keosauqua, Bloomfield, and other points and wrote to influential men in other Counties and on the 28th of August had one thousand 100 [sic]men and horses in rendezvous. In this two weeks he had, after visiting Bloomfield, returned to Keokuk, arranged for the construction of barracks and feed troughs for the horses, provided camp kettles, mess pans, etc., for the men, made arrangements for wood, water, and forage for horses, provided temporary arrangements to subsist the men at the expense of the