Missouri “Democrat” Account.
Kansas City, Mo., February 23. The event which has above all others marked the day, and communicated a joyousness to the Union men of this vicinity — second only to that felt upon the capture of Fort Donelson—was the discomfiture and rout of Quantril and Parker, with seventy-five men, by two companies of the Second Ohio Cavalry under Lieut. Nettleton. The facts are as follows:
Learning that Parker, with a company of sixty men from Waverly, Mo., and Quantril, with fifteen men, were at Independence, engaged in their usual amusements of plundering, bragging, etc., Major Purington of the Second Ohio Cavalry, sent out the above-mentioned force to capture them.
Starting at three o’clock in the morning {Feb. 18} , Lieut. Nettleton reached and surrounded Independence by daylight; but after a thorough search, it was found that those marauders had again eluded us. The command left Independence for this place about eight A.M., this morning, but stopped about half a mile from town to feed their horses. In the mean time, a man by the name of Smiley, a member of the State militia, and one of the Ohio boys, had remained behind, and were about starting to overtake the command, when they were suddenly surrounded by a party of Quantril’s men, who had just arrived in town. The Ohio soldier escaped, but Smiley was captured. In a few minutes more, in came Quantril, and Parker with seventy-five men, who disarmed him and deliberately shot him with his own pistol.
By this time the Ohio troops were informed of the state of things, and came dashing into town before the astonished rebels, who supposed them to be half-way to Kansas City, were aware of their approach. Quantril and Parker precipitately fled, leaving their men to follow as best they could. They were overtaken, however, in the public square, where a brief skirmish ensued in which two of the rebels were killed and one Ohio soldier. A second attempt to escape was made, and a second time they were overtaken; this time just east of the Court-House. In this skirmish two more of the rebels were killed and five prisoners taken, with a quantity of arms, etc., most of which were still loaded, not having been discharged.
After a brief fight through the town, among the dwellings, behind the fences, etc., the enemy all scattered and were lost in the fog.
The result of the whole affair was the death of the rebel gang, including (as the prisoners say) Parker himself. If this is the case, the affair has been a great benefit to the community, as this Parker has been the terror of all isolated Union families in this region of country.
Lieut. Nettleton deserves much credit for the manner in which the affair was conducted, and the boys “went in” with a relish which shows that their title of “Wade and Hutchins cavalry,” is not out of compliment to their men alone, but because they combine the pluck and fierceness of old Ben Wade with the activity of Hutchins.
