Jacob Leas ¹

  General Notes:

Apparently, Jacob (Jake) Leas had joined the Confederate Army ...

August 27, 1861 - Camp Lyons

To Col. Thomas Morton - from Lt. A.R. Morton.
I have to inform you that I was taken a prisioner by the
troops under Gen. Ben McCullough, at the Springfield battle and was
held as such until the 23rd. That battle was certainly one of the
hardest fought conflicts on record. In considering the disparity of
numbers on the Union side - the time employed in the battle and the
destruction of life which followed, it has no equal in American
History. We opened fire upon the enemy's camp about 6 AM and left the
field at 12, making 6 hours actual service; during that time there were
at least 3,000 men killed and wounded. Our forces in the engagement
numbered only 5,200 whilst that of the enemy was 27,000; our loss in
killed and wounded was between 600 and 800 men. While a prisoner I took
notes from the reports of the enemy's own adjutants and learned that
they make their loss in wounded 2,200 men. After my capture, I soon
found myself in the presence of Jacob Leas (son of Frank Leas, formerly
of Eaton) who had joined the Confederates. He is an assistant surgeon
in the Gen. Rains Division of the MO State Guards, as they term
themselves. I went with him through all their hospitals and counted
1,200 of their men wounded; and they had more men in houses near the
battlefield, who could not be moved.
Dr. Jake treated me quite courteously - he took me to Maj. Bonny's
and other prominent Secessionists introducing me as a "contraband of
war". Jake's brother-in-law, Dr. Taylor, married his sister Lydia. She
is the most uncompromising Secesh female I have met with. I told her
that her cousin Albert Haines had joined your Company and that all her
relatives and friends in Ohio were for the Union. She said very
emphatically that she hoped Ab and all the rest might get killed. She
repeated the same language to me the next evening when I called on her.
Although she treated me kindly, I assure you such language was anything
but pleasant to my ear. An attempt was made through this channel to
make me believe I would not be released and that I had better take a
position in the Secession Army. Several of their officers had the
audacity to approach me on the subject. They offered me any positopm I
might consider myself capable of assuming. Of course, I refused to
consider all such propositions.
( My notes - there are a few more sentences telling what kind of
fighting was done).
We are now encamped at Rolla, about 110 miles from St. Louis and are
now ordered to that city.
signed Lt. A.R. Morton