been there ever since. I though I had a right to enlist under Meyers, or I would not have gone. He showed his commission. I knew he had no right to tear up the railroad but was compelled. I did not know that the railroad was going to be torn up till it was done. I will.

B. F. WHITE.

Trial of John Bowles for destroying railroad and telegraph lines, &c.

DANVILLE, MOTGOMERY COUNTY, MO.,

February 15, 1862.

Commission met pursuant to adjournment.

Present: Lieutenant Colonel Samuel A. Holmes, Tenth Missouri Volunteers; Captain Richard Y. Lanius, Eighty-first Ohio; Captain A. C. Todd, Tenth Missouri; Captain M. Armstrong, judge-advocate, Eighty-first Ohio.

The accused, John Bowles, also present.

The judge-advocate having read the order convening the court asked the accused, John Bowles, if he had any objection to any member named therein; to which he repled, "I have not".

The commission was then duly sworn by the judge-advocate and the judge-advocate was then by the presiding officer of the commission in the presence of the accused.

The charges were then read aloud by the judge-advocate as follows:

CHARGE 1: Destroying railroad and railroad property.

Specification. - In this, that the said John Bowles on or about the 20th day of December A. D. 1861, in the counties of Montgomery and Audrain in the State of Missouri and within the lines occupied by the regularly authorized military forces of the United States did unlawfully, wilfully and maliciously tear up, burn and destroy the rails, railroad track, ties, bridges, buildings and other property of the North Missouri Railroad Company (so called) contrary to the laws and customs of war in like cases.

CHARGE 2: Destroying telegraph lines.

Specification. - In this, that the said John Bowles on or about the 20th day of December, A. D. 1861, in the counties of Montgomery and Audrain in the State of Missouri and within the lines occupied by the regularly authorized military forces of the United States did unlawfully, wilfully and maliciously cut down and destroy the telegraph wires, poles and offices of the U. S. military telegraph along the line of the North Missouri Railroad in said counties contrary to the laws and customs of war in like cases.

CHARGE 3: Violation of the laws and customs of war.

Specification. - In this, that the said John Bowles on or about the 20th of December, A. D. 1861, at the county of Montgomery in the State of Missouri and within the lines occupied by the lawfully authorized military forces of the United States did unlawfully and of his own wrong take up arms as an insurgent and commit act of hostility against the said military forces, the said John Bowles not then and there being a soldier belonging to any lawfully authorized and organized military forces at war with the United States and without being thereto lawfully commanded by any competent civil or military authority, contrary to the laws customs of war in like cases.

M. ARMSTRONG,

Captain, Judge-Advocate and Recorder Military Commission.

The judge-advocate then asked the accused, John Bowles: "You have heard the charges preferred against you; how say you, guilty or nto guilty?"

To which the said John Bowles pleaded as follows:

To specification to charge 1, guilty.

To charge 1, guilty.

To specification to charge 2, quilty.

To charge 2, guilty.