From Paris, Monroe County

On Wednesday evening, July 30th, a band under the lead of Joe Thompson, (many of whom had taken the oath and given bond.) entered Paris, cut down the flag pole, took the Sheriff and the Clerks of the Circuit and County Courts prisoners, forced the keys of the jail from the jailor, set at liberty a man who was indicted for murder in the first degree, demanded of the Sheriff the warrant of commitment and all the money which he had collected for taxes, (but he having disposed of it, they got none.) 

They took the two Clerks to the jail, in a room of which was the Clerk’s office, and forced the Clerk of the Circuit Court to deliver such indictments as Joe Thompson wanted. They took from some of the stores such goods as suited them, amounting to hundreds of dollars, pressed a wagon, and then loaded it and drove it off, forced the people to deliver their money, furnish them supper, etc. 

About night some four hundred men, entered town about daylight, having marched all night. He had a battery of three pieces, and his men wee well equipped. At night, having learned that Porter, with a large force, was skedaddling north through the country, Col. McNeil left about dark in pursuit. Porter’s gang, as they passed through, took a great many horses, bridles, and saddles. Today Major Caldwell and others, with a heavy force, batter, etc, arrived in pursuit.

Source: Page 2 of the Liberty Weekly Tribune dated 08 Aug 1862 at http://newspapers.umsystem.edu/archive.