A History of Northeast Missouri, Volume I, Part 10

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864-1935, editor
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 731

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General Scofield, Brigadier-General of the Missouri Militia at St. Louis, at this time issued his order for all the militia of the state to fight Porter as though he were a guerrilla. Porter on hearing of this is reported to have said : "I can raise one thousand men in Monroe and Marion coun- ties in twenty-four hours on this issue alone." (The same words are also attributed to this general on hearing of the "Palmyra Massacre.")

The defeat suffered by Porter at Moore's Mill, the desperate condi- tion of his force as regards lack of ammunition and also its general character of being composed of raw recruits, combined with the supe- rior Federal force under Guitar at that able general's command made it imperative for the Confederate commander to disband his recruits. Por- ter retreated with his scattered" forces to Florida, crossed the North Missouri Railroad near Mexico and on July 30, arrived near Paris with only four hundred men. It should be noticed that many of his former recruits found their way in scattered bands south of the river. On July 31, Porter's force had risen to one thousand. His objective point was doubtless somewhere near Kirksville where he hoped to join forces with Captain J. A. Poindexter. Porter crossed the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad near Monroe Station and camped at New Market. From there he struck north by way of Philadelphia, gathering recruits along the way until he soon had one thousand five hundred men. Continuing in a general northward direction, he captured a small Federal force at Newark and on August 2d, was at Canton. During this time McNeil had attempted to locate Porter and crush him, but again the Federal commander had been outwitted. Porter had now two thousand two hundred men under him and marching on north threatened Memphis and then turned west towards Kirksville.

General McNeil was now close on the heels of Porter and the latter realized he must fight. Porter chose the town of Kirksville for the battlefield. On August 6, Porter entered Kirksville and had barely placed his force when McNeil with the Ninth Missouri State Militia under Captain Leonard and part of "Merrill's Horse" under Lieutenant- Colonel Shaffer began the attack. Although Porter had chosen his own

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST MISSOURI

field of defense and outnumbered McNeil two to one, he was badly de- feated. This was largely due to the two facts that only eight hundred of Porter's two thousand two hundred to two thousand five hundred men were in action and again to McNeil's artillery virtually forcing Porter out of all his positions. Only six hundred of McNeil's men out of his force of one thousand came into action. The battle lasted only three hours and ended in a veritable rout of Porter's force.

Porter lost 250 prisoners and over 125 in killed and wounded in this battle; the Federal loss was slight. This battle was more than a defeat even though in that respect it was far more fatal to the Confederacy in north Missouri than the battle of Moore's Mill, it was a deathblow from which not even Porter, with his great prestige in Northeast Mis- souri, ever recovered. Recruiting for the South in that section after August 6 was both a hazardous undertaking due to the presence of Federal troops but was even a greater task from a psychological point of view. It was simply harder to persuade men to risk their fortunes with the South after the Kirksville rout. The execution by order of a Federal court-martial of seventeen of Porter's men captured in this battle for violating their parole has been variously condemned and condoned.

After the battle Porter crossed the Chariton river at Clem's Mill, five miles west of Kirksville, and struck south towards Chariton county, planning to join Poindexter, who had between one thousand two hundred and one thousand five hundred men under him. Porter was closely pur- sued by McNeil and in western Macon county met the Federal force on August 8 and turned northeast. On the 9th the Federals fairly drove Porter into Adair county and east across the Chariton, where he am- bushed a small force of Federals at See's Ford. The lines were tighten- ing around Porter and it seemed a matter of only a few hours until all would be over. He was driven into southeast Adair and his men had deserted so rapidly that barely five hundred remained with him. He sent part of this force under Alvin Cobb to Monroe county and with the re- mainder went southeast through southern Knox near Novelty, from which place he curved to Whaley's Mill. On August 11, Porter virtually dis- banded his force in all directions.

It will be necessary at this point to say a word about the other Confederate general in Northeast Missouri at this time, Col. J. A. Poindexter. This officer returned from Arkansas during the summer of 1862, and recruited between one thousand and one thousand five hun- dred men in Chariton, Randolph and Monroe. On August 8, General Guitar, who had been sick after the battle of Moore's Mill, landed at Glasgow with a considerable force determined to put an end to Poin- dexter's raid in Randolph county. He overtook Poindexter at Comp- ton's Ferry on the Grand river in Carroll county on Monday night of August 11, and defeated the Confederate general with great slaughter. Poindexter fled north to Utica on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad where he was driven back by General B. F. Loan. In retreating south he met Guitar on August 13, at Yellow Creek in Chariton county and his band broke up. Thus at two critical moments for the Confederacy in Northeast Missouri, General Guitar defeated and dispersed the forces of both Porter and Poindexter when these two generals were on the verge of complete success in their recruiting campaigns. These two Federal vic- tories with the great one at Kirksville sealed the fate of the Confederacy in this section. Colonel Guitar was in Columbia in August and issued an order of enlistment to which two thousand one hundred responded. He was later appointed commander of the Ninth Missouri military district comprising the counties of Boone, Randolph, Monroe, Audrain, Calla-

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST MISSOURI

way, Ralls, Pike, Montgomery, Warren and St. Charles. The district north was at this time under the command of General Lewis Merrill at Macon City, General McNeil being stationed at Palmyra.

McNeil during this time had marched through Bloomington, the old county seat of Macon county, Shelbyville, and from there to Hunnewell trying to find Porter. That Confederate general after disbanding his force except a very few who remained with him went to Florida to join Cobb. From Monroe county Porter went into Marion and by August 15 was three miles northeast of Emerson with 150 men. From here he marched south again into Monroe and then into Shelby. On August 26, McNeil was at Paris with eight hundred men. The work of Porter at this time was in a way known by the Federals and Palmyra was alarmed as Lewis and Marion still held many Confederates.

On September 12, Porter with four hundred men marched into Pal- myra, released about fifty Confederate prisoners and captured some arms all within two hours. From here he marched north to his camp on

WHERE THE BATTLE WAS FOUGHT

the South Fabius and on the 13th was reinforced with 150 men from Lewis. Porter left his camp and marched in a northwesterly direction towards Newark, touching northeast Shelby. McNeil with his force was at Newark on September 14, and came upon Porter at Whaley's Mill where the Confederate general made his last stand in north Mis- souri. Porter was forced to retreat along the South Fabius and the chase becoming too hot Porter disbanded on reaching Shelby county. Porter himself went on into Shelby and McNeil to Palmyra. During the next six weeks according to Porter's biographer, Captain Joseph Mudd, that general got twelve hundred men through to the Confederate lines, which was the "last installment of the five thousand sent during the campaign." Porter crossed the Missouri in a skiff at Providence, Boone county, and with about one hundred men joined General Marma- duke in Arkansas. He organized a Missouri Confederate cavalry and was mortally wounded at Hartville, Missouri. on January 11, 1863. He died at Batesville, Arkansas, on February 18, 1863.

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST MISSOURI

This really marked the end of open warfare in Northeast Missouri as far as the South was concerned. There was fighting here after that time and considering the number engaged one of the bloodiest battles or "massacres" in the whole history of the war took place after this, but there was no definite, planned campaign of offensive or de- fensive warfare on the part of the Confederacy. It is true there were several bands of Confederate recruits found their way south but they were small and scattered. The pseudo-Confederate bands that roved over north Missouri, 'especially the river counties, after this were, as has been said, as destructive of life and property of southerners as of northerners. They were guerrillas and bushwhackers in the lowest and worst sense of the words and more appropriately should be termed bands of murderers and robbers who respected no law and did homage to no cause save that of greed, lust, revenge and murder.

The story of the war in Northeast Missouri during the fall of 1862 will necessarily include the second and third great executions in that section-the "Macon Execution" and what has become known as the "Palmyra Massacre." The first execution of a body of men by order of a court-martial was that at Kirksville on August 7, 1862. The second at Macon City on Friday, September 25, 1862, was quite similar except that the charge was the triple one of "treason, perjury and murder." Ten Confederate prisoners among 144 held by General Merrill at Macon City were tried, condemned and executed. There has been some argu- ment advanced to explain this execution as in the case of the one at Kirksville, it being held that the charge was true and the trial fair. On the other hand there have been reasons put forward trying to show that the condemned were not guilty and the sentence should have been commuted.

The Palmyra execution or "Massacre" took place at Palmyra on October 18, 1862, on Saturday. The same number were executed as dur- ing the month previous at Macon. The general in command was Gen- eral John H. McNeil and although he was responsible for the deed, the stigma of censure rests today on the head of McNeil's Provost-Marshal General, Colonel Strachan. Although many writers generally censure and condemn the bloodthirsty barbarism of McNeil, they all refrain from trying to offer any excuse whatever for the acts of Strachan, how- ever the act of McNeil is explained from the standpoint of war. The bare outline of this execution seems to be as follows:

During Porter's raid of Palmyra in September, 1862, the Confeder- ates carried away as prisoner a Union citizen of Marion county by the name of Andrew Allsman. This man had aided the Federal com- manders in pointing out those residents of southern sympathies and had thereby incurred the hatred of many southerners. Nothing being heard of him after his capture by Porter, McNeil issued an order on October 8, threatening to execute ten of Porter's men in ten days if Allsman was not returned in safety within that time. The ten men were selected and as Allsman never appeared they were executed on October 18. (One of the ten first chosen having been excused or pardoned and another Con- federate being chosen.) The ten men were all from Northeast Missouri, some were old and others young. This was horrible enough but was followed by a licentious act on the part of Colonel Strachan that aroused the hatred of not only all southerners, but many people of northern sympathies. It is not the purpose here to go into the later exoneration of McNeil nor of Strachan's subsequent record. Allsman seems to have been murdered, not by order of Porter, but, despite all the precautions that Porter could take under the circumstances, by certain ones who were determined to get Allsman out of the way. The whole affair from

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST MISSOURI

beginning to end was a horrible, deplorable occurrence of the war in this section.

The year 1862 closed with the destruction of one hundred miles of the North Missouri Railroad. This is said to have been done by some of Price's soldiers who were returning about this time. This year marked the greatest and longest fought campaign in Northeast Missouri, which was ably led by both northern and southern generals. It saw the Confederacy in this section at her height and fall. From now on the Federals simply stationed garrisons in this section. The war of cam- paigns and big battles and skillful generals had passed to give place to robbery, murdering and guerrilla bushwhacking.

THE WAR IN 1863

The year 1863 marked the beginning of the slave exodus in Missouri. Many ran away, some were emancipated, and others enlisted in the Federal army. The slaves in this state thought that Lincoln's Emanci- pation Proclamation applied to Missouri and left in large numbers.

In November, 1862, the regular fall election took place but as all voters had to take the "Gamble Oath" and the "Iron-clad Oath" none but Union men could exercise the suffrage.

During the fall of 1862 and winter of 1863, all able-bodied men be- tween the ages of eighteen and forty-five were forced to enroll in the "Enrolled Missouri Militia" by order of Governor Gamble. This plan was pursued throughout the rest of the war and was not entirely satis- factory in some sections.

In February, 1863, the "Provisional Militia of Missouri" was or- ganized. This organization demanded continual service and was a strong adjunct of the regular Union force in Northeast Missouri. The "E. M. M." was only an emergency militia and in some places it is reported that it could not be depended upon for service.

In May, 1863, Merrill's Horse left this section and General Guitar was stationed at Palmyra. Some newspapers were suppressed by Union orders during the year, but in general everything was quiet except for spasmodic raids made by small bands of guerrillas. There were no bat- tles or campaigns or even engagements of any importance in Northeast Missouri during 1863, which closed as quietly as it had begun.

1864 (CLOSE OF THE WAR)

As 1862 marked the close of virtual Confederate hostilities in North- east Missouri, so 1864 saw the end of all warfare in this section that ean bear that name. There are three subjects that demand considera- tion during this last period and as they are comparatively unrelated, each will be considered separately.

First among these was the guerrilla warfare waged by such men as Bill Anderson and Quantrell. Although these guerrillas professed to be in the service of the Confederacy, and it seemed as though Anderson actually was to a certain extent, they respected neither side but fought purely for the love of fighting, the hope of gain and revenge, and other similar motives. They were savage and merciless in their methods and were largely thieves and murderers. As has already been mentioned they were usually in small bands, but the union of several chiefs sometimes raised their force to four or five hundred as was the case at the "Cen- tralia Massacre." Although relatively few in numbers they were dar- ing. They were skilled horsemen and rode the best of mounts; their weapons were of the latest pattern-each man carrying from one to Vol. 1-5

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST MISSOURI

six revolvers alone; and largely through friends or intimidated in- formers knew the country and the position of the Union troops prac- tically all the time.

The most important of all the activities of the guerrilla warfare dur- ing this year was "Bill Anderson's Raid." Although known by this name it was largely the work of many other guerrilla chieftains among whom Anderson stood high. Besides the battles fought and towns cap- tured that are related below, it may give some idea of the destructiveness of this raid to know that the town of Danville was burned and the depots at New Florence, High Hill and Renick destroyed.

Bill Anderson with other guerrillas crossed the Missouri in July, 1864. He marched through Carroll, Chariton and Randolph plundering and murdering along the way. On July 27, his band captured Shelbina, sacking the stores and robbing the citizens. In September, Anderson sacked Huntsville and later went to Howard county where on the 20th,

THE NEW SOLDIERS-CADETS AT UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

in conjunction with Quantrell and others, having a force of 277, an attack was made on the Federal garrison at Fayette. The complete Federal guard here numbered about three hundred, but only fifty were inside the town when the attack was made. The guerrillas gained entrance into the town but were unable to capture the small Union guard who repulsed them with great loss. Anderson left Fayette in a few hours and on the 23d captured fourteen wagons loaded with Union supplies and some private property seven miles northeast of Rocheport in Boone county. Here he killed eleven Federal soldiers and three negroes. At this time Anderson had several hundred fine revolver shots under him as George Todd, David Pool, Holtelaw and John Thrailkill.

On September 26, between three hundred and five hundred guerrillas under Anderson camped three miles from Centralia. Early on this day bands of these men came to Centralia and after looting the town, held up the stage coach from Columbia, stopped and partially destroyed a St. Louis passenger train and after robbing the passengers killed nearly all of the twenty-three Federal soldiers on board, and set fire to the depot and train. The bands then returned to their camp. In the afternoon Major Johnson arrived at Centralia with a force of between one hundred and fifty and one hundred and seventy-five men of the

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Thirty-ninth Regiment, Missouri Volunteers. Despite the advice of many, Johnson gave battle two miles out from the town and 139 of his men were killed and some four or five wounded. Anderson in this affair lost but two killed and three wounded. The muzzle-loading rifles of the Union soldiers who were on foot were no match against the three to six revolvers carried by each of Anderson's men. It is stated that at the first shot by Anderson's men sixty-eight of Johnson's men were killed.

The Federals in that section kept up a close pursuit of Anderson after the affair at Centralia and on October 27 that leader was killed in Ray county.

The question of Federal drafts came up during 1864 and 1865, and deserves some consideration. The Federal draft of 1864 was met in many counties of Northeast Missouri by the offering of bounties by the county courts. For example, Boone county offered $50 a head to re- cruits of that county in February, 1865; Schuyler county at a special term of court held August 30, 1864, offered $100 to married men of that county or to . those having dependents and $50 to others. The latter county is reported to have appropriated $8,000, and to have actually paid out $6,120 for these bounties. The second Federal draft of April 5, 1865, was nullified by the peace of April 9, 1865, which terminated the war here, although bushwhacking still continued until June of that year in some parts.

The last subject for consideration in the war in Northeast Missouri is the battle of Glasgow. On Price's Raid of 1864 into Missouri, that general, while marching westward from Jefferson City, sent Generals Jo Shelby and John B. Clark on October 8, to capture Glasgow. Colonel Chester Harding in command of the Federal forces at Glasgow was finally forced to surrender on October 15 to the Confederates who had brought a force of one thousand seven hundred men against him. The bombardment by Shelby and Clark was severe and fire broke out in the town. After capturing the place the Confederates almost immediately evacuated it.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTH SIDES

This marks the close of the war in Northeast Missouri. Instead of remaining neutral as the majority of Missourians favored, they had con- tributed 109,111 soldiers to the Federal cause and between forty and fifty thousand to the southern armies, and found their state a battlefield for both sides part of the time and a camp for the North during the latter years of the war. All this was especially true in Northeast Mis- souri. She always had soldiers stationed among her counties, during 1861 and 1862 there were armies of both the North and the South within this section, and from 1863 on to the close of the war she held the Union camps of troops and tried to protect herself against the inroads of the bushwhackers.

Northeast Missouri furnished thousands of men to both sides and for the South during 1861-1862 she was a veritable recruiting ground. It is strange, but nevertheless true, that many of her counties that con- tained comparatively few slaves were largely southern in sympathies; and counties with a large slave population were sometimes strong Union recruiting fields. The Union sentiment in Northeast Missouri did not depend on the small number of slave owners and slaves, nor did southern sympathizers increase as the slave population became larger as a rule.

The Missourian of 1861 was still the independent pioneer of earlier days and formed his opinions and fought for his convictions regardless of neighbors, his own self-interest, and even blood-ties. One of the

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST MISSOURI

stanchest Union supporters in this state and a congressman during part of the war was James S. Rollins of Boone county. And the tax-lists of 1860 which are today in the court-house of that county show that "The Father of the University of Missouri" had more money in slaves than any other slave-holder at that time in the county. On the other hand there were hundreds of men in Northeast Missouri and thousands in the state who fought in the southern armies through choice but who never owned a slave and died on the field of battle for their convictions.

Northeast Missouri can be proud of her war record as regards the number of men she contributed and also from the generals she gave to both sides, one of her sons, General Sterling Price, being commander of the Confederate forces in this state, and another, General Odon Guitar, casting glory on the Union arms both north and south of the river. It is to be regretted that so much has been written about such petty leaders as Bill Anderson and others of his caliber while so little has been printed about men of the high rank of Colonel Green and Colonel Porter. It is the hope of the historian that the day will soon come when the mere exciting and murderous tales will cease to find their way into books of so-called "History" and that more time will be given to what may be a less spectacular but more enduring study of real men of war and campaigns. Missouri has already been more than burdened with the former; she waits the future in expectation of the latter.

CHAPTER V RIVERWAYS AND ROADWAYS

By Samuel W. Ravenel, Boonville, civil engineer and architect, author of "Ravenel's Road Primer"

Rivers are highways that move on, and bear us whither we wish to go .- . Pascal.

A history of the riverways of Northeast Missouri would seem a trav- esty on truth-a parody on existing facts-if the Mississippi and Mis- souri rivers were not given such mention as their importance to this section of Missouri suggests and merits.

Northeast Missouri, unlike any other section of the United States, except southeast Missouri, is bounded on two sides by two of the largest and most important navigable streams in the world, the Mississippi, lapping her eastern shores for approximately two hundred and fifty miles, furnishing water fronts and shipping facilities to seven of her counties, Clark, Lewis, Marion, Ralls, Pike, Lincoln and St. Charles; while the Missouri performs the same service along her southern shores for a like number of counties and equal mileage, touching St. Charles, Warren, Montgomery, Callaway, Boone, Howard and Chariton.

THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

The Mississippi river forms the entire eastern border of Northeast Missouri and is the waterway to the Gulf of Mexico for her various tributaries that have their sources within the confines of the counties embraced in Northeast Missouri, or have their origin far beyond the state boundary line to the northward.

The great "Father of Waters" is therefore one of the great natural public utilities of this fortunate section of our great state, which derives most profitable and advantageous facilities and resources from its beneficial privileges and uses. This river should be mentioned here because it is the natural aqueduct or watershed to the sea for many of the smaller rivers to be hereafter mentioned as conducive to the com- mercial and agricultural benefits and interests of this section.

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A History of Northeast Missouri, Volume I, Part 10

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864-1935, editor Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 731

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864-1935, editor
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 731