USA > Missouri > Cooper County > A history of Cooper County, Missouri, from the first visit by white men in February, 1804, to the fifth day of July, 1876 > Part 14
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In the summer of 1864, during a revival meeting in the southern Methodist Episcopal church at Pilot Grove, Capt. Todd, one day during the hour of service, surrounded the building with a company of about sixty savage looking "bushwhackers," who rudely entered the sacred house, stopped the services, and unceremoniously ejected the wor- shippers. After refreshing themselves with the eatables prepared for the occasion, and selecting such horses as they desired, from the many secured to the trees near by, they departed, taking with them two citizens, Peter Mitzell and Otho Zeller as hostages, as they called them, whose safety would depend upon the good conduct of the citizens, in not pursuing, intercepting or informing on them, there being, at that time, State Militia stationed at various places around.
These two unfortunate men were that night, barbarously butchered some miles east of here, near Lone Elm prairie,
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and their bodies found a day or two later. Zeller had be- longed to the State Militia, which fact. to those who knew the character of the guerrillas. accounts for the reason of his killing. Mitzell was loyal. though a very quiet and inoffen- sive man ; he had, a short time previous. met a squad of guerrillas, and mistaking them for militia, had, doubtless. indiscretely expressed his sentiments, for which offense, in a time when men were killed for opinion's sake. he paid the forfeit with his life.
The same party of bushwhackers, returning a day or two later, passed through the German settlement three miles west of here, and killed two citizens, John Diehl and - Vollmer, who, it seems, unfortunately fell into the same error as Mitzell, of mistaking them for federal troops, a number of them being dressed in blue.
A Mr. Nichols was killed near Bell Air, in this county, during the same summer of 1864. This act was committed by a band of Hall's State militia. Mr. Nicholas was a Kentuckian, a conservative Union man, and very quiet and peaceable. The provocation of this crime, if any, was never known.
Thomas Cooper, of this vicinity, was arrested in the fall of 1864, in James Thompson's store, in Boonville, by militia, taken to a secluded spot near the fair grounds, and brutally murdered and his body mutilated. Cooper was a southern man, and known to his neighbors as quiet, toler- ant and inoffensive.
These gentlemen are the only cases of which I can learn.
Yours very truly. W. G. PENDLETON.
SALINE TOWNSHIP'.
Saline township was settled as early as 1812, by Joseph Jolly, who had only two children. John and William. He
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settled in the upper part of what has ever since been known as "Jolly's Bottom," and which received its name from him. He remained in this township until 1826, when he removed to the "Stephen's" neighborhood, in Palestine township. He there set out the first apple orchard in that part of the country, and erected a horse mill which would grind a bushel of corn an hour, and this was considered by the people of that day as a great achievement. He peddled apples, cider and ginger-cakes at all the musters and elections.
William Jolly was a gunsmith, a wheelwright, a black- smith, a cooper, a miller, a distiller, a preacher, a doctor and a farmer. John Jolly kept a ferry across the Lamine river, on the lower ferry road, which is still known as "Jolly's Ferry." The next settlers of this township were William Lamm, James and John Turner, Joseph Pursley, Levin Cropper, Henry Levens, B. W. Levens, (the grand- father and father of Henry C. Levens, of Boonville,) Josiah Dickson, Charles Force, John Farris, Thomas Farris, Jesse Wood, David Fine, Joshua and Lacy McClanahan, George Dickson, Frederick and James F. Conner, John Calvert, Adam and Absalom McClanahan, Elverton Caldwell, Nod- ing Caldwell, Joseph Westbrook, Alexander Woods, Robert Givens, Leonard Calvert, August McFall, Alexander R. Dickson, William Calvert, Jr., James Farris and Robert Dickson.
At what time these men settled here is not known to the present generation, but they certainly arrived between 1816 and 1820, for they all voted at Boonville at the August election in the latter year.
William Lamm settled in the bottom in 1816, and Henry and B. W. Levens and Levin Cropper came here in 1817 or 1818, as they voted in 1819, and the law required that a person should reside in the county one year before he could .vote.
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Henry Levens was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1774. married at Hagerstown, Maryland, and emigrated to Wash- ington county, Pennsylvania, where all his children were born. He afterwards emigrated to Randolph county, Ill .. and lived there about fifteen years. His wife being dead. and all his children of age. he emigrated with his son, to Cooper county. He died at his old home in Illinois, in 1838. He was a soldier during the whole of the Revolu- tion, and received a pension for same till his death.
Big Lick church, belonging to the Baptist denomination. was built at a very early time, and is now, and has been for many years, in a flourishing condition. John B. Longdon was the first pastor of this church.
The first school in the township was tought by one Still- man, an eastern mån. a place now occupied by the Higland schoolhouse.
The first school recollected by one of the writers, be be- ing one of the pupils, and in his youth having lived in this township, was taught by a man named Rogers. He was a very fair scholar, for the times, and pleased his patrons with the advancement which was made by his scholars.
Just before Christmas in the year 1818, the boys of this school had determined to "turn the teacher out," and force him to treat the scholars, by taking him to the creek and ducking him. This proceeding, though showing little re- spect for the dignity of the teacher, generally had the desired effect. The fear of it. in this case, had the desired effect, for the teacher, hearing of the plans of the scholars. voluntarily gave them a week's holiday, and on New Year's day treated them to h keg of whisky. This. no doubt. will sound strange to most of our citizens at this day, but it is nevertheless true.
It must not be thought from this that that was a terribly demoralized community, for it certainly was not, bat on the
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contrary, one of the most refined in the county. It was customary, at that time, to find whisky in every house, and a man who did not take his dram, was the exception and not the rule. But drunkenness was then considered very disgraceful, and on that account was rarely heard of. Peo- ple then could drink without taking too much.
It is not to be understood, that even considering the cus- toms of the settlers, at that time, the teacher was justified in treating his pupils to whisky, and the people for suffering it to be done. It was wrong then, and at the present day would not be tolerated in any community.
To the credit of the patrons and teachers of the schools of the past, it may here be said, that there is only one other instance known of a proceeding of this kind being allowed. It was considered at that day that it was not so much the usc as the abuse, which made whisky so objectionable and demoralizing. If at that day, a young gentleman, the least bit intoxicated attempted to wait upon a respectable young lady, he was told that his company was not absolutely required at that house, and that the sooner he left the bet- ter it would be for all concerned. How is it now ? Our readers live in the present, and are capable of passing judgment upon present customs.
There was a town called "Washington," laid off by B. W. Levens, about one mile below Overton, near the Mis- souri river, on the farm lately occupied by Timothy Chand- ler. Several lots'were sold, houses built, and for a while considerable business done. But the site of the town has long since disappeared, and the spot on which it was lo- cated cannot be designated by any persons living. Indeed, but few in that locality are aware of the fact that such a town was ever located and inhabited.
Another town called "Houstonville," was laid off by B. W. Levens and John Ward at the ferry landing, opposite
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Rocheport, and some lots were sold, but not much improved. The site of the town has long since disappeared under the encroaching waters of the Missouri river.
Another town, the name of which is now unknown, was located at the "cross roads," north of Conner's mill, near the late residence of Judge Jesse Ogden, but was soon abandoned.
Only two of the old pioneers are now living, viz : Wni. Lamm and James F. Conner.
Mr. Lamm was born in Roan county, North Carolina, twelve miles from Saulsberry, and is SI years of age. His parents removed with him to Tennessee, in 1796, taking him with them. He came to and settled in Saline township in the fall of 1816, and has remained there ever since.
Mr. James F. Conner was a small boy when he, with his parents, settled in Saline township. He is the proprietor of the Conner's mill, situated on the Petite Saline Creek, about nine miles east of Boonville, which was erected by Charles Force, and until it was purchased by Mr. Conner, who changed it into a steam mill, it was run entirely by water power. This mill was built at a very early day, and has proved of great benefit to the inhabitants of this township. as it gave them a market at home for their surplus products.
This township is one of the best wheat districts in the county, probably not finer wheat being raised in the State. It also produces, with little cultivation, all other kinds of grain, fruits and garden vegetables.
This township, as well as the rest of the county, had its troubles in the late civil war. There were nine Union and three southern men killed within its borders. The southern men who were killed were, Benjamin Hill, William Hen- shaw and Radford Bass. These men were murdered at or near their homes, about the last of September, 1864, by a scouting party of Union soldiers, being a part of the com-
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mand of Col. Hall, Missouri State militia. They were not belligerents, and the cause of their being slain is unknown.
The Union soldiers who were killed, were slain by "bush- whackers" from Howard and Boone counties, seven of them on the 7th day of October, 1864, and two of them on the 27th day of May, 1865. The following is a list of them : Henry Weber, Franz Haffenburg, Jacob Eder, David Huth, Bernhard Deitrick, Gerhardt Blank, Peter Diehl, Jacob Good, Sr., Jerry Good, Jr. There was also a "bush- whacker," whose name is unknown, killed on the 27th day of May, 1865.
This township has always been strongly Democratic in principle since the organization of the county, and still re- mains the same.
For this information the authors are under obligations to Dr. T. H. Winterbower and David Schilb.
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY.
CHAPTER XVII.
Biographies of some of the old Citizens, which were not placed in the History of the Township in which they lived
ROBERT P. CLARK, JOSEPH STEPHENS, SK., JOHN MILLER.
Robert P. Clark was born in Bedford county, Virginia. in the year 1791, and whilst yet a youth, emigrated with his father and family to Clark county, Kentucky. He was there placed as an apprentice in the clerk's office, with his uncle, David Bullock, and after serving the usual time and passing the customary examination, he was appointed to the clerkship of Estill county, Kentucky. He held this posi- tion until about the year 1816, when he resigned, and with his father and other members of the family, emigrated to Howard county, Missouri, where he arrived in the year 1817. The next year he moved to the present site of Boonville.
On the first day of March. 1819, he was appointed clerk of the Circuit Court of Cooper county, hy Hon. David Todd, judge of said court. In May, 1820, he was elected a member of the "Missouri State Convention," which framed the first constitution for the State, and which was presided over by Hon. David Barton.
He held the offices of clerk of the Circuit and County Courts, and also postmaster of Boonville, from the forma- tion of the county until the year 1835. when he resigned the office of postmaster. During this year the clerks of the different courts having become elective, he was a can-
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didate for, and was elected to the office of clerk of the Cir- cuit Court, which office he continued to hold until his death. He also held the offices of County Treas- urer and Commissioner of School Lands until the year 1832.
He was called by the old settlers, on account of his inti- mate knowledge of the statute laws applying to the county, and of his being general adviser in matters of this nature, "The Father of the county."
He first with his family, resided in a log cabin, contain- ing only one room, which stood southwest of the present residence of Capt. James Thompson, and was a very un- pretending round log affair. In these more refined days it would seem impossible for a family like his, with the late Judge Abiel Leonard, Peyton R. Hayden, Charles French, and John S. Buckey, then constituting the bar of Boon- ville, as his boarders, to live in a house having only one room, but such were the necessities of the times, and every thing flourished.
He built a house on High street, on the lot where Adam Eckhard now resides, and moved there in the fall of 1820. In this house the first County Court was held, on the 8th day of January, 1821. He afterwards built a large two story brick house on the corner of High and Sixth streets, now owned by Joseph and William Williams. It is still standing, and was, at the time it was built, considered a very fine and elegant structure.
Joseph Stephens, Sr., was born in Wythe county, Vir- ginia, in 1763, and was there married to Miss Rhoda Cole, the sister of Maj. Stephen Cole, and in ISoI emigrated to Wayne county, Kentucky, where he remained until the year 1815. In the last mentioned year he moved to Ten- nessee, and from thence, in November, 1817, to Cooper county, Missouri. The company of which he was a mem-
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ber, came overland in wagons, and crossed the Mississippi river above Alton, and the Missouri river at Boonville. He settled about fourteen miles southwest of Boonville, his house being located in the bottom, one-quarter of a mile north of the present site of Bunceton, a few yards west of the railroad leading from Boonville to Tipton. He and his family lived during the first winter in a half face camp. All his children came with him except Mary Weatherford, who remained in Kentucky. He was married twice. The names of the children of his first wife were William, Peter, Lawrence C., Joseph and James Madison-five sons, and Nancy, Nelly, Mary, Johanna, Frances, Rhoda and Zilpha-seven daughters ; there were also three other chil- dren who died when infants, whose names are not known. Nancy married Thomas B. Smiley ; Nelly, James D. Campbell ; Mary, Archibald Weatherford; Johanna, John Kelly; Rhoda, B. W. Levens, and Zilpha, Pemberton Cason.
Joseph Stephens' first wife died in 1822, and in 1824 he married Miss Catherine Dickson ; this union was blessed with four sons: John D., George D., Andrew J., and Thomas H. B., and five daughters : Margaret. Alpha. Harriet, Isabella and Lee Ann, making in all twenty-four children of which he was the father.
Of the children of Joseph Stephens who emigrated to Cooper county with him, Joseph, James M., Nelly and Zilpha are still alive. Joseph Stephens was the first set- tler in that part of the county. At the time of his settle- ment, his nearest neighbor being seven miles distant. He was a very prosperous farmer, and an excellent manager in business affairs, never went in debt. and advised his children to follow his example. He was economical and saving, and just in all his dealings with others. He was a generous, good neighbor, a man of good moral character,
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and of unquestioned veracity, and his word was considered as good as his bond or his oath.
He gave all his sons a tract of land, and his daughters a negro slave, and to each of his children he also gave a horse, saddle and bridle, a cow and calf, a sow and pigs, a flock of sheep, and a bed and bedding. He then warned them to take care of and add to this property, as it was all he ever intended to give them.
His precepts and example are not lost, but live in the hearts of his descendants and neighbors to this day.
He died in May, 1836, at the age of 73 years. He was always a strong Jackson man, and took considerable inter- est in politics, but never would become a candidate for or accept any office.
John Miller, the father of Judge George W. Miller, was born in South Carolina, and raised in McLanburg, North Carolina. When he was 20 years old, he moved to Knox county, Tennessee, where he married and resided for a few years. About the year 1805, he emigrated to Christian county, Kentucky ; and in 1818, he came to Missouri, then a territory, and settled near Glasgow, in Howard county. He was elected from that county to the House of Represen- tatives in 1822 and 1824. The other members of the Leg- islature from that county in IS22, were Alfred Bayse, the father of Judge George W. Miller's wife, Nicholas S. Burk- hart, Ignatius P. Owings, and Stephen Trigg ; and in IS24, Alfred Bayse, William J. Redd, William Ward, and Ed- ward V. Warren. He always said that he would keep out of politics if he remained in Howard county, although it might keep him poor all his life.
He moved to Cooper county in the fall of the year 1825, and settled within the present limits of Pilot Grove town- ship. In the previous spring he had sent his son, George W., accompanied by a hand, to make a crop at his future
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home, and as young George was an industrious boy, loving work so well that he could lic down and sleep by it, of course they must have succeeded well with their under- taking.
But history will show that Mr. Miller did not keep out of politics as he had intended, when he moved from Howard county, as he was elected to the State Senate in IS28, on the Jackson ticket, and re-elected to the same office in 1832, having served in that capacity for eight years. In 1836 he was selected to carry the returns of the presidential election of this State, for that year, to Washington City. In 1838 he was again elected to the House of Representatives. He was also appointed Indian agent at Omaha by president Polk.
The father of John Miller was of Scotch-Irish decent, and came from Ireland to this country a short time be- fore the Revolution. He was a soldier in the war of the Revolution during the whole time it continued, until he was killed in the battle of Utau Springs. He belonged to a company of cavalry, and fell by the side of his friend and comrade in arms, Mr. Johnston, the great grandfather of James H. Johnston, the present Prosecuting Attorney of Cooper county, who gave the following account of his death : "As the battle was about being closed, Mr. Miller was heard to shout, 'They are fleeing,' and at that instant he was shot from his horse.
This happened about four months before the birth of John Miller, and about one month after his birth the Tories set fire to the house in which his widowed mother resided, and burned it to the ground. As it was then winter, and the weather very cold, Mrs. Miller became sick from the ex- posure, and died in a few days, leaving John and his three little brothers in destitute circumstances, and without any known relatives in the United States.
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Mr. Johnson, who was with their father when he was killed, took charge of the little orphans, and, in due time, they were bound out, and raised separate from each other.
John Miller survived all his brothers, and died in this county at the advanced age of eighty-five years, honored and respected by his countrymen, with the consolation that the world had been bettered by his having lived in it. He was an earnest, zealous member of the Cumberland Pres- byterian church. In politics he was always a Democrat.
Peyton R. Hayden was born in Bourbon county, Ken- tucky, on the 22d day of February, 1796, and came to Old Franklin, Howard county, Missouri, in 1817, and there married in December, 1819, Miss Maria Adams, daugh - ter of the Hon. John Adams, sister of Judge Washington, and Mr. Andrew Adams, of Boonville, and the niece of Judge John Boyle, of Kentucky, and then settled with his family the same month in the village of Boonville, where he remained up to the time of his death, which took place on the 26th day of December, 1855. He was the first at- torney admitted to the Boonville bar-in March, 1819. He first taught school in Howard county for twelve months, for a livelihood, being a poor young man who had cast his lot among strangers in what was then almost a wilderness, and there was not then sufficient practice to support one lawyer. He practiced law in all the courts in western Missouri, and in the State Supreme Court with Hamilton R. Gamble, Edward Bates, Charles R. French, Abiel Leonard, John F. Ryland and others, who afterwards became eminent. He was a leading and successful lawyer, having accummu- lated considerable property. He was noted for his zeal in advocating the cause of his client, and for his great energy and untiring industry. He was a man of affable manners, kind hearted and charitable, and always took undisguised pleasure to aid by counsel and advice, the efforts of the
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young members of the har, struggling for practice. Judge Washington Adams and Emmett R. Hayden his son, were law students under his teaching who became eminent in their profession, both of whom are yet practicing law in Boonville.
His younger son, Henry C. Hayden, studied law under Judge Washington Adams, and practiced the same success- fully in Calloway county, Missouri, until 1870, and then removed to Saint Louis and engaged in the practice in part- nership with the Hon. John B. Henderson, until the Ist of August, 1873, when he died at Long Branch where he had gone to spend the summer with his family. Peyton R. Hayden was a Whig in politics, but never made a political speech nor was he ever an aspirant for office. He was a kind and indulgent father, a good neighbor and citizen, and died honored and respected by all who knew him. His funeral was attended and his memory honored by all the citizens.
HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY
CHAPTER XVIII.
Celebration of July Fourth, 1876, at Boonville, and Synopsis of the Exercises which took place on that Day .-- Poem of H. A. Hutchison, read at Boonville, July Fourth, 1876,
SINCE the "late war," Cooper county has gradually increased in population and wealth. The bitter feelings engendered during the war are slowly dying away ; and it can with truth be said, that there is no county in the United States, where life, limb and property are better protected than in Cooper county. The people are generally intelli- gent, moral, hospitable, kind hearted and enterprising.
Perhaps there is no better climate in the west, east of the Rocky Mountains, than this part of Central Missouri, and it is not like other parts of the west, subject to severe storms.
As this history is intended to close on the one hundredth anniversary of our National Independence, it is only nec- essary, in conclusion, to give a description of how
THE 4TH DAY OF JULY, 1876,
was celebrated by the citizens of Cooper county, and a synopsis of the exercises which took place at Boonville on that day.
The celebration at Boonville commenced on the evening of the 3rd day of July, with the firing of cannons and a grand illumination of the principal streets, and a very long torch- light procession. Main street was in a perfect blaze of light, with gas jets, candles and lanterns, and every buste
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ness house was decorated with flags and banners having appropriate mottoes ; in fact, with hardly an exception, the people participated in the grand display.
The streets were crowded with people during the whole of the evening, and it was frequently remarked, "Where did so many people come from?" A great many attended from different parts of this and surrounding counties, Howard county being especially well represented in the procession. The procession was considered a great success, even be- yond the most sanguine expectations of the committee of arrangements.
It could perhaps be here remarked, that the celebration at Boonville of the "nation's birthday," was not, in propor- tion to its population, excelled in any respect by that of any other city or town in the United States. The property holders and occupiers seemed to strive with one another as to whose premises should make the best appearance both in the illumination and the display of flags, lanterns, &c. The citizens were very quiet, and made no boast of what they intended to do, but when the signal was given for "lighting up," they astonished every body else, and even themselves. It will not be undertaken to give an adequate description of the display on this occasion, for it would have to be seen to be appreciated.
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