Centennial history of Missouri (the center state) one hundred years in the Union, 1820-1921, Volume I, Part 95

Author: Stevens, Walter Barlow, 1848-1939
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: St. Louis, Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 1074

USA > Missouri > Centennial history of Missouri (the center state) one hundred years in the Union, 1820-1921, Volume I > Part 95

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"Most of them received the announcement with composure or indifference. The Rev. James S. Green, of this city, remained with them during that night, as their spiritual adviser, endeavoring to prepare them for their sudden entrance into the presence of their Maker. A little after II a. m. the next day three government wagons drove to the jail. One contained four and each of the others three rough board coffins. The condemned men were conducted from the prison and seated on the wagons, one upon each coffin. A sufficient guard of soldiers accompanied them, and the cavalcade started for the fatal grounds. Proceeding east to Main street, the cortege turned and moved slowly southward as far as Malone's livery stable; thence turning east, it entered the Hannibal road, pursu- ing it nearly to the residence of Col. James, Culbertson; there, throwing down the fences, they turned northward, entering the fair grounds, on the west side, and driving within the circular amphitheatrical ring, paused for the final consummation of the scene.

"The ten coffins were removed from the wagons and placed in a row six or eight feet apart, forming a line north and south, about fifteen paces east of the central pagoda or music stand in the center of the ring. Each coffin was placed upon the ground, with its foot west and head east. Thirty soldiers of the 2d Missouri State Militia were drawn up in a single line, extending north and south, facing the row of coffins. This line of executioners ran immediately at the east base of the pagoda, leaving a space between them and the coffins of twelve or thirteen paces. Reserves were drawn up in line upon either flank of these executioners.

"The arrangements completed, the .doomed men knelt upon the grass between their coffins and the soldiers, while the Rev. R. M. Rhodes offered up a prayer. At the con- clusion of this, each prisoner took his seat upon the foot of his coffin, facing the muskets which in a few moments were to launch them into eternity. They were nearly all firm and undaunted, two or three only showing signs of trepidation.

"The most noted of the ten was Capt. Thomas A. Sidner, of Monroe county, whose capture at Shelbyville, in the disguise of a woman, we related several weeks since. He was now elegantly attired in a suit of black broadcloth, with a white vest. A luxurious growth of beautiful hair rolled down upon his shoulders, which, with his fine personal appearance, could not but bring to mind the handsome but vicious Absalom. There was nothing especially worthy of note in the appearance of the others. One of them, Willis

S56

CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF MISSOURI

Baker, of Lewis county, was proven to be the man who last year shot and killed Mr. Ezekiel Pratt, his Union neighbor. near Williamstown, in that county. All of the others were rebels of lesser note, the particulars of whose crimes we are not familiar with.

"A few minutes after I o'clock, Colonel Strachan, provost marshal general, and Rev- erend Rhodes shook hands with the prisoners, two of them accepting bandages for their eyes. All the rest refused. A hundred spectators had gathered about the amphitheater to witness the impressive scene. The stillness of, death pervaded the place. The officer in command now stepped forward, and gave the words of command : 'Ready-aim-fire.' The discharges, however, were not made simultaneously, probably through want of a pre- vious understanding of the orders and of the time at which to fire.

"Two of the rebels fell backward upon their coffins and- died instantly. Captain Sid- ner sprang forward, and fell with his head toward the soldiers, his face upward, his hands clasped upon his breast and the left leg drawn halfway up. He did not move again, but died immediately. He had requested the soldiers to aim at his heart, and they obeyed but too implicitly. The other soldiers were not killed outright, so the reserves were called in, who dispatched them with their revolvers.

"It seems hard that ten men should die for one. Under ordinary circumstances it would hardly be justified, but severe diseases demand severe remedies. The safety of the people is the supreme law. It overrides all other considerations. The madness of rebellion has become so deep-seated that ordinary methods of cure are inadequate. To take life for life would be little intimidation to men seeking the heart's blood of an obnoxious enemy. They could well afford to make even exchanges under many circumstances It is only by striking the deepest terror in them, causing them to thoroughly respect the lives of loyal men, that they can be taught to observe the obligation of humanity and of law."

Gen. Curtis' Reply.

General Curtis wrote two letters in reply to General Holmes' request for information. One was a letter of considerable length, and was dated December 24th. This was never sent. Three days later General Curtis wrote a second and a shorter letter, and sent it. General Holmes never replied. Indeed, it is difficult to see how he could have replied. General Curtis' short letter left no room for controversy. It was as follows :

"Headquarters Department of the Missouri, St. Louis, December 27, 1862 .- Maj. Gen. T. H. Holmes, Commanding Trans-Mississippi Department, C. S. Army: General-Yours. of the 7th inst., containing a slip from the Memphis Daily Appeal, of the 3d of November, concerning what you denominate 'an account of the murder of ten Confederate citizens of Missouri, by order of General McNeil, of the United States Army,' and asking full in- formation in regard to the 'circumstances related,' is duly received.

"The matters of correspondence between us must be confined to the operations of belligerents and the exchange of prisoners.

"The idea of 'Confederate citizens of Missouri' in Missouri, is inconsistent with a state of war between opposing sections, and utterly repugnant to the attitude heretofore allowed you as a belligerent, which I have cordially approved for the sake of preserving the im- munities recognized by civilized warfare. You have no military power in Missouri, and have had none in Northern Missouri for a year past, much less a civil organization which would induce any man to call himself a 'Confederate citizen.' There is but one class of 'citizens of Missouri;' they are Federal citizens, not Confederate. They universally ac- knowledge allegiance to Federal and state authority. The rights of such citizens cannot be adjudicated by appeal through the military authorities of the so-called Confedertae states.

"I have no disposition to overlook the conduct of any officer in my command or shift any responsibility which may attach to me; but while the State of Missouri can guard her own citizens, through the regularly constituted authorities, I cannot, even by implication,

857

MISSOURI AND THE CONFEDERACY

justify any interference by you with what, by your own showing, relates to her 'citizens in Missouri.'

"I have the honor to be, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

"SAMUEL R. CURTIS, Major General."

The Narrow Escape of General Cockrell.

A very narrow escape of General Cockrell occurred when Fort Blakely was taken on almost the last day of the war. Capt. P. H. Pentzer, of the 97th Illinois Volunteers, told -of the incident :

"By the chance of battle, after a most bloody and obstinate contest at the rebel works, I came upon General Cockrell, who surrendered to me as a prisoner of war, hand- ing me his headquarter colors himself. Here I may state that I saved his life by snatch- ing a musket from Private Nathaniel Bull, of my own company, just as he was in the act of shooting the general. I had command of the skirmish line on forlorn hope on the extreme right of the line of white troops and joined the left of General Hawkins' line of colored troops. We met a terrific fire; ran over torpedoes, one of which took off a leg for Captain Wisner, of my regiment. We had a hand-to-hand fight on the rebel works where my color-bearer and a number of my line were killed, and when I came upon Gen- eral Cockrell the men were very much exasperated and ready to kill on sight the com- mander of these troops and the author of the torpedo business.

"By direction of General Steele, I kept General Cockrell some two or three days, and when ordered away I sent him in charge of Corporal George Bull, of my company, to the headquarters of Gen. E. R. S. Canby."

John B. Clark on Reynolds' Charges.

In General Cockrell's possession was a letter from Gen. John B. Clark, then in the Confederate Congress. This letter is of extraordinary interest when read in connection with the Reynolds Memoir :

"HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, February 13, 1865 .- Gen. F. Cockrell: MY DEAR SIR-I understand that you are at Columbus, Miss., and that you are fast recovering from your wounds received in Tennessee. I am, in common with your numerous friends, greatly rejoiced at the intelligence. Our first information was that you were killed, and the next we heard that you were mortally wounded. From the list of casualties published of the battle of Franklin, the Missouri brigade suffered most severely. It appears that in all the hard-fought battles during the campaign under Hood your command has suffered more than any other of the same size. While such a result speaks well for the boldness and daring of the Missourians, it nevertheless shows that the daring and hard work is placed upon them. I suppose it is because they are regarded most reliable. If so, it is a high compliment, but a very costly one.

"I would like to know how Colonel Gates is doing. I understand that he fell into the hands of the enemy badly, if not inortally, wounded.

"Who are the field officers now left in your brigade, and how many rank and file are now in the brigade fit for duty in the field? I would like to know, and also where they are located.

"It is thought that Congress will adjourn about the first of next month. I wish to visit the brigade soon after the adjournment, if my health will permit.

"Since our peace commissioners failed to open negotiations with Mr. Lincoln for peace upon any honorable terms, our people everywhere seem more resolute and determined to resist to the bitter end, if need be, until our independence is acknowledged. All sections of the Confederacy seem to think now, as I always thought, that the surest and quickest

S5S

CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF MISSOURI

way to obtain peace was to beat back the enemy, or at least show a resolute will and united effort to resent his advance. This we are certain to do ere long, if we remain united and true to ourselves. We have had heavy reverses, it is true, but we have also had some brilliant successes, and are destined to have more if we will but act with spirit and in harmony of purpose. Just at this time we are in gloom here in consequence of Sher- man's repeated successes in Georgia and South Carolina, but we still hope that his end is near.

"There is no material change in the armies of Lee and Grant for the last several weeks. You have doubtless seen that Lee has been appointed general-in-chief of all the Confed- erate armies in the field and that General Breckenridge is now Secretary of War.

"What is going on west of the river? I perceive that Reynolds has published a long and very abusive piece against General Price, charging the general with general incom- petency, drunkenness and neglect of liis army, etc. He even charges him with being timid and over-cautious, which I believe in military parlance means cowardice. I would like to know how this matter is, whether the general after a long life of sobriety has turned drunkard, and whether he has turned coward at this late day.

"I would like for you to write me frequently and fully. No part of my constituency feels nearer to me than your command, and their martial deeds and heroic achievements place them, not only in my mind, but in that of all who know them, in the highest niche of fame. I love to honor them and feel proud to be honored by them.

"Please give my regards to friends and accept yourself my highest regards.

(Signed) , "JOHN B. CLARK."

A Speech by Cockrell in War Time.

Another of the possessions of General Cockrell was the manuscript of an address by him in accepting the gift of a flag to the Missourians :

"With no ordinary feelings in behalf of the Missouri brigade, of which I am the unwor- thy commander, I accept from the hands of the fair donor, through you, Lieutenant Brevard, this most beautiful and tastefully wrought flag, the emblem of our young and loved Confed- eracy's sovereignty, in peace, in glory, in war. And through you we return to her the grateful tribute of our hearts-the soldier's noblest offering-with the assurance vouched for by the conduct of this brigade in the past upon so many ensanguined fields and by the sacred remembrance of our many fallen comrades in arms-our precious slain-that in the face of the foe it shall be borne to victory or crimsoned with the gushing, richest treasures of our pierced hearts. Assure her that it affords us peculiar pleasure and satisfaction, sit- uated as we have been for the past two years, and now are-battling on the soil of sister Confederate states for one common cause and country, and far distant from the sacred scenes and endearing associations of our loved Missouri-our own home-and deprived of all communication with and reception of material aid and expressions of kindly sympathy and love from fathers, mothers, sisters, wives and loved ones, who have been and now are harassed and tortured in mind and body in a manner unprecedented in the annals of civilized warfare by the fanatical northmen, the real Goths and Vandals of America-clad in the livery of the United States soldiery-to accept this color, made and presented by her, now in many respects similarly situated. As long as time itself shall breathe on earth and bear witness of the actors in this revolution to future generations, even so long will the sublime patriotism of the daughters of the South, their fidelity and constancy to and sacrifices for our common cause and country, their smiles and tears, their sympathy and love for the care and war-worn veterans of our armies, be impressed in gilded letters on the bosom of time, and known, admired, honored and sung by all who may live.

"Was anything aside from a sense of duty and a consciousness in our bosoms of the sacredness and justness of our cause and its approbation by our Father in Heaven, neces- sary to nerve our hearts and strengthen our arms and to lead us to endure with cheerful- ness greater and more numerous sacrifices, hardships and deprivations, and to court the

859

MISSOURI AND THE CONFEDERACY

passage at arms, and then and there to move into activity within us that peculiar, indescrib- able feeling-the battle-field's inspiration-which lulls to sleep the sense of fear, surely the noble, praiseworthy actions and patriotic, heaven-inspired bearing of the ladies amid all the vicissitudes of this protracted war and amid our victories and our reverses, at all times and places and under all circumstances, would be more than sufficient."

A Talk with John B. Clark.

What the war meant to Gen. John B. Clark, he told in a conversation with the writer at Fayette twenty years after the close :

"When the question of secession was up, I came back here from Washington and the court house yard wouldn't hold the people who came to hear the issue discussed. We took a vote for or against the Union. I declared myself in favor of standing by the Union. I opened the gates, the people took sides. There were ten thousand of them assembled and I carried the vote for the Union by several hundred majority. The very day I did that, up here in Howard county, the massacre at St. Louis, -- the Camp Jackson affair,-occurred. I went to my home in the country that night and found a commission as brigadier-general from Governor Jackson awaiting me. I sat down and wrote my affidavit on the commission accepting it. My wife had left home on a visit. I wrote her a note saying the war had come at last and I must go. While insisting that the best course was to stand by the Union, I had, nevertheless, always said that when war did come I would go with the South. After writing that letter to my wife, I got on my horse, and with only a negro boy I rode away that night for Boonville. It was five years from that time before I saw my wife again. That spring I had paid taxes on property in Howard county assessed at $365,000. I was worth a million. On my place there were 160 slaves, seventy of them men. My law practice was worth $10,000 to $15,000 a year. When I came back after the war was over, I hadn't a bed to sleep on. My wife had been forced to find a temporary home with friends."

There wasn't a tremor in the old general's voice. No appeal for sympathy was impressed by his manner. Not a word of regret was added. The simple summary of what the war had cost him was given in the most concise form and with unimpassioned tone. He ceased speaking a few moments and then took up the narrative again :

"I went into the rebellion and was badly wounded at Springfield. They sent me to the Confederate Senate in Richmond, and there I remained until the surrender. When the war came to an end, the United States Government offered a reward of $10,000 for my capture. I never knew why they had picked me out unless it was because I had been thoroughly in earnest in my course. There were four of us on whom this price was put- Hunter of Virginia, Watson of Georgia, Oldham of Texas and myself. Hunter and Watson surrendered; Oldham and I determined to escape if it was possible. I had my whiskers cut off, dyed my hair red and took my mother's name, that for which the middle letter of my name stands-Bullock. With some papers prepared, letters and documents forged to show that I was known by that name, I started out and made my way success- fully through the Federal lines about Richmond. My intention was to get to Cuba, but I failed in that, and went to Mexico, where I remained until the Federal authorities rescinded the offer of reward for me. Thinking there was no further danger, I came across into Texas. Andrew Johnson was a personal friend of mine. I was arrested by United States soldiers under the old order, and heard that the government actually paid the reward. The arrest was made at the instance of Stanton, who was bitterly hostile to me. They took me to Galveston and then to New Orleans. Sheridan was in command and telegraphed to Stanton to know what should be done. The answer came back to send me to Fort Jackson,

860

CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF MISSOURI

at the mouth of the river. Sheridan said it was an outrage, but he could do nothing but obey orders. At the fort I found myself guarded by negro soldiers, among them some who had been my slaves. After a good deal of trouble I persuaded a surgeon to smuggle out a letter for me addressed to Andrew Johnson. That gave the President the first knowledge he had of my imprisonment. He telegraphed Sheridan to have me placed on a vessel and sent north. When I got to Washington I wanted Johnson to remove Stanton, but he said he daren't do it; they would assassinate him if he did. I told him if I was President I'd do what I wanted to, and if they assassinated me I couldn't help it. He thought it was better to be prudent and save his life. He gave me a full pardon, and after more than five years' absence I got back to Missouri."

A Family Division.

Pathetic was the division in the family of Maj. Gen. Philip St. George Cooke. For a considerable period of his army career General Cooke lived in Missouri. He was stationed at Jefferson Barracks and left an entertaining pen picture of life there in the early days. When the Civil war came General Cooke, although a Virginian by birth, was loyal and became one of the most conspicu- ons cavalry generals. His son, John D. Cooke, born in Missouri, joined the Confederate army and was made a general. Another son, T. Esten Cooke, went with his brother. A daughter of General Cooke, was the wife of General Jeb Stuart, the Confederate cavalry leader. In 1862, while Mcclellan was con- ducting the Peninsula campaign, Gen. Philip St. George Cooke commanded the Federal cavalry. At the same time General Stuart was at the head of the Confederate cavalry. In one of the cavalry charges General Cooke narrowly escaped capture by his son-in-law, much to the amusement of the latter. From his two sons and a daughter on the Confederate side, Major General Cooke became estranged. Reconciliation did not take place until long after the war.

The Confederate Policy Toward Missouri.

Before the Southern Historical Society in 1886, Gen. D. M. Frost read a paper regarding the relations between the Confederacy and Missouri in 1861. He told of his call upon Confederate generals just at the time of Sterling Price's great success-the battle of Lexington. His purpose was to present the oppor- tunity for the Confederates to send an army to Missouri.

"These arguments seemed to produce a decided effect upon both General Johnston and General Polk; and after a little consideration the former remarked that the State of Missouri had not seceded, and therefore was not entitled to the aid of Confederate troops. To this it was replied that Missouri and the Confederate troops were fighting a common enemy, and that the success of one was necessarily equally beneficial to the other; that the longer the fighting could be kept on the soil of Missouri the better for the Confederacy. This statement of the case seemed to be unanswerable, and then it was that General John- ston said that although he had full powers to order as he chose, yet he felt himself bound to respect the policy of the government, and that it did not accord with that policy to so complicate itself with Missouri, as to make it a sine qua non that she should insist upon an impossible boundary line when the time should come for her to make peace. This state- ment was made with the understanding that for obvious reasons it should not be repeated and then I gave up all hope of seeing Confederate troops ordered into Missouri, at least until she had gone through some form of secession-and acknowledged the propriety of General Johnston's course, whilst regretting its necessity."

MISSOURI AND THE CONFEDERACY 861

To Return I. Holcombe, then living in Chillicothe, Jefferson Davis wrote from Beauvoir, a letter respecting his relations with the Missourians in 1861. His attention had been called to the paper of General Frost.

"Accustomed to much misrepresentation and misapprehension, I was not prepared for the existence of a report that I was opposed to receiving Missouri into the Confederacy. The story would be absurd; even if there was no evidence to disprove it; but my efforts to aid Missouri before she had entered the Confederacy and before her troops would agree to be mustered into the Confederate service were so well known that I could not suppose anyone would at this day assert that I had anything else than the most friendly feeling for the people of the state.

"While I desired both Missouri and Kentucky, to whom we had every bond of affinity, to join us in the organization of a separate government, I deemed that a matter entirely for their own decision and took no measures to influence their action. I then believed, and still believe, that if the people of those states had been left to the free exercise of their sovereign will, they would, with great unanimity have placed Missouri and Kentucky by the side of their sisters of the South, and in that belief I did ardently desire the cooperation of both.

"When all my acts and utterances are on one side, it is hard to comprehend the cir- culation of a story so utterly opposed to what I did, said and thought.

"Very respectfully yours,

"JEFFERSON DAVIS."

Rapid Reconciliation.

Major William Warner, afterwards representative in Congress and United States senator, performed his part in the policy of reconstruction and recon- ciliation immediately following the war. This tribute was paid him by an ex- Confederate :

"When we straggled home some time after the war closed and began to settle down there was a very bitter feeling in Western Missouri. Tutt was on the bench in that circuit. Warner was prosecuting attorney. The grand jury brought in a lot of indictments against ex-Confederates. They revived charges of horse stealing and other offenses based on what had taken place during the war. I think there were at least 150 of these indictments, and I am not sure but one of them was against Jo Shelby himself. I was not indicted, but some of the boys in my command were. John Ryland, Henry Wallace and several of the old lawyers volunteered to defend the cases. It was agreed that all of them should be tried at once. When the day came Major Warner got up in court and said the war was over and these men had come home to settle down in good faith. He did not believe in raking up the old troubles. He considered the surrender as wiping out the offenses that had preceded it, and, therefore, he moved that the cases be dismissed. And that was the end of them. It was the only sensible thing to do."

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Centennial history of Missouri (the center state) one hundred years in the Union, 1820-1921, Volume I, Part 95

Author: Stevens, Walter Barlow, 1848-1939 Publication date: 1921 Publisher: St. Louis, Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company Number of Pages: 1074

Author: Stevens, Walter Barlow, 1848-1939
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: St. Louis, Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 1074