Compendium of history and biography of Linn County, Missouri, Part 10

Author: Taylor, Henry, & company, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, H. Taylor & co
Number of Pages: 892


USA > Missouri > Linn County > Compendium of history and biography of Linn County, Missouri > Part 10


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).


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ana. March 14, regiment was present, in reserve, at the capture of Fort DeRussey. March 21 the regiment, in conjunction with the Thirty- Fifth Iowa, captured Henderson Hill, Louisiana, by a midnight sur- prise and assault, securing the Second Louisiana Tigers (cavalry) and Edgar's Texas Battery, with horses, arms, ammunition and colors com- plete. April 9 regiment took part in the gallant and overwhelming defeat of the enemy at Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, capturing a five-gun battery in the final charge.


In this battle Lieutenant-Colonel Heath received a wound in the head, and the command of the regiment fell to Major Van Beck. May 16 the regiment took part in the battle of Marksville, Louisiana ; losses small. May 18 took part in the battle of Bayou de Glaize. May 14 the troops of the Sixteenth Army Corps returned to Vicksburg. June 6 the regiment took part in the attack upon Marmaduke's forces at Old River Lake, Arkansas, Major Van Beck, by seniority, command- ing third brigade, Mower's division, and Capt. A. G. Campbell, Com- pany C, commanding the regiment. This brigade, composed of the Thirty-Third Missouri and Thirty-Fifth Iowa, was ordered to charge the enemy, who were strongly posted on the opposite side of a bayou, and made the charge in gallant style, passing over the skirmishers of another brigade which had failed to advance, and, moving unthinkingly forward to the bank of the bayou, which was then found to be unford- able. Notwithstanding this obstacle they stood up bravely, and at forty paces distance poured in such a galling fire that the rebels broke and ran in confusion. The regiment lost here in a few minutes forty-one men; rebel loss not great, but the fight compelled the withdrawal of a battery from Columbia, Arkansas, which had seriously interrupted the navigation of the Mississippi river. June 10 the regiment arrived at Memphis, Tennessee, and immediately joined an expediton against Lee and Forrest in Mississippi, Lieutenant-Colonel Heath having re- turned and assumed command. July 13, guarding train during an attack upon it by Lee's cavalry. July 14, took part in the battle at Tupelo, Mississippi, joining in the charge and driving the rebel lines, capturing one cavalry squad. July 15, took part in second battle at Tupelo, joining in a second charge and routing the enemy. Total losses in the three days' fighting, thirty-six men. July 22 arrived in Memphis. July 31, moved from Memphis with expedition to Oxford, returning to Memphis August 30. September 3, moved from Memphis with General Mower's column to re-enforce general Steele. September 17, moved from Brownsville, Arkansas, to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Moved by steamer to St. Louis, arriving October 9 and, remaining


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but one day to draw clothing, pushed on immediately up the Missouri river to join the column against Price. October 18, the regiment being too much reduced in numbers and officers to be effective in the field, was ordered to garrison at California and Tipton, Missouri, November 17, the regiment returned to St. Louis. November 24, moved by water from St. Louis to Nashville, Tennessee, to aid in the defense of that city against Hood.


Since its organization the regiment has marched nearly 1,500 miles, besides many thousands of miles traveled by water and rail, and has lost in killed and wounded a total of 170 men; has captured two flags, six pieces of artillery and many prisoners. It has been very fortunate in having young and energetic line officers, and in all service has had but two officers killed and two seriously wounded. The regiment had originally nearly 1,000 men, and has received about 60 recruits. It numbers now 490 men, aggregate, but 317 of these being fit for active duty.


I remain, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant, WILLIAM H. HEATH, Lieutenant-Colonel Commanding.


Gen. John B. Gray, Adjutant-General of Missouri.


ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, November 7, 1865.


Colonel Samuel P. Simpson, Adjutant-General of Missouri: Sir- In reply to your request for a history of operations of the Thirty-third Regiment, Missouri Infantry Volunteers, in 1865, I have the honor to say after my last report to you the regiment participated in the battles of Nashville, December 15 and 16, 1864, joining in charging the rebel battery on Hillsboro Pike, December 15, and in the grand charge on the sixteenth which broke Hood's army finally to pieces, the loss in this latter charge being forty-three killed and wounded, among them Adjt. S. E. Day and First Lieut. Thomas Rutledge. The regiment then marched with the Sixteenth Army Corps to Clifton, Tennessee, and from there by transport to Eastport, Mississippi, remaining at the latter place until February 6, when they joined the column for the reduction of Mobile, moving by transport via New Orleans to Pen- sacola Bay and thence to Dauphin Island; here joined General Candy's column, and participated in the siege of the Spanish Fort and Blakely, having five wounded at the former place. After the reduction of Mobile, moved by land to Montgomery, Alabama, and from there by water to Selma, Alabama, May 1; remained at Selma as provost guard until the twentieth of July, 1865, when the regiment received orders


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to proceed to St. Louis for muster out, where it arrived August 3, and was mustered out of service August 10, 1865.


I have the honor to be your obedient servant,


WILLIAM H. HEATH,


Brevet-Colonel Volunteers.


COMPANY F, FIRST CAVALRY, MISSOURI STATE MILITIA


H. Wilkinson, captain; date of commission, March 25, 1862; rank from March 12, 1862; postoffice, Linneus, Missouri; resigned, February 14, 1863.


James B. Moore, captain; date of commission, February 27, 1863; rank from February 24, 1863; postoffice, Linneus, Missouri; mustered out at expiration of term, March, 1865.


John D. Mullins, first lieutenant; date of commission, March 25, 1862; rank from March 21, 1862; postoffice, Linneus, Missouri; killed on Price's raid, October 23, 1864.


D. A. Woodruff, second lieutenant; date of commission, March 25, 1862; rank from March 12, 1862; postoffice, Linneus, Missouri; mus- tered out at expiration of term, March 11, 1865.


The following members of this company were killed in action: John Couch, killed by cannon ball near Westport, Missouri, October 23, 1864, time of Price's raid. The same shot killed another, whose name has been forgotten. Lieut. John D. Mullins was killed in the same engagement. Samuel Stokes, Arthur Robinson and Samuel Powell were killed south of the Missouri river in bushwhacker skirmishes.


This company made a clean record and did some very effective service in the state during hostilities, especially against bushwhackers and the raids made by Price and Shelby.


Three companies of the Forty-Second Missouri Infantry were from Linn county. Following were the officers:


Company A, captain, William H. Lewis; first lieutenants, Charles C. Clifton, and Herman Kemper; second lieutenants, Fielding Lewis, and T. F. Cutler.


Company F, captain, Henry Shook; first lieutenant, C. W. Watts; second lieutenant, Elijah Jones.


Company I, captain, John F. Powers; first lieutenant, Edward Cox; second lieutenant, T. B. L. Hardin.


The following history of the services of the regiment has been derived from an official report :


The organization of the Forty-Second Regiment Infantry, Missouri Volunteers, was commenced under the auspices of Col. William Forbes


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about the 2nd of August, 1864. It was supposed at this date that the regiment was being recruited for home service. About the last of the month several embryo companies were collected at Macon and recruit- ing progressed rapidly. All available men were kept constantly on the scout, and with what success official reports of the operations at the time will indicate.


On the 15th day of September the regiment numbered 900 men (it afterwards numbered 956). On the 23rd of September Lieutenant- Colonel Stauber was ordered to Sturgeon, Missouri, with Companies A, C and H. They remained at that point and at Columbia, Missouri, during Price's raid. The other companies of the regiment were stationed along the line of the North Missouri and Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroads, with headquarters at Macon. A portion of the regiment was mounted and did scouting duty in Macon, Randolph, Chariton, Howard, Boone, and Monroe counties, until the 10th of November, 1864, when orders were received from General Rosecrans to proceed at once to Paducah, Kentucky. The command was ordered to rendezvous at Macon, from which point it started on the 12th, and arrived at St. Louis on the 13th. The regiment was reported to General Rosecrans with the statement that the organization was incomplete-the field and several of the line officers not having been commissioned. We were ordered to Benton Barracks; remained there until the 29th. The commissioners were received, musters made and the regiment paid during the interim.


On the 29th, in pursuance of original order, we started on trans- port and reported on the 2nd of December to General Meredith, of Paducah, Kentucky. We were ordered by him to proceed at once to Nashville, and there report to General Thomas. We arrived at Clarks- ville, Tennessee, on the 5th of December, where, by order of Colonel Smith, Eighty-Third Illinois Infantry, through instructions from Gen- eral Thomas, we returned to Fort Donaldson, Tennessee. We arrived at Fort Donaldson on the 6th and remained at Fort Donaldson until the 30th. During the time death held high carnival in our camp, 150 men being buried there. On the 30th we started for Nashville and arrived there on the 31st; remained, awaiting transportation until the 2nd of January. Started on the 2nd for Tullahoma, Tennessee, arrived at Tullahoma on the 3rd. Colonel Forbes was given command of the post and retained it until mustered out. About the 12th of January Lieu- tenant-Colonel Stauber, with a detachment of the regiment, was sent by General Milroy to intercept Lyon, who was returning from his Ken- tucky raid. The enterprise failed, but chase was given and several of Lyon's men captured. About the same time Captain Lewis, in com-


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mand of Company A, and a detachment of Company K, were sent to McMinnville, Tennessee, and remained there until ordered to be mus- tered out.


Detachments from this time forward were constantly on the scout. On the 22nd of March Colonel Forbes, one assistant surgeon and the chaplain were mustered out by order of Major-General Thomas.


The time of three six-months' companies, H, I, and K, having expired, thereby reducing the number of the regiment below the mini- mum, about the same time the remainder of the regiment was ordered to Shelbyville, Tennessee, where it remained as a garrison, doing occa- sional scouting service, until the 23rd of June, when, under orders of the department commander, we proceeded to Nashville, where we were mustered out on the 28th of June, 1865. Thence we proceeded to St. Louis, arriving there on the 2nd of July, and were finally discharged and were paid on the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th at St. Louis, Missouri.


Company M, Twelfth Missouri Volunteer Cavalry, Capt. Oscar F. Smith, was recruited from Linn, Sullivan, Putnam, Mercer and Grundy counties. It was mustered into the United States service at Benton Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, March 16, 1864. In the early spring of that year it accompanied the regiment from St. Louis to Memphis, Tennessee, where it entered the field under the command of General Hatch and continued in active service from that time until the close of the war. The regiment was under the command of General Hatch, of Iowa, until after the close of the fighting with Confederates under General Hood in their retreat from Nashville, Tenn., in December, 1864.


In March, 1865, Company M, including all of the Third Battalion of the Twelfth Regiment, was detailed to go with Gen. James H. Wilson on his rapid march through Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. The company started on that campaign on the 25th of March, 1865, from Eastport, Mississippi, and was on the entire march made by General Wilson, ending at Macon, Georgia, April 22, 1865. They afterwards returned to this state by way of Atlanta, Georgia, Chattanooga, Nash- ville, through Kentucky, reaching St. Louis, Missouri, June 29, 1865. The battalion (Companies I, K, L, and M) were afterward ordered to join the regiment, which had been sent to Omaha, Nebraska, and then to Fort Kearney, Nebraska, where Captain Smith's resignation was accepted September 13, 1865. The regiment's term of service was con- cluded on the plains. Captain Smith left the command at Fort Kearney September 14, 1865, and returned to his home in Linneus in the latter part of the same month.


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F. W. Powers was second lieutenant of Company L, Twelfth Mis- souri Cavalry, and R. S. Cline was sergeant.


Some of the officers of Company L, Seventh Cavalry, were as fol- lows: Captain, Wesley R. Love; sergeant, William B. Vermilya; cor- poral, Charles W. Benton. This company was in the "Hurrican fight" in Carroll county.


Following were the officers of the "Linn County Rangers," Captain Crandall's company of "Home Guards:"


Captain, W. E. Crandall ; first lieutenant, Norman Hamlin ; second lieutenant, Hiram Black; first sergeant, Horace W. Chapman; second, W. A. Bryan ; third, Adam C. Glasgow ; first corporal, James H. Shirts ; second, John Q. Myers ; third, -; fourth, John Marshall.


The company numbered in all 101 men, fifty-two of whom were from Linn county. As this was the first Union company organized north of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad a record of its services is worthy of preservation. This company was organized at Brookfield, Linn county, Missouri, June 22, 1861, and sworn into the United States service by Capt. F. M. C. Loring, under authority of Brig .- Gen. N. Lyon, who then commanded the Department of Missouri. General Lyon furnished the company with arms and munitions. On the evening of the organization Captain Crandall got a dispatch from Maj. Josiah H. Hunt, of the Marion Battalion, to march at once to the Chariton river bridge of Macon county, distant eighteen miles, and protect it from threatened burning by the rebels. In obedience to this order, Lieut. N. S. Hamlin was detailed with twenty-five men and proceeded to the bridge. An attempt was made to burn the bridge, but the rebels were repulsed with a loss of two men killed, no loss being sustained by the Federals, and but little damage being done to the bridge. Crandall's detachment was then relieved by the Second Iowa, commanded by S. R. Curtis.


The squad marched back to Brookfield and received orders June 24 from Major Hunt to remain and protect the railroad buildings and other property.


Crandall was relieved on the 28th of June by Company I, of the Third Iowa Volunteers, commanded by Captain Trumbull, and his (Crandall's company ordered to St. Catharine, in Linn county, to pro- tect citizens and guard Yellow creek bridge, remaining in camp at that place till the 10th of August following. They were then ordered back to Brookfield, in the camp of the Third Iowa Volunteers, commanded by Colonel Williams, where they remained until September 8, 1861. The company was then ordered to St. Louis by Brigadier-General Polk


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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY


as an escort to the unarmed regiment of the Twenty-Third Missouri Volunteers, commanded by Col. J. T. Tindall, and arrived at Benton Barracks September 9, remaining until the 19th, when they were per- mitted by General Curtis to return to Brookfield and disband. Orders, however, had been received from General Fremont not to muster the company out of service, nor to pay them for their service, the refusal to pay being based on the technicalities of their being Home Guards, and having guarded their homes had gotten value received in that way ; and also, that they were not properly mustered into the United States service. The company reached Brookfield on the night of the 21st of September, 1861, and were disbanded, receiving no clothing, tents, camp utensils, equipments, nor any pay for the valuable service they had rendered in holding the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad for the government instead of allowing it to fall into the hands of the Con- federates.


Some time afterwards, however, they were paid by the government, when the valuable nature of their services had been ascertained, and the legality of their claim established.


Officers of Company G, Thirty-Eighth Enrolled Missouri Militia (enlisted August 8, 1862) :


Captain, E. J. Crandall ; first lieutenant, John R. Worthley ; second lieutenant, Charles C. Davis; first sergeant, R. Tooey ; second, William O'Neal; third, John McCormack; fourth, Warren D. Crandall; first corporal, Robert McCormack; second, Alexander Adams; third, James King; fourth, Richard MeIntire; fifth, John L. Houck; sixth, R. F. Hurd; seventh, Alexander McDonald; eighth, Edward Clark.


Officers of Company D, Sixty-second Enrolled Missouri Militia : Captain, Moses G. Roush; first lieutenant, Richard W. Mitchell; second lieutenant, Frederick Degraw ; first sergeant, Eli Lytle; second, Henry C. Lomax; third, Daniel M. Brinkley; fourth, Thomas C. Max- well; first corporal, Amos Whitley; second, William Reid; third, Robin M. Johnson; fourth, John Edwards; fifth, Jacob Decker; sixth, John Shohoney ; seventh, William D. Steele; eighth, Henry C. Eastwood.


Linn county furnished about 125 men for service in the Confed- erate army. The officers of Company A, Third Regiment, Third Divi- sion, Missouri State Guards, were as follows:


Captain, George William Sandusky; first lieutenant, E. H. Rich- ardson; second lieutenant, Taylor Singleton; third lieutenant, Henry L. Cherry ; first sergeant, L. B. Phillips ; third, Edward Barton ; fourth, James Brown; fifth, John Betten; first corporal, John Gooch; second, James Laidley ; third, John Barnes; fourth, John Hosford.


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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY


Company A was mustered into service at Lexington, Missouri, Sep- tember 12, 1861. It went immediately into action against the Federal forces under General Mulligan and aided in the capture of the town. The term of the company expired January 12, 1861. A majority of the members re-enlisted and continued sharing the fortunes of General Price's army.


Dr. P. C. Flournoy was the first captain of Company K, Second Missouri Infantry, C. S. A. Was afterwards made colonel of the regi- ment, and later became acting brigadier-general in Hood's Tennessee campaign.


George William Sandusky was the second captain of the company. He was wounded at Corinth, Mississippi, October 4, 1862. J. J. Phillips was first lieutenant.


Record of battles in which Company K was engaged :


This company was mustered into the Confederate service at Spring- field, Missouri, January 16, 1862. April 9, 1865, it surrendered with its regiment and division, to the Federals, in Alamaba ; was disbanded and sent home. During its term of service it participated in some of the hardest fought battles of the war; viz., Elk Horn (or Pea Ridge), Arkansas; siege of Corinth, Mississippi, May, 1862; Iuka, second battle at Corinth, Grand Gulf, Baker's Creek (Champion's Hill), Big Black, siege of Vicksburg, where the entire regiment was captured; Resaca, Georgia, New Hope Church, Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain, battles in front of Atlanta, Altoona Pass, Franklin, Nashville, Fort Blakely, and the defense of Mobile (Alabama). At Elk Horn the company went to action with forty-nine men, and lost four killed and fifteen wounded. At Franklin, Tennessee, the second Missouri Regiment lost 150 men, out of 192 engaged. Only four were left in Company K. The Second Missouri made a record second to none from this state, in the cause of the Sunny South. It's first colonel was J. Q. Burridge, subsequently F. M. Cockrell, and lastly Col. P. C. Flournoy. When the long and bloody struggle was over and the cause of the Confederacy went down to honorable defeat the brave survivors of the Second Missouri re- turned to their homes; and since the war, having surrendered and taken the oath of allegiance in good faith, have made as good citizens as they had been soldiers.


THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR


In 1898 it became evident that the friendly relations then existing between Spain and the United States must soon terminate. Missouri


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as a state was deeply interested, and when the news was flashed over the wires telling of the disaster that had overtaken the "Maine," her patriotic citizens were among the first to demand that the lives of those brave men be avenged.


When at last war was declared and President Mckinley issued his call for volunteers, Linn county was among the first to respond, offering the flower of her young manhood in defense of the nation's honor. The sectional feeling (if there still remained any) engendered by the great Civil War was forgotten, and the sons of the men who had fought under the "Stars and Bars" together with those who had carried the "Stars and Stripes" vied with each other as to which could be first to wipe out with their blood, if necessary, the deadly insult which had been hurled at us as a nation.


In response to the President's call, steps were at once taken to recruit a company in Brookfield and Linn county, and the active work of enlisting men for the war was soon under way. Many of the best young men of the city and county offered themselves to the service, and a company of 100 men was soon formed and the following officers elected :


John H. Goldman, captain, Brookfield, Missouri.


Downey Milbourn, first lieutenant, Linneus, Missouri.


Henry J. West, second lieutenant, Marceline, Missouri.


John W. Wrenn, first sergeant, Marceline, Missouri.


David F. Fawks, quartermaster sergeant, Marceline, Missouri.


Ephriam P. Banning, sergeant, Brookfield, Missouri.


Thomas A. Scott, sergeant, Rothville, Missouri.


William D. Brown, sergeant, Laclede, Missouri.


Benjamin E. Bowyer, sergeant, Linneus, Missouri. Charles W. Wright, corporal, Brookfield, Missouri. William T. Lamine, corporal, Laclede, Missouri.


George P. Fawks, corporal, Carrollton, Missouri.


William Olinger, corporal, Marceline, Missouri.


Robert O'Donnell, corporal, Carrolltown, Missouri.


David S. Bramhall, corporal, Unionville, Missouri. Charles E. Crumley, corporal, Marceline, Missouri. William Trippler, Jr., corporal, Linneus, Missouri. Jasper Knight, corporal, Linneus, Missouri.


William Hoar, corporal, Brookfield, Missouri.


Samuel H. King, corporal, Brookfield, Missouri. John A. Conners, artificer, Brookfield, Missouri.


Henry Coleman, wagoner, Hazelhurst, Mississippi.


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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY


Guy M. Kerr, musician, Brookfield, Missouri.


Charles E. Plummer, musician, Milan, Missouri.


The above list represents the commissioned and non-commissioned officers when they were mustered into United States service on July 20, 1898. In this connection it may be well to note that among the young men who were active in recruiting the company was William J. Carlon, of Brookfield, who was elected its first lieutenant, but on account of defective eyesight was unable to pass the rigid examination imposed by the United States government and, much to his regret, was rejected from the service.


The drilling of the company was begun in earnest, and young men who, a few days before, were filling the peaceful occupations of farmers, clerks, or that of their professions, were answering to the stern com- mands of their officers to "fall in, about face, forward march" and other military orders.


This company became Company A of the Sixth Missouri Vol- unteer Infantry, which was mustered into the United States service on July 20, 1898, at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, and honorably mustered out on May 10, 1899, at Savanna, Georgia.


When the day arrived for the boys to leave home to scenes of activity, Brookfield and the entire county turned out en mass, escorted them to the train, and wished them "God speed" and success to their arms.


The company was first sent to Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, where their military education was continued until August 11 and 12 of the same year, when they were removed to Camp Cuba Libre, Jackson- ville, Florida, arriving there on August 15. The regiment was en- camped at Jacksonville until November 7, and during that time suffered a loss of two men by death, William S. Busby, of Brookfield, Missouri, and August Ramm, of Walnut Hill, Illinois. On the above mentioned date the camp was changed to Camp Onward, at Savanna, Georgia, and while there death again visited them, its victim being John A. Burns, of Brookfield, Missouri.


During the time the regiment was encamped, prior to their embark- ation, many of the boys were taken sick; due largely to the poor sani- tary conditions existing and the radical change of climate, a number being discharged for disabilities caused from the exposure of camp life.




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