USA > Missouri > Linn County > Compendium of history and biography of Linn County, Missouri > Part 8
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CHAPTER VIII
The Nation's Wars-The Men of 1812-The Last Reunion in 1871- Presidential Election of 1860-Civil Strife-Linn County's Prompt and Loyal Action-Early Organizations and Movements- Capture of Two Confederate Cannon-Recruiting by Confederates of Linn and Sullivan Counties-Attempts to Capture Them by Federal Forces-Why They Failed-The Missouri Guerrilla- Raid on Linneus-Killing of Judge Jacob Smith-A Woman Spy- Laclede Raided by Bushwackers-Bounty Jumpers-When the Draft Came-Record of Engagements by Linn County Military Organizations-The Spanish-American War-The Soldiers' Monument at Brookfield.
The last reunion of the veterans of the War of 1812 occurred at Macon, Mo., in August, 1871. There were present 28 soldiers from Linn, Monroe, Marion, Boone, Randolph, Audrain, Shelby, Livingston and Macon counties. There was a drum and fife corps composed of the old veterans. Nearly every man present was over 70 years of age. The occasion was somewhat pathetic, as it was realized by all that it was the last meeting of the soldiers of 1812 that would be held in Missouri. A picture was taken of the group. A copy of this picture is now held by a family in Montgomery county. The Linn county soldiers represented in the photograph are John Burnett, who was born in Kentucky in 1795; W. B. Woodruff, born in Kentucky in 1788; Henry Sipple, born in Virginia in 1791, and Frederick Nestor, born in Virginia in 1799. All of these men were living in Linn county at the time of the last reunion of the soldiers of the war of 1812. Other Linn county citizens who served in that war were as follows:
Peter Fore, who was a private in Captain Josiah Pinnock's com- pany, Cox's Brigade, Virginia; was engaged in the defense of Washington.
Seth Botts, of Captain William Hamilton's company, Colonel Lil- lard's regiment; served on the Coosa river, Alabama.
Jethrow Dodson, served under Captain James Lanier, eastern division.
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James Moore, Captain Hay's company, western frontier; was in the siege of Fort Erie.
George Crist, Captain James Hannah's company ; served at Nor- folk, Va.
William H. Ballow, second sergeant in Captain Robert Cameron's company; served at Camp Washington, Miss.
Abijah Woods, Captain Caldwell's company; western frontier. .
Jacob G. Bailey, Captain Charles Harney's company, Colonel Renick's Tenth Rifle Regiment; was in the battle of the Thames, Can- ada; witnessed the rifle duel between Tecumseh and Colonel Whitley, and was so close that he could see the flash of both of the duelists' weapons, which were fired simultaneously, each shot proving fatal; was also present when Colonel Johnson's horse was shot from under him, and assisted in taking him out from under the animal.
David McCollum was the commanding officer in the Kentucky militia from 1807 to 1820.
Milton Parmlee, Captain Hawkins's company; northern frontier.
Ed P. Dodge, Captain Bean's company ; served at Fort Washing- ton, N. H.
Joseph Auberry, of Captain Patterson's company.
Randolph Bobbitt, Captain John Trimble's company of the Vir- ginia militia; served at Norfolk.
Hasten Shifflett, Captain Christopher Irvin's company of Ken- tuckians; served on northern frontier and was at Colonel Dudley's engagement on the River Raisin, Mich.
James Sportsman and William Southerland; no legal record of their service.
Joseph C. Moore, sergeant in O'Fallon's company of riflemen. Served through the war of 1812 in Canada and on the frontier. He was granted a patent to N. W. 1/4 Section 9, Township 58, Range 20, upon which he resided from 1842 until his death.
At the presidential election in 1860, Linn county gave a majority of its votes for Stephen A. Douglas. All four of the presidential candi- dates-Douglas, Bell, Breckenridge and Lincoln-received votes in Linn county. Lincoln received quite a vote in Linn county, and in one of the townships he had a plurality. The Linneus Bulletin was a Douglas paper edited by T. E. Brawner. It was the only paper in the county at the time. After the election the Bulletin said that "Lincoln has been fairly elected, and though we do not like it very well, we propose to submit."
In Governor Jackson's inaugural speech to the Missouri Legisla-
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ture of 1861, he concluded by recommending the immediate call of a state convention in order "to ascertain the will of the people."
The legislature, on January 17, passed a bill calling for a conven- tion, and designating February 18th as the day for electing delegates, and February 28th as the date of the convention. The candidates from the eight senatorial districts, which included Linn county, were Jacob Smith, Alexander M. Woolfolk and William Jackson, who were re- garded as "Unconditional Union" candidates. Charles J. Radcliffe, R. F. Canterbury and C. G. Fields were considered as "Conditional Union" candidates.
The "Unconditional Union" candidates received about 500 majority of the votes cast in Linn county and also in the district.
Events moved rapidly during the first year of the war. Fort Sumter surrendered to Beauregard, April 13; President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 men the 15th. The men were to be from the militia of the several states. Governor Jackson, of Missouri, declared against the call.
Hostilities had begun. The farmers of Linn county began cleaning up their rifles and fowling pieces. In Linneus quite a quantity of am- munition had been stored.
Major Watson E. Crandall, of Yellow Creek Township, and Robert McCullom, of North Salem Township, began actively organizing a com- pany of volunteers for service under the national government.
Judge Jacob Smith, when not attending to his duties as a member of the state convention, directed his efforts towards preventing the organizing of Confederate companies. He soon became recognized as an intelligent and energetic leader of the Union side.
Westley Halliburton, who had been a Breckinridge elector the pre- vious year, and who was then a state senator from the district, was among the most prominent of those advocating the southern cause.
A company of Home Guards was formed in Yellow Creek Town- ship in May. The guards met at Wyandotte and St. Catharine to drill. It was intended that this company should be formed under the military law passed by the legislature and approved by Governor Jackson, but when the guards obtained a copy of the law a majority of them were not pleased with its requirements and the company was disbanded.
The Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad was an early and important arm in the service of the national government. In May troops were sent over it from Hannibal to St. Joseph and garrisons established at various points along the line. When General Lyon, the intrepid leader who fell at Wilson's Creek, assumed command of the Federal forces at
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St. Louis he manifested the greatest interest in the railroad shops at Brookfield, and also was especially concerned about the bridges in Linn county .. He instructed the Union organizations to exercise the greatest vigilance in guarding these properties from the threatened attacks of the enemy in the neighborhood. Frederick C. Loring, Wesley R. Love and Watson E. Crandall were commissioned by General Lyon as cap- tains and authorized to raise home companies for the Federal service. The three men mentioned lived along the railroad line in Linn county.
The 16th Illinois Infantry came from Quincy to Linn county in June. They were the first regular Federal troops to arrive. The com- pany disembarked at Brookfield and at Laclede, some of them remain- ing at each place, while others were sent to guard the bridges at Locust creek, Yellow creek and Parson creek. It was believed that those structures were threatened by the enemy. Reconnoitering parties were also sent out. One of these went to Linneus and took some prisoners. The Third Iowa Infantry arrived not long afterwards and encamped at Brookfield. Colonel Morgan then began the organizing of the 18th Missouri Infantry at Laclede. That was in August. Isaac V. Pratt, of Laclede, was the first lieutenant-colonel of this regiment, which was afterwards commanded by Madison Miller and Charles S. Sheldon, of St. Louis. While the 18th Infantry was being organized Colonel Mor- gan took his regiment, a section of artillery and two companies of cavalry under Captains Love and Loring, and went on a reconnoitering expedition into Chariton and Carroll counties, starting out October 18th. At the crossing of Big Hurricane creek, in Carroll county, Cap- tain Love's company was in the advance. Suddenly shots rang out from the bushes alongside the road and the cavalrymen began falling from their horses. The attack had been made by Confederates, the force numbering about 60 men under Captain Logan Ballow. Fifteen cavalrymen were badly wounded and sixteen horses killed. Before pur- suit could be organized the Confederates had retreated and got out of the danger.
Colonel Morgan continued his march on to DeWitt and from there to Brunswick; then he returned to Laclede.
Colonel Jacob T. Tindall, of Grundy county, was commissioned as colonel of the Twenty-third Missouri Infantry in August, and at once set about recruiting. His headquarters were Chillicothe. Judge Jacob Smith, whose biography appears in the line of Circuit Judges, was com- missioned lieutenant-colonel but afterwards resigned and was appointed judge of this circuit to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Judge James Clark.
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Thornton T. Easley, of Linneus, was commissioned quartermaster of the regiment at the same time that Tindall received his commission as colonel.
A company of 25 men was organized at Linneus, August 26, for the Twenty-third Missouri with the following officers: Thomas Carter, captain ; T. E. Brawner, first lieutenant ; Rice Morris, orderly-sergeant. These assignments were temporary. Later Rice Morris was chosen captain, and Brawner and Camp became lieutenants. Other Linn county men also joined the Twenty-third in other companies.
The first company organized in Linn county for federal service, also said to be the first company organized in Northern Missouri, was that of Captain Watson E. Crandall's Home Guards, or the United States reserve corps as designated by General Lyon. This company was made up about the middle of June and sworn in at Brookfield on the 22d by Captain F. C. Loring. The company immediately thereafter went into active service.
By the 1st of September there were several hundred federal troops in the county. They were stationed at Brookfield, at Laclede and at the railroad bridges. At Laclede, Colonel Morgan had earthworks thrown up for the protection of his men. These works were known as "Fort Morgan." The work was done chiefly by prisoners and some citizens who were imprisoned. Negroes, who had been slaves, were also re- quired to assist in constructing the fortifications.
There were two pieces of cannon. One of these had been cast at a foundry in Quincy by the order of Captain Love, who paid for it out of his own pocket.
There were no fortifications at Brookfield. The Sixteenth Illinois, a German company from St. Joseph, and Crandall's and Loring's men had given way to the Third Iowa.
General W. Y. Slack, appointed as a commander of the Missouri State Guard by Governor Jackson for the military district in which Linn county was included, purchased two iron cannon from a foundry in Palmyra for the use of his division. The cannon were started toward General Slack's headquarters at Chillicothe in a covered wagon. Every precaution was taken to keep the Federals from finding what was up. The pieces would have been sent by railroad, but for fear that some em- ployee would tell the Federals.
The cannon had been not long on the road when the Federals learned of it. Word was passed down the line to the various posts to keep watch for an innocent looking emigrant wagon, driven by a "guileless farmer."
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
The "dogs of war" were captured by Worthley's and Crandall's forces at the old Elliott farm, and the guileless looking farmer taken into camp. With the wagon was a lot of ammunition. The capture caused considerable elation among the friends of the national government.
General Slack had sent out a squad of well-armed men under Cap- tain Small to convoy the wagon in, but the Linn county Federals had completed their work before the protecting company arrived, and had got safely away. It would certainly have been an exciting encounter had the two forces met near the guns, as General Slack had given strict orders to protect them to the last.
Reference has been made to some prisoners that were taken at Linneus by the Federal forces. One of these was a young merchant, William Sandusky by name. After being held a while, Sandusky was released and went back to Linneus. There he immediately began organ- izing a company for service under General Price and Governor Jackson. Sandusky found many willing recruits, but was compelled to proceed very cautiously for the Federals were active in all parts of Linn county, and a part of their business was to prevent the organization of Confed- erate companies. However, Sandusky managed by the first of Septem- ber to get together enough stalwart young men to form a pretty fair company.
The secret was well kept. About the same time another Confed- erate company was organizing in Sullivan county. It was arranged that the two companies should meet, and proceed together to join the main army under General Price.
The Linn county Confederates met at the home of Mark Arnold, in Jackson Township, September 12.
In the organization George W. Sandusky, of Linneus, was elected captain. The lieutenants chosen were E. H. Richardson, Taylor Single- ton and Henry Cherry. There were about 35 men all told. Jackson Township furnished the greatest number.
Private Thomas H. Flood was sent to Sullivan county to notify the Confederates there that the Linn county contingent was ready. Flood found the Sullivan county men at Field's mill, eager and willing to go, but without a leader. They chose Flood as their captain and he marched them down to Mark Arnold's home. Here the two companies, making a total of about 75 men, were combined, and Dr. P. C. Flournoy, of Lin- neus, was put in charge of the battalion. The soldiers, immediately after dark, took up the march for Price's army. They crossed the rail- road east of Meadville in safety, though large bodies of Federal troops
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
were on either side of them, actively on the lookout. With the battalion were two large wagons loaded with arms, ammunition and provisions. At Brunswick they crossed the Missouri river, and then followed the river on up to Lexington, where they were welcomed by the men of General Price, and where they were sworn in as members of the State Guard. It was an auspicious occasion when the Confederates of Sulli- van and Linn counties took the oath of allegiance to the Southern flag. The important battle of Lexington was at its height, and a short while afterwards, the Federal forces under Colonel Mulligan, which held the town, surrendered to General Price. The Linn county company took part in the operations which led to the capture of the citadel. It was designated as Company A, Third Regiment, Third Division Missouri State Guards, Ed Price, colonel; William S. Hyde, lieutenant-colonel. It afterwards became Company K, second Missouri Infantry, C. S. A.
Martin Hamilton organized a company of confederates in the eastern part of Linn county.
Hamilton had been an officer in Barbee's company in the Mexican War, and had the reputation of being a first-class fighting man. Many of his company were from Macon county. The company formed a part of Colonel Bevier's Fourth Regiment, in the State Guard. This regi- ment became historic. Colonel Bevier wrote a book describing its operations.
Not long after its organization at Laclede, Colonel Morgan's Eighteenth Missouri Regiment went to Brookfield, and there remained for some time. Later it was ordered to Weston in Platt county.
Capt. W. R. Love was in command of the post at Laclede. That company and Captain Loring's of the Seventh Missouri Volunteer Cavalry had been mustered into the United States service along with the Eighteenth Missouri.
Captain Love explained why the confederate company from Linn and Sullivan counties got through the net. He said that he was ap- prised of the movement, and that they prepared to intercept the volun- teers for the South, but a violent rainstorm set in that night and destroyed the effectiveness of their ammunition. It would have been impossible in such circumstances to have fired a carbine. So the pur- suers dismounted and returned to quarters.
At the close of 1861 Linn county was in complete control of the force of the national government. The bridges were thoroughly pro- tected and railroad operations were continued.
The First Cavalry Regiment was organized in the spring of 1862 by volunteers from Daviess, DeKalb, Livingston, Linn, Shelby, Putnam
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
and Harrison counties. This regiment was officered as follows: James McFerrin, colonel; Alexander M. Woolfolk, lieutenant colonel; A. W. Mullins, major.
Henry Wilkinson, of Linn county, was commissioned as captain of Company F, First Cavalry, Missouri State Militia, March 25. John D. Mullins and D. P. Woodruff were commissioned as first and second lieutenants. Company F was soon filled up and immediately went into active service south of the river.
In the summer of 1862 the Enrolled Missouri Militia, or "E. M. M.," was organized. The majority (if not all) of the Linn county men belonging to this organization were members of the Sixty-Second Regi- ment. The enrolled militia were designed to be used in the localities where they were organized, in emergencies and upon extraordinary occasions, and for a species of guard and patrol duty. When wanted they were summoned to a rendezvous, and when their services were no longer needed they were allowed to return to their homes. They were armed and uniformed by the United States government, and paid by the state for the time they were actually in service.
Every able-bodied male citizen between the ages of eighteen and forty-five was expected to become a member of the Enrolled Missouri Militia. Exemptions could be purchased for $30 at first ; afterwards the commutation was made larger ; finally it ceased altogether.
The majority of the Linn county Enrolled Militia belonged to the Sixty-Second Regiment, as above stated, which was composed mainly of Linn and Macon county men. R. J. Eberman, of Macon, was colonel of the Sixty-Second; Hamilton DeGraw, of Linn, lieutenant colonel ; Luther T. Forman and Watson E. Crandall, of Linn, were majors. The Linn county companies were :
Company A, captain, Robert W. Holland; first lieutenant, John S. Baker; second lieutenant, William B. Brinkley.
Company C, captain, A. I. Wilkerson ; first lieutenant, Elijah Jones ; second lieutenant, John Gooch.
.Company D, captain, Moses G. Roush ; first lieutenant, Samuel A. Henley ; second lieutenant, Silas M. Bennett.
Company F, first captain, Jesse Buckman ; second captain, William R. Thomas; first lieutenant, John Branson; second first lieutenant, William Robbins, promoted from second lieutenant.
Company G, captain, Lacy Sipples ; first lieutenant, Thomas Rat- tan ; second lieutenant, T. C. Cutler.
Company -, captain, Barton R. Bryan; first lieutenant, W. H. Lewis.
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There was also a Company G in the Thirty-Eighth Regiment, officered as follows: Captain, E. J. Crandall ; first lieutenant, John R. Worthley; second lieutenants, Charles C. Davis and Robinson Tooey. This company was known as "The Railroad Brigade."
The commissions of all of the first officers of the Sixty-Second Regi- ment were dated in July and August, 1862. The officers of Company G, Thirty-Eighth Regiment, were commissioned September 2.
The partisan bands, sometimes called guerrilas or bushwhackers, became most active along in 1864. In June one of these organizations made raids on Laclede, St. Catharine and Bucklin, and invaded Clay and Jackson townships. It is said that there was more real anxiety felt by the people of Linn county during this year than at any other period of the war.
The Missouri guerrilla wrote his history in blood. On the western border and in the central part of the state William C. Quantrill, George Todd, Bill Anderson, Cole Younger, Frank and Jesse James and other kindred spirits were riding hard and shooting fast. Men were sacri- ficed with as little compunction as one would shoot a cat or dog. While presumably on the confederate side, the guerillas did not make very close distinctions as to whose house they raided or the political views of the people they killed. It was the reign of the black flag, and men were shot down remorselessly for trivial things.
The bands that operated in Linn county were not as well disci- plined, nor anything like the "fighting machines" that Quantrill, Bill Anderson and their followers were, but they made a great deal of trouble just the same.
Some of the militia companies were not angels either. Many of them were from other states, and they operated in whatever manner seemed to please them best. The poor farmer was between two mill- stones-the bushwhacker and the foreign militiamen. He was the commissary department for both factions. He oftimes found it hard to save enough to feed his own family and the stock about the place. A company of partisans of the South rode up to the house of a well- to-do Union man in Clay township and the leader asked if he could get supper for his men and food for his horses. "We are after the bloody bushwhackers," said the leader; "have you seen any pass this way lately?"
The partisans were dressed much the same as the Union men, and the farmer was fooled.
"Come right in, boys," he said, "and make yourselves at home.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
You shall have the very best I've got. I hope you'll catch those bush- whackers and string 'em up."
The leader remarked grimly that he would do that very thing, and that good Union man had the unique experience of entertaining a large party of the enemy under the mistaken idea that they were his friends and protectors.
After faring well, the party started off, leaving the old man on his porch waving them Godspeed, with the Union flag in his hand.
The most sensational raid by a partisan band in Linn county during the war was at Linneus. It was during this exciting time that the courageous Judge Jacob Smith was killed. The affair as recorded in an old history of Linn county was as follows:
In the winter of 1864-65 Jim Rider and his band of bushwhackers, to the number of about fifteen, had an encampment on an island in the Missouri river, near the Carrol county side, not far above and on the opposite shore from the town of Waverly, Lafayette county. The river was frozen over for a portion of the time, the weather being very cold, and Rider could reach either mainland when he wished. From his retreat, which was a snug and secure one, the daring bushwhacker made frequent forays into the country on both sides of the river, in search of plunder more than for the purpose of shedding blood, and uniformly returned successful and in safety to his covert well hidden in the thick willows of the Missouri river island.
On the night of the ninth of January, 1865, Rider, at the head of about a dozen of his band, made a raid upon Linneus. It was about 10 o'clock when the bushwhackers reached the town. The moon was in the first quarter, and, save that it was occasionally obscured by flying clouds which scudded across its face at intervals, gave a fair light. There was a light fall of snow upon the ground and objects could be seen with tolerable distinctness. Rider and his men came into the town from the west. Stopping first at a place where whisky was sold they partook freely and then rode on to the square. Quite soon they had a bevy of prisoners, the most of whom they robbed. They made inquiries for Capt. T. E. Brawner, then of the militia, now the Democratic editor of the Bulletin. Had they found him he would have been summarily put to death, for Rider bore him an old grudge. Fortunately Brawner was in St. Louis.
One of the bushwhackers was a young man named John Lane, who had been born and reared near Linneus. At the breaking out of the Civil War he went south of the Missouri river, joined the State Guards, and fought at the battle of Wilson's Creek, or Oak Hill, where he was
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so severely wounded in the hand that he was discharged from the service, after which he returned home, took the oath of allegiance to the Gamble government, and lived quietly for some time. Suddenly he disappeared and no one knew where he was until he made his appearance in Linneus with Rider's bushwhackers, whose guide and pilot he doubtless was on the occasion. Soon after entering the town, young Lane made his way to the premises of Judge Jacob Smith and appropriated a fine horse.
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