USA > Missouri > DeKalb County > History of Andrew and De Kalb counties, Missouri : from earliest time to the present; together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and family records. besides a condensed history of the state of Missouri, etc > Part 13
USA > Missouri > Andrew County > History of Andrew and De Kalb counties, Missouri : from earliest time to the present; together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and family records. besides a condensed history of the state of Missouri, etc > Part 13
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To this reply of Mr. Bingham, neither Gen. Schofield nor Gen. Ewing made any response.
Order No. 11 belongs to that extensive list of war measures which, wise or unwise, necessary or unnecessary, was viewed in a very different light by those who were, on one hand, personally aggrieved and injured, and by those who, on the other hand, were looking from afar at the great end in view, namely, the overthrow
HISTORY OF MISSOURI. 137
of the Rebellion. In the border States, where Unionists and Dis- unionists lived side by side, numerous complexities arose, height- ened by personal animosities and old family feuds; and in many cases loss of life, and especially loss of property, fell upon parti- sans indiscriminately, verifying the old, sad maxim that where transgression enters, the innocent must often suffer with the guilty.
SHELBY'S RAID.
In September, Gen. Blunt drove the Confederate forces under Gen. Cabell and the Creek chief, Stand Watie, into the Choctaw reservation, and took possession of Fort Smith. As the autumn advanced and Cabell's supplies began to run low, a part of his command under Col. Jo. O. Shelby undertook a raid into Mis- souri. They crossed the Arkansas River, a little east of Fort Smith, and pushed rapidly northward as far as Crooked Prairie, in the southwestern part of this State, when they were joined by Col. Coffee. At Boonville, where Shelby expected to meet a large number of recruits, but was disappointed, his men secured from stores and dwelling houses $100,000 worth of property, after which they moved westward. On October 12 and 13, how- ever, Gen. Brown encountered these forces at Marshall and de- feated them, with a loss of fifty men killed, wounded and prisoners. Shelby hastily returned to Arkansas.
THE CAMPAIGN OF 1864.
Several sanguinary engagements were fought in Missouri during this, the closing year of the war. The Union troops, chiefly Missouri State Militia and Enrolled Missouri Militia, were engaged in the effort, at many times unsuccessful, to defend the lives and property of the people from the roving bands of bush- whackers and guerrillas that infested all parts of the State, but particularly the western and river counties.
Late in January Gen. Rosecrans arrived at St. Louis, succeed- ing Gen. Schofield as commander of the Department of Missouri. No event of importance occurred until the following autumn, when Gen. Price made his last grand raid into the State with the intention of capturing St. Louis, and other important points.
Having been informed early in September of Prices' medi-
9
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tated invasion, Rosecrans forwarded the information to head- quarters, and Gen. A. J. Smith, then ascending the Mississippi with about 6,000 troops, was ordered to proceed to St. Louis. Gen. Rosecrans had previous to this only about 6,500 mounted men in his whole department, and these were scattered at various points-at Springfield, Pilot Knob, Jefferson City, Rolla and St. Louis, guarding military depots and railway bridges against the hordes of guerrillas who swarmed through the country. These troops were concentrated as quickly as possible when Price's in- tended route was ascertained, but he had already entered South- eastern Missouri, and reached Pilot Knob before he was met by any considerable opposition. At that place a single brigade was stationed, under command of Gen. Thomas Ewing. This force was intrenched in a little fort with some rude earthworks, but it made a gallant resistance, and repulsed two assaults of the Con- federates, inflicting upon them a loss of 1,000 men. Gen. Price's men now took positions which commanded the entire fort, and Gen. Ewing, seeing that further resistance was hopeless, spiked his guns, blew up his magazine, and retreated, by night, toward Rolla where Gen. McNeil was stationed. After accomplishing a march of sixty miles in thirty-nine hours, the exhausted troops were overtaken at Harrison, by a large force under Shelby. Al- though short of ammunition, Gen. Ewing held his ground for thirty hours, when he was reinforced by troops sent from Rolla, after which he drove Shelby away, and continued his retreat in safety.
At St. Louis, Gen. Smith's infantry, 4,000 or 5,000 strong, was joined by eight regiments of the Enrolled Militia of the State and six regiments of Illinois Militia. At Jefferson City Gen. E. B. Brown had beenreinforced by Gen C. B. Fisk with all available troops north of the Missouri River, and the citizens of that region promptly aiding the military, the capital was soon well fortified.
Gen. Price advanced by way of Potosi to the Meramec River; crossed it, and took position at Richwoods, within forty miles of St. Louis. Evidently fearing to attack that city, he burned the bridge at Moselle, and then pushed rapidly toward the capital of the State, followed by Gen. Smith and his entire command.
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Gen. Price, after having burned bridges behind him, and done all in his power to hinder his pursuers, arrived before Jefferson City on the 7th of October. Gen. McNeill and J. B. Sanborn, with a force of mounted men, chiefly Missouri State Militia, had just reached there by a forced march from Rolla. Squads of cavalry had been sent out to guard the fords and ferries on the Osage River, and, if not able to prevent the Confederates from crossing, to give timely warning of their approach. The railroad bridge across the river nine miles east of the city had been burned.
Several small engagements and skirmishes took place, and the Confederates partly surrounded the city with a semi-circular line nearly four miles in length, the wings resting on the Mis- souri River. Finding the place well prepared for an attack, Price sent his trains westward and followed with his army. A large force now started in pursuit of the Confederates, led by Federal cavalry under immediate command of Gen. Alfred Pleasanton, who arrived at Jefferson City on the day of Price's departure.
The latter general, growing bold as he marched westward, sent Gens. Jo. Shelby and John B. Clark, Jr., to attack Glasgow on the Missouri River, in Howard County. The town was garrisoned by a part of the Forty-third Missouri, and small detachments of the Ninth Missouri State Militia and the Seven- teenth Illinois Cavalry, under command of Col. Chester Harding. After a spirited resistance Col. Harding was obliged to surrender. His assailants then marched back and joined their main army, which was still hastening westward. Gen. Price left Lexington just as Pleasanton's advance reached that place October 20. At Little Blue Creek he met Blunt's Kansas troops, under command of Gen. Curtis, who, after a sharp fight which lasted for several hours, fell back to the Big Blue Creek and there awaited another attack. Meanwhile, Pleasanton reached the Little Blue, and found the bridge destroyed and the Confederate rear-guard prepared for battle. They were soon driven away, and Pleasanton continued his course to Westport, then occupied by the enemy. He captured the place by a brill- iant charge in which he routed the Confederates, and took two of their guns.
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Gen. Price had expected to receive at least 20,000 recruits during the progress of his raid, and perhaps to permanently occupy the State; instead, only about 6,000 Missourians came to his assistance, and he fled into Arkansas as rapidly as possible, having accomplished nothing of importance.
THE AFFAIR NEAR ROCHEPORT.
September 23, 1864, a train of Government wagons started from Sturgeon, Boone County, for Rocheport, in charge of seventy men of the Third Missouri State Militia, under Capt. McFadin. The train stopped near sunset at a pond about seven miles northeast of Rocheport, in order that the horses might be watered. Here it was suddenly attacked by 150 guerrillas under George Todd, who put the escort to flight, robbed the wagons of everything that they could conveniently carry away, and burned what remained. Eleven Federal soldiers were killed, and three negroes.
THE CENTRALIA MASSACRE.
Among the revolting and horrible crimes of the war, the Cen- tralia massacre stands prominent for its dastardly and cold- blooded atrocity. Monday night, September 26, Anderson's guer- rillas, in numbers estimated from 200 to 400, encamped about three miles southeast of Centralia, which is situated on the North Missouri Railroad, in Boone County. About 10 o'clock Tuesday morning, 75 or 100 of this band went into the town, and com- menced plundering the stores and depot, breaking open boxes and trunks, and appropriating whatever suited them. At 11 o'clock the stage-coach arrived from Columbia with eight or nine passengers. These gentleman being unarmed were quickly re- lieved of their money and valuables, but were allowed to go to the hotel. At 11.30 the passenger train from St. Louis came in sight. Immediately the guerrillas formed into line, and as the train neared the depot, commenced throwing obstructions on the track and firing at the engineer. The cars having been stopped, the robbers rushed upon the passengers, men, women and children, taking money, watches and jewelry, together with the contents of trunks, and valuables from the express car. Twenty-three Fed- eral soldiers who were on board the train were marched into town,
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placed in lines, and shot down. The guerrillas burned the rail- road depot and six cars standing near. After murdering the sol- diers and robbing the passengers and the citizens of the town generally, they set fire to the rifled train, and started it on the road toward Sturgeon. It ran about three miles, and then stop- ping was entirely consumed. Meanwhile the frightened passen- gers, glad to escape with their lives, went on their way as best they could, in wagons, on horseback, and on foot.
About 3 o'clock of the same afternoon, Maj. A. V. E. John- son, of Col. Kutzner's regiment of Missouri Volunteers (the Thirty-ninth ), arrived at Centralia with 155 mounted infantry. An engagement took place in an open field southeast of the town. Maj. Johnson's men, being armed with long guns, were ordered to dismount. Their horses became unmanageable, and many of them ran away, leaving the soldiers on foot in the middle of the prairie. They had fired but one volley when the guerrillas dashed among them, splendidly mounted, and carrying three or four re- volvers apiece. Part of Johnson's men who were still on horse- back attempted to escape, but were overtaken and shot down. Maj. Johnson himself was killed, together with 122 men of his small command. Four or five of the remaining few were wounded. The guerrillas had but three killed and seven wounded.
After the murderers had left town the citizens of Centralia gathered the dead bodies together, and placed them near the railroad. 'Many of them were taken to Mexico for burial that very evening, and seventy-nine were interred in a trench in the eastern part of town. Afterward this trench was enclosed by a fence, and at the head of it was placed a limestone monument, fifteen feet high, with the following inscription :
"The remains of Companies A, G and H, Thirty-ninth Regi- ment, Missouri Volunteer Infantry, who were killed in action at Centralia, Mo., on the 27th day of September, 1864, are interred here." Since the close of the war the remains have been dis- interred and re-buried in one common grave in the National Cemetery at Jefferson City.
DEATH OF BILL ANDERSON.
After the horrible massacre at Centralia, the subsequent burning of Danville and the depots at New Florence, High Hill
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and Renick, Bill Anderson and the most of his men went into Ray County. On the 26th of October, Lieut .- Col. S. P. Cox, of the Thirty-third Enrolled Missouri Militia, learning Anderson's whereabouts, made a forced march to meet him. On the follow- ing day, just one month after the Centralia massacre, Col. Cox came in contact with the guerrilla pickets, and drove them before him into the woods. He then dismounted his men, threw an infantry force into the forest, and sent forward a cavalry advance which soon engaged Anderson's main body and fell back. The guerrillas now charged, and Anderson was killed, while his men were forced to retreat at full speed, hotly pursued by the Union cavalry. Upon the body of Anderson was found $300 in gold, $150 in treasury notes, six revolvers, and several orders from Gen. Price.
Early in December, 1864, Gen. Rosecrans was relieved of the command of the Department of Missouri, and Gen. Granville M. Dodge, of Iowa, succeeded him.
LIST OF BATTLES IN MISSOURI.
Necessarily there has been omitted from this brief review even a mention of many of the minor battles of the Civil War, which were fought upon the soil of Missouri. For convenient reference a complete list of these engagements, together with the dates at which they were fought, is herewith appended:
1861-Potosi, May 14; Boonville, June 17; Carthage, July 5; Monroe Station, July 10; Overton's Run, near Fulton, July 17; Dug Springs, August 2; Athens, August 5; Wilson's Creek, August 10; Morton, August 20; Bennett's Mills, Sep- tember; Drywood Creek, September 7; Norfolk, September 10, Lexington, September 12, 20; Blue Mills Landing, September 17; Glasgow Mistake, September 20; Osceola, September 25; Shanghai, October 13; Lebanon, October 13; Big River Bridge, October 15; Linn Creek, October 16; Fredericktown, October 21; Springfield, October 25; Belmont, November 7; Piketon, November 8; Little Blue, November 10; Clark's Station, Novem- ber 11; Mount Zion Church, December 28.
1862-Silver Creek, January 15; New Madrid, February 28; Pea Ridge, Ark., March 6; Neosho, April 22; Cherry Grove,
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HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
July 1; Pierce's Mill, July 18; Rose Hill, July 10; Florida, July 22; Moore's Mill, July 28; Chariton River, July 30; New- urk, August 1; Kirksville, August 6; Compton's Ferry, August 8; Independence, August 11; Yellow Creek, August 13; Lone Jack, August 16; Newtonia, September 13.
1863-Springfield, January 8; Cape Girardeau, April 29; Marshall, October 13.
1864-Pilot Knob, September 27; Moreau River, October 7; Prince's Ford, October 5; Glasgow, October 8; Little Blue Creek, October 20; Big Blue, October 22; Westport, October 23; Newtonia, October 28; Albany, October 27; near Rocheport, September 23; Centralia, September 27.
STATE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
The delegates chosen to this body assembled in Mercantile Library Hall, St. Louis, Friday, January 6, 1865. The objects of the convention were: First, " to consider such amendments to the constitution of the State as might be deemed necessary for the emancipation of slaves;" and second, " such amendments to the constitution of the State as might be deemed necessary to preserve in purity the elective franchise to loyal citizens, and such other amendments as might be deemed essential to the pro- motion of the public good. "
On January 11, the following ordinance was passed by the Convention :
AN ORDINANCE ABOLISHING SLAVERY IN MISSOURI.
Be it ordained by the People of the State of Missouri, in Convention Assembled, That hereafter, in this State, there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary serv- itude, except in punishment of crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted; and all persons held to service or labor as slaves are hereby declared free.
Emancipation in Missouri was thus established by law, al- though it had practically existed for some time previous.
THE DRAKE CONSTITUTION.
It soon became apparent that mere amendments to the con- stitution would not satisfy the leading members of the convention, prominent among whom was Mr. Drake, of St. Louis, who had been chosen vice-president. A complete remodeling of the or-
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ganic laws of the State seemed to many not to fall within the authority of the convention, moreover they believed that the time had not come for that dispassionate and statesmanlike legislation which so important a measure demanded. However, the conven- tion proceeded with its sweeping work of reform, until it had made new provisions in every article of the fundamental law. Section 3 of Article XI, on the "Right of Suffrage, " which was the ob- ject of the most angry and exciting debate in the convention, and a prolific source of strife and division afterward, is here tran- scribed.
SEC. 3. At any election held by the people under this constitution, or in pursuance of any law of this State, or under any ordinance or by-law of any municipal corporation, no person shall be deemed a qualified voter who has ever been in armed hostility to the United States, or to the lawful authorities thereof, or to the Government of this State; or hasleyer given aid, comfort, countenance or support to persons engaged in any such hostility; or has ever in any manner adhered to the enemies, foreign or domestic, of the United States, either by contributing to them, or by unlawfully sending within their lines, mon- ey, goods, letters, or information; or has ever disloyally heid communication with such enemies; or has ever advised or aided any person to enter the service of such enemies; or has ever, by act or word manifested his adherence to the cause of such enemies, or his desire for their triumph over the armies of the United States; or his sympathy with those engaged in exciting or carrying on rebellion against the United States; or has ever, except under overpowering compulsion, submitted to the authority, or been in the service of these so-called " Confederate States of America; " or has ever left this State, and gone within the lines of the armies of the so-called " Confederate States of America," with the purpose of adhering to said States or armies; or has ever been a member of, or connected with any order, society or organization inimical to the Govern- ment of the United States, or to the Government of this State; or has ever been engaged in guerrilla warfare against loyal inhabitants of the United States, or in that description of marauding commonly known as "bushwhacking;" or has ever knowingly and willingly harbored, aided or countenanced any per- son so engaged; or has ever come into or left this State for the purpose of avoid- ing enrollment for or draft into the military service of the United States; or has ever, with a view to avoid enrollment in the militia of this State, or to escape the performance of duty therein, or for any other purpose, enrolled himself, or authorized himself to be enrolled, by or before any officer, as disloyal or as a Southern sympathizer, or in any other terms indicating his disaffection to the Government of the United States in its contest with rebellion, or his sympathy with those engaged in such rebellion; or having ever voted at any election by the people in this State, or in any other of the United States, or in any of their Territories, or under the United States, shall thereafter have sought or received, under claim of alienage, the protection of any foreign government, through any consul or other officer thereof, in order to secure exemption from military duty, in the militia of this State, or in the army of the United States; nor shall any such person be capable of holding, in this State, any office of honor, trust or
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profit under its authority; or of being an officer, councilman, director, trustee, or other manager of any corporation, public or private, now existing, or hereafter established by its authority; or of acting as a professor or teacher in any edu- cational institution, or in any common or other school; or of holding any real estate or other property in trust for the use of any church, religious society, or congregation. But the foregoing provisions in relation to acts done against the United States shall not apply to any person not a citizen thereof, who shall have committed such acts while in the service of some foreign country at war with the United States, and who has, since such acts, been naturalized, or may hereafter be naturalized, under the laws of the United States; and the oath of loyalty hereinafter prescribed, when taken by any such persons, shall be con- sidered as taken in such sense.
Section 4 provided for a registration of the names of qual- ified voters, and section 5 required that the oath indicated in the third section should be taken by every voter at the time of his registration. Taking the oath should not, however, be deemed conclusive evidence of the right of a person to vote, supposing such right could be otherwise disproved. This section also pro- vided that evidence for or against the right of any person to vote should be heard and passed upon by the registering officers and not by the judges of election.
These officers should keep a list of the names of rejected voters, and the same were. to be certified to the judges of elections who were to receive the ballotof any such rejected voter, marking the same as a rejected vote; but even with these precautions the vote was not to be received unless the party casting it should, at the time, take the oath of loyalty.
Under the ninth section no person was permitted to practice law, "or be competent as a bishop, priest, deacon, minister, elder or other clergyman of any religious persuasion, sect or denomi- nation, to teach or preach, unless such person shall have first taken, subscribed and filed said oath."
While the article upon the " executive department " was pend- ing, an effort was made to introduce an amendment by which any citizen of the State, white or colored, male or female, would be eligible to the office of governor, but the amendment was rejected by a tie vote, as also a similar proposition in reference to the " Legislative Department."
It is but just to say, in this connection, that the new constitu- tion, objectionable and stringent as it was in many particulars, was
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admirable in respect to its provisions for public instruction, and was conceded to be so by its bitterest enemies.
The constitution was adopted April 8, and two days after- ward the convention adjourned sine die.
An election had been appointed for the 6th of June, 1865, to submit the new constitution to the people for their indorsement or rejection, but it had also been provided that no person should vote at that election, except those who would be qualified as voters under the second article thereof. The canvass which fol- lowed was naturally one of the greatest bitterness.
Although the war was nominally over, and all the strong- holds of the Rebellion were in the hands of the United States authorities, yet there were fragmentary guerrilla bands still roaming through various sections of the country, and the war spirit continued in undiminished force. Multitudes of taxpayers in the State, not a few of whom were honored and influential citizens, and had been noncombatants during the war, were disfranchised by the third section, and denied the privilege of voting upon the adoption or rejection of the code of laws which was to govern them and their children. On the other hand it was maintained with vigor that citizens who had attempted to destroy their Gov- ernment, who had committed treason either by open deeds of rebellion, or by encouragement, sympathy and aid given to those in rebellion, had forfeited all right to assist in conducting the affairs of State. The election resulted in a majority of 1,862 for the constitution, which accordingly went into effect July 4, 1865.
The next General Assembly which convened at Jefferson City, on November 1, proceeded to enact a registry law, which, on account of its stringency, occasioned much violence and dis- order in its enforcement. The " Ousting Ordinance," for vacat- ing certain civil offices, was also attended with unpleasant results. That portion of the ninth section in regard to ministers, lawyers and teachers excited so much trouble in the State that B. Gratz Brown, Carl Schurz and other leading Republicans set on foot December, 1866, a movement which had for its object universal amnesty and enfranchisement. The movement soon became popu- lar throughout the State, and, in his message to the Twenty-
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Fourth General Assembly, January, 1867, Gov. Fletcher recom- mended an amendment to the constitution, striking out the ninth section of the second article. At this session of the Legis- lature a constitutional amendment was submitted to the people proposing to strike the word "white" from the eighteenth sec- tion of the second article, and thus inaugurate negro suffrage in Missouri. While this amendment was under consideration in the House, Mr. Orrick of St. Charles proposed to strike out not only the word " white " but also the word "male." This effort in behalf of female suffrage was rejected; and at the election of the people in November, 1868, negro suffrage was also defeated by a majority of 18,817 votes.
The adjourned session of the Twenty-fifth General Assembly, which met on January 5, 1870, accomplished important work in several directions.
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