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 38
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 38
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whom was Judge Ephraim Myers, who was released in a few days. To escape arrest other Union men left the county, some going to St. Joseph and others to Kansas.
The Union forces under Col. Craynor, after a short time in camp, moved northward toward the Iowa line in order to gain re- inforcements preparatory to moving upon the rebel camp in Andrew County. Arms and ammunition were obtained from. Iowa, and, after collecting a force of about 3,500 or 4,000 men, the command marched southward, the news of which movement caused the Confederates to break up Camp Highly and retreat. Col. Patton had been ordered a few days previous to join the Confederate forces at Lexington, and, on learning of the Federals' approach, he broke camp immediately, and started on his march. A detachment of Iowa troops, under Col. Dale, being apprised of the retreat, started in rapid pursuit, and at Blue Mills, near Liberty, Clay County, came up with the Confederates while the latter were preparing to cross the river. About 300 Confederates posted themselves behind a natural fortification, skirting the main road, over which the Federals were obliged to pass, and when the latter appeared they were greeted with a galling fire from rocks, trees, bushes, etc., the effect of which was to throw the advancing column into utter confusion, causing a retreat. Their loss was about sixty. The Confederate loss was three killed and several wounded. The Confederates made no attempt to follow up their advantage, but immediately after the engage- ment rejoined the main body, which had succeeded in crossing the river in the meantime. At Lexington Col. Patton's troops joined the army of Gen. Price, and became scattered among dif- ferent regiments. The majority of the men served throughout the war, and participated in many of the bloodiest battles of the southwestern campaigns. The departure of Patton and San- der's battalions ended the Confederate domination in Andrew, and from that time forward no public efforts were made toward recruiting for the Southern army in the county.
Recruiting officers were busy however from time to time, and during the first two years of the war, a large number of men joined the Southern army, some going in squads and others singly.
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In the meantime, 1861, the Forty-first Regiment, Missouri Militia, numbering between 700 and 800 men, was raised in An- drew County, ostensibly for home protection, but subject to be called upon for duty in any part of the State. This was a cav- alry regiment commanded by Col. William Herren of Savannah; the other officers having been W. P. Hobson, lieutenant-colonel and J. McLain, major. The troops were armed by the Government, but had to furnish their own horses and rations, in fact the regiment while on duty was compelled to serve without pay and sustain itself. Companies of the Forty-first were assigned duty in the different towns and villages of the county ; suppressed local dis- turbances, and prevented recruiting for the Southern army. The presence of the troops had a salutary influence in preserving the peace, and putting an effectual check to much of the thieving and robbing so prevalent during the first few years of the war. The organization was kept up until the early part of 1863, at which time, the term of service having expired, a re-organization known as the Third Provisional Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia, was effected, with William Herren as colonel. This regiment was made up from Andrew, Nodaway, Holt and other counties, and assigned duty in the northwestern part of the State. Like the Forty-first, its duty was largely that of home protec- tion, but it was subject to be called to any part of the State. Under the direction of Col. Herren, an enrollment of the county was made in the fall of 1863 in which all Southern sympathizers ex-Confederate soldiers, and those known or sus- pected of being unfriendly to the Union cause, were enrolled under Order No. 24, and disarmed. These were known as the disloyal list, and were afterward subjected to many abuses by re- turned Federal soldiers and others who assumed authority to "suppress the Rebellion in Andrew County." They with others were subsequently organized for home protection under the name of the "Paw Paw" militia, of which a mention will be found on another page.
The Third Provisional Regiment was disbanded and mus- tered out of the service in the latter part of 1864.
In the summer of 1861, what was known as Kimball's regi- ment, six months troops commanded by Col. Kimball, was re-
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cruited at Savannah, three companies of which were raised in Nodaway, one from Holt, and the remainder in Andrew County. This regiment numbered about 1,000 effective men, and was sworn into the United States service on the 26th day of September, 1861. It was first under the command of Maj. Sturgis, commander of the military district of St. Joseph, and subsequently attached to Gen. Prentiss' brigade, with which it did gallant service in vari- ous parts of the State, principally in Clay, Platte, Buchanan and Andrew Counties. Shortly after the organization of the regi- ment a small detachment became engaged with a band of bush- whackers on "Hackberry Ridge," Andrew County, whom they pur- sued beyond Amazonia, near which village a small engagement occurred. At the expiration of its term of service the regiment was mustered out April 2, 1862.
The Fifth Cavalry Missouri State Militia was recruited in the spring of 1862, at St. Joseph, one company of which, Company G, was made up altogether of Andrew County men. The com- missioned officers of the company were Robert G. Hubbard, cap- tain; Henry M. Ogle, first lieutenant; and - Miller, second lieutenant. The last named officer died at Lexington, and was succeeded by John B. Majors, promoted to the position from first sergeant. He subsequently resigned, and took command of Company G, of Home Guards, stationed at Savannah. The Fifth Cavalry was actively engaged in different parts of Missouri, fought bushwhackers and irregular Confederate forces for a little over one year, and was then consolidated with another regiment, which caused great dissatisfaction among the men, a number of whom were discharged. Nearly if not quite all the members of Company G re-enlisted in other regiments, and did faithful service until the close of the war.
Company G, Twelfth Missouri Cavalry, R. G. Hubbard, cap- tain, was largely made up from Andrew County; John Anderson, first lieutenant; - Stanley, second lieutenant; D. C. Stotts was promoted to the second lieutenancy after the death of Stanley.
The first active service in which the Twelfth participated was against the rebel cavalry forces in West Tennessee, Northern Mississippi and Alabama, and among the battles in which it took a gallant part were Franklin, Campbellsville, Columbia, Nash- 15A
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ville and many others. After the fall of Richmond, and surren- der of Lee, the regiment was ordered west, where for one year it was engaged against the Indians on Powder River, Little Big Horn and the Bad Lands. Numerous battles were fought with the savages, in some of which several men of the Twelfth were killed. The regiment was mustered out of service April 10, 1866, after which the boys from Andrew County returned to their homes.
Company M, Ninth Cavalry Missouri State Militia was re- cruited at Savannah in the summer of 1863, the officers of which were Samuel Hunter, captain; - Decker, first lieutenant and David Middleton, second lieutenant. The company was mus- tered into the service at St. Joseph, and saw its first active service at the battle of Glasgow, Mo., where the Ninth and the greater part of the Forty-Third Regiment were surrounded and captured by the rebel forces under Gens. Price and Shelby. They were kept prisoners about three months, and after exchange rejoined their respective commands, and until the close of the war were engaged principally with bushwhackers in var- ious parts of Missouri. Company M, with the rest of the regi- ment, was mustered out in the year 1865.
The Forty-third Missouri Volunteer Infantry was recruited in the summer of 1864, and sworn into service in September of that year at St. Joseph. Two companies of this regiment were raised in Andrew County, to wit: Companies B and D.
The former was raised principally by John B. Majors, who was elected captain when the men were sworn into the service on the 1st of September of the above year. The other officers as far as now known were Henderson Edwards, first lieutenant; John P. Herren, second lieutenant and Irwin Mindes, orderly sergeant.
The officers of Company D were Henry M. Ogle, captain; Charles S. Pickett, first lieutenant and Richard Buis, second lieutenant. The regiment consisted of ten full companies, six of which were in a short time ordered to Glasgow, where, after being joined by a detachment of the Ninth Cavalry Missouri State Militia, was fought a hotly contested battle with the Confederate forces of Gens. Price and Shelby, numbering about 15,000 men.
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Nearly all the men of the Forty-third had seen active service before, and were not prepared to yield their position to the over- whelming odds of the enemy without a battle. The fight was waged the greater part of one day, but, being surrounded in the afternoon, the gallant little force was compelled to surrender, but upon honorable conditions.
Some of the prisoners were paroled illegally, the stipulations being that they should not leave the State during the war nor re-enter the regular service. As already stated some of the pris- oners, especially those belonging to the cavalry, were kept several months, and finally exchanged. The regiment at the time of the engagement was commanded by Col. Chester Harding, of St. Louis.
The four companies that remained in St. Joseph were in com- mand of Capt. John B. Majors, who, as senior captain, after- ward succeeded to the command of the regiment, Col. Harding having been promoted to the command of the district.
In the spring of 1865 Major's command went to Kansas City, and later to Lexington, where the regiment became scattered, detached companies being located at different points. They were engaged in clearing the country of bushwhackers and guerrilla bands until after the fall of Richmond, when all the irregular companies of Confederates in that part of the State came into Lexington and surrendered to Capt. Majors. The Forty-third was mustered out of service at St. Louis, in June, 1865.
The Fifty-first Regiment Missouri Volunteer Infantry was recruited at St. Joseph in 1865; - Moore, colonel, and N. B. Giddings, of Savannah, lieutenant-colonel. Two companies were raised in Andrew County, one commanded by Capt. Harvey Tilson, and the other by Robert Cole. The regiment left St. Joseph in the spring of 1865, and went to St. Louis where it remained until the following fall, having been considerably scat- tered in the meantime. It was not actively engaged, and did not get out of the State during its period of service. It was mus- tered out at St. Louis in the fall of 1865.
Aside from the companies and regiments enumerated, Andrew County was well represented in other regiments, and from time to time, according to the demands of the situation, continued to furnish
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the quota of men under the calls of the President until the close of the war. In the year 1864, enrollments for drafts being or- dered, the quotas were filled without resort to draft in some parts of the county, while in others it was enforced to a limited ex- tent. The total number of men furnished by Andrew County under the several calls is scarcely obtainable. Nor, indeed, is it necessary, since the loyal men of the county were always prompt in meeting the demand for troops, and by bounty and otherwise never failed in whatever the country required of them in the bloody struggle to maintain the supremacy of the laws.
Of the number of men from the county, who entered the Con- federate service, there are now no reliable sources of information. During the summer of 1861 the Southern men raised and drilled military organizations throughout the county, and at one time, as already stated, a force of several hundred, under the command of Cols. Patton and Sanders, gathered at Camp Highly, near Roches- ter. After the departure of this force, and the occupation of the county by Union troops, recruiting was carried on secretly, and from 1861 to 1863 several companies and parts of companies were raised in the county, while many went singly and in squads and joined the Confederate army at its nearest headquarters. Companies were raised at Fillmore, Rochester, Savannah and other parts of the county, and during the war there went from Andrew considerably over 1,000 men to do battle in defense of the Southern Confederacy.
During the years 1862-63, and a part of 1864, a reign of terror existed in Andrew County, the like of which the citizens pray may never again be enacted within her borders. Innocent men were shot down by unknown parties, and persons claiming to be Union men, but who where really a self-constituted band of out- laws, rode the country at midnight, wreaking vengeance upon all persons suspected of being in sympathy with the Confederacy. The best people in the country were badly scared. "At midnight notices were stuck up for many to leave; a large number went to St. Joseph, others to Nebraska and elsewhere. Their families were compelled to leave also, and prowling bands of robbers roamed everywhere." Among these who met violent deaths in 1862-63 were the following: Andrew Pettyjohn, a law abiding
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citizen, suspected as being a Southern sympathizer, was shot and killed by unknown parties near the residence of Mr. Bennett, a short distance northeast of Savannah. He was told by Henry Ogle, a discharged lieutenant of Col. Pennick's regiment, to leave the city as it was not a safe place for him to stay. Acting upon this friendly advice he started home, but after going a short distance was overtaken by three ex-soldiers, who killed and robbed him of about $60 in money.
Bird Allen, a Southern sympathizer who lived in Platte Town- ship, entered the Confederate service early in the war, joining the army of General Price. After a short period of service he re- turned home and took no further part in the war, or the political questions that agitated the public mind during the years of 1861-62 and 1863. He was a quiet and law abiding man, and, so far as known, had no enemy at the time in the country. One night in 1863 he was called to the door by a company of unknown men, who claimed to have authority to arrest and take him to Savannah. Not suspecting any danger he accompanied them, but when about half a mile from home he was shot down in cold blood, and his body left lying in the road, where it was found early the following morning. This was a most cruel and unprovoked murder, but the parties who committed the bloody deed were never apprehended.
Sometime the same year Wyatt Combest, an orderly and reputable citizen, was killed under the following circumstances. He was preparing to retire, and had already divested himself of the greater part of his clothing, when some one rode up in front of the dwelling and called his name, requesting the privilege of speaking with him for a few minutes. He answered the man at once, but no sooner was the door opened than a shot was fired, killing him instantly. After committing the murder the parties, for there were several of them, rode rapidly away. Mr. Combest was a Southern man in sentiment, but had never been known to say or do anything detrimental to the cause of the Union. His killing was a cold-blooded murder, and was greatly deplored by all the peaceably inclined people of the county.
Alexander Officer, of Platte Township, was taken from his home one night by several unknown men, and shot a short dis- tance west of Rosendale. His death was condemned by the cit-
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izens of the community, irrespective of political party, and an effort was made to bring his murderers to justice. One of them was indicted by the grand jury, had a trial but was released on bail, after which the matter was quietly dismissed. Mr. Officer's sympathies were with the Confederacy.
About the same time that Officer was killed, a sqaud of un- known men shot and killed Robert Boggs, an outspoken South- ern man, who lived about six miles northwest of Savannah. Mr. Boggs on account of his well known feeling for the South, and from the fact of his always having a large sum of money about him, was made a special object for assassination. He was called to the door after night, shot down in his tracks, and his money taken. The same night Joseph Duff, who lived five or six miles west of Savannah, on " Hackberry Ridge," was shot and killed within a short distance of his home, presumably by the same parties who murdered Boggs.
The killing, near Fillmore, of a man by the name of Offitt, in 1863, was one of the most cruel and unprovoked of the many bloody tragedies that were enacted in Andrew County during the troublous period of the war. Mr. Offitt resided upon a rented farm belonging to Mr. Impey, the latter a bitter and uncompro- mising Southern man. Offitt himself was a quiet and inoffensive man, and so far as known had taken no part directly or indirectly on either side, although it was supposed that his sympathies were with the Confederacy. One evening while feeding his stock a company of men rode up in front of his house, whereupon he ac- costed them in a friendly manner, saying, "Well boys, are you going out on a lark to-night." Upon their answering in the affirmative, he requested them to alight and get some supper, turning at the same time to go through the gate into the yard. No sooner had he turned, however, than one of the party fired from behind, the shot taking effect in his back, killing him in- stantly. After committing the cowardly act the parties rode off, presumably in quest of other victims.
The death of young Edwin O'Burn, about the same time, was a murder for which there was not the remotest cause. Mr. O'Burn was a young man in the employ of Logan Dysart, the latter a leading citizen of Jackson Township, against whom
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threats of vengeance had been repeatedly made on account of his well-known and fearlessly expressed Southern sentiments. Bent upon murder and perhaps robbery, a company of unknown men, supposed to have been the same ones that killed Offitt, rode up to the place one night and set fire to Mr. Dysart's dwelling. While trying to extinguish the flames, Mr. O'Burn was shot and killed by some one of the party, who had stationed himself within a short distance of the burning building.
A leading citizen of the county, George Breckinridge, a Southern sympathizer, was killed on the night of July 4, 1863, by unknown parties, who called him to the door, and fired upon him as soon as he made his appearance. His wife went out with him, and was shot in the arm.
A few days after this occurrence, on the 7th of July, 1863, the notorious Joseph Hart, a rebel guerrilla, who had formerly been a school teacher in Andrew County, made a raid through the country, for the purpose, some said, of avenging the death of Mr. Breckinridge, with whom he had been well acquainted. Hart and his band of men, as reckless and daring as himself, be- came noted throughout Western Missouri as one of the most un- compromising foes of Union men, and the very mention of his name was a terror to all communities where the loyal element predominated. On the occasion mentioned, he and a few of his followers made a dash through the northern part of the county, and called at the residence of Harrison Burns, for the purpose of securing the latter's son-in-law, George Henry, a discharged Union soldier, who had come home a short time before. A neigh- bor, George Jenkins, was spending the night with the Burns' family at the time, and when Hart's gang rode up all three of the men went out, taking their arms with them, as they naturally suspected danger. No sooner had they got into the yard than Hart gave the order "now let them have it," whereupon his men fired, killing Henry outright, shooting Burns through the left arm and Jenkins in the mouth, inflicting serious wounds. After firing, Hart secured the arms of the three men and left hurriedly, as the county was at the time in the possession of Federal troops of the Provisional Regiment, a company of which was stationed at Savannah, in command of Capt. Stotts. This company, together
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with a large number of citizens, turned out in pursuit of Hart, whom it is safe to say they did not succeed in capturing. He was killed a short time afterward, however, near Chillicothe, and his accom- plices captured and lodged in jail at St. Joseph, on the charge of murder. One of these, by the name of Linville, was convicted and hanged, and another, a man by the name of Campbell, died in the jail. On Hart's body at the time of his death was found a letter written to his father, from which the following extract is made: " I captured a lot of Andrew militia and killed several. The boys under my command caught Harrison Burns, George Henry and some one else, I don't know who yet, and killed them, as they refused to give up their arms, which were large navy re- volvers, and tried to shoot while in the house, where they were killed in the presence of the women. I could not help it; they should have surrendered. We got four fine navy revolvers from them. They helped to murder George Breckinridge and old Sam Mason, and shot Mrs. Mason in the arm. You did not get out any too soon. I am going to cross [bring over the Missouri River ] the whole Quantrell regiment and kill Andrew County, every last devil, and they know it. You bet they fly when they hear of me up here. They say I am a d-d sight worse than Quantrell, and that my men would rather die than live. I think our boys killed Bill Ogle." The above is false in many particu- lars, as Henry was the only one killed during the raid, the other two, as already stated, being only wounded. The three men had no part in the murder of Breckinridge, nor were Samuel and Mrs. Mason shot. Bill Ogle was not killed as the letter states, but died several years after the close of the war.
Some time in the year 1863 Jefferson Miller, of Jackson Township, was killed at the village of Fillmore by John Messick, the latter a strong Union man. The difficulty appears to have been between Miller and a man by the name of Grooms, and it was while the former was rushing toward the latter, with a drawn knife, that Messick, who was standing by, drew a revolver and fired the fatal shot. A young man by the name of Gibson was killed in Fillmore some time in 1863, by Federal soldiers, who came from Gentry County for the purpose of arresting and mak- ing him take the oath of allegiance to the Government. Gibson
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had either been in the Confederate service or was an outspoken advocate of the Southern cause. When called upon to give himself up he refused to do so and started to run, whereupon he was ordered to halt. Not heeding the command, one of the sol- diers fired, the shot taking effect, killing the young man instantly.
A stranger by the name of Irvin was killed near Dillon Creek, between St. Joseph and Savannah, in 1863. He was passing through the latter place, when some one remarked that he was a "bushwhacker." This was sufficient to cause him to be followed by several parties, who overtook him some miles below with the result above named.
George Smith, a Southern man, was shot and killed by a com- pany of soldiers in the western part of the county, in 1863, and the same year a young man by the name of Ford, who lived three miles west of Savannah, was cruelly murdered by a squad of Federal soldiers from Col. Peabody's regiment. Reed Murphy, about the year 1864, shot and killed one John Wershon in Savannah, the former a Union man and the latter a Southern sympathizer. Murphy was arrested for murder, and, taking a change of venue to St. Joseph, was acquitted in the courts of that city.
Early in the war Joseph Lanier, a resident of Rochester Township, who had gone with Col. Sanders' Confederate force from Camp Highly, was arrested upon his return for burning the Caldwell mill at Rochester. This mill was burned while the Confederates were in camp near the village, and Mr. Caldwell being a strong Union man, the destruction of his property aroused great indignation throughout the county. Suspicion pointed to young Lanier as the incendiary, who, however, strong- ly and persistently repelled the charge.
He was arrested by United States troops stationed at the county seat, tried by military authority, condemned, and publicly shot near the old depot in Savannah. His death caused great excitement as well as indignation among the citizens, the major- ity of whom believed him innocent.
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