History of Caldwell and Livingston counties, Missouri, written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri; a reliable and detailed history of Caldwell and Livingston counties--their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens; general and local statistics of great value; incidents and reminiscences, Part 22

Author: Pease, Ora Merle Hawk, 1890-
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: St. Louis, National Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1260

USA > Missouri > Livingston County > History of Caldwell and Livingston counties, Missouri, written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri; a reliable and detailed history of Caldwell and Livingston counties--their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens; general and local statistics of great value; incidents and reminiscences > Part 22
USA > Missouri > Caldwell County > History of Caldwell and Livingston counties, Missouri, written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri; a reliable and detailed history of Caldwell and Livingston counties--their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens; general and local statistics of great value; incidents and reminiscences > Part 22

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).

THE COUNTY TREASURY ROBBERY.

As stated elsewhere, upon the capture of Kingston the rebel raiders broke into and robbed the county treasury. By whom this was done and what was the exact amount of money taken can not here be stated. All accounts agree that some of Taylor's company did the robbing. Edwards' " Noted Guerrillas," a work of some authority as to perfor- mances of the Missouri guerrillas, although usually exaggerating and distorting everything, says (p. 351) of this incident : -

Resuming his march Taylor passed through Knoxville into Caldwell county. * At Kingston, James Commons, Theo. Castle, Nat Tigue and Gooly Robertson took from the county treasurer $6,000 in greenbacks and divided it among the guerrillas per capita - a sort of prize money scarcely legitimate and certainly of but little account so generally apportioned.

In a letter to the compiler Capt. Taylor says he knows personally nothing about the matter. He says he is certain that no such amount as $8,000 was taken or he would have known all about it. 1

In December, 1864, County Treasurer John McBride made the following affidavit, which is still on file in the office of the clerk of the county court (see Record " A," p. 177) : -

STATE OF MISSOURI, COUNTY OF CALDWELL - SS.

John McBride, late treasurer of the county of Caldwell, makes oath and says on or about the 20th day of July, 1864, a band of guerrillas and robbers, said to be under the command of one John Thrailkill, entered the town of Kingston, forced open the doors of the court-house and offices in same, also the doors of vaults in said offices, also broke open a safe belonging to the county, situate in the vault of the circuit clerk's office, and took therefrom a large amount of money, viz., $9,745.37, money belonging to the county revenue fund, school fund and school money. The above statement is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

[Signed] JOHN MCBRIDE.

Singularly enough, the records themselves do not agree as to the amount lost. Treasurer McBride's sworn statement, given above,

1 Taylor further says: " After we had left Kingston some of the boys told me that Jim Cummings and others had got a lot of money. I asked them about it and they denied it."

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HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.

says the sum was $9,745.37. But his books show, upon his own en- tries and statements, that a sum nearly $3,000 in excess of this was lost. That is to say, he has credited himself in various places in his ledger " to amount taken by one John Thrailkill and his band," etc., and the various sums so credited aggregate $12,734.87. The princi- pal portion of the money alleged to have been lost belonged to the school fund, or interest on the same, and the loss was apportioned by the treasurer as per the following : -

Belonging to School Township No. 1

366 70

32 08

4 .

489 92

21 00

5 .

927 91

316 00

6 .

343 76

54 95

7 .

186 68

268 89

9 .

10 .

190 83

31 02

" 12 .

547 47

287 25

Total

$5,130 98

$3,320 38

As shown on the treasurer's ledger the amounts alleged to have been taken from the different funds were as follows : -

From the school fund interest

$5,130 98 .

proper .

3,320 38

county school fund

717 73

road money

10 95

State school money

2 27

county

64 22

revenue fund

3,488 34

Total

$12,734 87

The amount of the county revenue fund which the treasurer's ledger shows was taken, $3,488.34, is found (within 1 cent) on the county court record (Record A, p. 176), where, in a statement by the treasurer, the item " stoled by bushwhackers, $3,488.35," is given. The statement of the amount of road money taken, $10.95, is also corroborated ; but no other verification of the statements of the treasurer's ledger has been found by the writer. Mr. McBride, now very old and infirm, can not remember the exact amount taken or ex- plain the discrepancies after the lapse of so many years.

The same evening of and the next morning after the raid the county clerk, Mr. John C. Lillard, picked up, in the clerk's office, about $3,000 in money which the robbers had overlooked. This was con- tained in an envelope and between the leaves of a pamphlet or book.

8 .

331 86 89 40

116 47

" 11 .

331 65

Interest on School Fund. $1,291 67 33 13

School Fund Proper. $1,300 00

892 72

212

HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.

This amount is variously estimated. The county court record ( Record A, p. 168) says there was "saved from the robbers, $3,089," but the first number of the Banner of Liberty after the raid said that the " sum of $3,200 was found among the rubbish around the safe that evening and the next morning, leaving the total loss to the county a little over $8,000," while in his evidence in the case of Sheriff Sackman Mr. Lillard swears that the amount he found was $2,600, of which $1,200 was in the pamphlet which he picked up the evening of the raid, and $1,400 in the envelope which he found next morning.1

In addition to the money of the county in the safe at the time of the robbery there were the following amounts belonging to the individuals named : To John H. Ardinger, $800; to G. W. Raley, $270; to H. J. Chapman, $105 ; to Charles Ross, $175; to George W. Buckingham, $142. A portion of these sums, especially Ar- dinger's, was in the custody of the sheriff, Jonathan Sackman. Treasurer McBride had a considerable sum belonging to the county at his house in the country.

Soon after the rebel raid insinuations were made that the guerrillas did not take the amount of money alleged from the court-house, but that the greater portion of the public money was taken by some of the citi- zens of the county before the raiders came, and the act charged to the bushwhackers. It was argued that an ordinarily prudent man would not have kept so large a sum as $12,000 in so unsafe a place as the court-house under the circumstances; that the presence of the raiders in the country, and their numbers had been known to all the people of Kingston for some days, and that nearly all having money had hid it or removed it; that there was no adequate force to defend the town, and that it was well known that the town must be given up to the rebels when they should demand it ; that the court- house, in the event of capture, would certainly be plundered, and prob- ably burned, by its captors and its contents taken and destroyed, and therefore those having charge of the money, if they did not remove it from the court-house, were grossly negligent, to say the least. On the other hand, the officials swore that the loss occurred as they stated, and, as they were men of high character, their statements were generally believed, and no attempt was ever made to controvert them.

The county court refused to settle with Treasurer McBride (who,

I See papers on file in the circuit clerk's office in case of Jonathan Sackman v. Cald- well County, for relief from liabilities for money taken by bushwhackers.

213

HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.

as previously stated, was not in Kingston when the raid occurred) and to discharge him from liability for the funds lost. Afterwards Judge George W. Dunn, of the circuit court, came up and had an examination of the matter, and fully exonerated and released Mr. McBride. In April, 1866, Sheriff Sackman instituted proceedings to be released from responsibility and liability for the money lost which was in his care and custody. A number of witnesses were sworn, among them John C. Lillard, Capt. H. J. Chapman, M. R. Streeter, Circuit Clerk Lemuel Dunn (a brother of Judge George W. Dunn), some ladies, and Maj. M. L. James. Sheriff Sackman claimed that he had left the funds with which he was charged in the vault in the circuit clerk's office, to which Lemuel Dunn, the circuit clerk, had the keys; that the evening previous to the raid Dunn went to St. Joseph to procure arms and assistance, and when the rebels came they broke into the vault and took therefrom a tin box in which he (Sackman) had his funds, mashed it open and left it lying on the floor. But certain witnesses swore that on the day of the raid, and a few minutes before the rebels entered Kingston, Sack- man left town on a gallop, bearing his tin box in front of him, and that there was no battered or mashed tin box in the plundered office until next morning.

The court found against Mr. Sackman generally - that he had timely knowledge of the approach of the raiders, and of the defense- less condition of Kingston ; that the tin box, called the " change box," contained, according to the statements made immediately after the occurrence by the sheriff and his deputy, Capt. Streeter, only about $65 or $75; " that the tin box alleged to have been broken open containing said revenue was in the possession of the petitioner that day and in his office, and was taken away by him from the said town when he fled just before the said force entered ;" that the court house and its vaults were insecure places for the deposit of money at the time, and that the collector should have removed the funds belong- ing to his office before the said raid came, and that he did so remove his own funds.

THE 44TH MISSOURI INFANTRY.

In August and September, 1864, there was begun the organization of the 44th Missouri infantry volunteers, of which regiment R. C. Bradshaw, of St. Joseph, was colonel ; A. J. Barr, of Richmond, lieutenant-colonel ; and R. A. DeBolt, of Trenton, major. Into this

214

HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.

regiment many Caldwell county men enlisted. Company H was almost exclusively from this county. Its officers were :-

Captain, Wm. D. Fortune ; first lieutenant, James D. McBride, who died at Nashville, Tenn., December 15, 1864; second lieutenant, Jacob H. Snyder ; sergeants, Wm. Brant, John H. Williams (pro- moted to first lieutenant, January 24, 1865, but never mustered ), C. H. Staas, Josiah Owens and L. C. Devinney ; corporals, J. P. Platt, W. N. Shaffer, John Kayser, W. H. McCollum, W. A. Smith, James Streeter, Henry C. Dennison and W. N. Waters.

Some of our citizens were members of Co. C, Capt. Frank Hopkins, and Co. F, Capt. Isaac N. Hemry, the latter a Caldwell man.

The 44th Missouri rendezvoused at St. Joseph, which place they left for Rolla, September 14, 1864 ; was ordered south and arrived at Paducah, Ky., November 16; on the 27th arrived at Nashville and was immediately pushed to the front to help repel the Con- federate invasion under Gen. Hood. Arriving at Columbia on the 29th, the regiment was attached to the 23d Army Corps, and took part in the action at Spring Hill. At the desperate battle of Frank- lin, November 30, 1864, the 44th Missouri bore a prominent and most gallant part. The official report of Lieut .- Col. Barr concern- ing its conduet contains the following :-

We arrived at Franklin about 1 o'clock, and got into position be- hind some temporary works, which we hurriedly threw up while the rest of the army was getting into position. Our left wing rested on the pike, extending down the right of the right center, which position we gallantly held against the determined efforts of the enemy through- out the entire fight. The battle opened about 3 o'clock a. m., and raged with great fury and desperation until 11 o'clock p. m. It may not be out of place to remark here that, at the commencement of the battle, several old regiments were sent out to receive the enemy, and gradually fall back as the force of the enemy made it necessary ; but instead of this, they received one volley of musketry and then re- treated in great disorder and confusion, literally running over the 44th, who, notwithstanding the shock, stood firm and received the enemy with undaunted coolness and courage, and with steady aim and rapid firing suddenly stopped the enemy, who seemed at this moment determined to break our lines, and thus at once divide our army. After having thus repulsed the enemy so gallantly in their desperate efforts to break our lines, about sunset we received orders to charge over the works and retake the lower ditch, out of which the enemy had driven several of our regiments in their first charge. In making this charge the whole regiment was exposed to a most galling fire, and

215

HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.

opposed by five times their numbers. Here Col. Bradshaw fell, pierced with seven balls, but fortunately not killed.1 Lieut. Dunlap, Lieut. Warren, Lieut. Kirgan and 35 privates were killed. We were forced back to our old position, without being able to carry off our dead and wounded. This gave the enemy new courage, and like demons, they came rushing upon us two or three columns deep, making the very heavens reverberate with their yells, and the earth shake with their tread - but again they are repulsed, with terrible slaughter. The enemy made three more efforts during the night to break our lines, but were repulsed. At 12 o'clock we received orders to quietly withdraw, and, with the balance of the army, retreated to Nashville, at which place we arrived on the 1st of December, 1864, much fatigued, having been three nights without sleep, and fighting continually since the 29th of November. During the last two days fighting we lost, in killed, wounded and missing, about 300 men, among whom were the best of our officers.

Among the Caldwell men wounded at Franklin were Thos. J. Butts and Aloana Mumpower of Co. C, both in the arm, Butts severely. In Co. H, John Kayser, John A. Hays, Reuben Smith, Josiah Swisher, George C. Swigart, Adam Swigart, Samuel Hooker and Jacob Cox were wounded, and Wm. H. McCollum, David Toomey, Matthias Lynch, Thos. Clark, John Martin, Henry S. Phillips, Henry C. Den- nison and Seth Stubblefield were reported missing.

A few days after the fight Lieut. J. D. MeBride accidentally fell into a railroad cut sustaining injuries that resulted in his death.

Of the part taken by the 44th in the battle of Nashville, Tenn., December 15-17, 1864, and subsequent movements of the regiment, Col. Barr says : -

On the 15th we were ordered to take position on the right of the Charlotte pike, and engaged the enemy, participated in the battle on the 15th, 16th and 17th insts., and then followed in the pursuit of Hood's demoralized and conquered army. On the 27th we reached Columbia, where we first met the enemy. On the 28th we reached Pulaski, with two-thirds of the command barefooted. In this condi- tion the regiment was compelled to march on the ice and snow to Clifton, 60 miles, where we arrived on the 2d of January, 1865 - men worn out and feet terribly mangled. On the 9th of January we embarked on steamer Clara Poe and arrived at Eastport, Miss., on the 11th. Here we were ordered into camp, where we remained until the 6th of February, 1865, with the exception of one short campaign to Corinth, with a small cavalry force. From Eastport the regiment proceeded by transport to New Orleans, at which point it arrived on

1 Col. Bradshaw's body fell into the hands of the enemy, and for some time it was believed, and so published, that he had been killed.

216

HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.

the 21st. Left New Orleans on the 11th of March, and arrived at Dauphin Island on the 14th. Remained at this point three days ; thence proceeded to Cedar Point, where it remained until the 22d, when orders were received to re-embark and go to Fish river, at which place we arrived on the 23d, when the regiment was ordered to imme- diately proceed to Spanish Fort, Ala., where it participated in the siege and capture of that fort. After the reduction of Spanish Fort it was ordered to Montgomery, Ala., at which place it arrived on the 25th of April ; thence to Tuskegee, where it remained until the 19th of July. From here they were ordered to Vicksburg, at which point they arrived on the 28th of July, and remained there until the 30th, when orders were received to proceed to St. Louis, at which place they arrived on the 4th of August. Here the entire regiment was mustered out of service on the 15th day of August.

SOME TRAGEDIES OF THE CIVIL WAR.

During the Civil War in Caldwell two Union men, belonging to the militia, were murdered by the rebel guerrillas under Fletcher Taylor, during the raid in July, 1864 ; these are believed to have been all of the Union men killed in the county by the Confederates or those act- ing with them. No Union citizen, not in the Federal service, was murdered.

On the other hand the following Confederate sympathizers were killed by the Unionists : Judge James Steeley, John C. Myers, James Baker, George Baker, William Baker, Sr., Alex. Richey, H. D. White- neck, Rev. Frazee, R. S. McBeath, Absalom Harpold and Henry Gist, all of whom were citizens of the county. Following are the particulars in some of the cases ; the others are elsewhere mentioned : -

JOHN C. MYERS.

In November, 1862, on the evening following election day, John C. Myers was killed by some Federal militia at the house of H. D. Whiteneck, in Rockford township, two miles south of Mirabile. Mr. Myers was an early settler and a well known resident of the county. He had been sheriff of the county, and held other positions of trust and responsibility.

When the Civil War came on, Mr. Myers sympathized with the Confederate cause, and went South. It is believed he took service with the Confederate army, but in what capacity can not here be stated. He returned to the county in the fall of 1862, and announced to cer- tain of his friends that he would never surrender to the Federal mil- itia then in the county. By his thorough knowledge of the country and the people, Mr. Myers managed to escape capture for some time.

217

HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.

On the evening of his death Mr. Myers went to the house of Mr. Whiteneck to pass the night. His former home was in Rockford township, near the house of Whiteneck, whom he regarded as a neigh- bor and friend. After supper Mr. Whiteneck tried to dissuade Mr. Myers from remaining where he was that night, saying, " You may get us both into trouble," but Myers laughed at the fears of his friend and assured him there was no danger. To Whiteneck's expressed opinion that he would better surrender himself, Myers replied, " Never."

A little after nightfall Miss Sue Whiteneck, hearing the footsteps of a number of men in the dry leaves of a grove near by, ran into the house and told Mr. Myers that the militia were coming. He ran forth, but was discovered, and ordered to halt ; but he refused to and continued to run and try to escape through the field in which were some shocks of corn. The militia fired after him, and near one of these corn shocks he was shot down and killed. His death was largely due to his own rashness and self-will.

REV. FRAZEE.

In either 1862 or 1863 a man named Frazee, a Baptist preacher, who lived in Rockford township, about 4 miles northeast of Lisbon- ville, was taken from his home one night and killed by the militia. Mr. Frazee had been for a short time in the Confederate service, but had come home, taken the oath, and allowed to go to his home and remain.

He had been at home for some time, when one night some militia came to his house, took him out of bed from his wife and carried him away. A mile or two from his house, as they were riding and he was on foot, and the entire party was in a narrow lane, they opened fire on him, and gave him three mortal wounds. He did not die until the next day, and gave the names of those who killed him, saying, however, that he forgave them, " for surely," he said, " they did not know what they were doing." He contrived to crawl into a fence corner, where he lay until he was found. The killing was done by some of the members of Ross' company, who told the same old story, of an attempt to escape.

No specific violation of his parole was ever proved against Mr. Fra- zee, and indeed none was alleged. He is said to have remained quietly at home, never going away except to preach. He was about 32 years of age.

218

HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.

ROBERT S. M'BEATH.

On the night of April 2, 1863, Robt. S. McBeath, who lived in the eastern portion of Mirabile township, 4 miles west of Kingston, was shot by a squad of Enrolled Militia under Capt. John T. Ross. Me- Beath was regarded as a Southern sympathizer, and although he had never enlisted in the rebel army or fired a gun during the war, he vis- ited Lexington the day following the surrender of Col. Mulligan and spent a day or two with Price's army, returning home when the army moved South. He never thereafter gave any substantial aid to the Confederate cause, but avowed himself in its favor and never con- cealed his opinions when asked for them.

Mr. MeBeath was enrolled " disloyal," and was ordered to surren- der to the military authorities what fire-arms he might have. He owned a spendid shot-gun, but this he refused to deliver though asked repeatedly to do so. At last he denied owning it. Certain friends advised him to comply with the order but he refused, saying, "The gun belongs to me, not to them ; they have no right to it, and they shall not have it if I can prevent it."

Capt. Ross was stationed with the militia at Breckinridge. Word was brought that the situation in Rockford township needed inspection and taking 3 men with him he rode into the southwestern part of the county and scouted about for a day or so. On the evening of April 2, on the return to Breckinridge, the squad stopped at McBeath's house and the captain made another imperative demand for the shot-gun. McBeath again denied that he had it or any other kind of fire-arms about his premises, but two of the militia ran upstairs and brought down the barrels which had been removed from the stock and the two parts of the weapon hidden away in different places.

Upon this Capt. Ross was very indignant, cursed MeBeath violently and putting a rope about his neck swore he would hang him to a tree in the door-yard. But Mrs. McBeath interfered and then the officer said he would take MeBeath to Breekinridge and turn him over to the commander there. McBeath asked that his brother-in-law, Mr. S. W. Allen, might be permitted to accompany him, and Capt. Ross readily granted the request. Before starting off the captain promised Mrs. McBeath that her husband should not be killed. The party started off and after securing Mr. Allen set out for Breckinridge, Capt. Ross and Allen riding some distance in advance of the 3 militia- men and the prisoner. The night was rather dark.

219

HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.

A little more than half a mile west of Kingston, suddenly Allen and Ross heard pistol shots in their rear, and in a few seconds Mc- Beath came galloping up, followed by the militia. Reaching Capt. Ross he halted, spoke some words that were not clearly understood, and then either fell or dismounted from his horse. The shooting con- tinued and McBeath called out, " O, boys, you have given me enough." In a few seconds he was dead.

The party rode on to Kingston, taking the dead man's horse. Here Allen was released and ordered to take the dead man's body and horse back to his widow. The body was taken up the same night, carried to the porch of a residence not far away, and buried the next day. Mr. McBeath was 40 years of age.

The militia reported that McBeath was shot while attempting to escape ; that as they were riding along he suddenly wheeled his horse and attempted to gallop away in the darkness when they fired on him. McBeath's friends, however, deny this and assert that the killing must have been unjustifiable murder, and that the claim of " Shot while trying to escape," was too often made to cover up the deliberate and willful shooting of a prisoner. One of the militia party, a reliable gentleman and now a business man of Kingston, declares, however, that the prisoner did try to escape as stated.

Mr. Allen writes that the shooting was against the positive orders of Capt. Ross, who seemed displeased that it was done, and rode on to Kingston for a doctor to help the wounded man. He says further : -

When they came up with us Capt. Ross asked them what they had been shooting for; they replied that McBeath had tried to run and they had shot him, but McBeath said it was false, for he would neither run nor beg. John Nosler then asked Ross to give him his pistol and he would finish the " d-d .; " they then stepped behind Ross' horse and changed pistols and Nosler stepped back and

shot McBeath and broke his leg and he fell to the ground. * * * Before we got to Kingston we heard more pistol shots where we had left McBeath. When I got to him he was dying, with a bullet hole through his head, and his brains running into his cap.

ABSALOM HARPOLD.

On the night of June 27th, 1864, Absalom Harpold, a citizen of this county, was hung by the militia at Cameron. A week before he had returned to his home, west of Kingston, from three years of serv- ice in the Confederate army, having gone out with the Caldwell county company. Finding that it was dangerous even to surrender

220

HISTORY OF CALDWELL COUNTY.

himself to the militia, Mr. Harpold determined' to leave the country and go to California and remain until the war was over.

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Author: Pease, Ora Merle Hawk, 1890- Publication date: 1886 Publisher: St. Louis, National Historical Company Number of Pages: 1260

Author: Pease, Ora Merle Hawk, 1890-
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: St. Louis, National Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1260