USA > Missouri > Carroll County > History of Carroll County, Missouri : carefully written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, cities, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri ; the Constitution of the United States, and State of Missouri ; a military record of its volunteers in either army of the Great Civil War ; general and local statistics ; miscellany ; reminiscences, grave, tragic and humorous ; biographical sketches of prominent men and citizens identified with the interests of the country > Part 38
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On the other hand there were many federals whose conduct was as atrocious as that of the confederate guerrillas. Jennison's Kansans, Pen- icks' men and various members of the Missouri militia plundered, burned, and murdered upon the shallowest pretexts, and often without any excuse. They, too, claimed to act in retaliation. Each side accused the other of inaugurating the guerrilla warfare of plunder and murder. The truth is, both began it. The bad men of both sides were so, not because they were confederates or because they were federals, but because they were scoundrels and villains by nature and inclination.
. The memory of the atrocities committed by the evil of both sides in Car- roll county, during the civil war is fading away, except as some unscrupu- lous writer seeks by all sorts of exaggeration, misrepresentation, and false- hood to depict the guerrilla as a hero, or the jayhawker as a patriot. He who is deceived thereby is either an admirer of villainy or is not wise. The good, true soldiers of both sides, the men who fought fairly and never foully on many a field for what they deemed to be right, and are now living, are the true heroes of the war, and any attempt to class them with
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
the atrocious, murdering, thieving, robbing, house-burning guerrillas and jayhawkers is simply infamous. The regular confederates who wore the gray despise the guerrillas and execrate their memory as dark stains upon the cause for which they, the true confederates, so gallantly strove, and the union soldiers who followed the stars and stripes as heartily detest the jayhawking miscreants who disgraced the uniform they wore and the cause they pretended to serve.
In 1862 guerrilla warfare was inaugurated in Jackson, Cass, Lafayette and other counties in western Missouri. The Kansas jayhawkers, the "Red Legs," Penick's men, and some militia were on the one side, and Quantrell's, Todd's, Haller's, and other bands " retaliated." As soon as the leaves put out in the spring of 1863 the guerrillas began to swarm .in Jackson, Lafayette, and Clay. In the latter part of May they fired on,the steamer "Spread Eagle," a few miles above Waverly, wounding a lady passenger, but doing no other damage. The same band passed down the river to Miami, where they plundered stores and citizens.
Up to this time eight confederates had been killed in this county, and the following federals: Anderson, killed by Hatton; a soldier from Col. King's 4th Missouri, in Sugar Tree Bottom; a Mr. Crockett, and one other.
On the night of the 26th of May, about twenty-five men claiming to belong to the "24th Missouri State Militia."* went to the residence of Mr. Peyton Lane, in Morris township. Four of them went in and inquired for Mr. Lane and his two sons, who were in bed. They ordered them to get up, informing them that they must go to Richmond. With Mr. L. and his sons the party left, going in a southwesterly direction. Soon after the family heard the report of several guns, and, suspecting wrong, the next morning they made search. About three-fourths of a mile from the house they found the two young men, and a little further on the body of Mr. Lane, all dead, having been shot through the head and body several times. Mr. Lane had been a member of the Missouri State Guard under Gen. Price, but had returned home after the Lexington fight and taken the oath of allegiance to the federal government. He was a soldier in the Mexican war, and was one of the most prominent and wealthy men in his community. The family were regarded as "southern sympathizers," although no specific offense was ever alleged against them.
The county was now under complete military rule and subjection to the federal authority. Very strenuous orders were issued by the com- manding officers, of which the following was one:
*There was no such regiment.
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
HEADQUARTERS NORTHWESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI, - PROVOST MARSHAL'S OFFICE, ST. JOSEPH, May 21, 1863. To S. B. Waite, Assistant Provost Marshal, Carroll County :
SIR-You are hereby required and directed to carry into effect, within your jurisdiction, the following order of the Colonel commanding the dis- trict:
HEADQUARTER'S DISTRICT OF NORTHWEST MISSOURI, -
ST. JOSEPH, Mo., May 18, 1863. .
SIR-You will direct your assistants to arrest the most prominent and influential rebels and sympathizers with the rebellion in their respective districts. .
The assistant provost marshals will in every case take testimony upon . the following points, viz:
I. Disloyal conduct previous to July 25, 1862-the date of the presi- dent's proclamation.
II. Disloyal conduct since that period.
III. General reputation of the accused as to his sentiments and charac- ter, and as to whether he is or is not a dangerous man in his neighbor- hood. Women who are violent and dangerous secessionists must be ar- rested as well as men.
. IV. You will not arrest persons who were at one time disloyal, but have been permitted to remain among us on taking the oath of allegiance and giving bond, provided they have since observed their obligations in the best faith. The slightest departure from good faith in this matter -- acts or words that would not be noticed if committed or spoken by Union men-will be sufficient to cause the arrest of such persons.
.. Active loyalty is required:at the hands of all citizens. Those whose best claim to the protection of the United States government is that they "have done nothing," are rebels. It is the duty of every man to do some- thing to uphold his government.
In clear cases of disloyalty, and in those only, the prisoners and the proofs will be sent forward to you. Their cases will be disposed of here. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
CHESTER HARDING, JR.,
Colonel Commanding District.
MAJ. J. M. BASSETT, District Provost Marshal.
. For the proper enforcement of the federal authority, as well as for the protection of the citizens, and the maintenance of order, the following was issued by Col. Hale, commander of the Seventh military district, on the 11th of May:
HEADQUARTERS, 2D PROVISIONAL REGIMENT, 7TH 1 MILITARY DISTRICT, RICHMOND, Mo., May 11, 1863. Special Order No. 2.
I. Citizens in the town of Carrollton, Mo., will be required to treat the members of the militia with civility and proper respect; and whenever found guilty of using insulting or abusive language towards a soldier, will be severely dealt with under the law.
II. Soldiers will be likewise strictly prohibited the use of any impru- dent language or unbecoming treatment toward any citizen.
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
III. Any soldier or citizen found drunk in the streets or guilty of dis- orderly conduct in camp, or in the streets, will be arrested by the officer of the day, and handed over to the proper authorities.
By order of John B. Hale, colonel commanding,
C. J. WHITE, Adjutant.
D. A. CALVERT,
Captain Commanding Post at Carrollton, Mo.
About the first of July the steamer "Emma" was robbed of $1,100 by by the bushwhackers at Waverly. Some of the bushwhackers, it was said, lived in this county.
A grand celebration of Independence day was held at Carrollton. It was estimated that 4,000 of all classes and all shades of opinion, partici- pated, and great good order and decorum were observed by both the citi- zens and the soldiers. Capt. Calvert's company, which had been encamped in the court house yard, moved out, and the exercises were there held. Ex-Gov. Austin A. King and Col. Hale were the orators. Rev. Goodson was the chaplain of the occasion and Dr. J. S. Logan read the declaration. A table 300 feet long contained a bountiful and elegant dinner, contributed by all the citizens, and composed in part of roast pigs, turkeys, chickens, hams, pies, cakes, confectioneries, etc. A large United States' flag was raised and heartily cheered, and the occasion was long remembered with pleasure. The people laid aside their politics, passions, and prejudices for one day, and great good resulted therefrom.
A grand jubilee was held in Carrollton on the receipt of the news of the capture of Vicksburg, and the defea't of the confederates at Gettysburg, by Gens. Meade and Hancock. The houses were illuminated, and there was a procession with singing, cheering, and much spirited behavior gen- erally.
Provost-Marshal Waite, in his eagerness to have the stars and stripes respected and recognized, issued `the following order, which created no little comment generally, and considerable dissatisfaction, among the con- federate population especially. The order caused no. "secesh" to love the flag, however gaily and beautifully it floated over his premises:
OFFICE ASSISTANT PROVOST MARSHAL, CARROLLTON, Mo., June 29, 1863. .
Special Order No. 2.
I. It is ordered that on Saturday, the 4th day of July next, the NATIONAL FLAG be displayed from the most conspicuous point of every public building in Carroll county; also business men, such as mer- chants, mechanics, etc., will display the same from roofs or upper win- dows of their SHOPS or places of business.
Il. After the 4th of July next, flags will be used in the following man- ner, to-wit: Displayed from churches every day meeting is held in the same; in unfavorable weather, over the pulpit or desk inside; from school
I
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
rooms (either public or private) at least one day in each week, the balance of the time, placed in the most conspicuous place in the school room; bus- iness men as often as inclined, but weather permitting, every Saturday.
S. B. WAITE, Ass't Prov. Mar., Carroll Co., Mo.
In the latter part of July the bushwhackers fired. on a man and a boy . near Tenney's grove, breaking the man's thigh and wounding his horse. The boy returned the fire, wounding one of the bushwhackers. A day or two before this news had been received of the escape of Jim Ryder from Gratiot street prison, St. Louis, and many believed that he was con- cerned in the affair.
About the 1st of August, Maj. Crainer took command of the post at Carrollton, and made a conservative speech to the citizens. He sent a garrison to De Witt under Lieut. Kendrick, and also addressed the people of that place. He was in command but a short time, when he was sent to Hamilton.
A number of young men left the county early in August, and crossed the river en route to the confederate army. Efforts were made to stop them, but without avail. The garrison at Carrollton, at this time, con- sisted of Capt. Calvert's company and a portion of Capt. Fields' com- pany, from Grundy county, under Lieut. Moore.
The people so often had their residences searched for fire-arms, and the arms themselves taken from them, that they were in the habit of hiding them very carefully. On the 15th of September, Miss Missouri Settles, daughter of Daniel Settles, living near Baum's Mill, was killed by the accidental discharge of a hidden gun. The gun had been previously secreted between two beds, and while the young lady was adjusting or "making" them, from some cause the gun fired, the contents taking effect near the left eye, producing instant death. Miss Settles was about 18 years of age.
About the 1st of September, Wm. Greenstreet shot and killed Harrison Tolly. The two men lived in the bottom. It was claimed that there had been a feud between the two; that Tolly had threatened to kill Greenstreet, and that these threats coming to the knowledge of Greenstreet, he delib- erately took his gun and shot Tolly on his own premises. Greenstreet immediately came to Carrollton, surrendered himself, and was afterward tried and acquitted.
The September term of the circuit court was duly held, ex-Gov. King on the bench. D. P. Whitmer was the circuit attorney. A number of attorneys were present from abroad. A grand jury was impaneled, and considerable other business transacted.
At a "union " meeting at Carrollton, on the 23d, Capt. D. P. Whitmer, of Ray county, circuit attorney, was nominated for circuit judge. Hon.
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
Geo. W. Dunn, also of Ray county, was already announced as a candi- date. The friends of Cols. John B. Hale and Walter King had called on them to enter the field, but they had declined.
About the 1st of October, the steamer "Marcella" was captured by about 60 guerrillas nearly opposite Shanghai. The boat and passengers were robbed, and three federal militiamen were taken off the boat and murdered. Another soldier was fired upon, but escaped. Some of the guerrillas were said to be from near Shanghai and Hardin.
On the 12th of October, Col. Jo. O. Shelby, at the head of about 1,200 men, while on the famous "Shelby Raid" into Missouri, was met by about 1,400 militia under Gen. E. B. Brown, at Marshall, Saline county, and defeated with a loss of about 30 men. Several of his men became tired of service and deserted him. Five of them, whose homes were in the vicinity of Waverly, came over and surrendered themselves to the federals at Carrollton and were sent to Chillicothe. One of Shelby's men named G. A. Hill, was killed in Morris township, under the following circum- stances: Hill and three other men were traveling north, and when near Daniel McDaniel's house, on Turkey Creek, Hill rode up to the house and enquired the road to Mr. Steel's. Upon being interrogated he acknowledged that he was one of Shelby's men, but stated that he and his companions had resolved to abandon the service, and were going to their homes, in Livingston county. McDaniel and a Mr. McAtee took him prisoner, and found two revolvers upon his person. The captors stated that McAtee took charge of the prisoner, and that McDaniel and his son started after the other three men, who had halted about 200 yards away, and who, seeing their comrade under arrest, fled. In the mean- time so McAtee and McDaniel stated, the prisoner attempted to wrest the gun from McAtee, and in the melce McDaniel, who had returned, shot and killed Hill. This version of the affair was not accepted by some of the confederates, who charged that the prisoner was wilfully put to death by McDaniel.
NOVEMBER ELECTION, 1863. .
At the general election for 1863, but two tickets were voted for, both claiming to be "union:" . One ticket headed by Barton Bates, W. V. N. Ray, and J. D. S. Dryden for supreme judges, was called the conservative ticket, the other- headed by H. A. Clover, Arnold Krekel, and David Wagner was denominated the "radical" or "charcoal" ticket. The latter was supported by all of the immediate emancipationists in the state.
There being large numbers of the military under arms in the state apprehension, was felt that in many quarters they would attempt to influ- ence the election by the intimidation of voters, etc. To prevent any action of this kind being taken, the commander of the department in
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
which Missouri was situated, Maj. Gen. Scofield, whose headquarters were then at St. Louis, promulgated the following order:
HEADQ'RS DEP'T OF MISSOURI, ST. LOUIS, Mo., Sept. 28, 1863.
General orders No. 101.
The right of the people to peaceably assemble for all lawful purposes, and the right to freely express their will at the polls according to law, are essential in civil liberty.
No interference with these rights, either by violence, threats, intimida- tion, or otherwise, will be tolerated.
Any commissioned officer who shall incite or encourage any interference with any lawful assemblage of the people, of who shall fail to do his utmost to prevent such interference, shall be dismissed the service; an any officer, soldier or civilian, who shall, by violence, threats or otherwise actually interfere with any such lawful assemblage of the people, shall be punished by imprisonment or otherwise, at the discretion of a court mar- jial or military commission.
Any officer, soldier, civilian, who shall attempt to intimidate any quali- fied voter in the exercise of his right to vote, or who shall attempt to pre- vent any qualified voter, from going to the polls or voting, shall be pun- ished by imprisonment or otherwise, at the discretion of a court marshal or military commission.
Special attention is called to the 5th article of war, which will be applied to commissioned officers of Missouri militia not in active service, as well as to officers and soldiers in actual service.
By command of Maj. Gen. Schofield.
C. W. MARSH, Assistant Adjutant General.
This order of Gen. Schofield's was supplemented by the following from Col. Hale, then commanding the military district including Carroll county:
HEADQUARTERS, CHILLICOTHE, MO., - October 27, 1863.
Special Order.
I. The officers of the enrolled Missouri militia, of Carroll county, Mis- souri, detailed for duty at the different voting precincts on Tuesday, November 3, 1863, in Carroll county, according to general order from the headquarters of the department of Missouri will be governed by the following instructions:
It will be their duty to maintain order and quiet at the polls, and to sus- tain the judges of the election in the discharge of their duties. No officer or soldier will undertake to decide who are or are not entitled to vote. The judges of the election alone will decide who are, entitled to vote, and the officer in command will carry out their decision.
II. Any person or persons whatever who shall attempt to prevent any citizen from voting by intimidation, threats or otherwise, or who shall cre- ate any disturbance at the polls, will be immediately arrested and sent under strong guard to the district provost marshal at Chillicothe, Mis- souri for trial.
III. Any person, who shall, on the day of election, at or near the polls,
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
sell, or give away, any intoxicating liquors of any description, will be arrested and sent as above to district headquarters for trial.
IV. From and after Friday, the 30th inst., no intoxicating liquors of any sort will be sold or given away for any purpose in Carroll county until the day after the election, except on the written certificate of a physician, that it is necessary for medicinal purposes, and any person violating this order will also be arrested and sent to district headquarters.
V. This order is intended to secure order and quiet on election day, and to ensure a fair election. The colonel commanding asks the co-oper- ation of all good citizens in its enforcement.
By order of
JOHN B. HALE, Colonel Commanding, etc.
The election passed off quietly, and it was claimed that every man that voted did so unintimidated.
About the middle of December, one Corporal S. H. Harrison, 7th Min- nesota infantry, arrived in Carrollton authorized to recruit negroes for the federal army. In a few days seventy-five or eighty able-bodied negroes had been accepted and marched away to Utica, singing their favorite airs which they had formerly sung at their corn huskings and dances.
When the recruiting of negroes was first authorized in Missouri "loyal" owners were to be compensated for all losses they might sustain thereby. Certificates of a proper character were given by Corporal Harrison to the said owners, but as time passed these certificates proved to be of not much value. Every able-bodied negro that enlisted, it was declared, should "forever thereafter be free."
ยท During the months of November and December there was considerable lawlessness in the county. The houses of Messrs. Burton, Dillard, Sat- terfield, and Hall, in Sugar Tree Bottom Township, as well as many other houses in different parts of the county were robbed and plundered, the robbers taking money, clothing, household articles, etc. Smoke- houses were frequently raided. The men perpetrating these outrages were sometimes the Grundy county militia, sometimes some of the county militia, often scouting parties of Federals, and sometimes bushwhackers.
CARROLL COUNTY IN 1864-THE FOURTH YEAR OF THE WAR.
In the midst of the civil war raging in the country in 1864 there was a whisky war in Carroll county. The ladies of De Witt organized and made a raid on the places were liquors were sold and knocked in the heads of all the barrels of whisky, and in fact destroyed all of the intoxica- ing beverages they could find.
The question of building the "Missouri Valley Railroad," now the
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
Wabash, St Louis & Pacific, was freely and fully discussed. Notwith- standing the disturbed condition of affairs, unsettled values, and other dis- tracting causes, the people seemed to have faith that all would be well in the end; and so they favored this enterprise because of the aid they believed it would render in establishing their material prosperity which they expected to live to enjoy. Several meetings were held in this part of the State in aid of the project and bills relating thereto were introduced and discussed in the Legislature. The "Missouri Valley" was designed to be a part of the Old North Missouri, (which afterwards became the St. Louis, Kansas City & Northern, and then the Wabash) and was designed to leave the main line near where Moberly now stands and run thence to the Missouri river and up the valley to Kansas City, substantially over the same line where now runs the Kansas City divison of the Wabash. Hon. Geo. Pattison, then the Representative from this county in the Leg- islature, did very effective work in aid of the "Missouri Valley."
Early in January the thieves and marauders began getting in their work. On the night of the 19th the houses of Mrs. Hill and Messrs. John Win- frey, R. H. Courts, Knister, Johnson, Cox, Frank Hill, Capt. Baker, Hoover, and Stafford, and others in the vicinity of Hill's landing, were ransacked and the inmates robbed of sums of money ranging from ten cents to $110, amounting in all to $490, gold and silver watches, etc. The robbers also stripped the rings from ladies' fingers, and the ear-rings from their ears, carried away bed clothing, men's, women's, and children's wearing apparel, and started off with four horses, but were unable to get them across the river. The villains were bushwhackers and thieves from Lafayette county. The river was frozen over and easily crossed on foot. The militia at Carrollton were notified and were in the neighborhood within an hour after the robbers had left. They tracked them to the river, about two miles below the Landing, where they crossed about 3 o'clock the next morning, as stated by Mr. Rankin, who saw them cross. The militia crossed the river and followed the trail five or six miles, first traveling up the river and then turning south. About a mile south of the river the trail was lost, so the militia averred and they returned. Some per- sons charged that the militia were afraid of an ambuscade or a "rebel trap" of some kind.
The numerous offenses of a larcenous character called forth an article in the Democrat newspaper. Mr. Kirby, its editor, was moved to say:
We often hear it said that any man who comes out of our present troubles without anything sticking to his fingers will prove himself to be, beyond doubt, an honest man-as if honesty were different now from what it has been since the commandment was given, "Thou shalt not steal," or as if the embarassments of society furnished an excuse for
plundering. * * * The cry is the same all over the country. Daily and nightly do we hear of the operations of roving gangs of robbers
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
who have become so numerous that every one that has property to lose is interested in protecting himself. We still hope that our citizens will be able to put down this system, and that there are enough honest men left to take hold of the thing and provide a remedy. A few examples of a stern character will work wonders. We can strike terror into some of the marauders by dealing out to those who are caught the extreme pen- alty of outraged society. This must be done, and the community purged of the scoundrels preying upon it.
About the 1st of Febuary, Capt. Wakefield Standley. left the county with a company of about 40 men for the 12th Mo. Vol. Cavalry. Recruit- ing was quiet active for the Federal service. To encourage it the county decided to appropriate $40 as bounty to every white citizen mustered into the service of the United States between the 1st of February and the 1st of March.' The recruiting was not all on the Federal side, however. A few plucky spirits contrived to join the Confederate service, notwithstand- ing the care with which they were watched, and the fact that it was in the midst of a cold winter.
The price of every species of property had advanced largely save two. These exceptions were land and slave property, (if it be lawful now to speak of slaves as property) the latter of which had greatly depreciated in value, owing to the almost absolute certainty that all slaves would shortly be freed. In the month of January in this year several negro women were sold for from $200 to $250, and two or three children thrown in. The undivided half of over 3000 acres of land belonging to the estate of A. J. Buffington sold under a deed of trust for $500. About the 1st of Feb- ruary 240 acres of land belonging to Robt. O. Turner's estate, was sold for $55. In some parts of the county, however, farms brought $10 or $15 per acre.
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