History of Clay and Platte 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 Clay and Platte Counties --their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens., Part 21

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1156

USA > Missouri > Platte County > History of Clay and Platte 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 Clay and Platte Counties --their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens. > Part 21
USA > Missouri > Clay County > History of Clay and Platte 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 Clay and Platte Counties --their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens. > Part 21

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But other companies were organized whose objects were not so pa- cific. A company at Liberty called the "Mounted Rangers," was formed contemporaneously with the Home Guards. Its members were " Southern Rights" men. H. L. Routt, like Moss, a Mexican War veteran, was captain, and L. S. Talbott, George W. Morris and J. W. Gillespie, the lieutenants. The men were well armed with the arsenal arms.

A cavalry company at Smithville was composed of 120 men, well mounted and armed. Theodore Duncan was captain, P. M. Savery, Wm. Davenport, J. E. Brooks, lieutenants, and J. W. Duncan, or- derly sergeant.

In Gallatin township an infantry company of 80 men was officered by G. W. Crowley, captain, Amos Stout and R. H. Stout, lieutenants, and John Neal, orderly sergeant.

May 1, the " Washington Guards," 43 men, were organized at Greenville. L. M. Lewis, captain ; G. W. Mothershead, M. D. Scruggs, Richard Laffoon, lieutenants; John A. Perry, orderly.

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

At Gilead, on the 11th of May, a company for " home defense " was organized at a public meeting, of which Anthony Harsell was chair- man. The officers were O. H. Harris, captain ; W. W. Smith and Samuel Henderson, lieutenants, and Tapp Soper, orderly.

Some of these companies were afterwards broken up, and reorgan- ized ; others changed their officers, but nearly all of the members did more or less service for the Confederate cause, at one period or an- other, during the war.

About the 1st of May, Col. M. Jeff. Thompson, of St. Joseph, military inspector for this district under Gov. Jackson, came to Lib- erty, clad in full military uniform, with sword, sash, epaulets, etc., to look after the company organizations in this quarter. He made a speech at the court-house in which he said that in capturing the Lib- erty arsenal the Clay county men, though meaning well, had " acted the fool," as they had prevented the capture of the larger and more important arsenal at St. Louis ! News of the seizure here, he said, had been telegraphed to St. Louis in time to put Gen. Lyon on his guard.

Upon the news of the capture of Camp Jackson the Missouri Legis- lature hastily passed the famous " military bill" and adjourned. Gov. Jackson ordered several companies of the Missouri State Guard to assemble at the capital for its defense, and on the 20th of May, Capt. Routt's company of " Mounted Rangers " and Capt. Theo. Duncan's Smithville cavalry company left the county, pursuant to orders, for Jefferson City. Before leaving Liberty, Capt. Routt's company was presented with a beautiful Missouri flag by a number of ladies, Miss Minnie Withers making the presentation.

Notwithstanding what had already occurred, and the fact that preparations for war were still making everywhere, many yet strove for peace. Numbers of citizens protested against the enrollment of companies openly and boldly, and Capt. O. P. Moss declared that Col. Routt had no more right to capture the Liberty arsenal, with its government arms and munitions, than John Brown had to seize the arsenal at Harper's Ferry. The Tribune still opposed secession and war, and denounced the " military bill " in unstinted terms.

GEN. DONIPHAN DECLINES A MILITARY APPOINTMENT.

Under the provisions of the " military bill " the State of Missouri was divided into military districts. Clay county was in the fifth dis- trict, composed of the counties of Atchison, Nodaway, Holt, Andrew, Buchanan, Platte and Clay. Gov. Jackson tendered the appointment

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

of brigadier-general of this district to Col. A. W. Doniphan, of Clay, but he refused it, saying that he did not desire the honors of a briga- dier at that time, as he had held that rank at the age of 29, and besides he had learned that Gens. Harney and Price had made a " treaty " by the terms of which peace was to be secured to the State anyhow.1 Governor Jackson then appointed Gen. A. E. Stein, an ex-lieutenant of the regular army, to the command.

DEPARTURE OF THE SECESSION COMPANIES FOR THE WAR.

Pursuant to the Harney-Price agreement Gov. Jackson ordered the companies of the State Guards to return to their respective counties from Jefferson. But May 31st Gen. Nathaniel Lyon succeeded Gen. Harney in command of the U. S. forces at St. Louis, and on the 11th of June, in an interview with Gen. Price and Gov. Jackson, he kicked over the agreement, and gave the Governor and his general two hours to leave St. Louis. Jackson and Price left for Jefferson City on a special train, burned the Osage river bridge behind them and cut the telegraph wires, and the next day the Governor issued a proclamation calling into the field 50,000 State militia " for the purpose of repell- ing invasion and for the protection of the lives, liberty and property of the citizens of this State."

The Clay county companies had returned to their homes within a few days after their departure, but on the receipt of Jackson's re-call, Routt's, Duncan's and Mothershead's companies sprang into their sad- dles, and on the 13th departed, for Independence, all well armed and well mounted, to assist the State Guards in driving out the Federal forces which had come to Kansas City under Capts. Sturgis and Prince. The same day occurred the skirmish at Rock Spring, in Jackson county, between the Missourians under Col. Halloway and the Federals under Lieut. D. S. Stanley, and in which Halloway was killed.

Sunday evening,"June 16, while in camp on the Blue, Capt. Theo. Duncan was shot by a member of another Secession company, who some aver was a half-insane man. A few days later the Smithville company returned home, owing to the wounding of their captain, and to a misunderstanding and disagreement. Capt. Duncan died from his wound June 27, and was buried at Liberty, the first victim of the Civil War from Clay county. He had served in Moss' company in

1 See "Proceedings of the Rebel Legislature," published by authority of the Twen- ty-Third General Assembly.

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

the Mexican War, and was not only a brave soldier, but a worthy citizen. The man who shot Duncan was killed the next day by some of the Clay county men.

A short time after the skirmish at Rock Spring the State Guards, Secession forces, were ordered to Lexington to perfect their organiza- tion. Lexington was in Gen. J. S. Rains' district, but hither many companies repaired from the north side of the river. In Clay Capt. Thos. McCarty organized a company of infantry, with A. J. Calhoun, J. C. Vertrees and R. P. Evans as lieutenants, and J. C. Dunn orderly. This company started for Lexington June 17, and on its arrival went into camp. In a few days four other Clay county com- panies were at Lexington - Capt. Talbott's, Capt. Holt's, Capt. Mothershead's and Capt. Crowley's. Capt. Talbott succeeded H. L. Routt to the command of the " Mounted Rangers," Routt having been promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

THE FIRST FEDERAL TROOPS.

On the morning of June 19th Clay county was first invaded by the Federal troops. A company of regulars, commanded by Capt. W. E. Prince, came over from Kansas City to Liberty, taking the people somewhat by surprise and creating no little consternation. About 20 of the State Guards were in town, mainly at the hotels, and were speedily made prisoners, and their arms and horses taken from them. They were released by taking an oath not to serve against the United States during the war, and mainly upon the solicitations of Capt. O. P. Moss, known to be a sound Union man, Capt. Prince gave them back their horses and private arms.

The Federals remained in town only a few hours. After cutting down the Secession flag which for some weeks had been floating undis- turbed, cheering for the Union, and " chaffing " the Secession people, they returned unmolested to Kansas City. A day or two previously Capt. Prince had sent over a spy, who on his return had fully apprised him of the situation. Some of the Secessionists believed that certain Unionists had been in communication with the Federals, and were responsible for their visit, and serious threats were made against the supposed informers. The paroled prisoners paid no regard to their paroles, but taking the same arms and horses which had been restored to them entered the Southern army within a few days.

The next Federal soldiers that visited this quarter did not get off so easily and with equal success. Some time about the 12th of July Col. Stifel's regiment of St. Louis Germans (Fifth United States Re-

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

serve Corps ), which had been at Lexington for some days, came up the Missouri on the steamer White Cloud to destroy the ferry-boats on the river and prevent the crossing of the State Guards from the north side to the south. At Blue Mills landing they were fired on from the Jackson county side by some State Guards in ambush, and had one man killed and twelve men wounded.1 . The ferry-boat was burned, as were a warehouse and store-room at the landing. At Missouri City the German Federals seized a number of fire-arms and carried them off.

A few days later the same force came up the river on the way to Leavenworth to procure a company for the reinforcement of the Federal garrison then being formed at Lexington. A number of young men of this county repaired to the bottom, and when the boat came up opened fire on it with their rifles and shot-guns. No serious damage was done, but the Federals returned the fire and the Seces- sion boys ran away.

EVENTS OF THE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL OF 1861.

From the middle of July until the first part of September, 1861, the peace of the county was scarcely disturbed, save by the exciting news from Southwest Missouri, whither the State Guards had retreated after the fight at Boonville, and whither they had been followed by the Federal forces under Lyons and Sturgis.

July 5 Capt. McCarty's company took part in the battle of Car- thage, and lost one man, Albert Withers, killed, and a number wounded. At Wilson's Creek, August 10, the following men from Clay county, under Gen. Price, were killed : Sergts. A. W. Marshall, John W. Woods and Amos Stout; Privates David Morris, John Grant and Richard Cates. The wounded were : Geo. Hollingsworth, mortally ; Capt. Thos. McCarty, seriously, and Lieut. T. K. Gash, James Miller, J. B. Winn, C. S. Stark, Richard Talbott, Wm. Hymer and L. B. Thompson, more or less severely. The Clay county troops were attached to Col. C. C. Thornton's "extra battalion."

Some time after the battle of Wilson's Creek many of McCarthy's company returned home, and their stories of that desperate conflict were listened to with great eagerness and interest by their friends and neighbors. Recruiting for Price's army was greatly stimulated by the tidings of the Federal defeats at Carthage and Wilson's Creek, and many hastened to enlist before the war should be over ! The Federals

1 Adjutant-General's Report for 1865, p. 79.

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

at Kansas City and Leavenworth were quiet and kept well at home, and hundreds of men passed to and from Gen. Price with nothing to molest them or make them afraid.

About this time there was one Federal officer found who did not enforce the doctrine of the old maxim that in time of war the law is silent. In August it was learned that Henry Harrison, the abscond- ing railroad contractor, was a soldier in the Federal army at Leaven- worth. Harrison had escaped from the Liberty jail by knocking down his keeper and running away. Jailer Ford, himself a Secessionist, went to Ft. Leavenworth and demanded the fugitive, who thought, doubtless, that his enlistment would prevent his return to the well- known " rebel " county of Clay. But Capt. Prince, the commander of the post, gave him up without a word of objection or remonstrance, and even sent a strong guard with him to the river to prevent the pos- sibility of his rescue or escape. The jailer reached Liberty with his prisoner in safety.

Near the 1st of September Col. Boaz Roberts and Majs. Thornton and Morris came up from Price's army, and brought word that the Southern troops needed clothing and other supplies. An open, pub- lic meeting was held at the court-house to take measures for their re- lief. The contributions were considerable. Committees were appointed for each township to secure additional aid, and especially to furnish cloth to the patriotic Southern ladies, who gladly agreed to make it up into clothing for " the boys " in the tented field.

In the latter part of August and during the first week in September several Union men either left the county through fear or were driven out by armed Secessionists. In Liberty Capt. O. P. Moss, James H. Moss, E. M. Samuel and Judge James Jones were forced to flee under the penalty of being " put out of the way," and they made their way up to the Union settlement of Mirabile, Caldwell county, where they were safe for a time. There must have been a serious state of affairs for the Union men, when men of such undoubted personal courage as the Mosses could be induced to leave by threats and hostile mes -. sages.

PROCLAMATION OF GEN. STEIN - RALLYING TO HIS STANDARD.

In the latter part of August Gen. Stein,1 the commander under Gov. Jackson of this military district, issued a proclamation to the people in order to stimulate them to enlistment in the Southern ser-

1 Gen. Stein was killed at the battle of Prairie Grove, Ark., December 6, 1862.

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY ..

vice. Hitherto Gen. Stein's division had existed chiefly on paper. It contained but few men. The Clay county Secession troops were chiefly attached to Gen. Slack's division, and Stein was especially de- sirous of recruiting his command to something like respectable pro- portions. For some time it had been merely a laughing stock. Following is a copy of the proclamation referred to : -

To the People of the Fifth District.

I, as your Brigadier-General, call on you to arouse and come to the rescue of your State. Your State has been invaded by a Northern army, your rights have been trampled on, the privacy of your firesides have (sic) been disregarded. Will you tamely submit to the dictates of a tyrant? No! every man exclaims. Then come and meet the in- vader, transfer the war from your own homes, meet them in other parts of the State, and never stop until the last foe has " bit the dust," or been driven from your State.

Organize into companies of from 50 to 100. Come, and I will lead you to victory. Bring your shot-guns and rifles ; they have been tried on the plains of Carthage and Springfield, and they did good work. Come, and do not wait for the army to get to your homes before you come out.

August 25, 1861.

A. E. STEIN, Brigadier-General.

Stein's proclamation, albeit not seemingly a very spirited, thrilling or even well-worded document, was not altogether without effect. Soon after its appearance, or by the 10th of September, a considerable force of Secession troop rendezvoused at Lexington, under Col. H. L. Routt, of this county, encamping in the fair grounds in front of the Federals under Mulligan. In Clay L. B. Dougherty commanded a company, of which Lina Roberts, James A. Gillespie and L. A. Robertson were lieutenants. Two other companies raised in this county about the same time were Capt. John S. Groom's and Capt. P. C. Pixlee's. All three of these companies repaired to Lexington to await the coming of Gen. Price's army, then known to be on its way up from Springfield.

The following Clay county companies participated in the siege of Lexington and assisted in the capture of 2,800 Federals under Col. Mul- ligan, who surrendered September 20. Clay county men were present during the siege, which lasted eight days, and took a hand as mem- bers of other commands, but the regularly organized companies from this county were those of Capt. G. W. Mothershead, Gideon Thomp- son, L. B. Dougherty, John S. Groom and P. C. Pixlee. Out of perhaps 400 men engaged, Clay county had but two or three wounded at Lexington.

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

THE BATTLE OF BLUE MILLS.

Preliminary to an account of the battle of Blue Mills-if it be proper to call that insignificant collision of hostile forces, unimportant in character and indecisive in results, a battle - it is proper to detail the situation preceding and the circumstances which led to it.

When Gen. Price's army had reached the Osage river, on its way northward to Lexington, where the Federals were under Mulligan, the general dispatched swift messengers ahead with orders to the State Guards and other Secession forces in Northeast and Northwest Mis- souri to meet him at Lexington. Gen. Thomas A. Harris and Col. Martin E. Green responded with a force of 2,500 or 3,000, crossing the Missouri at Glasgow, after a brief but rather creditable campaign against the Federals under Pope and Hurlbut and the then Col. U. S. Grant.

In Northwest Missouri - in the counties of Gentry, Andrew, Nod- away, Holt, Buchanan and DeKalb - hundreds of men had organized for service in the Southern cause, but found it difficult and dangerous to get to the army of Gen. Price, where they must be in order to be effective ; for the Federals in this quarter, though not numerous, were vigilant and active and in addition to their being stationed in the prin- cipal towns they were keeping all the principal fords and crossings of the Missouri. But at last, about the 15th of September, these forces under their own leaders, having received the orders of Gen. Price, succeeded in uniting near St. Joseph, and set out at once for Lex- ington.

All told the Northwest Missourians numbered about 3,500 men, as follows : From the fifth military district (Gen. Stein's), there were five regiments of infantry, under Col. J. P. Saunders, and one regi- iment of cavalry, under Col. Wilfley ; from the fourth district (Gen. Slack's), there were five regiments of infantry, under Col. Jeff. Patton and one battalion of cavalry, under Col. Childs.1 There was also Capt. E. V. Kelly's battery of three guns.

The total number is and was variously estimated. The Liberty Tribune, of September 20, 1861, said of the command : -

-- About 4,000 State troops passed through the city on Monday last, on their way to Lexington. Most of them were mounted and the baggage train numbered over sixty wagons. They had three cannon - two six-pounders and one nine-pounder.

1 See D. R. Atchison's report.

HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY. 209

Col. Saunders, in his report, mentions but 1,500, aside from Col. Boyd's and some other commands. From the best evidence now to be had it is quite probable that the number did not exceed 3,500.

On the evening of September 15th Gen. Price sent forward from Lexington Hon. D. R. Atchison, to hasten forward the recruits for whose arrival he was waiting to begin active operations against Mulli- gan and his cooped-up Federals. Atchison reached Liberty the next day, and met the troops and pushed them forward to Blue Mills Land- ing, where a considerable portion of them, including the artillery (Kelly's battery ), crossed the same night. The remainder were wait- ing their turns.

At this time the Federals had forces at Cameron and at the Hanni- bal and St. Joe railroad bridge across Platte river. Those at Platte river were the Sixteenth Illinois infantry, Col. R. F. Smith, and some companies of the Thirty-ninth Ohio, Col. Groesbeck. At Cameron there were the Third Iowa infantry, Lieut. Col. John Scott, and four companies of Missouri Home Guards ; of the latter, one company, 35 strong, was from Adair county, under command of Capt. Cupp ; one - merely a squad - from Macon, under Capt. Winters; two from Caldwell county, one under Capt. E. D. Johnson and the other under Capt. M. L. James. All the troops at Cameron were infantry, except Capt. James' home guard company, which was mounted.

Learning of the movement of the Northwest Missourians towards Gen. Price's army, Gen. Pope, then in command of the Federal troops in North Missouri, determined to intercept them. Accordingly, pur- suant to his orders, Col. Smith set out from Platte river bridge and Col. Scott from Cameron, with instructions to unite at Liberty the day before the Secession troops should reach that point.

Col. Scott moved more rapidly and more continuously than Col. Smith, and reached Liberty early on the morning of the 17th, " the day after the fair," as the Secessionists had passed through the day before, and half of them were already across the river and safely on the way to Gen. Price at Lexington.

Col. Scott was using the Caldwell county Home Guards, under com- mand of Capt. Moses L. James, as an advance guard, they being mounted. At about 8 o'clock an encounter occurred between a de- tachment of this company, numbering 40 men, under the command of Lieut. James Call, of the Third Iowa, and the rear guard of the Secession forces, commanded by Col. Childs, and consisting of his battalion of cavalry, 300 men. This encounter took place about three miles south of Liberty, on the road to Blue Mills, or Owens' Landing,

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

and resulted in the complete discomfiture of the Caldwell Home Guards, four of whom were killed outright and one wounded. The remainder retreated in some confusion, but all, or nearly all, ultimately joined Col. Scott at Liberty.

Scott was in something of a quandary. He feared to attack the Missourians (who, as everybody informed him, largely outnumbered his forces ) unless Smith would join him, and Smith was " long, long on the way." The Iowan sent some of his mounted men out to meet Smith and hurry him forward. He also sent out other scouts to dis- cover, if possible, the situation at the river. Some of these exchanged shots with the enemy, but could learn nothing except that they were crossing as rapidly as possible and seemed more eager to get to Gen. Price than to fight. Col. Scott thought if they were attacked they would stop to fight, and that he could hold them until Smith came up. Accordingly he concluded to attack them.

About 11 o'clock some of the fugitives from the skirmish with the Secession rear guard reached town and reported to Col. Scott, who now resolved to move his command down to the scene and if possible prevent the further crossing of the Missourians. He determined not to wait for Smith, but dispatched another messenger to him informing him of the situation.

Accordingly, with some 500 men of the Third Iowa, the Adair county Home Guards, the Caldwell county company, and 15 volun- teer artillerists in charge of a six-pounder brass cannon - in all about 600 men - Col. Scott moved toward Blue Mills Landing. Reaching the pickets of the State Guards, the Federals were fired on and halted. The State Guards fell back, and after some little time spent in recon- noitering, Col. Scott concluded they had retreated, and again ordered the advance.

Col. Saunders, in command of the State Guards, had full knowl- edge of the movements of the Federals, and was well prepared to re- ceive them. The ground was well calculated for an ambush, each side of the narrow road being thickly wooded and filled with vines and rank shrubbery, forming an almost impenetrable jungle, and well adapted for concealing a considerable armed force. Some years be- fore a cyclone had uprooted a number of trees, which now formed admirable vantage points for the riflemen, and on the west side of the road ran a then dry slough with a considerable embankment, forming a good strong breastwork. Into this thicket Col. Jeff. Patton's regi- ment of Northwest Missourians was placed, on both sides of the road. Supporting them were other battalions and companies, and from the

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

best information now to be obtained, the State Guards and the Fed- erals were about equal in numbers-600 on each side; the State Guards may have numbered 700.

As the Federals were marching gaily along, " eager for a fight," as they said, suddenly a galling fire was opened upon them from both sides of the road. A fierce little fight was begun and kept up for nearly an hour. But the advantage was with the Missourians from the start until the close, and the Federals were at last driven from the field, and retreated into Liberty in something like disorder and more of haste. Their artillery was of little service to them. The piece, as stated, was manned by German volunteers, under a sergeant, whose name is best remembered as Waldeschmidt, and the surprise was so perfect that only a few rounds could be fired,1 and they were not effective. The alleged artillerists abandoned the gun, and it would have been captured had not a few plucky Iowans rallied to it and drawn it away.

The Federals returned the fire, but they declared they " saw noth- ing to shoot at," and so those of their shots which took effect were chance ones. Some of them were driven back into Mr. Beauchamp's wheat field, and here it is said they saw their enemies. A wagon improvised into a caisson and loaded with ammunition was left on the field.

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Author: Publication date: 1885 Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1156

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1156