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 65

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 65
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 65

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The trip to Sante Fe was attended with many hardships, but every- thing was borne with the courage and fortitude expected of true and patriotic soldiers.

Gen. Kearney set up a civil government at Santa Fe, and on the 25th of September departed for the Pacific coast to co-operate with the naval fleet and reduce California, leaving Doniphan and his regi- ment to hold New Mexico. Capt. Murphy's Platte county company, however, and others of the volunteers under Gen. Kearney, together with the artillery battalion, were left at Santa Fe.

Before Gen. Kearney left, Col. Doniphan had obtained an order from him authorizing the latter to invade Chihuahua and form a junc- tion with the Army of the Center, under Gen. Wool, then in Mexico. But previous to proceeding on this expedition, Col. Doniphan was ordered out against the Navajo Indians, several hundred miles from Santa Fe, who had been committing numerous depredations in West- ern New Mexico, and had refused to come in and make submission to the Americans. This service he performed with energy and success. He now rendezvoused at Valverde to organize his forces for the expe- dition to Chihuahua; and by the 19th of December his troops, 800 strong, were all on the march, but in different sections, to El Paso, in that State, being accompanied also by a caravan of merchants with goods for the Chihuahua trade.

COL. STERLING PRICE - CAPT. MORIN'S PLATTE COUNTY COMPANY.

In the meantime Hon. Sterling Price, afterwards of Missouri Con- federate fame, but then a member of Congress from this State, con- ceived the idea of organizing a regiment and marching across the plains and beyond the Cordilleras for the conquest of California. It was thought, and very reasonably, that Kearney and Doniphan would hardly be able to more than conquer and hold New Mexico. He therefore resigned his seat in Congress early in the summer of 1846,

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

and having obtained authority to enlist a regiment of volunteers, at once returned home to recruit a regiment. Fort Leavenworth was appointed the place of rendezvous.

By the 1st of August companies had arrived from Boone, Benton, Carroll, Chariton, Linn, Livingston, Monroe, Randolph, Ste.Genevieve and St. Louis counties, commanded by Capts. McMillan, Holloway, Williams, Halley, Barbee, Slack, Giddings H. Jackson, Horine and. Dent, which organized as the Second regiment; and on the 10th of August, just fifteen years ago to a day prior to his great victory at Wilson's Creek, in this State, at the beginning of the Civil War, Hon. Sterling Price was elected colonel of the regiment, D. D. Mitchell was elected lieutenant-colonel and Capt. Edmundson was chosen major. Companies also arrived from Marion, Polk, Platte and Ray counties, under Capts. Smith, Robinson, Morin 1 and Hendley. These four companies were organized as a separate battalion and under the com- mand of Col. Price, but with Lieut .- Col. Willock second in command, instead of Lieut .- Col. D. D. Mitchell, who was lieutenant-colonel of the Second regiment proper. The fourteen companies numbered about 1,200 men, and besides these Col. Price had a considerable number of heavy pieces of artillery, together with the necessary force of artillerymen, commanded by officers of the regular army, and a large train of baggage wagons.

Thus organized and equipped, Col. Price started west across the

1 Capt. Morin's company, of Platte county, was organized at Platte City, but was composed of volunteers from all over the county. The following is a roll of the com- pany, as far as we have been able to obtain the names : -

List of rank and file of Co. C, separate mounted battalion, Missouri volunteers, in Mexican War, 1846: -

Jesse Morin, captain; Isaac W. Gibson, first lieutenant; John Larkin, second lieu- tenant ; John H. Owens, second lieutenant; Merrit Arnold, Cromwell Ashby, Joseph Allison, Henry Anderson, Isaac N. Brooks, Martin Brooks, John C. Brady, orderly sergeant; James Crooks, Anchises G. Brown, Simon Brown, Hiram Brown, Wm. R. Bane, Virgil P. Brooks, Brighton F. Brooks, William Brown, F. W. Beck, Joseph Couch, Aurelius Cox, Robert P. Clark, major; James Cox, John C. Courtney, William Curry, H. C. or A. C. Craig, James C. Chapman, James Duncan, William Endicott, James Edgar, Congreve J. Fugate, Samuel Gann, Henry Gregg, - Gregg, Joseph F. Hunt, John Huntington, Nathaniel Holland, Lewis Huitt, Wm. Hemingway, - Harri- son, Strother Hay, George Hopkins, Elias B. Jacks, George Kay, John Kissinger, Wm. S. Karr, John Kegin, William Kelley, Byram Lewis, Hayden Lewis, William Lewis, Sloan Lewis, David Layson, - Malott, Isom McAfee, John McAfee, Wm. S. Mason, John McFarland, George Mellon, Charles Morris, Enos Norman, L. D. Nash, Jones H. Owen, John Riley Owen, Benj. Owen, Lee Owen, S. H. Offut, Dabney Perkins, Thos. Purden, J. Peery, H. C. Perrin, Alexander Russel, Alfred Riley, Wm. C. Rem- ington, Samuel Richardson, William S. Rogers, Andrew Ridenhour, Wm. Richie, Thos. Scanlon, Wm. H. Story, James G. Spratt, Wm. B. Sutton, John R. Spencer, Emanuel Smith, J. C. Staley, Wm. Stewart, Bracken P. Sloan, Samuel Still, Romulus Trimble, Christopher Thorp, Joseph Thorp, Wm. Tolson, John Todd, Robert Tate, Elijah Vaden, James Williams, John A. Wright, John Wallis, Jason Watkins, Milton Williams, John White, Calvin Wilkinson, Thomas Wallace, Jesse Woodland, A. S. Wilkinson, A. B. Westerfield, Elijah Young, William Yocum, - Morris, Elijah Burton.

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

plains. He arrived at Santa Fe on the 28th of September following, after an arduous and more than ordinarily expeditious trip for so long a journey by an army. On his arrival there, he found that Gen. Kearney, who was first in command in the Army of the West, had already started to California and had left orders for Col. Doniphan to move on Chihuahua.

Col. Price had resigned his seat in Congress and made great per- sonal and business sacrifices in order that he might make an oppor- tunity to perform some service of signal value to his country. But now circumstances seemed to be against him : Gen. Kearney had anticipated him on the California expedition, and Col. Doniphan was already making preparation to invade Chihuahua. There seemed to be no other field of operations in the West worthy of a soldier's ambi- tion. Like Alexander of old, he was literally left to weep for a world to conquer.

But to make his situation still less satisfactory, his orders from Gen. Kearney were to remain at and hold Santa Fe, and preserve order in New Mexico, or, in other words, to do garrison duty, a service almost unbearable even to regular soldiers, and doubly disagreeable to brave, spirited volunteers who enlisted for a fight, not for sleepy, inactive fort life. There he was, with the finest army in the West, more than 1,200 of as brave men as ever kept step to martial music, and all well armed, and yet, apparently, with nothing to do. Nevertheless he was too good a soldier to complain.

But, all unexpected to him and to every one, an event shortly occurred which gave him and his gallant men an opportunity to render valuable service to their country -service of the highest importance to the successful prosecution of the war.

THE ORTIZ INSURRECTION.

A conspiracy was formed by a number of the leading Mexicans of New Mexico for the overthrow of the American government at Santa Fe and the re-establishment of Mexican authority.

Col. Price had distributed his men into a number of bodies of from 50 to 200 strong or more, and located them at different points, some nearly 100 miles from the capitol. The object was to graze their stock where the grass was good, grass and forage of all kinds being scarce in the vicinity of Santa Fe. He, nevertheless, kept a strong force at the city.

The intention of the conspirators was to make a general and simul- taneous revolt in all parts of the Territory, and to fall upon the

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

soldiers unawares and wipe them off the face of the earth. Midnight on the 19th and 20th of December, 1846, was the time fixed for their wholesale massacre.

But . fortunately their purpose was revealed to Col. Price by a Spanish mulatto girl, who revolted at the idea of so great a crime. This for a time frustrated their designs, but did not entirely discourage them. The spirit of insurrection still obtained, and in a short time manifested itself in a number of most diabolical and inhuman out- rages.

MURDER OF GOVERNOR BENT AND OTHERS.

On the 19th of January, 1847, Gov. Bent and his retinue, consisting of the five principal officers of the Territorial Government, were sur- ,prised and captured while sojourning at Arroyo Hondo, and brutally murdered ; the same day four Americans, or adherents of the Ameri- can Government, were murdered at Mora, and two more on the Colorado.

BATTLE OF LA CANADA - GALLANTRY OF THE FIRST PLATTE COUNTY COMPANY.

The insurgents now speedily assembled, about 2,000 strong, at La Canada, on the Taos road, some 20 miles west of north of Santa Fe, with a view of making a descent on the capital. They were under Gens. Ortiz, Lafaya, Chevez and Montoya.

Col. Price, leaving Lieut .- Col. Willock at Santa Fe with a strong garrison, including the principal part of Capt. Morin's Platte county company, took about 350 men and several pieces of artillery and moved on the enemy. The Mexicans were posted on the hills com- manding the road from both sides.

At about 2 p. m. a brisk fire from the artillery, under Lieuts. Dyer (of the regular army) and Harsenstiver, was opened upon them. But as the Mexicans were greatly scattered the cannonading did but little damage. At the same time the artillery, being within gunshot distance of the enemy, were exposed to a galling fire. Col. Price, seeing this and that the artillery were not having the desired effect, ordered Capt. Augney with his battalion to charge the hill where the main body of the enemy were stationed, which was done in a most gallant and successful manner. The charge was well sup- ported by Capt. St. Vrain of the Citizens' company 1 and Lieut.

1 A company organized at Santa Fe.

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

White of the Carroll county company. The enemy was completely routed.

The American loss was two killed and seven wounded. The Mex- icans admitted a loss of thirty-six killed and forty-five prisoners. This was on the evening of the 24th of January, 1847. The enemy re- treated toward Taos.

The first Platte county company, Co. A, First Missouri battalion, or the principal part of it, was a part of Col. Price's forces at this battle, as it was throughout the remainder of his compaign against the insurgents. The first battalion, as we have noticed elsewhere, was composed of Capt. Murphy's Platte county company and Capt. Augney's company, from Cole county. Capt. Murphy, after his ar- rival at Santa Fe, engaged in business there and resigned his command. Jonas S. Wood, a member of the company from Weston, in this county, was elected to succeed Capt. Murphy. But as Capt. Augney was the ranking captain of the two, he of course had command of the battalion, notwithstanding Capt. Wood had the larger number of men.

To the gallantry of Capt. Wood's company belongs, in large part, the credit. of the victory at La Canada. The first battalion, under Capt. Augney, consisting of less than 200 men, had the charge, and were the first to dislodge the enemy. The brave Platte and Cole countians, although at great disadvantage both as to numbers and the field, never for an instant faltered in the execution of the order of their commander -to " take the hill and hold it." They had a lively ascent to make, from the base to the summit of the hill; while they were climbing up and firing as they went, the Mexicans at the top, who outnumbered them beyond comparison, seemed to have them almost at their mercy. " The charge at La Canada, " Col. Price was often heard to say, " was one of the most gallant achievements in the Mexican War."

Here Lieut. Van Vaulkenberg and private John Graham, of Capt. Wood's Platte county company, were killed ; two as brave men as ever offered up their lives on the altar of their country. Both were well known and respected citizens of this county. The news of their deaths cast a gloom over the entire community. But there was one consolation left, that they fell in the front rank whilst making one of the most brilliant and successful charges of the Mexican War.1

1 Mr. Arnold Chance, a member of Capt. Barbee's company, from Linn county, but then and now a resident of Platte county, was with Col. Price in this campaign, and was in the charge at La Canada, as well as in the other engagements that followed.

619

HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

THE AMBUSCADE AT EL EMBUDO.

On the retreat of the Mexicans to their stronghold, Taos, they formed an ambuscade at El Embudo, where Col. Price came upon them on the 29th. They had concealed themselves in the brush on each side of a narrow defile, through which the Americans had to pass. But the spies of Col. Price, sent forward in anticipation of something of the kind, discovered them there and fired upon them. Shortly Capt. Burgwin, who had just joined the command with his company of dragoons, came up, together with Capt. St. Vrain's and Lieut. White's companies, and continued the attack. They promptly charged the Mexicans and completely routed them. The fight proper lasted about thirty minutes, but the pursuit was kept up for more than two hours. A number of Platte countians took part in this engagement,1 though Capt. Wood's company, as such, was not present, being with the main body of troops who had not yet come up.

STORMING AND CAPTURE OF FORT PUEBLO DE TAOS.

After their rout at El Embudo, the Mexicans made no other halt until they reached their fort at Pueblo de Taos, a distance of about 50 miles from the scene of their attempted ambuscade. There they had strong fortifications, and made every preparation for a protracted siege.

An adobe, or cement wall, about ten or twelve feet high, and four or five feet thick, provided with port-holes, surrounded a plot of some four or five acres. In the center of this was a fortress or citadel, also made of adobe, and five or six floors high. The first story was about 50 x 60 feet in dimensions, and after this the walls all around rose by steps inward at each floor about six feet wide, thus making the top story but a small room or cupola. There was no door in the lower wall, ingress and egress having to be made through the doors of the next story, which were reached by step-ladders.2 The steps or ter- races of the walls were intended to shelter those defending the build- ing from the shots of attacking parties beneath. Each floor, above the first, contained port holes to shoot through, and from the cupola a rope ladder could be dropped to the first floor. The lower room was used for store rooms, and there was a spring of unfailing water inside

1 Arnold Chance and others.

2 There was a small secret entrance underground, which was intended for use in times of siege and danger.

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

the building. It was admirably build for defense, especially against the Indians, and was said to be more than a hundred years old. In the general inclosure or plot of ground was also a cathedral, one wall of which, for the first story, was formed by a part of one of the walls of the enclose.

Col. Price arrived before the walls of the fort on the evening of the 3d of February. He at once ordered the artillerymen to unlimber their guns and direct them against the enemy's works. But the walls of the fort were too thick and strong to be effected by the shot. As it was then after sundown, he deferred a general assault until the fol- lowing morning, but surrounded the fort with a cordon of soldiers to prevent any one from making an escape. Early the next day the attack began. Lieuts. Dyer and Wilson, of the regular army, and Lieut. Hasenstiver, of the light artillery, opened with their batteries, throwing shells over inside of the works. This was kept up until about noon when a charge was ordered, which was executed by Capt. Augney's battalion (Wood's Platte and Augney's companies ) and Capt. Burgwin's company, supported respectively by Capt. Barbee's company, from Linn county, and Capt. McMillan's men. Capt. Bur- gwin and several others scaled the walls by the use of a rope ladder, but on the inside were fiercely attacked by a heavy force, and cut to pieces. Capt. Burgwin was instantly killed, and two others were wounded. All but the brave and unfortunate Burgwin made their escape back over the walls.

In the meantime Wood's, Augney's and Barbee's men, with picks, axes, crowbars, etc., had made a small entrance through that part of the wall forming one of the lower walls of the cathedral, in which a large force of Mexicans had collected. Through this the Americans threw bomb-shells, which soon cleared the church of the enemy. They then poured in through the entrance themselves, as bees enter their hive, and in a few minutes were in in sufficient force to boldly enter the open court and engage the Mexicans hand to hand. But the latter had fled to the citadel and sealed themselves in.

The whole American force now came inside the enclosure walls, but as night had come on they suspended aggressive operations until the next day. That evening the Mexicans ran up a white flag twice, but each time it was shot down. The Missourians were in no humor then to accept a surrender, so soon after the death of Capt. Burgwin.

The next day, however, the nuns and other women came out on their knees, with crucifixes in their hands, begging that mercy might be shown for all, and of course the women were not harmed. Then the

621

HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

old men and boys came, prostrating themselves before Col. Price, and they were followed in the same manner by the soldiers. All were re- leased ; but the soldiers not until they had brought out their leaders, who refused to come. They therefore brought them out by force, drag- ging and pulling them along as a pup would drag a sheepskin.

The total loss of the Mexicans in all these engagements was 282 killed and several hundred prisoners. The number of wounded is not known. The American loss was 15 killed and 47 wounded.

Col. Price soon returned to Santa Fe to resume the civil and mili- tary government of the territory, leaving Capt. Augney in command at Taos with a part of his own company and a part of that of Capt. Woods'.1

OTHER BATTLES.

Whilst the foregoing events were transpiring, others of barely less importance were taking place elsewhere in the Santa Fe country.

Capt. Henley, who was in charge of a grazing detachment on the Pecos, upon learning of the insurrectionary movements going on, ordered all the grazing detachments in the country near him to concen- trate at his headquarters and prepare for aggressive action.

MASSACRE AND SUBSEQUENT BATTLE AT MORO. 1

In the meantime the Mexicans had revolted at Moro, a place about 26 miles northwest of Las Vegas and some 60 miles north of east of Santa Fe, and had taken five Americans, who were there, prisoners. The Americans were non-combatants, traders and trappers, from Mis- souri. Knowing the character of the Mexicans, they at first refused to surrender, although escape was impossible, and death certain if they resisted. Nevertheless, it was their purpose to sell their lives as brave men - with guns in their hands - and as dearly as possible. Finally, however, they were induced to yield and give up their arms on the solemn assurance that they should not be personally harmed. But as soon as the cowardly assassins obtained the arms of their prisoners, they murdered them in the most inhuman and diabolical manner. They threw a lasso around the neck of each of them, and with the other end attached to the horn of a saddle dashed about the streets of the place on horseback, dragging their unfortunate victims to death with the remorselessness and cruelty of fiends.2

1 For the facts in regard to Price's company we are indebted to Doniphan's Expe- dition, by J. T. Hughes, and to a statement from Mr. Arnold Chance, then and now of this county, and who took part in the campaign.

2 Messrs. Leel and McAdow, of Jackson county, and Cavanaugh, of Jackson (or Salem), and two others were the unfortunate men thus murdered.

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

Soon after this Capt. Henley, who had advanced towards Moro as far as Las Vegas where he had collected a force of 225 men, including a grazing detachment of Capt. Morin's company and another detach- ment of the same company from Sante Fe under Capt. Morin himself, ordered out 80 picked men from his force and moved on to Moro. Arrived there on the 24th of January, he found a body of Mexicans under arms prepared to defend the town ; and while forming his men in a line for attack, a small party of insurgents were seen running from the hills. A detachment under Lieut. Harve Owens was ordered to cut them off, but was attacked by the main body of the enemy. A general engagement ensued, the Mexicans retreating into Moro and taking shelter in the houses, where they kept up a spirited fire from the windows. The Missourians followed them closely and entered their houses with them, shooting many and bayoneting others.

There was also a fort in the place, or a cathedral used for a fort in times of attack. It was so constructed as to be equally serviceable for both purposes. Its walls were made of adobe, a kind of cement, which becomes as hard as solid rock and less easy to break or destroy. They were several feet thick and were provided with port-holes. The inside was partitioned into different rooms, each of which could be defended against an enemy in the others. A large body of Mexicans took refuge in this, and were doing severe execution upon the Ameri- cans by firing through its port-holes. Capt. Henley, seeing this, attacked one of the doors of the fort, and by the help of a party of his men effected an entrance with a battering ram. Once in, he boldly advanced, and was bravely fighting his way in the building when he was shot by a Mexican from an adjoining room and instantly killed. The enemy then rushed upon the two or three men with him and forced them to quit the building.

Our men, having no artillery, and the fort being impregnable with- out it, retired to Las Vegas. The enemy, expecting that the Americans would soon receive reinforcements and attack them again, this time with cannon, abandoned the fort and fled from Moro to the mountains. 1

The force of the enemy numbered about 200. Their loss was 25 killed and 17 prisoners. Capt. Henley's force, as already stated, was 80 men, including about 30 of Capt. Morin's company. 1 Capt. Henley was the only one killed on our side. Three were wounded.

ENGAGEMENT AT CIENEGA - CAPT. MORIN'S MEN.

The New Mexican insurrection was now quite suppressed, and a large number of the leaders were prosecuted in the courts at Sante Fe

1 Statement of Mr. Robt. Tate who was along, from this county.

623

HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

and hanged. But notwithstanding this, numerous depredations by Mexicans and Indians were afterwards perpetrated.

On the 9th of July a detachment of 31 men belonging to Capt. Morin's company, being stationed at Cienega, about 18 miles east of south of Taos, was furiously attacked about two hours before daylight by 200 Mexicans and Indians combined. The object of the attack was evi- dently vengeance, and to steal the horses and effects of the detach- ment. The assailants slipped up cautiously, under cover of the dense darkness just preceding day, and surrounded the camp. It was doubtless their intention to rush suddenly in upon their victims whilst they were asleep and murder them all before they could recover them- selves and get their guns. But it so happened that Mr. Larkin, one of the detachment, who complained of not resting well, got up and went out to the fire and lighted his pipe to take a smoke. To take the camp entirely by surprise now was impossible, but an attack was made nevertheless. Taking deadly aim at Mr. Larkin, who knew nothing of the peril he was in, they shot him dead instantly and at the same time rushed upon the camp. But by the time they reached the tents, the Platte countians had grabbed their arms and were ready to meet them. A hand to hand engagement followed, and after one of the hottest fights that occurred during the war, the enemy was beaten and driven back.

Thirteen Mexicans and Indians were killed. The number of wounded is unknown. Five of the Platte countians fell fatally shot and instantly expired ; nine were wounded. The killed on our side were Lieut. Larkin, W. Owen, J. A. Wright, W. S. Mason and A. S. Wilkerson:

The next morning Capt. Shepherd came up with his company and joined in the pursuit of the enemy.

Other engagements occurred before and after this one, but none in which the volunteers from this county took part in any considerable numbers.

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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