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 73

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 73
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 73

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The extreme Union men soon began to feel that they were not being fairly treated by the Conservative Union party ; that both in political and military affairs they did not receive the attention and consideration their loyalty and services for the Union demanded. Many of them refused to have anything to do with the Paw-paw organization, the loyalty of which they did not believe to be very clearly distinguish- able from that of Gov. Jackson's militia, then under Gen. Price ; and, to make their feeling still more bitter, officers of Paw-paw patriotism were often promoted to positions of prominence and responsibility, whilst others whose devotion to the cause was not questioned were silently ignored.

This was the case with Col. Price, of this county. He would have nothing to do with the Paw-paws. On the contrary he went to work to organize a regiment of men whose loyalty could not be called to question. He raised several companies and had every reason to be- lieve that he was to be made colonel of the regiment, the Twelfth Missouri. But another was preferred by the State administration. Determined not to remain idle, he took the major part of his volunteers over to Kansas and with them entered the Sixteenth Kansas United States volunteers. Three Platte county companies accompanied him,

HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY. 693

those of Capts. Philip Doppler, W. J. Fitzgerald and Charles Guen- ther. A number of others also went and became members of different companies in that regiment. Probably as many as 450 men from this county entered the Sixteenth Kansas under Col. Price. J. P. Earickson and W. B. Holgard, both of Platte county, became respect- ively surgeon and quartermaster of the regiment.

The Sixteenth Kansas was commanded by Col. Werter R. Davis, Lieut .- Colonel Samuel Walker and Maj. James A. Price. It subse- quently took part in the fights at Camden Point (Co. F, Capt. A. J. Miller), Lexington, Little Blue, Independence, Big Blue, Little Osage, Newtonia and Powder river.

But in the fall of 1864 it became evident that there was to be a change of administration in Missouri and that the Conservative State government was to be succeeded by the Radicals. Col. Price and many of his men, therefore, resigned or secured honorable discharges from the Sixteenth Kansas, and returned home to Platte county.

In the meantime the Paw-paw militia, or most of them, had been disbanded and the rest were soon afterwards mustered out.

COL. FITZGERALD'S REGIMENT.

After the disbandment of the Paw-paws and the return of many of the volunteers from Kansas and from other commands in the Union service, prominent Union soldiers in this county began the formation of a Platte county regiment of militia. Twelve companies (several of them were only parts of companies) were organized, and of these the Sixteenth Missouri militia regiment was formed in May, 1865. The following became officers of the regiment and companies, respectively : Wm. J. Fitzgerald, colonel ; Charles Guenther, lieu- tenant colonel ; A. G. Beller ; major ; Philip Doppler, lieutenant-adju- tant; Manoah Miles, lieutenant-quartermaster ; Albert Bowlby, sur- geon. Company A-Wm. Magers, captain ; Wm. H. Roney, first lieutenant ; Henry Mays, second lieutenant ; Company B-James A. Price, captain; Charles S. Warner, first lieutenant ; Daniel C. Linn, second lieutenant. Company C-B. F. Dougherty, captain ; Jesse Brashear, first lieutenant ; J. D. H. Coleman, second lieutenant. Company D-Francis M. Tufts, captain ; John Rohan, first lieuten- ant ; James K. Lamar, second lieutenant. Company E -Robert C. Brock, captain; Achilles Perrin, first lieutenant ; R. W. Bywaters, second lieutenant. Company F-Wm. Cockrill, captain ; P. Mc- Comas, first lieutenant ; Philip W. Stice, second lieutenant. Com- pany G- Wm. Chestnut, captain ; John R. Swain, first lieutenant ;

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

D. O. Darnell, second lieutenant. Company H- S. R. Brown, cap- tain ; A. E. Hughes, first lieutenant ; J. F. McAlexander, second lieutenant. Company I- Nathan Spatcher, captain ; B. F. Cox, first lieutenant ; Felix Cox, second lieutenant. Company K - James T. Riley, captain ; Geo. W. Noland, first lieutenant ; R. J. Huffman, second lieutenant. Company L -Thomas J. Wilson, captain ; E. V. Randolph, first lieutenant ; Geo. W. Rennolds, second lieutenant. Platoon M - John Y. Patton.

This regiment was organized more than two months after Gen. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, and of course it was called upon to perform no service. It was mustered out soon after its organization.

From the list of companies and regiments given on the foregoing pages in this.chapter, it would appear at the first glance that there were a great many more volunteers from Platte county in the armies of the two sides in the late war than it would be reasonable to accredit the county with, considering that its population in 1860 was 18,500. The vote of the county the same year on the different offices was from 2,500 to 3,000, or about one vote to every six and a half in- habitants.

It being on the border, nearly every one in the county capable of bearing arms was in the service on one side or the other. Some were in only a short time - a month or two, or even a week or two - but many served continuously throughout the whole war. Altogether there were probably not less than 3,000 persons of this county who served for a greater or less time in one army or the other. There were, of course, more enlistments than that, but some volunteers en- listed as often as two or three times, and in both armies. First, the country was strongly Southern in sentiment, the South received all the early volunteers for the war. Then, after the Union forces took possession of the county, many who had been in the Southern army, but afterwards wanted to remain at home, enlisted in the Union home militia. In this way the apparently unreasonable number of Union volunteers is accounted for.

IV.

OCCUPATION OF THE COUNTY BY FEDERALS - FIGHTS, ETC.

As has been remarked on a former page of this chapter, Platte county, being strongly Southern in sentiment at the beginning of the

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

war, was the scene of almost constant enlistments for the Southern service from the time Gov. Jackson first called for volunteers until the close of that year. The county was in the undisturbed possession and control of its Southern citizens and soldiery until the fall of 1861.

FIRST FEDERALS IN THE COUNTY.

On the afternoon of the 17th of September, 1861, Federal troops for the first time appeared in Platte county. They were about 800 strong, and were under the command of a Col. Smith, from Illinois ( Sixteenth Illinois regiment), which State his command was also from. Col. Smith was on his way to Lexington for the relief of Col. Mulli- gan, who was already being invested by Gen. Price.

Capt. Silas M. Gordon, who was then organizing a company of Southern volunteers, learning of Col. Smith's approach, determined not to let him pass through the county unchallenged. Although Capt. Gordon had no time to collect his men, he resolved to salute‹ the enemy with a shot anyhow. Accordingly, just as the advance guard of the Federals were approaching Platte City from the west, Capt. Gordon rode out to meet them, and passing a short distance beyond the bridge he fired upon them at long range, killing one of their number, their guide, a doctor from St. Joseph. The guide was struck square in the forehead, and was, of course, killed instantly.

Col. Smith, supposing from this demonstration that his passage through Platte City would be seriously contested, and not knowing what Southern force was in reserve, hurried his men off and formed for a fight. His cannon were brought forward and directed against the town. Several shots were fired, but no great damage was done.

In the meantime Capt. Carr, a coadjutor of Capt. Gordon, en- deavored to organize the citizens to defend the place, but the force of Col. Smith was too great to admit of successful resistance by the few men then to be collected. The citizens generally and their families fled from the town, and in a little while Col. Smith's forces marched in without encountering any further opposition. They camped in the place that night, and aside from sacking stores and private houses and carrying off considerable quantities of goods and other personal prop- erty, but little damage was done.

MAJOR KELLEY'S VISIT.

Soon after the departure of Col. Smith from Platte City, Capt. Gordon, who was quite active in this county in the early part of the war, went up into Chariton county with a squad of volunteers, all

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

young men, and made prisoners of Col. James H. Birch and other Union men of prominence, taking them down to Gen. Price. In- censed by this, Col. Birch's son, John Birch, obtained a detachment of Union troops, under Major Kelley, and made a descent upon Platte City with the avowed object of capturing Gordon. But the latter had not returned from his expedition South. Kelley's force remained here a day or two and then returned to Plattsburg.

MAJ. JOSEPH'S CAMPAIGN - THE BEE CREEK FIGHT.

The next Union expedition into Platte county was in November. The fame of Gordon had now gone abroad, and it became a matter of emulation among Union battalion and regimental commanders to cap- ture him. Maj. Joseph, then stationed at St. Joseph, thought he could accomplish that much desired object.

Accordingly, he took a detail of about 500 men and two or three pieces of artillery and moved suddenly upon Platte City. He had heard from some one, a few miles from town, that Gordon was here. Quickly surrounding the place he permitted, no one to pass out with- out apprehending and examining him. But none of them proved to be Gordon or any of his men. Gordon was here-in the town at the time - nevertheless. But he secreted himself under the Baptist Church until nightfall and then made his escape.

The next day. so far from capturing Gordon, it became a close ques- tion whether Joseph was or was not to be captured. Gordon went to work collecting his men. He sent word to Capts. Carr and Stewart, who were also organizing Southern companies in the county, to col- lect their men. Runners were sent all over the county. The inten- tion was to invest Joseph at Platte City, and as soon as they could collect a sufficient force to capture him, men, baggage, cannon and all. They were considered a rich prize -eminently worthy the ambition of volunteers. Joseph was encamped on vacant lots above. the site of the present court-house. The morning following the even- ing of his arrival he sent scouting parties out on the different roads to feel of the country and for foraging purposes. These were all furiously attacked and driven in at a break neck speed - every one for himself and the rebels for them all. One Union trooper, in his wild flight from the rebels, cleared the college stiles at a single bound of his horse, but he was thrown heavily against the ground, and his teeth knocked out by the fall. Steve. Cooper, a young man of the vicinity, was after him, yelling and shooting like a Comanche. But he could not jump the stiles, and hence the panicked fugtive escaped.

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

Afterwards, four pickets at the Paxton mill were attacked and run in and two of them were killed. One of the killed, Davids, was a brother to Capt. Davids, who was in Platte City later along with Maj. Drumhiller.

Maj. Joseph gave it out that he expected to remain in Platte City for some days, doubtless in order to throw Gordon and Carr and Stewart off their guard. The second morning after his arrival he made ready to move down and occupy the court-house as he pre- tended. But instead of stopping at the court-house he kept straight on through Platte City, crossing on the bridge and continuing on the Weston road.

Gordon and others had not yet collected a sufficient force to sur- round the town and hold him. In fact they were not aware of his departure until he was out of town. Even then only Capt. Carr learned of it in time to attempt to intercept him.

Sending word to Capts. Gordon and Stewart to join him immedia- tely at the Bee creek bridge, a few miles west of Platte City on the Weston road, Capt. Carr started for that point with all possible speed and reached there barely in time to put his men in position for the fight. He formed them to the right of the creek facing east and about 100 yards from the bridge along a field fence. His force consisted of about 50 men.

In a few minutes Joseph's advance guard approached. They were fired upon by Carr's men. The advanced guard returned hastily back to the main body, and Joseph formed his men at Tatman's house. The fight now began, Joseph opened his artillery, and both sides opened with their small arms. The noise of the artillery and the crash of the balls in the fence corners had a very unsettling effect upon the nerves of some of the raw recruits of the Southerners. Nearly half of them fled precipitately. But the others stood their ground like old soldiers and fought like furies. The Federals also took advantage of the fence corners, and the battle became a regular Indian fight.

It lasted, from beginning to end, more than an hour, and was only concluded even then by the ammunition of the Southerners becoming exhausted. On that account they were compelled to fall back and let the Federals pass.

Maj. Joseph reported that his loss was only 2 killed and 5 wounded. Some of his men, however, afterwards admitted that they lost 4 killed and that 7 were wounded. The casualties on the Southern side were 2 wounded -Capt. Carr and Joseph Bywaters. The latter after- wards died from the effects of his wound.

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

The companies of Capts. Gordon and Stewart failed to reach the bridge in time to take part in the fight, though Capt. Gordon, him- self, who happened at the time to be separated from his men and to be near at hand endeavoring to collect recruits, fell in with Carr and fought with desperate bravery until it was over.

CAPTURE OF COL. MOONLIGHT AND MAJ. RALPH.

Soon after the Bee Creek fight Capt. Gordon moved down to the vicinity of Iatan, and during the latter part of November stopped a train on the Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs Railroad, mak- ing prisoners of Col. Moonlight and Maj. Ralph, of Kansas, who were then in the Union service, and others. They were turned over to the Southern authorities and were afterwards exchanged.

MAJ. HUFF COMES TO WESTON.

Capt. Gordon's exploits had now so incensed the Union authorities at Leavenworth and other garrisons in the vicinity of Platte county that they were determined to drive him out of the country. He fre- quently visited Weston, and they threatened to burn the place if he was permitted to go there again. Within a week or ten days after Moonlight and Ralph were captured Maj. Huff came over from Leav- enworth with about 400 men, threatening that if he was fired upon in the county or interfered with in any way, he would leave the town in ashes. He had planted artillery on the opposite side of the river to shell the town in case he met with any demonstrations of resistance on this side.

CAPT. GORDON GOES SOUTH.

Finally several prominent citizens of the county were sent for hy Gen. Hunter at Leavenworth, and were informed that unless Gordon left the county he would burn every house within its borders. This course of disposing of the presence of an enemy was perhaps justified as a war measure, but to have executed the threat would have been neither brave nor just to the unoffending property holders of the county. Capt. Gordon left the county, not through fear, but to save the property of the people.

COL. MORGAN'S ADVENT.

The lion had now left his lair. The wolves and jackals could come and go at pleasure, with no one to do them hurt or make them afraid. And they came.

Col. Morgan came with a regiment, but not until Gordon had left.

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

. He stayed until he was dishonorably dismissed from the service, for the cowardly murders and felonious arsons he committed. He came to the county early in December. Weston became his headquarters.

The Burning of Platte City. - One of the first moves he made was to visit Platte City. He came here on the 16th of December, 1861, with a strong force. That night he burnt the town. What he burnt it for no one knows, except from pure villainy. He had met with no opposition in the county. Everybody had treated him and his men hospitably and kindly.

They started the fire at the dead hour of midnight, at a time when people would be glad and fortunate if they escaped with their lives, to say nothing of homes and property. First, the flames bursting above Mr. Cochran's store, which had probably already been robbed, aroused the town. This was in block 29, just now the present drug store of Tully Ellifrit. The wind was from the southeast.

Spreading rapidly, the fire soon enveloped all the row of buildings from Cochran'sto the corner. Firebrands flew across to the court- house and set it on fire. Morgan now appeared on the streets and pretended that he did not want to burn the court-house, but only the other buildings. Knowing that he could not save it, he made great demonstrations toward doing so, but really he did nothing. It too went down in ashes; and when the sun rose the next morning his kindly beneficent rays fell upon the ruin that an adventurer and scoundrel in shoulder straps had wrought.

One of the best portions of the business part of Platte City had been destroyed ; and the court-house, the public building of the county, that hard working, honest men and tax-payers, Union men as well as so-called " rebels," men of all parties, had paid for, was burnt. This served greatly to enthuse the people for the Union cause !

The Murder of Triplett and Close. - But to the crime of arson murder was to be added. Some of Morgan's men went out to the residence of Wm. Kuykendall, near Platte City, where they captured two Southern volunteers who were in the county on furlough. They were regularly enlisted soldiers in the State Guard and had their cer- tificates of furlough with them. They had been guilty of no crime, and were charged with nothing save fighting as honorable soldiers un- der the call of the Governor of their State.

Both of them were of old and respected families. Black Triplett was a son of Capt. Wm. Triplett, one of the pioneer settlers of the county ; and Gabriel Close was a young man originally from Ohio, and of an equally good family.

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

Morgan, after the burning of Platte City, started on his return to Weston, taking these young men with him. Arrived at Bee creek bridge, he ordered them out to be shot, without trial, court-martial, or pretense of authority of any kind. Young Triplett, brave, cool and heroic, faced his murderers and was shot, and instantly killed. But Close, hoping against hope that he might escape to avenge the death of his heroic young friend and companion, just as the order was given to " fire !" dodged the discharge and fled. He ran a desperate race, borne, as it almost seemed, upon the wings of the wind and was fairly making his escape when a single leap sealed his doom. Rush- ing headlong into the timber, noting not where he was going, only that he was going, and at his greatest speed, he leaped into a quag- mire in the creek bottom and sank so deep that in trying to extricate himself he floundered and struggled until his murderers were upon him. They attacked him, defenseless, helpless in the mud, and bayoneted him to death. What a sight for even soldiers to witness - murdering an unarmed, helpless man floundering in the mud ! That was true soldiery, gallantry and heroism ! No wonder Platte City was burned and the whole county sacked and plundered. The only wonder is that all the wells in the county were not poisoned.

Neither the decent, self-respecting Union men of the country nor the Union authorities of the State sustained Morgan or made ex- cuses for these high-handed, villainous outrages. On the contrary, he was required to step down and out from the command of his regi- ment, and was succeeded by Col. Miller.

The following characterization of Col. Morgan is taken from a speech delivered by Hon. H. J. Wolf, of this county, in the State House of Representatives, November 30, 1863: " Yes, sir ; he (Morgan) is the man that was dishonorably dismissed from the service of the United States. This is the man who is brought up to testify that my constitu- ents, friends and neighbors who own this ferry,1 are not loyal."

* *

" I want to make it a part of the history of the country that Col. Morgan disgraced the eagle that the Government of the United States put upon his shoulders, and the stripes of the uniform that he wore. I desire to state that the Representative from Platte county requires a different man from this Col. Morgan as a witness against the loyalty of any man.

1 The ferry at Rialto, against the loyalty of the owners of which Morgan had given evidence.

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

" Why, sir, if he were to swear against Jeff. Davis, himself, I would not believe him. He disgraced the service of the United States, and his pistol and sword and side arms were taken from him. He was taken to headquarters and decapitated in a way that a great many others should be."

Mr. Wilson, of Platte : " I want to ask my colleague (Mr. Wolf) whether he was not adjutant of the regiment after Morgan was dis- missed ?"

Mr. Wolf: " Yes, sir, I was ; and I never disgraced my shoulder- straps. I was willing to fight for my country. I am willing to stand up for the glorious institutions of the people whom I represent and believe to be loyal; and when insinuations are cast against their loyalty I want better witnesses than Col. Morgan.

"He burned Platte City, sir! He murdered men in Platte county - infamously and cold-bloodedly murdered them, sir, without trial or investigation of any sort, and without a shadow of authority."

CLOUGH'S RAID OF ROBBERS-WISCONSIN AND OHIO TROOPS. .

During the winter of 1861-62 one E. N. O. Clough came over to this county from Kansas with a body of men and made a thrifty raid through the eastern part of the county. They returned to bleed- ing Kansas richly laden with plunder " pressed " from " rebels," and of course everybody who had anything they wanted was a " rebel."

It now began to look as if the people were to be given over, bound hand and foot, to be robbed and plundered with impunity. But in their distress a number of leading Union citizens of the county ap- pealed to the Governor, to secure, if possible, the stationing of a force or forces of soldiers in the county, who had some character to care for, and some regard for common honesty.

The presence of the Third Wisconsin and the Second Ohio was secured, the former at Weston and the latter at Platte City. These were honorable, self-respecting men, and while they were in the county peace and quietude prevailed. The people and soldiers were on the best of terms, and their final departure was sincerely regretted. The Third Wisconsin left during the latter part of February, but the Second Ohio remained until after spring had opened.

OTHER TROOPS IN 1862.

The year 1862 was not an eventful one in the war history of the county, compared with other years during the Civil War. After the appearance of the Wisconsin and Ohio troops comparative

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

peace prevailed. To be sure, other troops succeeded these, who were more bent on mischief and making war on non-combatants than in doing effective service against the armed forces of the Confederacy and overrunning the South where danger and death were to be faced. Then, also, Southern soldiers, residents of the county, were occa- sionally returning home on furloughs or after having served out their terms of enlistment ; and a few recruiting officers came in now and then. Several squads of recruits for the South were collected, as we have noted elsewhere, and between them and the Union militia or soldiery one or two skirmishes occurred.

All of these circumstances occurring, one after another, of course kept the public mind in a state of unrest, but affairs were still not in a desperate condition, compared with what was to follow during the next and the second succeeding years.

The Wisconsin and Ohio troops were succeeded respectively by Col. Charles E. Solomon of the Fifth Missouri infantry, U. S. volun- teers, and Maj. Wm. Drumhiller, of the Fifth cavalry, Missouri State militia. Provost marshals was appointed and citizens in every part of the country were arrested and required to take the oath of loyalty and give bonds. These oaths or affidavits were triumphs of ingenuity and imfamy. The subscriber was compelled to swear that he had and would have no sympathy in the remotest degree even for those of his own family who might be identified with the Southern cause, and that under no circumstances would he give aid and comfort to them, or help them in any way, directly or indirectly, sick, starving and dy- ing though they might be ; and that he took said oath willingly and gladly, without mental reservation or evasion, and with an ardent and zealous desire to perform the obligations it imposed : in other words, that he could not live happy nor die happy without first taking the oath.

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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