USA > Missouri > Dade County > History of Dade County and her people : from the date of the earliest settlements to the present time > Part 9
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Wm. Robinson Ben Sebastion W. R. Snadon
Henry Sears
Frank Sears
Joe Sears
John Shrum
Jake Shrum
Tom Shurley
M. Templeton
Robt. Templeton
James Torbett Sam Taylor
Ruben Tisinger
Tatum Dick Underwood.
Robt. Horne Joe Horne Robt. Horne Joe Hall
Robert Hardy Joe Johnson Tip Jessepp
Duch Pile
Henry Hicks* Hudson Hancock Finis Horne
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Munroe Walker
Doc West
Dave West
S. B. Williams
John Williams Wilson
Poke Wagoner
SOME OF OUR OLD CONFEDERATES.
Charley Winkle was of Co. G 16th Missouri Infantry -a Tennessean by birth but a Missourian by adoption, being one of Dade County's pioneers. He served through the entire war, and is still young for his age, 64.
E. L. Blevans was born in Cass County, Missouri. He served under Col. Irvin, in Rain's division of Price's army. He is now in his 71st year. He has made Dade County his home for some years.
J. M. Carlock was of Co. G. 16thi Missouri Infantry. He served under Col. Stemmons in Rains's brigade of Price's army. He is now 69 years of age and has spent much of his life in Dade County.
A. J. Mills was of Co. A 3rd Missouri cavalry, Shel- by's brigade. He is now 68 years old, but "don't look it." Ile has spent 64 years of his life in Dade County and his neighbors would be glad to have him spend 64 more here.
K. F. Poindexter was also of Co. A 3d Missouri cav- alry, Shelby's brigade. He is "To the manor born" being not only a native Missourian, but also a native Dade countian. He is now 68 years of age and one of the handsomest and youngest looking in the group.
E. D. Coble was of Co. I 3rd Missouri cavalry, Shel- by's brigade, and Cooper regiment. His age is 77 and he has never claimed any other place home excepting Dade County, Missouri.
Joe Renfro is a younger brother of Commander Lewis Renfro and possibly the youngest of the group above. He is also a native of our county.
Lewis Renfro was of Co. A 3rd'Missouri cavalry and served as lieutenant under Col. John M. Stemmons, for whom the local camp of U. C. V. was named, and at its organization was elected commander. He has constantly served the camp in that capacity with the exception of
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one year, when the late Sam Howard was honored with that position. He was born in Dade County, which has always been his home, and is now 65 years of age.
James R. Jeffreys was a member of the 2nd Tennessee, 1st division, Wheeler's corps. He was born in Tennessee, but spent more than half a century in Dade County, Mis- souri. He is now a 71-year-old boy.
H. R. Thomas is one of the original Co. A boys of Price's batallion, and though 67 years of age still an all- round. He came to Dade County, Missouri, some time in the '70s.
M. J. Sooter, now of Miller, Lawrence County, Mis- souri, spent many of the years of his life in Dade County. We have not Mr. Sooter's war record, but one look at his handsome picture will convince any reader that it is O. K. and that he is probably somewhat younger than his reputed age.
We have no doubt but this was quite as fine a bunch of soldiers as they are citizens, and Dade is sorry that she cannot claim them all as her own.
There are also a number of others of these "Old Boys" who are still Dade Countiaus and whom we should have very much liked to have in the picture, but they were not present and we will have to endeavor to get them at some future time.
GREENFIELD DURING THE CIVIL WAR.
The following paper, read by Miss Bessie Hobbs at the high school commencement exercises, will be of much in- terest to many of our people. An unusual subject has been handled in a most interesting manner :
Long, long ago when savage panthers rcamed the wilds of the western part of Greenfield, and wolves might be seen at any time showing their cruel teeth as if guard- ing some hidden treasure; when the deer lurked here and there trying in vain to shun the fatal blow of the hunter; and even in the outskirts of the little city, the blood-
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thirsty wild cat searched the hills and hollows for prey, then Greenfield wasn't half so imposing as at the present time.
In the northwestern portion of the town where now the high school, with its beautiful campus, and the resi- dences with their smooth, grassy lawns are located, in 1861 there was seen nothing but a great field of corn.
There was no negro town; instead there was a huge thicket which proved to be an excellent place for the con- cealment of bushwhackers during the war. The block on which the M. E. church is situated was one great mass of briers, hazel bushes and campbellite weeds, through which a path ran obliquely from the present site of the parsonage to the Dade County Bank site. One can im- agine from this picture that the busy little city was at that time indeed very small. The dwelling houses were few and far between. Mr. Latham, one of the quite prom- inent citizens, lived in the house just south of H. D. Sloan's, but at that time this residence was located where Dr. Weir's house now stands. It has been but slightly re- modeled, and is perhaps one of the oldest houses of the town. R. S. Jacobs resided near the public square in the house which is now a part of the Ed Shaw home. An old residence and one which has been but very little altered since it was built is that north of the home of D. R. White. During a portion of the war this house was the residence of Col. Coffee, probably the most influential man of the whole county. He was one of the leading lawyers of the town and his popularity gained for him the position as speaker of the Missonri house of repre- sentatives. At the beginning of the Civil war he enlisted in the Confederate army and became captain of a company. AAn old-time house which witnessed all the events of the war is the Barber honse, which is now owned by Mr. Now- oll Cates, the father of Will Cates, who resides near Penns- boro. The present residence of D. R. White was ocenpied by William Griggs and it looked very much as it does NOW. Perhaps one of the best honses of the town was the home of the Misses Eastin, daughters of the former
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owner. There were, of course, other little houses in Green- field at that period, but it would take too long to name them.
When you view the present substantial business houses of the town did it ever occur to you what were once in their places? In 1861, there were only two brick buildings on the square. In one Mr. Shields had a hotel; now many times enlarged the Delmonico hotel. In one of the rooms of the other brick structure was a store which J. T. Rankin, Uncle Jeff Montgomery and Rev. W. J. Gar- rett owned. The firm was humorously nick-named "Wis- dom, Strength and Beauty," the first being "Wisdom," Mr. Montgomery "Strength" and Mr. Garrett "Beauty." In the other room Dr. Bowles had a little store and also kept the postoffice. This building was replaced a number of years ago by the Merril-Jopes block. In addition to the Shields hotel there were two others, one owned by Mr. W. H. Holland and the other under the management of W. H. Younger. Mr. Holland's establishment was a two- story frame structure across the street from D. W. Ed- wards' dwelling and now, though somewhat enlarged, known as the "Green House." Mr. Younger's hotel was also a two-story frame building, standing where Mr. Carr's meat market now is.
The grocery and dry goods stores were never sepa- rated. There were four of just such stores besides those above mentioned. Where the Washington hotel stands a small frame building was occupied by John G. Riley and Captain John Howard, the latter a far-seeing man and one of the foremost in the history of our city.
It might be interesting to note that Mr. Brewer's little store building formerly located at the present site of the Greenfield Dry Goods company store, is the only business house in town which has survived the ravages of the years without having been remodeled. In 1861 R. S. Jacobs there had a little store, the contents of which were worth about five or six hundred dollars. Mr. Jacobs, too, is fresh in our minds as a man, who, despite hard times, was ever successful in a financial way and whose
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influence was felt over all the county. The store of Buster & Bryant was in a two-story building located where the Jacobs bank stands, that of Mr. Rufus Cates in the front part of a little two-roomed building where Eastin's store is. These same rooms, but so very much changed that they could never be recognized now from the front part of the residence of W. M. Holland.
There were two saddle shops when the war began; that of Newell Cates was located in the room just back of his brother's little store, and that of Charley Beal & T. E. Bell was on the north side, where the Mead building is situated.
It seems that liquor flowed in Greenfield as freely as water, for in 1861 there were five saloons and drinking places. Elihu Martin's saloon was in a small building somewhere near the place where I. B. Tarr's warehouse is. Mr. Bender, a well known doctor had a little drug store where that of C. H. Bennett is now near this, per- haps where the furniture store is was the drug store of Newt McCluer, one of the quite prominent men of the town. John Baugh had a little saloon where you now see the Dade County Bank. By this general survey around the square one can imagine what great spaces were be- tween some of the buildings. Now compare the business portion of Greenfield of 1861 with that of today and what a great difference is found.
The court house, the second constructed in our city, was a brick building about the size of the one we have now, and located in about the same place. David Eastin was at that time county clerk, W. W. Holland, treasurer, Arch Long, circuit clerk and recorder and Mr. Hastings, sheriff.
The jail was a rude structure of logs two stories high, the walls containing three thicknesses. The timbers of the outer walls occupied a horizontal position while those of the middle wall were perpendicular. In the lower story the walls were lined on the inside with oak lumber one inch thick and into every square inch a ten-penny nail was driven. This rough looking old building was, how-
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ever, about as safe for the keeping of prisoners as any we have ever had. It was located in the hollow on the east side of Greenfield and remained there until 1862 or 1863, when after the decree was issued that it was to be used as a guard house some of the Union soldiers enraged because they had been thrust into jail, burned it down immediately after the order had been made.
In 1861 there was but one church in the city, the old Presbyterian edifice which stood where the manse now stands. Of all the number who were present at the dedi- cation of this church, only one remains, P. L. Montgomery, of this city. Some of the others are sleeping in the beauti- ful cemetery in the eastern portion of the town, while others lie in the War graveyard a mile from Greenfield. Although the church was Presbyterian, it was used by all denominations and it seems perfect peace reigned among them. Rev. Fulton, the regular pastor of the church, was much beloved by all who knew him.
The schools, at the beginning of the war were very much inferior to those of the present day. A brick school building had been begun by the Masonic lodge on the lot where the school for the grades now stands, but unfortu- nately had not been completed. The old white frame building consisting of two rooms above and two rooms below, had been moved back far enough to make room for the new building. School was taught in the old house by Mr. Williams, until after the winter of 1861, when the war rendered its continuance impossible. The school re- sembled an academy somewhat, some of the higher branch- es of study, such as Latin, Greek and mathematics, being tauglit along with the common subjects. Here Mrs. Shafer, widow of the late Judge Shafer, Mrs. Henry Mer- rill and Mrs. Will Champlin spent their school days. Out in the woods near the place where the mill pond in the western part of Greenfield is found, there was also a little district school taught by Mr. John Wilson. This was a type of the real old-time "Deestrict Skule" upon which so many modern entertainments have been based. Taking the schools as a whole, they were exceedingly poor. Do
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not some of the elders of Greenfield deserve praise for having achieved so much?
The population of Greenfield in 1861 was about 300, 71 of whom were slaves. The negro, as usual, delighted in having fine clothes and pretty ornaments. Mr. Newt McCluer owned a slave, Reuben, who was especially noted as a lover of fine dress. His master permitted him to hire to other people when he was not needed at home and al- lowed him to keep the money which he earned. Reub ac- cumulated enough wealth to purchase a very costly watch and chain, a gold-headed umbrella, broadcloth suit, stiff hat, and fine shoes, so that he made a more stylish ap- pearance than any other man in the town, black or white. Reub one day did not anticipate a storm when he started from home on the way to town, and did not take his um- brella with him. Just as he was passing the home of Mr. and Mrs. Mathias Allison (among the old settlers of Greenfield and the grand-parents of Mason Talbutt) it suddenly began to shower. Reub, dreading to get his hat wet, took it off and put it under his coat, when Mr. Alli- son exclaimed: "Why, Reub, don't you know you oughtn't to let the rain pour down on your head that way? You are liable to take cold and die." Reub, who could gen- erally think of the right thing to say at the right time, replied: "A man has a right to take care of his own property. This head belongs to Mr. McCluer; this hat be- longs to me."
Some of the negroes now residing in Greenfield who were slaves prior to and during the war are: Lucy Rut- ledge, Henry Griggs, Henry Stephenson, Bill Long, Manuel and Ellen Dieus, and Aunt Lilah Hoyle.
When the war began several Union companies were organized in Dade County. Companies "A" and "D" of the Sixth Missouri cavalry completed their organization on July 4th, 1861. Clark Wright, who was the first captain of Company "A," became colonel and T. A. Switzer cap- tain. I. T. Sloan and John Seroggs of this city were mem- bers of this company.
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Late in the spring or early in the summer of 1862, a Union militia company was organized in Greenfield, and on the day that the officers were elected and sworn into the service by Enrolling Officer, John B. Clark of Dade- ville, it was reported that a Confederate force under Joe Shelly and John Coffee were advancing upon the town. At this instant, the faithful enrolling officer, knowing that he was the one inost desired and likely to receive the hardest treatment by the enemy, went to the home of W. K. Latham and asked the lady of the house to hide him. This she did by putting him into a hole under the building through a trap in the floor, over which she quickly spread a carpet. The enemy, who, however, proved not to be Shelby and Coffee, rushed into the town and captured all but a few of the new company, and searched in vain for Capt. Clark. All of the captured ones were sworn not to take up arms against the confederacy. Afterwards, upon being exchanged, nearly all of them volunteered into the U. S. service. Mr. N. S. McCluer in 1862 became the first captain of Company "M," of the Eighth Missouri cavalry; Alfred Kennedy, first lieutenant, and Mr. Mc- Dowell, second. Mr. Raleigh J. Shipley was a member of this company.
In 1863, Company "I" of the 18th Missouri cavalry was organized with John Howard captain and W. K. Pyle one of the lieutenants. Here Mason Talbutt and Abe Carr served during the following two years as soldiers for the Union.
In addition to these companies all the other men of Greenfield between the ages of 18 and 45 were compelled to enroll in the home militia and were known as the "Home Guard," but their work was very light and they were never passed into actual service. Although most of the men of the town sympathized with the north, there were a few who believed in the cause of the Confedaracy; Lewis Renfro of this city, John M. Stemmons and two of his brothers, and Colonel Coffey (as has been noted) were hearty supporters of the south.
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One Sunday morning during the early part of the war when 'Rev. Fulton was preaching, 60 or 70 unex- pected guests arrived at the church. They rushed into the . room and the people were horror stricken. The weapons which some of the congregation chanced to have were taken, but nothing valuable as money or jewelry. The bushwackers then forced all to take an oath that they would not take up arms against the confederacy. The sermon was not finished, as pastor and flock went straight home as soon as they could get away.
The enemy then hurried to the store of R. S. Jacobs and robbed it. A safe which contained something less than a thousand dollars of the county money was blown open and its contents taken. After the bushwhackers thought they had damaged the town enough they departed, perhaps to ravage some other unsuspecting and unguarded village.
At most any time were such men lurking about in the forests or hiding behind some old building ready to plunge the fatal knife or fire the fatal shot into the bosom of some innocent man, but to do so was considered no crime in those cruel war times, and many foul murders went unpun- ished. Another time during the early part of the war a band of Guerrillas made a raid upon the town. The Union State Militia and the Sixth regiment, under the leadership of Major Wick Morgan, were at that time quartered in the Shields hotel, and from the windows of the building the bullets whizzed out through the air to the enemy, causing one to meet death and the remainder to fall back. They fled . southward and burned the houses of many Union men on their way.
Probably one of the most well known raids through Greenfield during the war . was that of October 6, 1863, when the town was captured by Confederate troops under command of Gen. Joe Shelby. It must have been pre- viously known that the court house was to be destroyed for Colonel Coffey, who, being a land owner, was probably looking out for his own interests, had ordered the public records to be carried out and piled in one of the houses
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nearby. When he himself arrived, the structure was one great mass of flames, the like of which many in town had never seen. When the fire had abated, the soldiers de- parted from this part of the country, leaving the little county seat in a great uproar.
A second alarm, which served to increase the terror of the people, 'spread over the town when during the night after Shelby's raid news was received that Austin King had taken possession of the town. But when the second message was sent over the little city that King was a Union leader who had come to defend the place, the inhabitants once more were relieved. Guards were placed in all the most important roads leading to the town and again the county seat was at rest.
Although only a very small portion of the great civil war took place in Greenfield, the people nevertheless suf- fered at times exceedingly: Once in a while the wealthy person could obtain from the town market no more than he who didn't have a penny for there was absolutely noth- ing to buy. At one time, the nearest market to Greenfield was Osceola and it was even difficult to obtain provisions there for the trip was a dangerous task on account of the dreadful work of the bushwackers.
From the market of Springfield where things were considered the cheapest, one could carry ten dollars worth of sugar in one end of a common size meal sack and ten dollars worth of coffee in the other. Corn bread, bacon, hominy and game formed the staple diet during the war and often even they were considered a treat.
The many cruel depredations, the killing of individ- nals and other atrocities committed around Greenfield dur- ing the war period, and the hard times which all went through, would furnish material sufficient to fill a volume.
Time, however, has served to mitigate these evil ef- fects and those who once fought as enemies, divided by bitter prejudice, have long since ceased to harbor illfeeling and now work side by side, united in sentiment, with one sincere ambition of promoting public good.
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KINCHEON WEST.
In writing a history of a county and its people, living and dead, good, bad and indifferent, it sometimes becomes necessary to insert a page here and there which appears upon its surface more or less dark and gloomy, and es- pecially when the incidents relate to circumstances which have their foundation in the days that tried the hearts of strong men, and caused even the foundations of our government to tremble.
With malice toward none and charity for all, I will try to relate the story of "Kinch West" perhaps the most notorious, intrepid and fearless man that ever lived in Dade County.
His boyhood was similar to that of any other country boy growing up in the environment of forest, field and woodland, living very close to nature and enjoying a free- dom which comes only from the hills. Like the Shepherd Boy of old who came from the Judaeian hills to the court of a king and afterward became a famous warrior, the life of Kinch West was transformed in a single day from that of a quiet, unassuming country boy to an armed des- perado by the enactment of a tragedy which would seem impossible in a civilized community.
On the 5th day of April, 1863, a company of men whose identity is unknown to the writer of this article, visited the home of Billy West, the father of Kinch West, about eight miles east of Greenfield, killed the father, burned the house and contents, and presumably the same parties a few days later killed two of his infan: sons, about the age of ten or twelve years, respectively. Billy West had sons in the Confederate army, Kinch being one of them, and this fact is supposed to be the cause of the tragedy.
When this appalling news reached the ears of Kinch, ne became so enraged that he immediately resigned his position in the Confederate army, came back to the vicin- ity of his old home and organized an independent band to visit vengence upon the heads of the perpetrators of this vilo deed.
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Kinch and his followers claimed to know the names of the guilty parties, but the concensus of opinion at that time was that his evidence rested largely in suspicion.
His anger and wrath was fanned into a fierce flame by season of the exingencies of the war and the peril of the times. As soon as his band was organized they comenced a merciless warfare against the supposed guilty parties, and extended it to every party that interfered or in any way opposed his plans. Houses were burned, live» were taken, property destroyed and a perfect reign of terror existed in the community. Doubtless many deeds were done and crimes committed which were laid at the door of Kinch West, of which he was innocent. but his name was a terror and his threats a thorn in the flesh to all who opposed him in the bloody warfare upon his enemies.
His company was an independent one and uncon- i.ected in anyway with the Southern Confederacy although made up of southern sympathizers and ex-Confederate soldiers. They alone were responsible for the enormity of their deeds.
Kinch West never returned to Dade County after the war. The West family was one of the oldest and most re- spected in the county and were early pioneers. Many of his relatives now residing in the county are among our very best people.
0
CONCERNING THE PRESENT COURT HOUSE.
In a copy of the Vedette, in June, 1868, while the present court house was in the course of construction, had the following on its local page:
"The new court house and jail is advancing all right. W. L. Scroggs, superintendent of public buildings, today filed in the office of the Clerk of the County Court, his report stating that he lias examined the material of the bricks for the new court house and jail and pronounces them of good material and well burned, and receives them as made according to contract.
F. M. Wilson, the contractor, now wants, the third in- stallment, $2,000 which is now due according to contract,
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and the presiding justice will have to call a special term therefor, or the work will stop, until the same is paid."
The jail spoken of in this clipping was in the south- west corner of the present court house, the space now used by the circuit clerk. The old jail was abandoned some fifteen years ago at the time the new one was com- pleted. The new jail stands a little to the east of the southest corner of the public square. At some seasons of the year the old jail held open doors for weeks at a time.
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