USA > Missouri > Dunklin County > History of Dunklin County, Mo., 1845-1895 Embracing an historical account of the towns and post-villages of Clarkton, Cotton Plant, Cardwell, Caruth [etc.] Including a department devoted to the description of the early appearance, settlement, development, resources With an album of its people and homes, profusely illustrated > Part 2
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In the north part, and, in fact, nearly all over the county at comparatively short distances, these mounds are very noticeable. Extra large-sized human bones, skulls, earthen pots, rude ornaments, and various stone implements have been exhumed from many of these mounds.
THE INDIANS.
Whence they came, and to what other race they are allied, or whether they were originally created a dis-
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MÓ.
tinct people in the forest wilds of America have been questions much discussed by the learned and unlearned of modern times, but thus far have elicited only hypotheses in reply. The most common supposition is, however, that they are a derivative race, sprung from one of the more ancient people of Asia, and that they came to this continent by way of Behring Strait, and this doubtless is the true theory. The tribes with whom the first settlers of Missouri came princi- pally in contact were the Pottawattomies, the Iowas, the Kickapoos, the Sacs, and the Foxes.
Among the Indian chiefs whom the first settlers of this county came in contact with were Chilletacaux, Senaca, Kinamore, John Big Knife, Corn Meal, John Ease, Moonshine, Buck-Eye and Chickolee. Chille- tacaux near Kennett was the principal Indian village ; the Indian chief of the same name lived there in a small log hut, the cracks of which were sufficiently large for his many cats to go in and out at will. Even after the county had a considerable number of white settlers the Indians came back in summer to their old camp grounds. The squaws "tended " a common corn-patch, from which each one received her portion. They also made beaded moccasins and orna- ments. The men hunted and fished. The Chickasaw Indians are said to have been lost during the earth- quakes at Cuckle-Burr Slough, between Buffalo Creek and Big Lake. The Indians were all peaceable and kind when treated so by the whites.
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
CHAPTER III.
SCENERY, ANIMALS, ETC.
The appearance, physical features, etc., of this part of the country before the earthquake of 1811-12, was very different from that of latter years .. Before that disturbance of the earth's surface Crowley's Ridge extended to the lower end of Dunklin County, gradu- ally sloping on the sides and south end to level but not low land.
Little River was called White Water, and was a beautiful but very crooked stream resembling a moun- tain creek; it had high banks on which grew highland timber, as oak, sassafras, walnut, mulberry, etc. This is a fact proven by the large amount of this tim- ber that still remains ( much of it in a good state of preservation ), imbedded in the " bottoms " along St. Francois and Little Rivers.
During a dry fall season, as has been this present one of 1895, one may easily see where Little River ran before the earthquakes. By following up its bed or main channel there are yet remains of its high banks in some places that give it the appearance of a creek during a dry season. On either side of this main channel may be found imbedded in the earth the above mentioned highland timber thoroughly water seasoned, and although one may at present drive across it it is usually covered with water from a few to many feet deep, making the swamp called Little River from one to several miles in width.
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
East of Castor River ( now known as New River in this county ) and White Water or Little River, the country was described by Dr. Brookway through Col. Applegate as being before the earthquakes nearly level but not swampy, a beautiful country all the way to Point Pleasant in New Madrid County.
The tunnels erected by that prehistoric race called " Mound Builders," were numerous along these water- courses and much more conspicuous than is generally supposed. But in 1811-12 the general appearance of the country was materially changed. The banks of White Water were shaken down, and Little River, with a swamp on either side, in some places several miles in width, was formed in its stead. The magnificent highland timber was uprooted and left nearly, or quite, buried in mud and water. The hills, forests and clay soil in the south end of the county as well as all along its eastern boundary disappeared. The scene was an open country largely covered with water, on which grew few or no trees. So it was described by Indians to the early settlers.
By the year 1830, West Prairie and Grand Prairie were nearly dry and covered with prairie and sage grass from three feet to the height of a man on horse- back. On the edges of the prairies the wild strawberry and dewberry grew in profusion. In the lower places there was a growth called wild, or duck oats, and great rush and canebrakes on still lower land. The creeks and sloughs, that are now nearly or quite dry, most of the year, were then, in many places, deep enough to swim a horse.
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
Much moss and other aquatic growths flourished in the rivers and lakes then as now. There was some small cypress in the swamps of Little River, but all over the lower end of the county the trees were com- paratively scarce and unusually small. During the fall seasons after the prairies were burned off, as they were every few years, sometimes annually, an unlimited view could be had. When this grass was allowed to grow it became so high and thick that it was difficult to pass through unless one followed the paths made by wild beasts from water to den.
No wonder that the waters and prairies were in turn blackened by thousands of geese, or made white by the beautiful swan, or changed to the dingy hue of the blue crane, or brightened by the rich coloring of the mallard duck.
The wild turkey did not fail to mingle his gobble with the mocking jabber of the parrot, and many par- raquet. The American eagle built his nest in the cypress trees, in what is now the vicinity of Cotton Plant and Hornersville.
With small birds the woods were fairly filled, although there were many kinds of hawks and owls to prey upon them. Year after year the trees grew larger, and the small growth thicker, until by 1850 the entire county was a vast forest filled with wild animals and fur-bearing creatures - a good hunting and fish- ing ground for the Indians, but still very sparingly settled by whites.
The largest wild animals that inhabited this county in early dates was the buffalo. James Baker and
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
Wiley Clarkston killed seven of these animals from one herd at the head of Buffalo Island in 1845. Some other hunters killed sixteen from one herd. These animals left this county in the winter of 1847. Elk were more numerous than buffaloes. Nathanial Baker says he has seen several hundred of these quadrupeds in one herd in the fall of the year. They stayed in the swamps closer each year until January, 1865, when they went further west.
Deer, bears, wolves, panthers, catamounts, wild cats, and fur-bearing creatures, as beaver, otter, mink, coon and opossum, lived here in great numbers, and were for many years the staple product of the county.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
Twenty years ago this county was nearly covered with a heavy growth of timber, broken on the east of the north central part by West Prairie and in the south central part by Grand Prairie. The Glades, a strip of black, mucky, low land from two to five miles wide, lies along St. Francois River for several miles in the northwest corner of the county and is heavily tim- bered.
Crawley's Ridge, a range of hills that strikes the county on the north in section 22-23, township 23, range 9, is from two to several miles wide, and zigzags through the north part of the county as far south as Campbell. It supports some fine beech and oak tim- ber. Among the clay soil of this ridge may be found some exceptionally fine potter's clay.
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
The east, central and lower parts of the county are level, traversed by many little rivers, creeks or so- called sloughs, that divide the surface into many small islands.
West Swamp is about five miles west of Malden and separates that vicinity from the ridge.
Canaan Island, southeast of Campbell, at the foot hills, and Clarkson, are separated by Pond Slough. Taylor's Slough runs between West Prairie and Hal- comb Island, and Varners River runs south of Halcomb and divides that island from Ten Mile Island. Chil- letacaux River separates the last named island from Serub Ridge, or Kennett and vicinity.
The cut-off that joins St. Francois and Varneys rivers runs between Ten Mile and Two Mile Islands. The last-named river runs between Two Mile Island and Horse Island and Buffalo Creek, between the latter and Grand Prairie. Buffalo and Horse Islands are divided by Honey Cypress, and Seneca Creek runs between an island of the same name and Buffalo.
Formerly these creeks and sloughs were considered hopeless swamps. Now much of them are beginning to be appreciated as among the best land in the county. For years the high waters have depos- ited rich soil upon them ; this, with decaying vegeta- tion, have raised them materially. As the heavy timber is cut off the land dries. In many places where, fifteen years ago, water stood in spring saddle- girth deep to a horse, the land is this year planted in corn and cotton, and bids fair to yield an abundant harvest.
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
THE PRESENT APPEARANCE
Is such as our people may justly feel proud. When it is remembered that less than fifty years ago an open farm of more than twenty acres was considered large, and ten acres was about the average size, now the glade has more and larger farms than did the county in 1858. The ridge has many fine farms, well
1889
LEVI MERCANTILET
LEVI MERCANTILE CO., MALDEN.
improved, and West Swamp, between the ridge and Malden, is fast being opened up. From the north county line to Malden, and south of there to Kennett, magnificent farms bound you on every side, making comfortable homes and independent livelihoods for their owners. If you travel from Campbell west to the St. Francois River, or southeast through Canaan Island to Halcomb, thence south through Halcomb Island to White Oak and on down through Ten Mile
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
and Two Mile Islands, and south to Senath on Horse Island, your road lies in a well improved country. On every hand it gives evidence of thrift and prosperity.
South of Senath on Horse Island and Buffalo Island to the county line there are some of the finest farms in the county ; still there is much unimproved land and fine timber here, especially in the vicinity of Card- well. From Kennett south to Cotton Plant on Grand Prairie and past Hornersville to the county line, are as fine farms as any county can boast.
WILD GROWTHS.
The blackberry, dewberry and strawberry grow wild in nearly every neighborhood in the county, from the hill-tops to the overflow regions in the extreme southeast corner. The wild grape, mus- cadine, persimmon, pecan, plum, crab-apple, and black-haw make beautiful the country, and laden the air with the delightful odor of their blossoms in spring, and hang out their fruit in tempting array among the autumn leaves.
On the hills there is a growth known as Japan clover, which is a good mast for hogs, sheep, cattle, etc. The wild grasses, yonkepins, mosses, etc., are plentiful.
FLOODS.
These have, perhaps, from times immemorial occasionally visited the regions of the lower Mississippi Valley, always causing great alarm and considerable loss of property to the inhabitants.
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
The southeast corner of Dunklin County have, during some of these visitations, been inundated by the waters from the tributaries of the " great " river, and during some of these floods the muddy waters of the Missis- sippi itself have been easily noticed in the bounds of our county.
Among the most destructive floods which have reached this county may be mentioned those of 1844, 1857, 1858 and 1882-1883. The high waters of 1882 were the most destructive to the inhabitants of this county of any which have occurred within the memory of the present generation. There was no loss of life among the inhabitants, but considerable live stock and much corn and other produce was destroyed. Febru- ary 28, 1882, the waters were noticed coming across the road near the Old Culp Place south of Hornersville. It also flowed into all low places both north and south of the town.
The waters flowed with as much swiftness as a moun- tain creek after a heavy rain, and the inhabitants at once became excited. James A. Mizelle, who lived in a small log house near the bank of Little River, about a mile south of town, immediately, with the assistance of neighbors, built a scaffold for his corn ; put the beds into the garret of his house, emptied the bureau drawers of their contents and took his family and live stock to higher ground. On coming back next day in his canoe he found the scaffold or corn pen washed down, the corn floating in every direction, and the fences in a similar plight. On looking into the house, which he was just able to do by lying down in his canoe or
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
" dugout," he found the chairs and bureaus with their legs in the air floating around in the top of the house.
However, this was an exceptionally low place, and yet, where it had been only the day before dry land, green with early spring grass, it was on March 1, 1882, covered by water from one to four feet in depth. The floods extended as far north as Cotton Plant and from one-half to two miles west of the river.
The sloughs in the county were also high, and the St. Francois River overflowed its banks in some places. But in a short time the waters subsided almost as rapidly as they had risen, and the farmers, though a little late, made good crops. The Government came to the assistance of the people and replaced such nec- essaries as they had lost.
The levee along the west bank of the Mississippi gives us reason to hope that these floods will not occur again ; in fact, it is practically certain that it will afford us permanent protection. We have had no high water to do any damage in this county since 1884.
The levee begins near Commerce, north of Cairo, Ill., and will extend to the mouth of the St. Francois River, near Helena, Ark.
CHAPTER IV.
THE CIVIL WAR.
Dunklin County furnished but few incidents of the Civil War that are of much repute. The conflict par-
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
took largely of the character of a guerrilla or partisan warfare, and with two or three exceptions there were no regularly planned and executed campaigns by regu- lar troops. At the beginning most of the inhabitants of this portion of the country were desirous of pre- serving the Union, but at the same time opposed to the coercion of the seceding States. When, however, the alternative of union or disunion was presented, the majority of the counties of Missouri went with the South. Dunklin, with the majority, supported the " State Guards," which by act of the Legislature was organized in May, 1861.
The Governor of Missouri appointed N. W. Watkins, Brigadier-General, to command the First Military District, which embraced Southeast Missouri.
Gen. Watkins soon tendered his resignation, which was accepted. His successor was Gen. Jeff. Thomp- son. Upon assuming command he issued the follow- ing proclamatory call :-
* "Missourians! strike for your Firesides and your Homes !
" HEADQUARTERS FIRST MILITARY DISTRICT, MISSOURI STATE GUARDS.
" BLOOMFIELD, Mo., Aug. 1, 1861.
" TO THE PEOPLE OF MISSOURI :
" Having been elected to command the gallant sons of the First Military District of Missouri in the second War for Independence, I appeal to all whose hearts are with us to immediately take the field. By a
* History of Southeast Missouri.
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
speedy and simultaneous assault on our foes we can, like a hurricane, scatter them to the winds, while tardy action, like the gentle South wind, will only meet with Northern frosts, and advance and recede, and, like the seasons, will be like the history of the war, and will last forever. Come now! Strike while the iron is hot ! Our enemies are whipped in Virginia. They have been whipped in Missouri; Gen. Hardee advances in the center, Gen. Pillow on the right, Gen. McCulloch on the left with 20,000 brave Southern hearts to our aid ; so leave your plow in the furrow, your ox to the yoke, and rush like a tornado upon our invaders and foes to sweep them from the face of the earth, or force them from the soil of the State.
" Brave sons of the First District, come and join us ! We have plenty of ammunition and the cattle on 10,000 hills are ours. We have 40,000 Belgian mus- kets coming, but bring your guns and muskets with you if you have them, if not come without them. We will strike our foes like a Southern thunderbolt, and soon our camp fires will illuminate the Meramec and Missouri.
" Come, turn out !
" JEFF. THOMPSON, " Brigadier-General Comd'g."
Early in 1861 a regiment was organized in Dunklin County for the State Guard's service. James A. Walker was elected Colonel, and D. Y. Pankey, Lieu- tenant-Colonel, and Birth Right, Major.
Among the captains of companies were S. P.
3
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
Eldridge, Lee Taylor, A. J. Dooley, W. P. Jones and Taylor Pickard. The regiment was organized at Clarkton, and after spending some time in drilling, joined Gen. Thompson's force and were in the fight at Fredericktown. Gen. Thompson, with his State Guards, entered upon an active warfare, and while they did not do any serious damage to the Union army succeeded in drawing the attention of a considerable force. On August 11, 1861, a detachment dashed into the valley of Hemburg, Scott Co., where there was a small body of Home Guards. Killed one man, wounded five andcaptured thirteen.
On August 20, 1861, Col. Jason H. Hunter was sent out to develop the Unionists in the vicinity of Bird's Point. At Charleston he met Col. Dougherty with the Twenty-second Illinois Infantry, and engaged them in a skirmish in the town, but was driven back in confusion. When he returned to camp, Hunter was placed under arrest by Gen. Thompson for dis- obeying orders, his instructions having been not to engage the enemy. Gen. Thompson's men numbered about 3,000, about 800 of whom were Dunklinites.
In October, Gen. Thompson with his entire force marched northward to Fredericktown, followed by a considerable force of Union men under Col. J. B. Plumer from Cape Girardeau. Before the arrival of Plumer, Thompson left Fredericktown, and it was thought by the citizens of the town that he was in full retreat, and they so informed his pursuers.
Plumer at once followed the Confederates, and when about a mile south of town, was met by the latter
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
in full force; they had faced about and awaited the approach of the enemy. During the fight that ensued neither side suffered serious loss. Gen. Thompson was driven back and retreated in safety to Greenville.
Meanwhile the Union forces had not remained idle. July 17, 1861, B. Gratz Brown, with a regiment of three-months' volunteers, was ordered to take posses- sion of Pilot Knob, where he remained until August 8th, when he was relieved by Gen. U. S. Grant, with his Twenty-first Illinois regiment. Gen. Grant at once prepared to take the offensive against Hardee, at Greenville, but when ready to begin active opera- tion, he was relieved by Gen. B. M. Prentiss.
About September 1st, Gen. Grant was appointed to the command of the district of Southeast Missouri, which also included Southern Illinois. He established temporary headquarters at Cape Girardeau, but a few days later removed to Cairo, Illinois.
By order of the Department Commander he was first to take command of a combined expedition from Cairo, Bird's Point and Ironton for the capture of Jeff. Thompson. Gen. Prentiss had been ordered to move from Ironton to Cape Girardeau, and the forces at Cairo were to be ready to drop down the river to Belmont and march westward from that point. When Gen. Prentiss reached Jackson, he found orders from Grant to halt his troops there, but disregarding them he pushed on to Cape Girardeau, where he was met by Grant, who ordered him to return his men to Jackson at once. Prentiss believed himself the ranking officer, and feeling much aggrieved at being placed under one
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
whom he considered his junior, he left his command when he had counter-marched them to Jackson, and went to St. Louis. This put an end to the expedition against Thompson.
After the campaign at Fredericktown the regiment from Dunklin County returned to New Madrid, and at the end of six months was mustered out. Meanwhile Gen. Grant, who was stationed at Cairo, had by November 1, 1861, an army of 20,000 Union soldiers fairly well drilled but entirely unexperienced in war.
Gen. Grant divided his men, dispatching Col. Oglesby from Bird's Point with a force of nearly 3,000 men in pursuit of an equally large number of Confed- erates, who were reported to be on St. Francois River about fifty miles to the west. On November 5, Grant received a telegram from St. Louis informing him that the enemy were reinforcing Price from Columbia by way of White River, and directing him if possible to prevent it. Now Col. W. H. L. Wallace was sent to overtake and reinforce Oglesby, and to change the direction of the expedition to New Madrid. Gen. C. F. Smith was ordered to make a demonstration on Columbus from Paducah. Gen. Grant with his remaining 3,000 men dropped down the river on steamers convoyed by two gunboats to within six miles of Columbus.
Learning early the next morning that the Confed- erates were crossing troops to Belmont to reinforce the camp at that place, Grant pushed down the river and an hour after daybreak was landing his troops on the west bank about a mile above Belmont. By 8
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
o'clock two companies from each regiment were thrown forward, as skirmishers, and soon met the enemy. The engagement soon became general and lasted for about four hours. Finally the Confederates fell back and took refuge below the river bank. The Union men wasted their time by plundering the de- serted tents of the Confederates, thereby forfeiting an opportunity to secure a signal victory. During this time the Confederates dispatched two boat loads of reinforcements from Columbus.
Gen. Grant was powerless to control his men until they found themselves in danger of being cut off from retreat ; they then formed in line and started for their boats, which they reached with but little resistance from the enemy.
The loss in this battle was considerable on both sides. This closed the campaign of 1861.
In 1862, the first important movement in Dunklin County was that made by Col. Edd Daniels in May, with the First Wisconsin regiment. On being de- feated in a fight at Chalk Bluff, Ark., with Col. W. L. Jeffers, a Confederate officer, Daniels pushed down through this county and captured the steamer Daniel E. Miller, at Hornersville.
October 29, 1862, there was a skirmish at Clarkton, between the Second Illinois Cavalry from New Madrid, Rogers Battery from Columbus, and Col. Henry E. Clark. The former captured about sixty men and over sixty horses and then retreated.
In August, 1863, Col. R. G. Woodson made a raid from Pilot Knob to Pocahontas, Ark., and captured
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
Gen. Jeff. Thompson and his entire staff, all of whom were sent to Gratiot Prison, St. Louis.
From this time until the close of the war, there were no regular organized troops from Dunklin County except those allied with Col. Solomon G. Kitchens, who recruited a regiment in the spring of 1862, in Stoddard County. Jesse Ellison was made Lieutenant-Colonel, and Capt. Walker of this county, Major, also Dr. Linamood was Captain of a Com- pany from Hornersville. These all joined Gen. Price in his operations against Steel in Southern Arkansas, and remained with him until surrendered at Jacksonport, Ark., on June 5, 1865.
Several merciless guerrilla bands operated in the southern part of Missouri led by such men as Pope Conyers, Timothy Reeves, Hilderbrandt and the Bowlins.
·
CHAPTER V.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
In 1829 Howard Moore located and built a small house near Malden, and was the first white resident of Dunklin County. Mr. Moore afterward bought the old Chilletacaux hut and improvements near Kennett. In 1830, Michael Braunm, Jacob Taylor, and Abija Rice, natives of North Carolina, who had formerly settled at Bloomfield, came to Dunklin County. The friendly Indian Chief Chilletacaux preceded them and
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IIISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
cut out or enlarged the " Indian trail" or " bridle path " to allow their two-wheeled ox carts and " pack- horses " to pass through the rushes, grass and cane which obstructed the way. Taylor stopped on the slough that perpetuates his name; Braunm located on Braunm's Point near Hornersville, and Rice located two miles northwest of that town, near where his son Pascal Rice now resides.
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