USA > Missouri > Cooper County > History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences > Part 75
USA > Missouri > Howard County > History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences > Part 75
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them, and an uplifted voice of indignation should chase the wretch who will molest the banner of his opponent when exercising only the same privilege that our institutions guarantee to him. As a democrat, we sincerely regret that so mean an act could have been committed here on that occasion. The C. club here, we understand, has offered a reward of $100 for the detection of the man who committed this foul stain upon our community ; and the democrats will do their utmost also, to detect him. In a political point of view it will do no harm, but good citizens want no man who is capable of such a deed among them.
COOPER COUNTY PRO-SLAVERY MEETING.
At a meeting of the citizens of Cooper county, held at Bell Air, on Saturday, June 30, 1855, for the purpose of appointing delegates to attend the pro-slavery convention to be held at Lexington, Missouri, on the 12th day of July, 1855, the following delegates were appointed :-
Boonville township - J. L. Stephens, W. Douglass, A. W. Simp- son, J. M. Nelson, J. W. Torbert, W. N. Ragland, Isaac Lionber- ger, Jno. Combs, T. V. Hickox, Benj. Tompkins.
Lamine township - Freeman Wing, Jesse B. Turley, S. W. Mc- Mahan.
Saline township -John L. O'Bryan, W. T. Thornton, J. K. Ragland, A. W. Lucky.
Clark's Fork township - Robert McCulloch, Henry Mills, A. Greenhalgh, Chas. Q. Lewis.
Moniteau township - A. K. Longan, D. Jones, D. P. Swearingen, J. Baughman, Dr. Wm. H. Ellis.
Kelly township - W. McCurdy, A. Nelson, Dr. E. Chilton.
Palestine township - Wm. Bradley, R. L. Bradley, B. C. Clark, R. H. Menefee, James L. Bell, L. C. Stephens, R. A. Ewing.
Clear Creek township - James B. Harris, Geo. S. Cockrill, H. R. Walker, Thos. Cockrill, Samuel B. Mahan.
Pilot Grove township - Dr. W. W. Harriman, Dr. J. K. McCabe, W. M. Taylor, Jno. Miller.
Blackwater township - N. Sutherlin, Thos L. Williams, Richard Marshall, John A. Trigg.
Lebanon township - Richard Ellis, Thos. McCulloch, Dr. Samuel H. Saunders, H. W. Ferguson, Geo. Harland.
L. C. STEPHENS, president, WILLIAM BRADLEY,
J. M. NELSON, vice-presidents.
BENNETT C. CLARK, secretary.
CHAPTER XVI.
WAR HISTORY.
Indian Scare on Flat Creek, in Pettis County, in the Year 1832, and the Part the Citizens of Cooper County took in Same -- Mormon War, in the Year 1838, and Companies Raised in Cooper County, at Call of Governor, to Assist in the Same - Company Raised in Cooper County to Take Part in the Mexican .War of 1846, and the Actions of Same, Names of Officers, Privates, etc. - The late War of the Rebellion in Cooper County - Battle Below Boonville - Movements of the " Home Guards " in Cooper County - Defeat of Captain Parks by William Anderson - Shelby's Raid into Cooper County, and his Engagements with the Federal Troops - Price's Raid into Cooper County, and the Battles Fought near Boonville - Bitter Partisan Feeling Engendered During the War, etc.
Some time during the year 1832, a report became circulated that the Indians had assumed a hostile attitude, and were attacking the settlers living within the present limits of Pettis county, then part of Cooper and Saline counties. The report that they were slaying men, women and children as they went, spread like "wild fire," and men hurriedly repaired to that part of the county to aid in the defense of the homes of their neighbors. The place of rendezvous for those who went from Cooper county was Wooley's Mill, on the Petite Saline creek, where they organized by electing officers. After they had or- ganized they marched to the supposed seat of war ; and on their ar- rival they found that no Indians had been there, and that it had been entirely a false alarm. These valiant soldiers then returned to their homes, and for a long time it was impossible to find any one who would acknowledge that he had been on that expedition.
The origin of this report was as follows : Some men, for their own amusement, dressed themselves and painted their faces, so as to resemble Indians, went to a corn field where a few men were at work plowing, and, giving the Indian yell, shot off their guns, pointed in the direction of the settlers. They, supposing that the disguised men were hostile Indians endeavoring to slay them, took to their heels and spread the alarm, which, with almost lightning rapidity, travelled from neighborhood to neighborhood, and increasing in horror as it went from lip to lip.
This originated several anecdotes, among which is the following : A wealthy farmer of Cooper county catching the alarm, buried his
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
bacon to save it from the blood-thirsty savages ; then going to a field in which a large number of his negroes were at work, waved his hand and hallooed at the top of his voice, " Put out ! Put out ! The Indians will be upon you ! The Indians will be upon you!" The Africans, taking the alarm, stampeded and scattered in every direction, as though the savages with their tomahawks and scalping-knives were already close upon their heels, when in reality there was not, at that time, an Indian within 100 miles of the place.
THE MORMON WAR.
The Mormon war took place in the year 1838. The Mormons, when they first arrived in Missouri, located in Jackson county, and the citizens not looking with favor on their customs, and being in- censed at the many crimes which they committed under the guise of their religious views, soon drove them from that place, and they lo- cated in Caldwell county, Missouri.
The citizens of that part of the state being determined to drive them entirely from the state, but not having sufficient force to accom- plish the desired end, called upon the governor to send them troops sufficient to expel these false teachers. Governor Lilburn W. Boggs issned a call for 7,000 volunteers to assist in driving the Mormons from the territory over which he had control.
In response to this call, three companies were raised in Cooper county. One, called the Boonville guards, composed entirely of citizens of Boonville ; this, under the existing laws of the state, was a standing company, and equipped at the expense of the state govern- ment. The second, a volunteer company raised at Boonville, com- posed of citizens of Boonville and the surrounding neighborhood. Of this company, Jesse J. Turley was captain, Marcus Williams, Jr., first lieutenant, and J. Logan Forsythe, second lieutenant. The third was raised at Palestine, the officers of which are not known. Of the forces raised in Cooper county, Joel E. Woodward was brigadier-gen- eral, Joseph Megguire, inspector-general, and Benjamin E. Ferry, aid-de-camp to General Henry W. Crowther.
These companies marched twice towards the Mormon settlemeut and the seat of war. The first time they marched as far as Jones- borough, Saline county, where the commanders, supposing from re- ports which reached them that there were sufficient troops already at the scene of war to conquer the Mormons, ordered them to return. They were shortly afterwards again ordered to the seat of war, and marched to Lexington, where they crossed the Missouri river. They
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
then advanced abont two miles into the prairie, and there camped for two days. The Mormon troops having in the meantime surrendered to General John B. Clark, Sr., these companies returned home with- out having the pleasure of meeting the enemy, or having the opportu- nity of testing their valor. On their arrival at Boonville these troops were disbanded.
The Mormons during this short war were commanded by General Weite, an old British officer, who fought against General Jackson in the battle of New Orleans.
The Mormons, after the conclusion of the war, left the state and located at Nauvoo, Illinois, where they. remained for several years. Having had a difficulty with the authorities of the state of Illinois, and their prophet and leader, Joseph Smith, having been assassinated, they again " pulled up stakes," and emigrated to the shores of the Great Salt Lake, where they have ever since remained, believing and feeling that they are a persecuted people.
The prisoners taken and retained in jail as the leaders of the Mormons were Joseph Smith, Lyman Weite, Hiram Smith, Sydna Regdou, Roberts, Higby, and two others. These men were first im- prisoned in the jail at Richmond, Ray county, and were afterwards removed to the jail at Liberty, Clay county, where they broke jail, escaped pursuit, and were never tried.
THE MEXICAN WAR.
In the month of May, 1846, a call was made for one company from Cooper county to join troops in Mexico, and assist in subduing that people. On the twenty-first day of that month the following bul- letin extra appeared, and of which the following it a verbatim copy: --
THURSDAY, May 21st, 1846.
Volunteers. - A proper spirit seems to animate the citizens of our county and especially the young men.
The call for one company from the fifth division has been promptly responded to. Forty-three volunteers were raised by Gen- eral Ferry on Monday in Boonville, and on Tuesday, at Palestine, under the direction of Generals Ferry and Megguire, the number was increased to sixty-one. They then elected their officers, and the fol- lowing gentlemen were chosen : -
Joseph L. Stephens, captain, withont opposition, who delivered to the volunteers on that occasion a spirited and handsome address.
First lieutenant, Newton Williams.
Second lieutenant, H. C. Levens.
First sergeant, John D. Stephens.
Second sergeant, William T. Cole.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
Third sergeant, Richard Norris.
Fourth sergeant, James S. Hughes. First corporal, Tipton Prior. Second corporal, A. B. Cele. Third corporal, Wesley Amick.
Fourth corporal, A. G. Baber.
The company, thus organized, assembled in Boonville on Wed- nesday, where they were exercised in military duty by their accom- plished and gallant young captain.
The following is a list of the privates : -
Thomas Bacon,
Jesse Nelson,
Samnel D. Burnett,
John Colbert,
Jacob Duvall,
Robt. Rhea,
Charles Salsman,
Edmond G. Cook,
Ewing E. Woolery,
John B. Bruce,
Heli Cook, Joel Coffee, Joel Epperson,
Jas. P. Lewis,
Benj. C. Lampton,
Jesse Epperson,
U. E. Rubey,
Hiram Epperson,
W. B. Rubey,
John McDowell,
W. H. Stephens,
J. R. P. Wilcoxson,
John M. Kelly,
T. T. Bowler,
George Mock,
William Sullans,
Sammuel Elliott,
Horatio Bruce,
Alpheus D. Hickerson,
William J. Jeffreys,
Edmond Eubank,
James M. Jeffreys,
Henderson C. Martin,
Hiram Burnam,
Sprague White,
Edward S. D. Miller,
Wm. Woolsey,
John Whitley, Benj. P. Ford,
Henry Francis,
Philip Summers,
Robt. H. Bowles,
George W. Campbell,
Justinian MeFarland,
Samuel R. Lemons,
Nathaniel T. Ford,
John R. Johnson,
James H. Jones,
Thompson Seivers,
James C. Ross, Richard Hulett.
Charles F. Kine,
Martin Allison,
They departed to-day (Thursday) on the steamer L. F. Linn, for St. Louis, where they will be armed and equipped, and imme- diately transported to the army of occupation on the Rio Grande. Our best wishes attend them. May victory ever perch upon their ban- ners, and may they all return home to their friends full of honors, with the prond reflection that they have served their country faith- fully.
When the steamer Louis F. Linn, Eaton, captain, Jewell, clerk, arrived at Boonville, on her downward trip, the company formed in line on the upper deck and many friends passed along the line, bid-
Oliver G. Ford,
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
ding farewell and shaking cach volunteer by the hand. The landing was crowded with people. The boat soon started, with cheers from the multitude, and waving of handkerchiefs by the ladies.
INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE.
The steamer laid up for the first night at Nashville, which is about fifteen miles below Rocheport. The members of the company were all jolly fellows, and jest and laughter made the time pass pleas- antly and quickly. The most of them had never been from home, and longed, with the anxiety of children, to see new countries and to take part in other than every day affairs of their lives.
Lieutenant Levens being on watch the latter part of the night after they had left Boonville, heard a terrible splash in the water, and on inquiring for the cause discovered that one of his men had fallen overboard. The deck-hands rescued him, and soon afterwards another of the company followed the example of his comrade, and was rescued by the same men. The lieutenant becoming alarmed for the safety of the men of the company, waked up the captain, informed him of what had happened, and told him that if he did not take measures to prevent it he might have his company considerably di- minished before they reached St. Louis, if the men continued to fall overboard as rapidly as they had commenced. The captain was greatly surprised at such unexpected accidents, and placed out a strong guard, which prevented any more occurrences of the kind. The trouble was that some of the men before leaving Boonville had imbibed rather freely of intoxicants, and having never been on board of a boat before, imagined they were on land and walked off without being aware of their changed circumstances.
They arrived at St. Louis without further accident, and were quartered at the court-house without any blankets to cover them, or any place except the naked benches on which to sleep. Most of the company expecting to draw their clothing and blankets at Jefferson barracks, had nothing but the shirt and pants which they had worn from home.
Captain Stephens' company was mustered into service by General Robert Campbell. General Taylor, having gained an important vic- tory over the Mexicans, and it being thought that he would be able to conquer his enemies without any further reinforcements, Captain Ste- phens' company were ordered back, and directed to report to Adju- tant General Parsons at Jefferson City, whither they hastened on the same boat, expecting orders from him to join Doniphan's expedition
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
to New Mexico. General Parsons informed the captain that he had no requisition for Cooper county, but to hold his company in readi- ness to march when called on. The members of the company were very much disappointed at being thus summarily dismissed to their homes, and felt very indignant at what they considered such shabby treatment ; and though the company was ready and willing, during the whole of the war, to go to the field of battle on the shortest no- tice, it was not called upon. Some of the members of the company were so determined to go that they joined other companies of General Doniphan's command. The company, although gone from home only a short time, had a rough introduction to military life, having been forced to live on " hard tack " on the trip to St. Louis and return, without bedding of any kind, and many of the men without a change of clothes. Mrs. Andrews, an estimable lady of St. Louis, treated the company to as many pies as the men could eat, for which they felt always grateful to her.
But very few of the company had ever seen St. Louis, or any other city, and it was a pleasing and wonderful sight to these men, who had, during all their lives, been accustomed only to the quiet scenes of their every-day life. The company, as it passed through the streets, seemed, from the numbers who stopped to gaze at it, to attract as much attention as a fantastic company, on account of the queer costumes, arms and manners. As the company expected to draw its uniforms at the " Great City," and as the men expected to throw their citizen's suits away, they were not particular what they wore when they started from home. Most of them, being dressed in backwoods style, without uniform or arms, made a rather ludicrous appearance to city folks. But the men cared little for that, and some of the city gents were made to measure their lengths upon the pavement for their uncalled-for remarks in regard to the personal appearance and manners of the strangers.
Some of the men of the company, while in St. Louis, had a row with some merchants on Water street for insulting one of their num- ber. After some little quarreling, the merchants threatened to have them arrested and confined in the calaboose ; but they were told if that threat was executed, they would level the calaboose, and if that was not sufficient to show their power, they would level the whole city, and that they had sufficient men to accomplish that undertak- ing. So, the merchants, becoming alarmed, did not attempt to have the threat executed, and the difficulty was finally arranged without any serious consequences. On their return up the Missouri
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river, on the same boat on which they had gone down to St. Louis, a finely dressed " gentleman " nnthoughtedly made the remark that " these soldiers were a rough set." The officers of Captain Stephens' and Captain Reid's companies demanded that he should be put ashore, and at the next landing he was made to " walk the plank," amidst shouts and cheers from the crowd. They thus gave him an opportu- nity of travelling on the next boat, where, perhaps, he might meet with passengers more congenial to his nature, and where he would not be forced to associate with those whom he considered beneath him in the social scale.
After this they proceeded without further incident to Boonville, where they were met by crowds of their friends and acquaintances, who, with loud cheers, welcomed them home. Soon after they ar- rived, the company was disbanded by the captain, with orders to be ready to assemble and march to the seat of war on very short notice. From that time to the close of the war the members of the company were prepared at all times to march to the front, whenever their ser- vices should be required, but they were never ordered forward to take part in the great struggle which had then been transferred to the ene- my's country.
This is the only part the citizens of Cooper county took in the war of 1846, and though they did not partake directly in the struggle, they showed their readiness to do so, by organizing and keeping in readiness to march a company composed of some of the best citizens.
LATE WAR OF THE REBELLION.
We would like to pass the history of this war, and leave it to be recorded by future historians, when the passions and bitter feelings engendered shall have passed away and beeu forgotton ; but it is cer- tain that it is not wise for the recorder of events to omit to tell the simple truth for fear that it may grate harshly upon the ears of some one. He must, impartially, write the facts as they occurred, without showing favor to either side. It is not intended here to give a detailed account of all that transpired during the unhappy conflict of the late war; but the following pages only profess to give, without any com- ment, some of the main facts as they occurred. All that transpired during that memorable struggle would fill a large volume.
Cooper county suffered a great deal during the war. Her terri- tory was nearly all the time occupied either by one party or the other, and her citizens were called upon to contribute to the support of first one side and then the other. The first of the actions which took
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place within Cooper county, and indeed the second engagement of the war, was the
BATTLE BELOW BOONVILLE.
Governor Jackson and General Price, on the 11th day of June, 1861, left Jefferson City, where the legislature was in session, sought an interview with Generals Lyon and Blair, and made proposi- tions for a compromise, on the basis of neutrality, etc. The two last mentioned generals refused to make any compromise whatever, but claimed the " unrestricted right to move and station the troops of the United States throughout the State, whenever and wherever that might, in the opinion of the officers, be necessary, either for the pro- tection of loyal citizens of the federal government, or for the repelling of an invasion."
Governor Jackson and General Price, after this unsuccessful en- deavor to bring about peace, returned to Jefferson city, and the gov- ernor issued a proclamation, calling into the active service of the state 50,000 men. General Lyon, a few days afterwards, issued a counter proclamation, in justification of his course in refusing to compromise with Governor Jackson and General Price.
General Lyon then moved his troops to Jefferson City, and on his arrival at that place, he found that Governor Jackson had moved his forces fifty miles above, to Boonville, entting the telegraph lines, and destroying the bridges on the railway as he proceeded. General Lyon, leaving Colonel Boernstein in command of a small force at the capital, on the afternoon of the 16th day of June, 1861, embarked his forces on three steamers, and ascending the Missouri river. they arrived at Rocheport about six o'clock on the following morning. There he ascertained that the state troops, under General Marmaduke (Price at that time being sick ), were in full force a few miles below Boonville, and that resistance might be expected from them, should he attempt to reach Boonville by that road. Leaving this place, and taking the steam ferry-boat. Paul Wilcox with it, General Lyon's command ascended the river to the island, eight miles below Boon- ville, which was reached at about seven o'clock a. m., and on the southern shore of which the command disembarked.
No enemy being in sight, and the scouts reporting no sign of any, the troops at once marched up the Missouri river towards Boonville, and followed the road about a mile and a half, to the place where it ascends the bluffs, from the river bottom. At this place, several shots from General Lyon's scouts announced the driving in of General
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES,
Marmaduke's pickets. General Lyon then advanced for nearly a mile, and found General Marmaduke well posted at the brow of the ascent. Captain Totten opened the engagement by throwing a few nine pound bombshells into the entrenchments of the state troops, while the infantry commenced a heavy volley of musketry, which was well replied to, the balls flying thick and fast among the ranks of the troops, and wounding several on both sides ..
The state troops, under the command of General Marmaduke, were posted in a lane running from the Rocheport road in the diree- tion of the river, and west of the residence of William M. Adams, on the northeast corner of the junction .of the two roads. During the fight a couple of bombs were thrown through the east wall of Mr. Adams' house, causing the inmates to retreat to the cellar for protec- tion. A heavy fire from Colonel Shaefer's German infantry, General Lyon's company of regulars, and part of Colonel Blair's regiment, which were stationed on the left of the road, compelled the troops of General Marmaduke to retreat,
His force then clambered over the fence into a field of wheat, and again formed in line just on the brow of the hill. They then advanced some twenty steps to meet the federal troops, and for a short time the artillery of Captain Totten was worked with great rapidity. Just at this time the state troops opened a galling fire from a grove just on the left of the federal centre, and from a shed from beyond and still further to the left.
What had been before this a skirmish now assumed the magnitude of a battle, which continued only about a half hour. The state troops finding the federals too strong and too well armed and drilled to be successfully opposed by raw recruits - most of them had never been under fire - and having no artillery with which to return the fire from General Lyon's batteries, abandoned the fight and retreated. Cap- tains Cole and Miller took possession of "Camp Bacon " where the state troops for two days had been encamped.
General Lyon continued his march towards Boonville. He was met on the hill near the residence of T. W. Nelson, by James H. O'Bryan, acting mayor of Boonville, Judge G. W. Miller, and other prominent citizens, who formally surrendered the town to him, and he immediately marched into and took possession of it.
General Marmaduke commanded the state troops on this occasion. General Price was in ill health, and on the day on which the battle occurred he left Boonville on a steamboat for Lexington, Governor Jackson was on the battle-ground in the forenoon, but left Boonville
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on the Georgetown road about eleven o'clock of that day. In this en- gagement two of Lyon's men were killed and nine wounded. Among the state troops, three were killed and several wounded, but the number of these is unknown.
Kelly's was the only well organized and well drilled company under the command of General Marmaduke, and it did not participate in the battle. It was said that General Price was opposed to making a stand against General Lyon at the time, as all of his troops, except Kelly's company, were raw recruits and very poorly armed and drilled, having rallied at Boonville during the preceding three days. There was considerable controversy among the officers and men, whether, considering the circumstances, a stand or retreat should be made ; but some of the most enthusiastic, whose counsel prevailed, said that they had come to fight and they intended to do so. There were several prisoners taken by General Lyon, but they were afterwards released on parole.
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