History of Johnson County, Missouri, Part 6

Author: Cockrell, Ewing
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Topeka, Kan. : Historical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1234

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The men in Captain Mize's company, after they went south from Lexington, were mustered out at Osceola and most of them then went into the confederate service under Col. Jeremiah Vardaman Cockrell. (a brother of F. M. Cockrell) and served there till the end of the war.

In addition to the foregoing, there was another Confederate com- pany formed from Fayetteville and Columbus neighborhoods, which afterwards consolidated with other companies. Mack Newton was the

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captain and Charles Tracy and Thomas Tracy (uncles of Judge E. F. Tracy), lieutenants.

Union Organizations .- March 5, 1861, State Senator Benjamin W. Grover was commissioned by Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, lieutenant-colonel of the Johnson County Home Guards, the name then given to the volunteers, and authorized to recruit a regiment. He and James D. Eads, a Douglas Democrat, who had served in the Mexican War, can- vassed the county for volunteers and by May 1, 1861, had organized a full regiment with ten companies, nine from Johnson county and one from Pettis. Colonel Grover was twice elected colonel, but declined each time on account of his lack of previous military experience, and Jacob Knaus was the first and James D. Eads the second colonel.

The following are the officers of this regiment (27th Mounted Infantry, Missouri Volunteers), the commanders of the companies and their locations in the county :

Majors, Emory S. Foster and William Beck.

Quartermaster, Lieut. Thomas W. Houts (son of George W. Houts).

Commissary, Lieut. John J. Welshans.

Adjutants, Lieut. George S. Grover and Samuel K. Hall.

Surgeon, Dr. Logan Clark, of Sedalia.

Assistant Surgeon, Dr. Hill, of Warrensburg.

Chaplain, Rev. R. A. Foster.

Company A. Grover township, Captain, Maguire; Company B, S. C. Clear Fork, Captain, Isaminger; Company C, Warrensburg, Cap- tain. M. U. Foster; Company D. Kingsville, Captain, Duncan; Com- pany E, Grover township, Captains, Applegate. Turley; Company F, Fayetteville, Captain, McCluney : Company G. Windsor, Captain, Cun- ningham ; Company H, Cornelia, Captain, Iams; Company I, Chil- howee, Captain, Brown; Company J, Rose Hill, Captain, Taylor; Com- pany K, Sedalia, Captain, Parker.

Lieutenants-(List of lieutenants follows, but cannot be arranged by companies) : Shanks, Box. Baird, Barnett, Gallaher, McCabe, Van Beek, Peak, Marr, Maguire, Hall. Starkey, Pease, W. L. Christian, Keaton, Smiley, A. W. Christian, Jewell, Daly.

The regiment did active service in scouting between the Osage and Missouri rivers, had minor skirmishes and September 20, 1861, were captured at Lexington under Colonel Mulligan and Gen. Sterling

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Price, after an eight-days' battle. In the battle Colonel Grover and Captain McCluney were mortally wounded, and Captains Maguire. Duncan, Applegate and Parker also were wounded. Three hundred men of the regiment were in the battle, and only one hundred thirty surrendered, the rest being killed or wounded.

After this battle, four of the companies under Capts. T. W. Houts, M. U. Foster, Maguire and Box, and Lieutenants Jewell, Peak, W. L. and A. W. Christian, Marr, Maguire and Daly enlisted for three years in the Seventh Cavalry Missouri State Militia; part of them were at the battle of Lone Jack. Another detachment enlisted in the Fiftieth Enrolled Missouri Militia; another in Company A, Thirty-third Mis- souri Volunteers; others were on the plains in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Missouri Cavalry under Captain Turley. Some served from the Cumberland to the Gulf for three years, came back to War- rensburg and enlisted in Foster's Cavalry Battallion.

(The editor's authority for the foregoing history of the Twenty- seventh Mounted Infantry, is Capt. George S. Grover, a son of Col. B. W. Grover, in the article "Civil War in Missouri," Missouri Histor- ical Review, Vol. 8, No. 1, October, 1913. Complete rosters of Cap- tain Mize's company from Holden is in the files of the Holden "Enter- prise" for February 1, 1906, and of Cockrell's company is in the Spring- field, Missouri, "Leader," for May 21, 1916, and also in the Warrensburg "Star-Journal" for December, 1915.)

II. The War in Johnson County .- There was never any engage- ment of importance between the union and confederate armies in John- son county. Both armies were in this section at various times, and various commands and detachments of the union troops were here most of the time during the war.

Gen. Sterling Price's army passed through Johnson county to Lex- ington and Colonel Grover, with his union command, retreated to Lex- ington, which fell into the hands of General Price's army.

Owing to the divided sentiment in Johnson county and the prox- imity of the county to the Kansas border, with its hotbed of bitter con- tentions, much murder, pillage and devastation was committed in the county by men who ranged all the way from irresponsible criminals to soldiers in the regular military service. There were some minor mili- tary actions, but with not many men engaged. But much property was destroyed and stolen. in addition to the loss of life ; many houses.

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churches and school houses were burned, fences destroyed, and at the close of the war the county was in poor condition generally.

Most of the fighting in Johnson county was done by the Missouri State Militia and the bushwhackers. The enrolled militia did consid- erable effective service, but they were only called into service occasion- ally and were not really trained or experienced soldiers.

March 8, 1862, Company A, Seventh Regiment Missouri State Militia, was mustered into service. The commissioned officers of this company were Capt. Thomas W. Houts, First Lieut. J. M. Jewell, Sec- ond Lieutenant, Christian. About the 1st of February, 1862, Com- pany G, Seventh Regiment Missouri State Militia, was organized with the following officers: Captain, Melville U. Foster; first lieutenant, Dick Box, and second lieutenant, Sandy Law. These two companies played the most conspicuous part in the military operations which fol- lowed in this county. Emory S. Foster was the first major of the regi- ment and commanded both companies.

The following is a list of the skirmishes and engagements in the county, as far as can be learned :

1. In the eastern part of the county, between a squad of the Home Guards under Colonel Knaus, and a small detachment of Confederates. One of the first skirmishes. No casualties, if any, ever officially re- ported.

2. About September 1, 1861, Union pickets south of Warrensburg fired on by Confederates, two killed. A few days later a Union man, Jake Sams, who resided near Holden, was taken prisoner by the Confeder- ates and no trace of him was ever found afterward.

About this time General Price passed through this county on his way from Springfield to Lexington. with his command, which consisted of about twenty thousand men.

3. On October 16, General Jim Lane, of Kansas, sacked Kingsville, killed eight men, confiscated several horses and other property, and burned several houses of Southern sympathisers.

4. In November, 1861. a government train of ox wagons was cap- tured near Warrensburg by the Confederates, recaptured by six hundred Federal cavalry from Sedalia. On their road to Fort Leavenworth with prisoners and cattle and Matt Houx with about a hundred men ambushed Federals near Blackwater church. Houx's men opened fire on advanced guard and then both the Federals and Confederates ran in opposite di-

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rections. Federals reformed but could not find any trace of Houx or his men.

5. In January, 1862, about two hundred of Jamison's men from Kansas, under Major Herrick, came to Holden, and with former Johnson county Union men for guides, burned forty or fifty homes of the most prominent Southern men in the western part of the county. The raid- ers carried everything they did not burn. About two days later about fifty of this command destroyed and carried off much property at .Colum- bus. Captain Elliott, of Lafayette county, with his company and quite a number of Johnson county men, met this detachment and killed five and captured two. The Jayhawkers retreated, joined the main body under Major Herrick, and Captain Elliott retreated. The Kansans entered Columbus again and burned nearly every house in town.

6. Early in 1862 ten or twelve men, formerly from Johnson county, came from Kansas, camped on Big creek, not far from Rose Hill, and were attacked by a small squad of men under Dr. Jones and two or three of them wounded.

7. Twenty-four of Foster's men, under Lieutenant Christian, after a foraging trip in the northwestern part of the county, about five miles from Warrensburg near Ingal's Mill, were fired upon by concealed Con- federates and four wounded.

8. An old gentleman, named Raker, of Chilhowee township, father of Capt. D. M. Raker, who later became sheriff of Johnson county, a man named Piper, seven miles southwest of Warrensburg, a Mr. Greenlet, in Warrensburg, were all killed by Foster's men. A man named Keene near Pittsville, killed by bushwhackers under Ross.

9. Scouts under Captain Houts, captured Bill Stewart at Cornelia and decided to hang him, but some of the boys who were well acquainted with him used their influence in his behalf and the officer finally decided to take Stuart to camp. On the way he escaped and later became one of the most noted bushwhackers of that period. In 1864 Stuart was killed north of the Missouri river.

10. A detail of Foster's men surrounded a house where John Brinker and Frank Burgess were, a short distance south of Warrens- burg. Brinker and Burgess made a sudden dash, killed and wounded two of Foster's men and escaped. Foster's men burned the house and killed the owner for harboring Brinker and Burgess.

11. A skirmish took place between Foster's command and the Con-

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federates a few miles south of Centerview. Foster's men ambushed; Confederates escaped. Eight of the Federals wounded, two mortally.

12. The Confederates planned to organize on a systematic basis to drive Federals out. They notified their friends in Johnson, Jackson and Lafayette counties to meet at Craig's old mill on Blackwater Creek, about ten miles northeast of Holden.

Foster learned their plans and sent to Sedalia for reinforcements, and two companies of the First Iowa Cavalry reached Warrensburg about daylight of the very morning that the Confederates had planned to attack. Through some misunderstanding the Confederates did not all meet ; the attack was given up and they disbanded.

Foster, with two hundred of his men and the Iowa troops, started out in search of the Confederates. He encountered the belated command of Colonel Parker with fifty-six Jackson county men. Colonel Parker immediately began a retreat and a running fight was kept up for a mile or so, when Colonel Parker's command scattered and most of them escaped. The Federals captured Colonel Parker and ten of his men, two of the Confederates and two Federals were killed and mortally wounded. In Colonel Parker's hasty retreat he was thrown from his horse and the Federals overtook him. He fell prone on the ground and played dead. Some of the Iowa soldiers came up and examined him. They rolled him over and looked for the wound that caused his death, but not even a drop of blood could be found. At this perplexing juncture one. of them said, "I think we'd better empty a load into him and finish the job. If he's not already dead that will help him along, and if he is dead it won't hurt him." This was enough for Parker. He bounded to his feet just in time to surrender alive. He was released in a few days, and a few months later was killed near Wellington, Lafayette county.

Later Major Curley, of Sedalia, was transferred and took command of the Warrensburg post. He issued a proclamation calling on all the Confederates to come in and lay down their arms, promising them pro- tection. Many by this time were sick and tired of fighting and quite a number went to Warrensburg and took the oath of allegiance. This move met with strong condemnation of their former comrades and they became afraid and many left immediately for Illinois and elsewhere. Those who dropped out of the conflict on account of taking the oath of allegiance were succeeded by others and local operations were kept up with as much intensity as ever.

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13. Shortly after this a Union man named William Barton, who lived two miles west of Holden, was killed, then a man named Brown, who lived near Chilhowee, and had a son in Captain Houts' company, was killed on his way to Warrensburg. A man named Potts, who had been in the confederate army. He had been captured and after being released started home. Two of Foster's men followed him and killed him near Devil's Branch, west of Warrensburg.

14. Shortly after this Captain Houts, with forty men, encountered a party of Confederates northeast of Hazel Hill. one Confederate was killed.

15. The following story of war-time days comes from Columbus township and is from the Johnson County history of 1881: On the night of January 8, 1865, two men requested admission at the home of an old gentleman named Bedichek, near Columbus. Bedichek's daughter, a girl of nineteen, upon looking out the window, saw that the men were armed with double-barreled shotguns. They stated that they wanted to come in to get warm. The girl told them one might come in unarmed. He did so. After entering the house he found the old gentleman and the girl were the only inmates, and upon being told that they were, he drew a revolver and started to kill the old man. The latter seized the pistol with one hand and the girl drew a heavy corn knife, which she had concealed by her side and struck the intruder several times. cutting off one of his ears and nearly severing his pistol hand. The intruder then tried to escape and the man on the outside came to the rescue. The girl met him at the door and drove him off with her corn- knife. Later in the night a couple of shots were fired through the window, but with no damage. Colonel Crittenden, who commanded the post, upon receiving the report of this girl's bravery, presented her with a regulation Colt's revolver. The heroine of this occasion was Mary M. Bedichek. Later she married S. W. Campbell. In 1879 she came into public notice by fasting forty-one days.

During the last part of the Civil War the Union state troops and enrolled militia practically dominated the situation in Johnson county. However, minor outbreaks and insignificant clashes frequently occurred. May 5, 1865, Bill Anderson, Arch Clemments and Dave Pool with about two hundred bushwhackers appeared in Kingsville and began firing on the inhabitants. The citizens tried unsuccessfully to defend themselves under Capt. Leroy C. Duncan and soon the bushwhackers had robbed

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the inhabitants and burned the town. After the war had officially closed, April 9, 1865, many desperate characters in organized bands continued their guerilla warfare and terrorized this section of the state for some time. They came from both sides and seemingly had become accustomed to this method of living and were unwilling to return to ordinary civil life. The Jesse James gang and others came from these bands.

On the other hand when Grant and Lee agreed upon the closing chapter of the great struggle, the real soldiers of both the Union and the Confederacy had had enough of war and returned to retrieve their lost fortunes and rebuild their homes. They were both anxious to make their county a safe place where life and property would be secure and civil authority supreme. It was through the combined efforts of these men, who had bravely fought on opposite sides for four years, that Johnson county eventually rid itself of those who had become outlaws. (See Chapter on Reign of Terror.)

Of the marks of the Civil War and its remains in Johnson county today, nearly all have disappeared. Of the men who went into the armies but a handful are still living in the county. A full list as far as known is given hereafter, under the chapters on the Grand Army of the Republic and the Confederate Veterans. Of the material remains the writer has been able to find only a decayed post. Its story is best told by the following extracts from an article in the "Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal" of February 18, 1918, by James M. Shepherd.

Blackened Post Marks Four Soldiers' Graves .- Remains of First Blackwater Bridge on Lexington Road Reminder of Price's Raid .- Just west of the bridge which spans Blackwater, on the road that leads from Warrensburg to Lexington, and only a few yards from the place where Post Oak empties into the mother stream, one may, by creeping down the steep bank, and peering into the water, see the top of a blackened post. The wood is old and decayed, for murky floods have flown over and around it for seventy years. It is a part of the pioneer bridge which spanned the stream.

A few yards to the east traffic from the north thunders over a steel bridge and gay parties pass in automobiles who never dream that hidden near are the remains of the old causeway whose blackened stump stands as a monument to the first four Johnson county boys who gave up their

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lives that the nation might live. Even the names of these martyred heroes have been forgotten and perhaps their bones rest yet in the mold beside the blackened post, for their comrades left them where they fell and hastened on. For at the heels of the retreating Federals were the victorious hordes of General Price.

'It was late in the summer of '61 that refugees from the South began to pour into Warrensburg. They all brought the same news. General Price with his army was marching victoriously through Missouri from Springfield, where he had defeated General Lyons at Wilson Creek. One evening couriers rode into Warrensburg with the news that the advance guard of the Southern army was camped near Chilhowee. There was quick action among the companies then stationed here. They were mustered and started on their retreat to Lexington where Colonel Mulligan was in command. Just as the sun rose they arrived at Black- water bridge three miles north. This bridge was built of wood, and tim- bers of white oak sunk deep in the mud, upheld the framework and the floor. Surmounting the floor was another framework some twenty feet high with rafters and roofed with shingles. Taken altogether, it was a massive structure, all built of heavy timbers.

After the little army of recruits had passed over the bridge, Colonel Marshall decided it must be burned to stop the progress of the pursuing enemy. Torches were applied and the great structure was soon burn- ing. Colonel Marshall then ordered a company to stay at the bridge and defend it while the balance continued their long march north to Lexington.

The smoke of the burning structure was seen rolling over the hills to the south by the advance guard of Price's army who hastened for- ward in order to save the bridge. They reached the bluff to the south of the bridge and saw the little company in the bottom beyond guard- ing their work of destruction. A rifle blast swept the line of bine, and six men fell. Their comrades replied, firing into the dense underbrush which covered the bluff, with such vigor that the advance guard retired. But again advancing the rebels poured a deadly fire into the little com- pany who slowly retreated with their faces to the foe across the broad Blackwater bottom. But four of their men lay at the edge of the burning bridge.

They had given their lives for their cause and they did not die in vain, for the bridge at Blackwater burned to the water's edge and the

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soldiers of General Price were delayed many hours in their victorious march on Lexington. J. M. S.

Spanish-American War .- In 1898, during the war between the United States and Spain, a company was organized at Warrensburg, which was mustered into the United States service at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, May 12, 1898, as Company L, Fourth Regiment. This company, with other Missouri troops, was mobilized at Jefferson City, Missouri, where they remained until May 6, 1898, when they were transferred to Jeffer- son Barracks. Here they remained until after being mustered into the United States service, then they were at different camps until Novem- ber 8, 1898, when they proceeded by rail to Camp Churchman, two miles from Albany, Georgia. Here they remained until mustered out, March 3, 1899.

The following is a list of the officers and men taken from the mus- ter roll: Captain Henry R. Peed, journalist, 1st lieutenant ; Charles E. DeGroff, photographer, 2nd lieutenant ; G. E. Huggins, resigned, cadet : orderly sergeant. R. W. Selvidge, teacher; quartermaster-sergeant. C. L. Carter, comedian ; sergeant. Frank Hyatt, clerk; Charles H. Palmer, clerk; Richard H. Gaines, miller; corporals, Oscar R. Stone, farmer : James Van Matre, journalist: Ralph W. Smith, farmer; William E. Pennington, clerk; Guy Graham, farmer; Wesley B. Lytell, farmer ; musicians, Walter S. Stillwell, student; William C. Colver, artificer ; Gus S. Shidenberger, painter. Privates, Frank Adams, farmer; Rolla J. Alexander, teacher ; George W. Ashley, salesman ; Frank Baird, machin- ist : Fred W. Bertram, musician; Perry S. Braden, farmer: Rolla L. Blevins, farmer; Frederick Bradley, laborer: John E. Bradley, miner : William C. Cadey. farmer; Raymond C. Christopher, farmer; Charles E. Clay, farmer : Frederic G. Clements, clerk ; Roscoe H. Clarey, laborer : Warren T. Courtney, farmer; John W. Donaldson. blacksmith: Earl Edwards, farmer; Walter C. Elliott clerk ; William H. Faulconer, baker ; Paul P. Floyd, teamster : Benjamin Fry, farmer ; John A. Fulks, farmer ; Henry Funk, farmer: Frank L. Ferguson, teamster; Charles O. Gates, laborer; William H. Glenn, farmer; William F. Hayes, farmer: Clinton M. Hayes, farmer: Harry L. Hartman, laborer ; George E. Heberling. laborer; Edward Holden, apprentice: Samuel H. Lindsey, stone mason ; Hugh S. Longbottom, farmer: George W. Mason, bricklayer; William E. Mason, farmer; John M. Mccutcheon, teacher: Archie McMahan, teacher; Frank C. McClellan, machinist: George A. Moyer, farmer;

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Charles H. Narron, laborer; Ivan Pickering, farmer; Willis Phillips, miner ; Harry L. Platter, farmer; John H. Reeves, farmer; Duncan K. Shafer, farmer; William Smith, farmer; Robert M. Smith, farmer ; Henry J. Smith, farmer; John H. Smith, farmer; James N. Smithson, clerk; Victor E. Short, lawyer; Archie T. Stewart, clerk; James W. Selvidge, printer; William F. Sutton, farmer; William O. Tackett, carpenter; George W. Tackett, machinist; Glenn S. Thompson, farmer; Martin E. Wood, farmer; Frank M. Wade, farmer; Edd A. Wolff, farmer; John F. Williams, farmer; John J. Goss, farmer; James W. Andruss, moulder ; Thomas L. Besley, moulder; Richard Weekly.

CHAPTER VIII .- REIGN OF TERROR.

JOHNSON COUNTY THE SCENE OF LAWLESSNESS AND ORGANIZED CRIME-GEN- ERAL FRANK P. BLAIR-MEETING ON JUNE 1. 1866-"OLD BILL STEVENS"- MURDER OF DAVID SWEITZER-CALL MEETING AT COUNTY COURT HOUSE -ADDRESSES BY PROFESSOR BIGGER AND REVEREND J. W. NEWCOMB- COMMITTEE APPOINTED-ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS-THE VIGILANTES AT WORK-"DICK" SANDERS-"BILL" STEVENS-"JEFF" COLLINS-THOMAS STEVENS-"MORG" ANDREWS-HALL-THOMAS W. LITTLE-JAMES M. SIMS -THE COMMITTEE'S WORK ENDED.

Vigilantes .- Following the close of the Civil War, Johnson county became the scene of much lawlessness and what appeared to be organized crime. The law was apparently helpless to bring offenders to justice. Murders and robberies were repeatedly committed. The offenders became generally known but were not punished. This lawlessness may have been carried on for the love of plunder and murder or by habit acquired by these desperadoes during the long period of the Civil War, or both.

Apparently they had their own way for a time. They rode into business houses shooting articles of merchandise from the walls, sniffing lights out of people's houses with pistol shots, or shot promiscuously into public gatherings. Religious and political meetings were fre- quently broken up and the peaceable citizens were terrified generally.

Opposition to this condition was aroused and encouraged at War- rensburg in June, 1866, on the occasion of a speech delivered there by General Frank P. Blair. Blair was well known in Missouri as a brave and able Union soldier, and after the war was over he became one of the leaders in the struggle for the re-enfranchisement of South- erners and rehabilitation of the state.

Blair was advertised to speak at Warrensburg June 1, 1866. A brush arbor was built just north of the court house where Blair was expected to speak. The extremists among the Union men hated Blair for the stand that he had taken and denounced him as a traitor It was anticipated for weeks before the meeting that there would be trouble

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History of Johnson County, Missouri, Part 6

Author: Cockrell, Ewing Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Topeka, Kan. : Historical Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1234

Author: Cockrell, Ewing
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Topeka, Kan. : Historical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1234