USA > Missouri > Ray County > History of Ray county, Mo. > Part 32
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EDWARD SANDERSON enlisted as a private in Captain Scurry's com- pany of mounted riflemen, second battalion, Colonel Thomas William- son's regiment of Tennessee volunteers, at Gallatin, Tennessee, on or about the 9th day of February, 1814. His company, when he enlisted, was commanded by Captain George Elliott, who was afterwards pro- moted to be colonel of another regiment, and Captain Scurry succeeded him in the position of captain. Some time after enlisting, his company and regiment, with other forces, took up their line of march for New Orleans, Louisiana, and reached the point of their destination about the 1st of January, 1815. He, along with the rest of his company, took part in the memorable engagement of the 8th of January, 1815, in which Gen- eral Andrew Jackson gained a complete, decisive, and glorious victory over the veteran troops of Great Britain, who were thoroughly equipped and trained under the eye of Wellington, and who had met the conqueror of Europe, and driven back his legions. The war of the United States with the Creek Indians, that was the result of the interference of Great Britain, was the school in which Generals Jackson, Coffee, and Carroll became adepts in the tactics that made a Tennessee rifleman superior to a Wellington invincible, and qualified an army of citizen soldiers to defeat an army of veterans of superior numbers. Mr. Sanderson, shortly after this brilliant victory, returned, with his company, to Gallatin, Tennessee, and was honorably discharged there. Some years afterward he removed
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from Tennessee to Ray county, Misssouri, and was engaged in the busi- ness of farming for many years. He reared a large family of children, who are valuable citizens of the county. He was an upright man in every respect, and was greatly respected in his community. He died in 1874, at the advanced age of eighty-one years.
JABEZ SHOTWELL enlisted as a soldier of the war of 1812, in Captain Stockton's company, first regiment of Kentucky dragoons, in the army commanded by Gen. William Henry Harrison, Dayton, Ohio, on or about the 1st of September, 1812, and was honorably discharged at Ft. Defiance, Ohio, on or about November 10, 1812. That he served with his company under Gen. Harrison, in his campaign in northwest Ohio. He saw con- siderable active service during the term for which he was enlisted. Some years after the war of 1812, he removed to Ray county, Missouri, and became in a short time a prominent citizen of the county. He held a number of important offices. Among them may be mentioned the offices of county judge, county surveyor, county school commissioner, all of which he filled with ability, discharging the duties incumbent upon him in a faithful manner. He reared an interesting family of children, to whom he was greatly endeared. He died in Lexington, Missouri, in the year 1875, at the advanced age of eighty-four years.
GERRARD SPURRIER enlisted in Capt. Bayliss' company, 11th regiment light horse brigade, Kentucky volunteers, war of 1812, on or about the 9th day of September, in Lewis county, Kentucky, and was honorably discharged the 9th day of November, 1813. After enlisting he took up the line of march with his company, to West Union, Adams county, Ohio, where the company was fully organized, thence they marched to Seneca, and a number of other points and finally to Moraviantown, in Canada West, and took part in the battle of the Thames, on the 5th of October, 1813, which resulted in the defeat of Gen. Proctor, and the death of the celebrated Indian chieftain and prophet, Tecumseh. Mr. Spurrier and all his fellow soldiers in his company and regiment, bore themselves gallantly in this hotly contested engagement and reflected bright and lasting honor upon the brave Kentucky troops. On leaving Kentucky, some years after the war of 1812, he came to Missouri and finally settled in Ray county, and . has been a worthy citizen of it for many years. He has always borne a spotless character wherever he has lived. He is highly esteemed by all who know him. Some of his family live in Indiana and are prominent citizens of the community in which they live. Gerrard Spurrier is now eighty nine years old, but he retains, in a great measure, the vigor of his mind, and until very recently, could travel about with all the activity of a young man.
WILLIAM THORNTON enlisted as a private in Capt. James Simpson's company, Major Peter Dudley's brigade, in the division of Gen. Duncan
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McArthur, war of 1812, on or about the 1st day of September, 1813, and was honorably discharged at Winchester, Kentucky, on or about the 25th day of September, 1814. He served with his company under Gen. McArthur the greater portion of his term of enlistment in Canada. He saw considerable active service in this campaign in which Gen. McArthur partly carried out his bold plan of conquering Upper Canada. He became a settler of Ray county, Missouri, a few years after it was organized. He was for many years a successful farmer, and stood high among his neigh- bors as a man of unswerving integrity, great firmness of purpose, and warmth of feeling in his attachment. He never married, but for many years lived in his pleasant home with his sister, Miss Margery Thornton, and always had a warm welcome for his friends. After the death of his sister he lived in the family of Gen. Alexander Doniphan for a number of years, in Richmond, Missouri. He died in 1872, aged eighty-four years.
JOHN TURNER was a soldier of the war of 1812. He enlisted in Capt. Burnett's company, Kentucky volunteers. Was taken prisoner at the battle of the River Raisin, and was a prisoner among the Indians and British one year and ten days. He was one of the early settlers of Ray county, and was for many years a settler of Fishing River township, of this county. He reared a large family of children, who are good and use- ful citizens of the county. He was an industrious and energetic farmer, and showed the hand of the diligent man in making his home an attract- ive place for the family. He was a man of strong force of character, warm in his attachment to friends, and of unbending rectitude in all his dealings with his fellow man-a man that stood high with his neighbors for probity, and whole-souled honor and integrity. He died at an advanced age in 1872.
EMILIUS WOOD was mustered in as a private in Capt. Charles Duvall's company, Ohio volunteers, in General Harrison's army, on about Novem- ber 10, 1812, in Washington county, Ohio, and was honorably discharged at Marietta, Ohio, in or about May, 1813. He saw considerable active service during his term of enlistment, in the army of Gen. Harrison. He was not a citizen of Ray county, Missouri, many years. He was a farmer during the time he lived in this county, in Richmond township, not far from the Richmond and Lexington junction.
Only two soldiers of the war of 1812 are now living in Ray county, Gerrard Spurrier and William Bales. All of those living at the time of the passage of the pension act, approved by congress, February 14, 1871, are now dead, except the two above mentioned.
Widows of soldiers of the war of 1812, that were entitled to pensions under the act of congress approved February 14, 1871, having been mar- ried prior to the declaration of peace, February 17, 1815. They were as follows:
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
MALINDA MARTIN, widow of William B. Martin, deceased, who was a private in Capt. Brassfield's company, Kentucky volunteers, war of 1812. He enlisted at Winchester, Kentucky, on or about the 10th, of August, 1812, and was honorably discharged at Fort Defiance, in December, 1812.
ANNA ROUTH, widow of Jeremiah Routh, deceased, who was a private in Capt. Inglish's company, Tennessee militia regiment, war of 1812. He enlisted in Sevier county, Tennessee, on or about the 25th of Novem- ber, 1813, and was honorably discharged on or about the 25th day of July, 1814.
HEATHY MOTT, widow of Loann Orange Mott, deceased, who enlisted in Capt. John Dowden's company, Slack's tavern, between Wash- ington and Germantown, in Macon county, Kentucky, war of 1812, on or about the 10th day August, 1812, and was honorably discharged at Macon county, Kentucky, about the close of the year 1812.
MARY E. MAYBERRY, widow of Frederick E. Mayberry, deceased, who enlisted in Capt. William Lock's company, Col. Colman's regiment, in the division commanded by Gen. Andrew Jackson, Tennessee volun- teers, on the 10th day of December, 1811, at Nashville, Tennessee, and was honorably discharged at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on or about the 25th day of December, 1814.
Only one of the above mentioned widows is now living. Mrs. Anna Routh still survives, having attained the great age of eighty-seven years. She lives about four miles from Richmond, Ray county, Missouri.
MARY COMER, widow of John Comer, deceased, who was a soldier of the war of 1812, in Capt. Morris's company of Ohio volunteers, that did service in the army of Gen. Harrison. He enlisted at Chillicothe, Ross county, Ohio, on or about the 10th day of July, 1813, and was honorably discharged at Chillicothe, Ohio, on or about December 10, 1813. She was married to John Comer, on or about the 10th day of June, 1809, in Ross county, Ohio. Her name before marriage was Mary Baker. Mrs. Mary Comer moved from Ray county to Daviess county, Missouri, before her claim was completed, and died in Daviess county, eighty-seven years old.
The act of congress approved March 9, 1878, extended the provisions of the act of February 14, 1871, to all widows of soldiers of the war of 1812, without any reference to the time of their marriages. Those living in Ray county, Missouri, are as follows .:
SELENA DAVIS, widow of John Davis, deceased, who was a soldier of the war of 1812, in Capt. John Crawford's company, Kentucky volun- teers, forming a part of General Shelby's brigade. She lives about three miles from Knoxville, Ray county, Missouri. She was married to John Davis in Montgomery county, Kentucky, about June 1, 1817; her maiden name being Selena McDougal. She is now over eighty years old.
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
CATHARINE GUNNELL, widow of Nathaniel Gunnell, deceased, who was a soldier of the war of 1812, having enlisted in a Virginia company of volunteers, in the southeastern part of Virginia, on or about the year 1814. She was married to Nathaniel Gunnell, on the Sth day of Janu- ary 1848, in Ray county, Missouri. her name before marriage being Mrs. Catharine Albert. She is now seventy-five years old, and until recently lived about three miles from Millville, Ray county, Missouri.
NANCY MCCUISTION, widow of Thomas McCuistion, deceased, late soldier of the war of 1812, in Capt. John B. Dempsey's mounted volun- teers. She was married to Lieut. Thomas McCuistion on or about the 15th day of February, 1816, her name before marriage being Nancy Jor- dan. She now lives with her son, A. A. McCuistion, in Richmond, Mis- souri, and is now seventy-nine years old.
MARY REED, widow of David Reed, deceased, a soldier of the war of 1812, who enlisted in Berkeley county, Virginia, on or about the 1st of August, 1814, and was honorably discharged on or about the 1st of March, 1815. She was married to David Reed on or about the 1st day of December, 1820, in Warren county, Missouri, at that time forming a part of Montgomery county, Missouri. Her maiden name was Mary Bryan. She lives with her daughter, Mrs. Elijah Happy, about five miles from Richmond. She has attained the age of eighty-three years.
ADALINE RIFFE, widow of John Riffe, deceased, a lieutenant in Capt. Wade's company of volunteers, from Casey county, Kentucky, war of 1812. He enlisted on or about the 1st day of September, 1814, and was honorably discharged on or about February 15, 1815. She was married to John Riffe in Ray county, Missouri, on the 15th day of January, 1846. Her name before this marriage was Mrs. Adaline Ross. She lives in Albany, Ray county, Missouri, about one mile from Orrick, and is now seventy-two years old.
NANCY RUSH, widow of Job Rush, a soldier of the war of 1812 in Capt. George Allen's company of Virginia militia, who enlisted on or about the 15th of April, 1813, and was honorably discharged at Norfolk, Virginia, on or about the 1st of October, 1813. She was married to Job Rush in Madison county, Virginia, on the 10th day of February, 1819. She is now eighty-three years old, and lives with her relatives near Rich- mond, Missouri.
JANE SMITH, widow of Jedediah Smith, deceased, a soldier of the war of 1812, in Capt. McCuistion's company, in the second regiment of North Carolina militia. He enlisted in Guilford county, North Carolina, in 1814, and was honorably discharged, after serving a term of over three months. She was married to Jedediah Smith, January 6th, 1818, in Guilford county, North Carolina. Her name before marriage was Jane Close. She is
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
now living about three miles from Lawson, with her son, William W. Smith, and has attained the great age of eighty-two years.
BLACK HAWK WAR IN 1832.
SOLDIERS OR WIDOWS OF SOLDIERS NOW LIVING IN RAY COUNTY.
Henry Brown, in Captain Sconce's company; William Crowley; Wil- iliam R. Blythe, first lieutenant in Captain Pollard's company, Colonel Sconce's regiment; Winant Vanderpool, a private in Captain William C. Pollard's company; Priscilla Conklin, late widow of Andrew Pearce, deceased, a private in Captain William Pollard's company; Ruth Riffe, widow of Jacob Riffe, deceased.
FLORIDA WAR.
In the Florida war, in the year 1837, the Missouri " spies," a company made up chiefly of recruits from Ray county, commanded by Captain John Sconce, Israel R. Hendly, first lieutenant, did good service in the swamps and everglades of Florida.
In the battle of Okeechobee, December 25, 1837, the company suffered severely. Among the killed were Perry Jacobs and James Remley, and among the wounded were John W. Martin and William B. Hudgins, from this county.
The following are the names of the soldiers, who were in the Florida war, who are now living in Ray county: William B. Hudgins, of Capt. Sconce's company Missouri Spies: Beniah Hagan, of Captain Pollard's company; Jackson Mann, of Captain Pollard's company; James B. Smith, of Captain John Sconce's company; William L. Feur, of Captain Pollard's company; Pleasant Slover, of Captain John Child's company Tennessee volunteers: Dr. Moody Manson. surgeon.
HEATHERLY WAR.
In 1836 two companies of Ray county militia, under command of Cap- tains Matthew P. Long and William Pollard, were ordered out as a part of Brigadier-General William Thompson's brigade, to serve in the Heath- erly war. The counties of Ray, Carroll and Clay, as late as 1836, extended from the Missouri river to the southern boundary line of Iowa territory. In June of that year (1836) the settlements in the northern por- tion of all these counties were sparsely peopled, and many miles apart. In the northern part of Carroll county, now embraced in the limits of Mer- cer and Grundy, near the line dividing these two counties, there was a comparatively small settlement, or a few families of pioneers residing. Of this number was an old man named Heatherly, and wife, some four grown sons, and two sons-in-law, and a family named Dunbar and another person, a near neighbor of Dunbar. The Heatherlys were at enmity with Dunbar and his neighbors, and availing themselves of the chance, always created in the unprotected settlements, they murdered
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
Dunbar and his neighbor, and robbed their houses, and then fled into the more densely settled part of the country south, and reported that some Iowa Indians had made an irruption into that part of the country and had murdered and robbed these two persons. The clamor of the Heatherlys caused troops to be called out for the purpose of apprehending the Indians, and having them punished for these murders.
Brigadier-General William Thompson was commander of the brigade, embracing the counties of Ray, Clay and Carroll, and resided in Ray. He immediately ordered out five companies, one from Carroll, two from Ray, commanded as above mentioned, and two from Clay, commanded respectively by Captain David R. Atchison and Smith Crawford, and the battalion was under the personal command of Shubael Allen. The bat- talion from Ray and Carroll was commanded by General Thompson in person. The last named battalion marched rapidly to the scene of the crimes, and succeeded in finding the bodies of the murdered men, but no trace of any Indians could be found. The two battalions were in con- stant communication, and after about eighteen days' service, General Thompson ordered them to disband. Facts ascertained by General Thompson, when he was at the scene of the murder, and facts that came to light, induced the belief that the Heatherly gang were the murderers, and they were arrested and committed to jail in Carroll county, and after a delay of a year or more, some of them were convicted and sent to the penitentiary. The Heatherly family were more like gypsies than Amer- icans. The children were of every hue, from mulattoes to pretty fair Caucasians. The moving spirit and motive power of the family was the old woman, the mother of this motley progeny. She had great shrewd- ness, and was as fiendish as a Hecate. It was in proof that she instigated, planned, and had the crimes committed, and conceived the idea of attributing them to the friendly Iowa Indians. .
MORMON WAR.
In the fall of 1838, the Mormon war caused great excitement in Ray county. A considerable force of Mormons under their leader, Joe Smith, had assembled at Far West, in Caldwell county, Missouri, and serious apprehensions were entertained that they intended to make a descent upon Ray county. A portion of the force of Mormons, under the command of Capt. Patton, did march into Ray county, as far as what is now called " Bogart's Battle Field," on Crooked river, in the northwest part of the county, on, or about the 15th of November, 1838, and met a company of Ray county militia, under the command of Capt. Samuel Bogart. After a sharp engagement, the militia were repulsed and fell back to the south- ern part of the county, leaving the Mormons the masters of the battle- field. In this engagement the Mormons lost Captain Patton, and the day following fell back to their main force at Far West, Caldwell county.
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HISTORY OF RAY COUNTY.
The wildest excitement prevailed in Ray county after this slight action. A large number of people in the northern part of the county removed their families and their effects to places of safety in the southern part of the county.
Lilburn W. Boggs, who was then governor of Missouri, issued a proc- lamation and ordered Major-General David R. Atchison to call out the militia of his division, in order to put down the insurgents and enforce the laws. . General Atchison called out a part of the hrst brigade of Missouri state militia, under the command of General Alexander W. Doniphan, who proceeded at once to the seat of war.
There were called out in this expedition from Ray county four com- panies of militia, commanded respectively by Captains Samuel Bogart, Israel R. Hendley, Nehemiah Odell, and John Sconce. The militia were placed under the command of General John B. Clark.
General Doniphan, on reaching Far West, in Caldwell county, Missouri, after some slight engagements, where the principal Mormon forces had assembled, numbering about 1,000 men, commanded by Colonel G. W. Hinkle, demanded their surrender, on the following conditions, viz: That they should deliver up their arms, surrender their prominent leaders for trial, and that the remainder of the Mormons should, with their families, leave the state.
After some parleying, Joe Smith surrendered on General Doniphan's conditions.
The leaders were taken before a court of inquiry at Richmond, Ray county, Judge Austin A. King, presiding. He remanded them to Daviess county to await the action of the grand jury on a charge of treason against the state.
The Daviess county jail being very poor, they were taken to Liberty, Clay county, Missouri, and confined in the jail at that place.
Indictments were presented against Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Sid- ney Rigdon, Lyman Wright, Colonel G. W. Hinkle, Charles Baldwin, and Amos Lyman. Sidney Rigdon was released on a writ of habeas corpus, at Liberty, Clay county, Missouri.
The others applied for a change of venue, which was granted by Judge Austin A. King, and their cases were sent by him to Boone county for trial. On their way to Columbia, Boone county, under a military guard, Joseph Smith and his fellow-prisoners effected their escape. It is claimed, and believed by many, that the guard, or a portion of it was bribed.
THE MEXICAN WAR.
Almost thirty-five years have rolled around since the Mexican war. Since then many and great events have taken place. Many brilliant and illustrious achievements have been chronicled upon the historic page, and astounding inventions and marvelous discoveries have wrought revolu-
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tions in all the affairs of life. The contemplation of them almost causes the reason to stagger and the imagination to flag. The grand triumphs of science, the crowning glory of the conquests of art, and the startling discoveries in the wide domain of nature in the last thirty-five years, all go to show that we live in an age that has reached a high mark of enlight- enment, and that the conquering car of progress is sweeping onward in its grand march.
Yet, amid all these grand achievements and mighty changes, there is no American who would wish the proud deeds of our gallant armies in the Mexican war blotted from the pages of his country's history. These gallant and glorious deeds still speak trumpet-tongued of the fame of the soldiers that traversed the burning sands and dense chapparals of Mexico, and covered themselves with imperishable glory on hard-fought battle- fields, under the starry folds of the proud ensign of the republic, until it streamed forth in all its original lustre over the proud halls of the Mon- tezumas.
The brave McKee, the impetuous Yell, the intrepid Hardin, the chival- rous Clay, and gallant Watson, and hundreds of their noble comrades, who went down amid the rushing squadron, the roaring cannon and the clashing steel, and baptised their love of country in their crimson life-blood, will never be forgotten.
Every American in whose free-born bosom there throbs one pulsation prouder than another, will feel it throb whenever he hears these names. They will still continue to be the glowing theme of the annalist and the inspiring song of the bard.
The reader of his country's history will always feel a glow of pride when he reads of the battles of Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monte- rey, and Buena Vista; of Vera Cruz, Contreras, Cherubusco, Molino del Rey, Chepultapec, and the City of Mexico; of Chihuahua, and Sacra- mento. Around the names of Taylor, Scott, Doniphan, Price, and their illustrious comrades, will be entwined laurels of everlasting verdure. Their fame will be like a mighty river that grows broader and deeper as it rolls onward.
And does any one ask, " What have we gained by the Mexican war?"
If such an one there be, let him forget, if he can, the national glory gained for our country by the gallant deeds of our soldiers, in giving increased military renown and glory in a war without a single defeat; and look at the grand and solid results of the Mexican war! It added two states and territories to our country, that are now teeming with a popula- tion full of energy, thrift, and prosperity, embracing millions of acres of land, whose valleys are of boundless fertility, and whose mountains con- tain inexhaustible quantities of minerals, of priceless value, the gold and silver alone yielding·$80,000,000 per year.
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It gave to our own country an extended seacoast, with capacious bays, inlets, and harbors, affording an almost limitless commerce, foreign and domestic.
" Glens where Ocean comes, To 'scape the wild winds' rancor, And harbors, worthiest homes,
Where Freedom's fleets can anchor."
The resources of this broad expanse of territory, acquired by the valor of our soldiers, have been developed by our own American people, show- ing the vast superiority of the Anglo-Saxon race over the mongrel race that once occupied it.
History gives no account of such consequences resulting from any war, ancient or modern, in Europe or Asia. It stands in its glorious results without a parallel.
In 1846, a company of volunteers was recruited from Ray county for the Mexican war. This company was mustered into the service August 1, 1846, as company G, in the battalion of Missouri mounted riflemen, commanded by Lieut. Col. David Willock, (Col. Sterling Price's regiment) called into the service of the United States by President James K. Polk, under the act of congress, approved May 13, 1846. Israel R. Hendley was elected captain of company G; William M. Jacobs, first lieutenant; John W. Martin, second lieutenant, and William P. George, third lieu- tenant.
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