USA > Missouri > Saline County > History of Saline County, Missouri > Part 41
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HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
369
of Jackson and Berryman delegates, was appointed to investigate the charge of fraud, which, after investigating the whole matter, unanimously reported that the whole proceedings had been fair and square, and that Berryman had received the nomination without fraud. Colonel Jackson refused to acquiesce and appealed to the people on a charge of fraud. But he did not run himself, but, with his friends, brought out Captain C. M. Sutherlin, who was, soon afterwards put upon the " Tadpole " ticket for county clerk, and Colonel W. S. Jackson stumped the county for him. The canvass on the county clerkship was close and very angry. Upon this office the demo- cratic party was divided, the republicans of course, all voting the " Tad- pole " ticket. About one thousand democrats bolted the regular nomina- tion for county clerk, and voted for Sutherlin, who was finally elected by the small majority of 30 votes, while the remainder of the " Tadpole " county ticket was overwhelmingly defeated. The vote upon county offices, in this election was as follows: Democratic candidates are marked with a *:
COUNTY ATTORNEY RECORDER
TOWNSHIPS.
*Sam Davis
J. T. Price
*W. L. Boyer
N. H. Huston
Arrow Rock.
195
137
237
110
Blackwater
87
41
93
34
Cambridge.
155
86
163
79
Centerville . .
209
28
106
34
Saline City
107
108
..
Elmwood.
163
46
154
53
F. Sch. House. .
45
43
31
58
Malta Bend
123
83
168
118
Jaynesville
53
14
48
19
Jefferson
158
69
161
67
Liberty
148
91
136
99
Marshall
611
116
616
202
Miami. .
388
70
399
75
Salt Fork.
65
18
65
19
Salt Pond.
136
179
171
161
Totals
2443
1077
2656
1128
COUNTY
24
.
REPRESENT- ATIVE.
COUNTY JUDGE.
COLLECTOR. f
SHERIFF.
TREASURER.
CIRCUIT CLERK.
COUNTY CLERK.
ASSESSOR.
SURVEYOR.
TOWNSHIPS,
*M. W. Hall.
R. E. Richart.
*A. F. Blown.
J. Herring.
*H. H. Harris.
F. H. Gillman.
*R. H. Willis.
W. B Soper.
*J. P. Martin.
W. L. Corum.
*E. G. Garnett.
N. B. Noble.
*J. R. Berryman.
C. M. Sutherlin.
*J. Thornton.
J. Keopler.
*G. W. Latimer.
J. W. Reid.
Arrow Rock.
219
121
233
112}
153
1761
225
121|
274
74
195
146|
62
272|
244
99|
232
114
Black water.
91
38
87
41
81
43
89
31
90
38
84
44
62
63
88
39
88
41
Cambridge
161
80
163
78
66
173
171
68
167
71
122
106
71
161
169
69
84
78
Centerville ..
104
35
106
30
76
601
99
41
116
20
90
47
53
76
108
28
107
32
Saline City.
106
3
108
1
23
64
97
11
108
68
26
33
63
107
1
107
1
Elmwood
166
43
170
39;
167
42
167
40
168
38
161
48
141
66
161
42
165
43
F. S. House ..
35
55
43
46
37
32
34
56
46
44
28
62
65
23
30
60
32
37
Malta Bend.
198
91
232
55
91
196
193
93
207
88
175
104
197
84
198
81
198
93
haynesville.
46
22
48
20
46
22
42
25
49
19
41
27
36
21
47
21
47
21
Jefferson
163
66
163
66
148
80j
158
71j
175
53
128
93
112
114
145
81
161
67
Liberty
146
95
65
168
89
118
145
96
142
92
135
100
41
188
150
89
147
72
Marshall
638
181
636
157
532
274
620
202
410
61
416
378
433
273
543
259
606
205
Miami.
399
76j
401
72
374
90
395
76
203
116
225
124
359
911
403
70
398
72
Salt Fork
70
16
58
25
58
25
68
16
71
13
69
161
26
56
75
8
69
15
Salt Pond.
178
159
92
238
163
164
172
160
176
143
150
181
131
196
179
153
179
154
Totals
2720
1081
2747
1121
2104
1579
2675
11141
2906
8651
2187
1502
1822
1859
2647
1108
2700
1083
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
370
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.
·
.
·
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371
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
In January, 1874, at an adjourned session, the Twenty-seventh general assembly had submitted the question of calling a constitutional conven- tion to the popular vote, at the next general election, November, 1874, and it had been carried by the small majority of 283 votes. The election for delegates to the convention was fixed for the 26th of January, 1875, and the convention was appointed to meet in Jefferson City, May 5, 1875. The canvass in Saline was warm and bitter. Two delegates were to be elected from this senatorial district, consisting of Saline, Lafayette, and Pettis counties. A democratic convention was called to meet in Browns- ville, to nominate regular democratic candidates for delegates to the con- vention. Delegates to the nominating convention, at Brownsville, were regularly appointed by Lafayette and Pettis counties, who met at Browns- ville on the appointed day. But, by some mistake, mismanagement, or, as it was claimed, by some pre-arranged " hocus pocus" of the Saline com- mittee, no delegates from Saline were appointed, or met at Brownsville. The Brownsville convention, after waiting one day for the Saline delega- tion, proceeded to make nominations without them. A. Y. Hull, of Pettis county, and H. C. Wallace, of Lafayette, were nominated. It was then published over Saline, that the Brownsville convention had treated Saline county with indignity, and contempt-had given her no chance to appear in the convention, and calling upon the citizens of Saline to vindicate their county pride and honor by nominating one of her own men, by a primary election, against A. Y. Hull, of Pettis. Taking the charge against the Brownsville convention as true, the people of Saline almost went wild with indignation. A primary election was held a short time before the election, and Hon. Wm. Letcher was almost unanimously nominated, every precinct in the county voting for him, except Marshall, which voted for Sam'l Boyd, Esq. At the election, January 26, 1875, only about 400 votes were cast for Hull and Wallace in Saline, the remainder all being cast for Letcher and Wallace, who were elected, and Mr. Hull, one of regular democratic nominees, was defeated.
In the great presidential election of 1876, Tilden and Hendricks received, in Saline county, 3,938 votes, and Hayes and Wheeler, 1,728 votes. Candidates for state offices about the same.
For county officers, in this year, N. B. Ross, for surveyor; J. H. Irvine, for assessor; A. McAlister, for coroner; L. W. Scott, for public adminis- trator; E. V. Garnett for circuit clerk, and J. M. Brown, for probate judge, had no opposition.
For county clerk, to fill the unexpired term of Capt. C. M. Sutherlin, who had resigned, the canvass was again hot and exciting. Col. W. S. Jackson, who had been deputy for Capt. Sutherlin, now came out for the office, and, at a primary election held, received the democratic nomination in spite of very determined opposition. After the nomination this opposi-
372
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
tion, composed of some democrats who could not, and would not condone Col. Jackson's bolt and support of part of the Tadpole ticket, two years before, combined, of course, with the republican party. In the short canvass following, people were excited and wound up to the highest pitch. Many personal collisions occurred. In a published circular, the opposition charged Col. Jackson directly with robbing and thieving during the war, giving time, dates and affidavits. But in vain. He triumphed over all his enemies, was elected to fill the vacancy, and two years after was elected for the full term, which he was filling when he died. In 1876, the oppo- sition put forward Capt. Robt. Ruxton as his opponent. The vote was as follows:
W. S. Jackson. Robt. Ruxton.
Arrow Rock
380
112
Blackwater
116
62
Saline City
135
24
Centerville
102
10
Cambridge.
176
120
Elmwood.
182
31
Salt Springs.
S3
119
Malta Bend
215
142
Laynesville.
44
44
Jefferson .
187
95
Liberty .
196
90
Marshall
758
397
Miami.
347
341
Fairville .
66
34
Salt Pond
75
14
Salt Fork
378
143
Total
3,540
1,778
In 187S, the republicans being in an apparently hopeless minority, made no regular nominations in Saline county. There was a heated contro- versy over the democratic nominations, especially over the nomination for county clerk, as usual. Col. Wm. S. Jackson was again a candidate for county clerk, opposed by Mr. Peyton Brown of Miami township. The result was the nomination and election of the following officials: Wm. S. Jackson, county clerk; Geo. Lankford, circuit clerk; Sam'l Davis, repre- sentative; M. C. Sandidge, recorder; John R. Cason, sheriff; Wm. M. Walker, collector; I. P. Martin, treasurer; D. D. Duggins, county attor- ney; Nicholas Smith, and B. G. Orear, county justices; and Jno. W. Sparks, presiding county justice; by a democratic vote of about 4,000.
In the canvass of 1880, which was also presidential and state election, three county tickets were in the field. The democrats, somewhat dissat- isfied with the workings of primary elections, determined to once more call a county convention. They did so, resulting in the following nominations
$73
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
for county officers: For representatives, Robt. Frazer, 1st district; V. C. Yantis, 2d district. County Judges: 1st district, James Davis; 2d district, Nicholas Smith; probate judge, James Cooney; treasurer, J. P. Martin; collector, Wm. M. Walker; public administrator, L. W. Scott; sheriff, John R. Cason; and county attorney, D. D. Duggins. The greenbackers and the republicans also held conventions, and nominated full county tickets, except for one office, upon which they united. Just before the election, the death of the county clerk, Colonel W. S. Jackson, necessitated a new demo- cratic convention to nominate his successor, which resulted in the nomina- tion of Robert J. McMahan. At the November election, 1880, the entire democratic county ticket was elected, but by a decreased vote and de- creased majorities, as compared with the election of 1878.
The appointment of the new registers was obtained by Mr. R. B. Thorp, member of the liberal republican committee, and Mr. R. S. Sandidge, editor of the Progress newspaper, who made a trip to Sedalia and held a long interview with Col. Ritter, the new supervisor. At this interview Hon. Geo. R. Smith, then a leading liberal republican, was pres- ent. Upon hearing the representation made by the Saline men, Mr. Smith said to Ritter: "O, yes, Colonel, give them a liberal registration. Let the intelligent, liberal people over there have a voice." This was done and Messrs. Sandidge and Thorpe bore to Marshall great and joyful news to the opponents of the radical republicans.
INCIDENTS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD.
May 29, 1866, Gen. Frank P. Blair, elected in 1860 as the first republi- can congressman from Missouri, afterward colonel of the first regiment of Union volunteers from this state, major-general in the Federal army, and commander of one of Sherman's most important army corps, addressed the people of Saline county, in the public square at Marshall, in the inter- est of the conservative or " Andrew Johnson" party, as it was called. A large crowd was present upon the occasion. Hon. W. H. Letcher and others were upon the stand, which had been erected on the north side of the public square.
A number of ex-militiamen, who were radical republicans, were in attendance, and as they were not in sympathy with the speaker, and even considered him " a traitor to the republican party and to his country," and moreover, being unduly excited and stimulated generally, they began to interrupt him, and make other demonstrations calculated to disorganize the meeting. One or two called out, "That's a d-d lie!" " You're a liar!" and other violent expressions were used. Gen. Blair himself addressed the turbulent and hostile crowd that were sitting and standing in the rear of the main audience on an embankment thrown up from the court house excavation, and asked them to keep quiet, and let the meeting
374
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
go on. The interruptions continuing and growing more violent, the gen- eral at last addressed his partisans near him, saying: "Are there not enough young men of you here to make those fellows behave, or else drive them off the ground?" A number of men responded and a charge was made on the disturbers, who were routed and driven from the meet- ing. One of them, a Mr. Butts, was wounded by a pistol shot in the shoulder. A number of shots were exchanged, but no one else was seriously hurt. It was at first reported that Butts was mortally wounded, . but he soon recovered. In a few seconds quiet was restored, and the gen- eral went on with his speech.
The majority of the adult males, of the county, were anti-radical in politics ; but as no one could vote unless he was registered, and as no one could be registered, unless he could take the oath prescribed by the Drake constitution, and as but few could do that, there were hundreds of men disfranchised. There was very great dissatisfaction throughout the county. Very many men who had served in the Federal army could not vote; nor could many citizens who had been considered loyal during the war, and persecuted therefor by the confederates.
In 1867, a number of men living in the county and disfranchised, avowed their purpose of attending the meeting of the board of registration and breaking up the session, if they were not permitted to register. The sheriff of the county, J. W. Wall, learned of their intention some days before the meeting, and quietly detailed a number of citizens who were radicals to be on hand, ready to repulse any attack that might be made upon the board. Arms had been sent up from Jefferson City and con- cealed in the court house, where the radicals repaired and waited for the occasion to use them.
A few disfranchised persons did gather at the court house, ex-Federals and ex-Confederates, and avowed their intention of going up stairs into the room where the board was in session. The sheriff met them at the head of the stairs, drawing his revolver, and commanded them to go back. Upon their refusal he called out to his men to " fall in." The latter sprang to their guns. The disfranchised men then retired, indignant, but dis- comfited.
375.
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
HISTORY FROM 1865 TO 1870.
In July, 1865, Capt. Crain's company of militia, which had been sta- tioned at Marshall, was disbanded, and the men, who were from this county, returned to their homes. Just at this time the county was filled with horse-thieves and robbers of every sort, and cases of robbery and thieving were quite common.
The Confederate soldiers from the far south now began to return home. They came singly, in squads, and by companies, as they could. A Col. Thompson, with a considerable company from north Missouri, camped near Marshall, with a hundred head of Indian ponies from Texas, in the latter part of July.
To the returning Confederates, and to some of the recently discharged militia, was attributed the most of the stealing and plundering. The sad ending of the Confederate cause had demoralized many of the boys in gray, who were down in Louisiana and Arkansas, very seriously, and it is said they would steal or take anything in the way of a four-footed beast that would carry them back to their home in old Missouri. Even the property of their honored and honorable old leader, "Old Pap Price," was not secure. Shortly before he started from Shreveport for Texas and Mexico, Gen. Price had two pairs of white mules and a wagon, about all the property he possessed, and with these he calculated to make the trip. The night before he started, some of the disbanded troops. stole his mules, leaving the general afoot. The next morning he assem- bled his soldiers, and made them a speech about his mules, saying to them that he had been with them since the opening of the war, sharing their dangers and trials; that he was now an old man, and poor; that he could not walk to Tetas, and they must help him find his mules. The "boys" could not resist this appeal, and the mules were found hid in a cane-brake, and restored to the kind-hearted but brave old warrior.
Some of the ex-militia were equally eager to possess themselves of good horses as their late enemies.
During the summer and fall of 1865, many families who had left the county during the war, and had been residents of other states, returned to their old homes.
August 28, Col. W. A. Wilson, long a prominent citizen of the county, and recognized as the leader of the Federal element of the county, died at the Missouri House, in Marshall.
April 2, 1866, a mass meeting of the citizens of the county who favored President Johnson's policy of reconstruction was held at Marshall. Geo. W. Baker presided. Speeches were made by Hon. W. H. Letcher, Col. J. T. Price, and others, and letters were read from Col. John F. Phillips and Col. W. F. Switzler, sympathizing with the objects of the meeting.
376
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
Resolutions endorsing the president, and pledging him the support of the citizens of this county, were unanimously adopted.
The number of crimes against property in the county not decreasing, but seeming to be on the increase, and there being a great many lawless persons in the county, whom the authorities seemed unable to control and subdue, the law-abiding, well-disposed citizens of the county, of all par- ties, ex-Confederates and ex-Federals, met, pursuant to call, in the M. E. Church at Marshall, April 21, to consider the situation. Benj. Chase was chairman of the meeting. An association was formed called the " Honest Men's League," having for its purpose the suppression of crime and lawlessness. Resolutions were adopted declaring that the presence of troops in the county, "no matter under what pretext," would be pro- ductive of no good; that an executive committee of five citizens be appointed to take measures to co-operate with the authorities to suppress and repress all lawlessness in the county, and bring to swift and severe punishment all offenders against justice and law; and that other commit- tees auxiliary to this should be formed in all other townships in the county. Col. J. T. Price, Hon. John W. Bryant, Judge Landon, Messrs. Trigg, Vance, Brown, and Corbin spoke in favor of the resolutions, which were unanimously adopted.
Branches of the Honest Men's League were organized at Arrow Rock, Miami, Brownsville, Cambridge, and Grand Pass. About the first of May, some fifteen or twenty members of the Arrow Rock branch, accom- panied Deputy Sheriff F. M. Sappington on an expedition to a farm three miles from town, for the purpose of breaking up a band of criminals quar- tered there. The house was surrounded, and an attack made upon it, but the scoundrels escaped. The leader, one James Marshall, fired sev- eral shots as he ran from the house and away. Ed. Marshall, Cyrus James, and Marion Claybrook, were the names of his comrades, all of whom followed their leader, and in the darkness got safely away. A woman, who was in the house, received a buckshot in her arm, from the attacking party, and one of the members of the gang was badly wounded. In this attack on the outlaws, Capt. Geo. Bingham, an ex-Federal, and Col. W. S. Jackson, an ex-Confederate, rode side by side. Col. Price, of Arrow Rock, directed the movements.
A day or two after the occurrence above narrated, the Jim Marshall gang rode up to the residence of a Mr. Goode, in Cooper county, and killed Mr. Jacob Goode and his son Jerry. A little son, a boy twelve years of age, named Finis, seized a gun, and as the murderers were retreating, fired at them and shot one dead. Papers found on his body showed that his name was Marion Claybrook, and that he formerly belonged to the 10th Missouri Confederate cavalry.
377
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
May 28th, was the date of the Blair meeting detailed under the head of the reconstruction period.
In August of this year, the Saline county southern relief society was organized, with Mrs. W. B. Sappington as president, Mrs. W. O. Maupin and Mrs. J. W. Bryant, of Marshall, Mrs. Henry Boyer, of Miami, and Mrs. Joseph Fields, of Miami, as vice-presidents, and Miss Mollie Fisher, of Arrow Rock, as secretary. The object of the society was to relieve the distress and suffering among the families of southern soldiers in this county first, and next to aid the suffering people of the far south generally. Fairs, concerts, and other entertainments were given at Marshall and Arrow Rock, and other means taken to raise funds to carry out the pur- pose of the society. About $1,412 was raised, of which $1,061.12 was expended in this county; the rest was sent to the far south.
The county jail at Marshall was not in very good condition, as in the fall of this year a one-legged man, imprisoned for counterfeiting, made his escape therefrom one night, being followed soon after by two colored boys. Thereafter, until the new jail was constructed, dangerous or impor- tant criminals were sent to Lexington for safe keeping.
Railroad meetings were held at Marshall during the fall months in aid of the Lexington and Booneville railroad.
In December, 1866, Gov. Fletcher called out thirty-four companies of the militia, as he said to put down the bushwhackers and guerrillas "who were still engaged in their nefarious calling of murdering and robbing the peaceful citizens of this state." Mr. J. H. McAlister was appointed enrolling officer for this county, and the mililia were ordered to meet him at stated times in several townships. The governor shortly after pro- claimed martial law in Lafayette county, and there was great disorder in that county for some time.
In March, 1867, a spirit of lawlessness pervaded Miami township, and many serious outrages were committed. About the middle of the month some men, said to be ex-militiamen "from the bottom," three of whom were named Elson, visited Miami and for a time held undisputed sway in the town. They were intoxicated and their conduct was very violent. They began firing on some colored men, one of whom ran and took refuge in the hotel. The outlaws followed him and began firing through the windows of the hotel indiscriminately among the inmates. Some of the citizens of the place caught up such weapons as they could lay hands on and commenced to repel the assaults of the ruffians. In the melee Joseph Elson was killed by a shot fired by Mr. J. A. Saufley and another member of the raiders was killed. The Elsons had no good feeling towards the people of Miami, as they alleged that a relative of theirs had been mur- dered during the war by Confederates through the connivance of the citizens of that place.
378
HISTORY OF SALINE COUNTY.
But the killing of one of their number did not deter the "men from the bottom" from repeating their visits to Miami and continuing their depre- dations. The Marshall Progress of April 5, 1867, contained the follow- ing: * * * "Naturally enough, and as all good citizens, regardless of past political affiliations, now well know, a confederation in villainy and public plunder has been formed between some of Missouri's worst char- acters of bushwhacking infamy, and miscreants who, during the late war, were pretended adherents of the Federal cause. They are a class of fellows whose chief delight is to fiendishly prey upon orderly society. Hyena-like, in their fits of intoxication they perambulate the streets of Miami, yelping sounds which more properly belong to the wild beast of the forest. Up to the recent difficulty in that town, when, on the Christian Sabbath, they commenced an inhuman assault upon some unoffending and defenseless negroes, they had become intolerable. Their outrages and insults to society were almost a daily occurrence, Sunday not excepted. The commercial interests of the town are nearly ruined. The honest farmer goes elsewhere to do his trading. He shuns the place, and will not go there if he can avoid it. If found in the town he, in common with the citizens of the place, is liable to personal insult and injury from these
ruffians, who congregate there almost daily from the bottom.
*
*
*
The· negroes have become especially obnoxious to these scoundrels, who visit their cabins after night, rob, insult, and spread terror among colored families generally. On last Wednesday night some negro families near Miami were robbed, and the next night a colored man, who had in the meantime sworn out a writ for the arrest of two of this clan whom he identified, was visited and shot. The same two men, one a reconstructed bushwhacker, who was with Quantrell at Lawrence, and the other a dis- charged militiaman, are now somewhere in the Miami bottom, and the writ for their arrest is in Constable Audsley's pocket. Let the people of Miami township place their writs in the hands of Sheriff Wall and they will be served."
The Saline county agricultural and mechanical association held its fifth annual fair at Miami, October 15-20, 1867. During the progress of the fair a large United States flag, which was floating over the grounds, was torn down in the night by some rantankerous idiot, and carried away. The circumstance was greatly regretted by all sensible people in attend- ance, and earnest efforts were made to discover the perpetrators. The officers of the association passed the following preamble and resolutions by a unanimous vote:
WHEREAS, This community, and especially the stockholders and directors of this association, have received at the hands of some irresponsible vag- abonds and interested villains in popular commotion and civil strife, a deep. wound and unmitigated insult in their action last night in tearing down the flag of our association and of our country; therefore be it
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