USA > Missouri > History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 46
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Ste. Genevieve in 1850, and to them six chil- dren were born. Another of the activities of General Rozier was the writing and publishing of the History of the Mississippi Valley. This book is devoted largely to the early times of Missouri and Illinois and especially in Ste. Genevieve. It is a valuable reference book on this early history.
Charles C. Rozier was the son of Ferdinand Rozier and was born September 1, 1830. He studied law, after his graduation from St. Vincents College in 1849, in the office of his brother, General Firmin A. Rozier. He pur- chased The Democrat, a weekly newspaper published at Ste. Genevieve in 1850, and con- tinued its publication for a year. Then he went to St. Louis and edited a Fench paper, but discontinued its publication within a short time. In 1851 Mr. Rozier established The Independent at Ste. Genevieve and published it for three or four years. He then entered political life, holding the offices of circuit clerk, recorder and county clerk. He was appointed a member of the first board of regents of the State Normal school at Cape Girardeau and assisted in the location and establishment of that school. He was also administrator of Ste. Genevieve county and mayor of the town of Ste. Genevieve.
One of the most famous men ever connected with Southeast Missouri was Lewis F. Linn. who was born in 1796 near Louisville, Ken- tucky. He received a common school educa- tion and afterward studied medicine. At the breaking out of the war of 1812, he enlisted and served until its close. At that time he removed to Ste. Genevieve and began the practice of medicine. He was very successful in his practice, being gifted by nature with the power to make friends and acquaintances and to draw men to him. After devoting him- self to his practice for a number of years and Vol. I-21
accumulating property, he became interested in politics and in 1827 was elected to the state senate, where he made a distinct impression for his ability and his devotion to the work given to him to do. In 1833 he was appointed by the governor of the state to fill a vacancy in the United States senate and was three times elected to the same position, holding it . until his death in 1843. Mr. Linn was an unusual man in many respects. He gave the impression of honesty of purpose, of ability. and of devotion to duty unequaled by many men. While in the senate he had to do with many matters of the utmost importance. Leg- islation affecting the west was constantly be- fore Congress during this period and to all matters of this kind Senator Linn gave the closest study and the most careful attention. It was his conviction that the government of the United States owed it to itself as well as to the west to foster western territory and to encourage the building up of its population and to form and admit states into the Union. He was especially interested for a number of years in the Oregon territory and he was rec- ognized as the champion of Oregon in the United States senate and was bitterly opposed to any suggestion that this territory should be abandoned to the English. On account of this fact the people of Oregon felt that they owed to Senator Linn a great debt of grati- tude. Linn City in Oregon was named for him and in many other ways they have testi- fied the debt which the people of the west felt was due to him. It was due to his efforts more than to the work of any one else that the Platte purchase was made for Mis- souri. In all his work he looked to the build- ing up of the great west and especially to the interests of his own state. He died in 1843 and was buried at Ste. Genevieve, his home. Over his remains was erected the only monu-
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ment provided for by the general assembly of Missouri out of the public funds. It is in- scribed, "Here lies Lewis F. Linn, the model senator of Missouri."
John Rice Jones was born in Virginia in 1776. From 1781 to 1808 he practiced law in Vincennes. He became a resident of Potosi in 1808 and entered into the practice of law in partnership with Moses Austin. Mr. Jones was appointed a member and president of the legislative council of the territory and was also a member of the first constitutional conven- tion. He was appointed by Governor McNair as one of the three judges of the supreme court, the other two being Matthias MeGirk and John D. Cook. He held this position until his death in 1824. Mr. Jones was regarded as one of the ablest men in the territory. He was a man of upright character and had given a great deal of time to the study of the law.
Daniel Dunklin was born in South Carolina near Greenville in 1790, died August 25, 1844, in Jefferson county, and was buried on the bluff near Pevely. He removed to Kentucky when he was seventeen years old and at the age of twenty came to Missouri and established himself at Potosi. He was elected a member of the first constitutional convention in 1820 and in 1828 was elected lieutenant governor. At the close of his term he was elected governor and served until Sep- tember, 1836, when he resigned three months before the close of the term in order to accept the position of surveyor general of Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas, which was offered to him by President Jackson. In this position he traced the boundary line between Missouri and Arkansas. Governor Dunklin is remem- bered chiefly on account of his very great in- terest in important work for the public school system of the state. It was largely due to him that the system exists in its present
form. Dunklin county was named in his honor.
James H. Relfe who represented Missouri as one of its members of Congress in 1843 and 1845, was a native of Virginia. He came to Missouri at an early age and made his home at Caledonia in Washington county. His education was limited, owing to the character of the schools, but after becoming a man he studied medicine and engaged in the practice in Caledonia. He was a man of ability and won a place among his neighbors and ac- quaintances and received from them two elec- tions to Congress. Mr. Relfe was a Democrat and supported the principles of that party.
Samuel Caruthers was born in Madison county, Missouri, October 13, 1820. He was educated in the common schools of the county and was graduated from Clinton College, Ten- nessee. After his graduation he entered upon the study of law and began his practice at Fredericktown. After practicing at Freder- icktown for several years he moved to Cape Girardeau. It was at this place that he began his political career, holding several town and county offices. He was elected a member of Congress from the 7th district in 1853 and served in the 33rd and 34th Congresses as a Whig. When the campaign was made for election to the 35th Congress, Mr. Caruthers adopted the platform of the Democratic party and was again elected. He closed his political career with that session of Congress. He died at Cape Girardeau on July 20, 1860. Mr. Caruthers was a man of ability and stood well with the members of Congress with whom he served.
In 1859 John W. Noell was elected as the representative of the 7th congressional dis- triet to the 36th Congress. He was a native of Bradford county, Virginia, having been born in 1816. Mr. Noell received a good
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education in Virginia and moved to Missouri in 1832, making his home at Perryville. IIerc he entered a law office and after some years of study was admitted to the bar and became a successful practitioner. He entered poli- ties, held several county offices and served as a member of the state senate for four years. He was elected to Congress as a Democrat and re-elected to the 37th and 38th Congresses. He died in Washington March 12th, 1863.
John G. Scott was born at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 26th, 1819, and was educated in the schools of Philadelphia. He came to Missouri while a young man and settled in Jefferson county. He became in- terested in mine business. Mr. Scott accumu- lated considerable property and made his first venture in political life by becoming a candi-
date for the 38th Congress against John W. Noell. IIc was defeated by Noell, but was elected to fill the vacancy caused by Mr. Noell's death in office. Mr. Scott did not seek re-election at the close of his term.
Thomas E. Noel, who was born at Perry- ville, Mississippi, April 3rd, 1839, received a common school education and studied law in Perryville. He was successful in the practice of law and was made captain of the 19th In- fantry of the United States army in 1862. He resigned from the army in 1863 and came to Missouri. He was clected as a member of Congress from the 3rd Missouri district in 1865 and served in the 39th and 40th Con- gresses. He was a radical in politics and sup- ported the radical majority. Mr. Noel died at St. Louis October 4th, 1867.
SECTION V
The Civil War in Southeast Missouri
CHAPTER XXVII
GENERAL MOVEMENTS
POSITION OF THE STATE-NUMBER OF SOLDIERS FURNISIIED-APPOINTMENT OF A MAJOR-GEN- ERAL OF THE STATE GUARDS-GENERAL S. WATKINS-GENERAL THOMPSON-SKIRMISHES IN AUGUST, 1861-GENERAL GRANT-FORTIFICATIONS AT CAPE GIRARDEAU-MARTIAL LAW- THOMPSON'S RAID INTO JEFFERSON COUNTY-SITUATION IN NOVEMBER, 1861-BATTLE OF BEL- MONT-EARLY MONTHS OF 1862-CAPTURE OF NEW MADRID AND ISLAND TEN-SKIRMISHES AND RAIDS OF 1863-MARMADUKE'S INVASION-CAPTURE OF GENERAL JEFF THOMPSON - PRICE'S RAID CONDITIONS AFTER THE WAR.
The position of Missouri during the Civil war was unique. The state is situated on the border line between the North and South. In fact nearly all the territory of this state is north of the Ohio river, which was in gen- eral the dividing line between slave and free territory. Under ordinary eireumstanees, Missouri would have been a northern state; on the other hand the great bulk of Ameri- ean immigrants were from the southern states, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee perhaps furnishing more settlers for Missouri in the early period than all other states. These were southern in their sentiment. From this faet it was reasonable to expect Missouri to join with the South in secession. As we have pointed out in another chapter the thing which made Missouri take the position it did was doubtless the presenee within the state of large numbers of foreign population. The American settlers who lived on farms were slave owners up to the time of the war. There were large numbers of slaves owned in this state, but the foreign population of the state, most of whom were gathered into towns, did
not own slaves and their sympathies were very strongly in favor of the Union. The German population in Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau county, in Perry county, in Bol- linger connty and in St. Louis were almost to a man, favorable to the North. It was this fact that probably decided the course of Mis- souri. When the convention was held to de- termine what Missouri's action should be, there was a strong element in the state favor- able to secession who desired that Missouri should join the seceded states, but their pro- posed action was bitterly opposed by the German element of her population, and as a compromise measure it was determined that the state should remain in the Union but should occupy the rather remarkable position of armed neutrality. It was determined that neither North nor South should invade the territory of the state and that Missouri should raise an army of its own for the purpose of protecting itself against the government of which it was a part and against its neighbor states that had seeeded from the Union.
It is quite evident that this position was
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one that it was impossible for the state long to hold. The tide of feeling on both sides rose too high to allow the state to remain neutral. Armies, both North and South, en- tered its borders and thousands of its citizens enlisted in tlie armies, some fighting for the Union, some for the South. Missouri con- tributed as many soldiers to both armies, ac- cording to its population, as almost any other state in the Union.
Not only did the state furnish many sol- diers to the armies, it suffered as great damage and devastation as did any of the other states, except those like Virginia which were the scene of the greater military oper- ations. In no other part of Missouri was the excitement greater or the consequent loss of property and life larger than in Southeast Missouri. The American population of this part of the state was very largely Southern and they desired to give all assistance pos- sible to the South, but there were in two or three counties of this section large numbers of German people and they were just as loyal to the Union. The feeling between them grew very high and many depredations were com- mitted on both sides.
To understand the military operations in Southeast Missouri, it is necessary to remem- ber that St. Louis was made the headquarters of the Federal troops in the state. After the capture of Camp Jackson by Captain Lyon, the Confederates never had possession of St. Louis; it remained in the hands of Federal troops during all the war, and it was from St. Louis that there were sent out expeditions towards the South and Southwest to reduce those parts of the state which were held by the Confederates. Arkansas, the state im- mediately south of Missouri, seceded and from Arkansas a number of expeditions crossed the line into Missouri.
Southeast Missouri bordered on the river, which was made the highway for the trans- portation of troops and supplies and for the carrying on of certain operations against the South. This brought Southeast Missouri into the very center of the war.
In May, 1861, the state legislature passed an act providing for the organization of the Missouri State Guards. The state was divided into military districts; Southeast Missouri was made the first of these. The Governor ap- pointed N. W. Watkins, of Cape Girardeau county as Brigadier-General to command this military district. It was his duty to organize the Missouri State Guards in this part of the state. General Watkins found the work un- congenial and soon resigned the position. He was succeeded by Jeff Thompson, whose head- quarters for a time were established at Bloomfield.
The first plans of the Confederates for an invasion of Missouri provided that this inva- sion should be made by three separate bodies of troops. Colonel McCulloch was to enter the state in the southwest, General Hardee in the center and General Pillow in the east. Hardee brought 5,000 men and advanced as far as Greenville, while General Pillow reached and took possession of New Madrid. Neither of the forces penetrated any fur- ther into the state at this time, but General Thompson with the State Guards, was active and fought a number of skirmishes with the Federal troops. The Northern sympathiz- ers who were not in the regular organized army, had been formed into Home Guards. Between these Home Guards and the Confed- erate State Guards there was constant hos- tility and warfare. On August 11, 1861, some of Thompson's men entered the village of Hamburg in Scott county. They there made an attack on a body of Home Guards of whom
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they killed one, wounded five and captured thirteen. On August 20th, there was a skir- mish fought at Charleston between the forces under Jason II. Hunter and the 22nd Illi- nois Infantry under Colonel Daugherty. Hunter was defeated and retreated to the main body of Thompson's foree where he was placed under arrest for having violated or- ders. Ile had been instructed that he was not to fight a superior foree, but only to dis- eover the position of the enemy.
Other skirmishes were fought during these months when each side was straining every nerve to make preparation for the great con- fliet which men were beginning to see was in- evitable. On August 2, 1861, B. Gratz Brown, then in command at Ironton, made an ad- vance toward Centerville in Reynolds county. When near Centerville a body of Confeder- ates was found with whom a severe skirmish was fought. The Union forces then fell back toward Ironton.
On August 11th, a skirmish was fought at Potosi between Captain White of Frederick- town and the Potosi Home Guards.
On August 15th, John MacDonald of the Eighth Missouri made an expedition to Ste. Genevieve, captured the town, seized the money of the bank and carried it to St. Louis. August 19th, Col. Daugherty with Illinois troops fought a skirmish near Charleston with Confederates and defeated them. On the same date a skirmish was fought at Fish Lake near Charleston in which the Union forees were victorious.
It was the plan of the forces of the Fed- eral army to make invasion into the southern part of the state from their headquarters at St. Louis. The first of these was made in July, 1861. A regiment under command of B. Gratz Brown was sent from St. Louis with orders to take possession of the town of
Pilot Knob, which was then the terminus of the St. Louis & Iron Mountain Railroad. This was accomplished and Brown remained there with his forces until August 8th, when he was relieved by the 2Ist Illinois Regiment under command of Colonel U. S. Grant. Grant was at this time holding a colonel's commission ; he had been appointed Brigadier-General, but had not received his commission. While he was staying at Pilot Knob he made his head- quarters at the house of Colonel James Lind- say, now the property of Judge J. W. Em- erson. It was here that he received his com- mission as a general. It was brought to him while he was standing under one of the great trees in the yard, and this spot is now marked by a monument erected by the members of this regiment. It was Grant's intention to begin a forward movement against General Hardee, but about the time he was ready to move he was relieved by General B. M. Pren- tiss. General Grant was then put in com- mand of the district of Southeast Missouri which also included southern Illinois.
On being appointed to the command of this district, General Grant established tempo- rary headquarters at Cape Girardeau where he remained for only a few days, then remov- ing to Cairo, Illinois. Cape Girardeau had been taken possession of by Colonel Marsh with the 20th Illinois Regiment in July. Here he built four forts and named them A, B, C and D, commanding the approaches to the town on all sides. Fort A was on the high bluff near the Union Mill, now occupied as a residence site by I. B. Miller and James Rey- nolds. Fort B was situated on the hill where the Normal School now stands. This site is marked by a cannon presented to the school by the U. S. government. Fort C was at the south end of Sprigg street where there were small earth works. and Fort D was on the
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bank of the river south of St. Vincent's Col- lege. There was a line of rifle pits near the place now owned by Dr. Fullerton.
It was determined by those in command to make an effort to drive General Thompson out of the Southeast and if possible to cap- ture him and disperse his forces. It was planned to send General Prentiss from Iron- ton to Cape Girardeau and then south, while General Grant was to cross the river at Cairo to Belmont and march to the west from that point. However, when General Prentiss reached Jackson he received orders from Gen- eral Grant that he was to halt his troops at Jackson. He disregarded the orders and marched on to Cape Girardeau. Here he was met by Grant in person and ordered to return to Jackson. General Prentiss believed him- self to be the senior officer and was quite in- dignant at these orders. He returned with his men to Jackson and left the command and went to St. Louis. This was the end of the projected expedition for the capture of Gen- eral Thompson.
It should be said of this attempt to drive the Confederates out of Southeast Missouri that while the battles and skirmishes were not in themselves of very great importance, the attempt did have one result that is not nsnl- ally considered. About the time that General Fremont took charge of the western depart- ment the invasion of Confederates from Ar- kansas into Missouri was threatened. The in- vasion was supposed to come by way of Springfield as it afterwards did come under the command of General Price. There was also the invasion that was spoken of in the direction of Birds Point and when General ยท Fremont assumed command. he was con- fronted with the question whether to defend Southeast Missouri or to defend Southwest Missouri. He elected to make his principal
attempt against the forces invading Southeast Missouri and accordingly he sent a fleet of eight steamers carrying infantry and artil- lery to Birds Point and then returned them to St. Louis, finding nothing in particular for them to do. It was this expedition that re- sulted in part in the defeat of Lyon at Wil- son's Creek.
When the Federal forces were defeated at Wilson's Creek it produced throughout the state a feeling that the Confederates were winning and a comparative depression among the friends of the Union. There arose a great deal of excitement and confusion within the borders of the state and on the 30th of Au- gust, General Fremont issued a proclamation declaring martial law and appointed J. Mc- Kinstry, a major in the United States army, as Provost Marshal of the state. He declared in the proclamation that the Union forces held a line extending from Leavenworth, Kan- sas, by way of Jefferson City, Rolla and Iron- ton, to Cape Girardeau and that all persons taken within the limits of this line with arms in their hands should be tried in court mar- tial and shot, and that the property, real and personal, of all persons in Missouri who should be proved to have taken sides with the enemies of the Federal government should be confiscated to the public use and their slaves, if they had any, should be declared free men, and that persons who by speech of substance should be found guilty of giving aid to the Confederates in any way were warned of ill consequences to themselves.
The provost marshal then issued an order to carry into effect the proclamation of Gen- eral Fremont and after issuing this order it became necessary for all persons traveling to carry with them a permit from the provost marshal. It would seem that martial law was thus extended over more than half of the
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state and that within the limits covered was a considerable part of the territory of South- east Missouri. The enforcement of martial law greatly embarrassed the transaction of business and the travel of all persons within the limits mentioned. It is one of the things that caused such demoralization and loss of property throughout this part of the state.
In October, 1861, Thompson with his forces made an expedition from Stoddard county where he made his headquarters at that time, by way of Fredericktown into Jefferson county. He had two purposes in view. One was to destroy the Iron Mountain Railroad bridge over Big river and thus hamper the movement of Federal forces south from St. Louis, the other was to seize lead from the lead mines and carry it south for Confederate use. He separated his forces on the march, sending his infantry into Fredericktown while his cavalry made the raid into Jeffer- son county. They found the bridge which was near Blackwell guarded by Union soldiers and a fierce skirmish was fought. The bridge was destroyed and Thompson retreated to re- join his forces at Fredericktown. Here he found that strong Union forces were closing in on him.
When news of his raid reached the Federal authorities they made plans for the capture of his force. Col. Plummer was sent from Cape Girardeau with about 1,500 men, while Col. Carlin advanced from Pilot Knob with about 3.000. On receiving news of these forces Thompson fell back from Frederick- town toward Greenville and fought an en- gagement with the Union forces about one mile outside of the town on the Greenville road, October 21, 1861. After the battle, which was fiercely contested on both sides, Thompson continued his retreat in good order and the Union forces occupied Fredericktown.
During the disorder attendant upon their tak- ing possession the town was fired and several houses were destroyed. Thompson made good his retreat and carried away about 18,000 pounds of lead.
October 14, 1861, a skirmish was fought at Underwood's farm near Bird's Point. It re- sulted in a Confederate victory.
On November 1, 1861, the situation in Southeast Missouri was as follows: General Grant was in command at Cairo with an army of about 20,000 soldiers, Colonel J. B. Plummer was at Cape Girardeau with about 1,500 soldiers including the 11th Missouri Volunteers and some Illinois troops, Colonel Carlin was at Ironton and Pilot Knob with 3,000 soldiers mostly from Illinois, Colonel R. J. Oglesby was in command at Bird's Point under direct supervision of General Grant. Besides the Union forces there were the fol- lowing Confederate forces in this part of the state: General W. J. Hardee was at Green- ville with about 3,000 men, General Pillow was at New Madrid with a force of about 5,000 and General Jeff Thompson was at Bloom- field with a force of about 1,500.
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