USA > Missouri > History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 48
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were suspended, both sides feeling sure that the fort would not be able to hold out much longer. During the night General Ewing de- termined to evacuate the fort and if possible to draw his forces off in order to escape what seemed to be the inevitable, defeat and cap- ture. The retreat was made without diseov- ery and after the forces had withdrawn the magazine in the fort was fired and the fort destroyed, this feat was performed by Daniel Flood of the Third Cavalry Missouri State Militia. This battle at Pilot Knob was one of the most obstinately contended of any fought within the limits of Southeast Missouri during the war. It was a victory for the Confed- erate forces though both sides lost heavily.
After retreating from Pilot Knob General Ewing sent a detachment to Mineral Point where a small troop of Federal troops were, in order to warn them of his retreat, these troops, however, were attacked by Confed- erate soldiers under command of General Joe Shelby who had not participated in the battle at Pilot Knob but had marched from Freder- icktown by the way of Farmington. This un- expected check caused General Ewing to change the plans of his retreat. Ile was no longer certain of being able to retreat in the direction of St. Louis and he turned toward Rolla. At Webster, however, he decided to marel for Harrison, here he fought a skirmish with General Shelby and later retreated to Rolla.
Priee's main foree marched through Potosi and Richwoods which place was reached Sep- tember 30. While on the march a number of men had been sent to DeSoto where they fought a skirmish and destroyed a depot of supplies. From Richwoods the command turned toward Washington, Hermann and Jefferson City and finally to Lexington and out of the state into Kansas.
The war left Southeast Missouri in a very deplorable condition. Its effeets were the usual effects of war where it is brought home to the people. As we have said, Southeast Missouri was really on the border between the North and the South and while it was not the scene of great battles nor formed the pathway of great armies, it was ravaged by guerrilla bands from both sides. The fact that neigh- bors and friends and even members of the same family served on opposite sides tended to increase the bitterness that war naturally brings. There were hundreds of non-com- batants who attempted to remain peaceably in their homes and who were killed during the war. The section was overrun by organized bands of lawless men who used the opportu- nity which war brings to live lawless and un- controlled lives. The harried the whole country, they seized property when and where they pleased, and to resist them was almost certain to bring vengeance and per- haps death.
A country so disturbed was certain to suffer very greatly. Many flourishing towns were practically depopulated during the war. This was true of Bloomfield, Poplar Bluff, Fred- eriektown and other places in this distriet. The inhabitants were either killed in war or in the raids of the bands from either side, or else they were driven away from their homes and found shelter in other places. The popu- lation of the entire distriet was greatly di- minished by the same causes. It is a faet that Southeast Missouri sent as large a pro- portion of its inhabitants into the armies of the North and South as any other part of the country ; very many of whom never returned from the war.
But not only was the loss of life appalling and terrible, the country suffered a very great loss of property as well. Houses were
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destroyed and burned and even whole vil- lages were practically wiped out of existence by the torch, fields were destroyed, in many cases all the fencing disappeared. Either it rotted away from neglect or else was burned for wood and fields left uncultivated grew up in briars and brush. The stock that ex- isted at the time of the war was either killed or driven away by the soldiers and robber bands or else it became half wild in the woods and some died of starvation and of neglect.
These material losses were very great and it took many years for the country to recover from them. In many parts of Southeast Mis- souri a new conquest of nature had to be made. Fields were once more to be reclaimed, houses, fences and towns had to be rebuilt. But great as were these losses they were no greater than the damage brought to other in- terests not material in themselves. It is im- possible to measure the ruin wrought by war viewed from the moral standpoint. It of- fered an opportunity for vicious men to reveal what was in them and live unrestrained lives. It took away in many cases the chance for making an honest living and substituted for it theft and robbery. Many men were demor- alized by these conditions and it required years for the country to recover from the damage done to the country in this way. Civil authority had been to a very great extent done away with during the war. It was subordi- nated to the military power. Martial law pre- vailed and it was not for a long time that the
courts could transact their business in the reg- ular and usual way, and until the authority of the law came to be once more felt and recog- nized as it had been before.
It was certainly a most trying situation which the returned soldier from North or South was compelled to face as he came home from the war. IIe, in all probability, found his house in ashes, his horses and cattle dead or driven away, his fences in ruins, and his fields overgrown. He himself came home in most cases, practically penniless and must make a new start in life. Added to this was the fact that there was for sometime no se- cure protection for himself or property against these bands that were unwilling to give up their marauding and plundering even when the war closed.
But terrible and disheartening as these cir- cumstances were the people of Southeast Mis- souri set themselves to rebuild their country, to develop its resources, and to make it once more a habitation fit for civilized men. In comparatively a short while the towns were rebuilt and houses once more arose from the ashes. The fields were reduced again to the purpose of agriculture, churches and schools were opened, and life resumed its ordinary condition. Out of the ruin which the war brought and out of its very demoralization there came vigor and splendor of enthusiasm that enabled men to make of this section of the state one of the richest and best parts of Missouri.
CHAPTER XXVIII
REGIMENTAL HISTORIES
UNION TROOPS ORGANIZED-HOME GUARDS AND STATE MILITIA-THIRD, FIFTH, SIXTY-FOURTH, SIXTY-EIGHTH, SEVENTY-EIGHTH, SEVENTY-NINTH, SECOND, TWENTY-NINTH, THIRTIETH AND FORTY-SEVENTH INFANTRY-SIXTH AND TENTH MISSOURI CAVALRY-ENGINEER REGIMENT, WEST MISSOURI VOLUNTEERS-TWENTY-THIRD AND TWENTY-NINTH REGIMENTS OF ENROLLED MILITIA-OTHER COMMANDS OF STATE GUARDS-NINTII AND SECOND INFANTRY-NOTED CONFEDERATE ORGANIZATIONS.
The Union troops organized in Missouri for service in the Civil war on the Union side were of five different kinds. The first of these were Home Guards, as they were called, en- listed for a period of three months. At a somewhat later period there began the enroll- ment of what was called the Six Months Mili- tia. The third group of organizations was called the Missouri State Militia, the fourth group were the Missouri Volunteers. This group contained the principal number of regi- ments and of course, saw active, hard service in the campaigns of the war. Just about the close of the war, 1865, there were enlisted in Missouri a number of regiments known as the Enrolled Missouri Militia. These regiments served for a very short time, the organization of some of them was never even completed owing to the fact that peace was made al- most immediately after they were enrolled.
An effort is made to furnish a statement of all the troops enlisted on both sides dur- ing the war. The information here given concerning Union troops is taken from re- ports of the Adjutant General of Missouri
published in 1863 and 1865, and is as full and complete as it has been possible to make it. An account is given first of the troops en- listed for service in the Union armies. It has already been said that the Missouri State Militia was the term under which the state troops serving for the Union were known, while the Confederate troops under authority of the state were called the Missouri State Guard.
The first Union troops of Southeast Mis- souri were called at first Home Guards and their term of enlistment was three months. A battalion of four companies was organized in Cape Girardeau in June, 1861, under the command of Major George HI. Cramer. The officers of the companies were as follows: Company A, John M. Cluley, captain; Com- pany B, William J. Stevenson, captain ; Com- pany C, Michael Dittlinger, captain, and Company D, Arnold Beck, captain.
As the name implies these troops were in- tended for the defense of Cape Girardeau and the surrounding communities; they were to be in fact, as the name implies, home guards.
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The battalion thus organized saw no particu- lar service except in the town and county and they disbanded in the following September. Previous to this organization a battalion had been organized in Scott county in May, 1861, under Major Daniel Abbey, who was com- missioned for the purpose by General Lyon. The captains of the four companies in this battalion were: John Orth, Constantine Gro- jean, James Daniels and Frank Klepman. When General Fremont came into command of the department of Missouri, he gave a com- mission of lieutenant colonel to Lindsay Murdock, of Bollinger county, and ordered him to recruit a battalion to be used in the defense of the post of Cape Girardeau. Four companies were raised under this order known as Fremont's rangers; they came from Bol- linger, Scott and Cape Girardeau counties and their captains were: J. F. Burk, William P. Harris and Michael S. Eddlemon. These Fremont rangers served up to December 25th, 1861, and upon them fell the brunt of most of the work done in Southeast Missouri, es- pecially the work of scouting. During their term of service they were not paid nor were they provided with clothing.
A company known as the Potosi Home Guards was organized in June, 1861, with George R. French as captain; Irwin K. Walker, first lieutenant ; and Thomas H. Mac- lird as second lieutenant. The company con- sisted of 75 men and did guard duty in Wash- ington county until August, 1861, when the term of enlistment expired. In the course of its guard duty it fought a skirmish at Potosi.
A company known as the DeSoto Home Guards was organized in June, 1861, and served until September of the same year. Al- len Cook was captain ; Christian Ellrodt, first lieutenant ; and William Hendrickson, second
lieutenant. This company was composed of 85 men and did guard service.
A company was organized at Pilot Knob in June, 1861, with Ferdinand Schmitz as captain ; John Schwartz, first lieutenant; and Charles Cordrie, second lieutenant. This company was composed of 99 men and the only service that it saw was guard duty about Pilot Knob.
The Washington County Battalion was or- ganized in July, 1861, and its lieutenant col- onel was J. B. Elmer. Company A had the following officers: P. R. VanFrank, captain ; Samuel E. Turner, first lieutenant; William Plumb, second lieutenant. The officers of Company B were Captain J. L. Page, and Lieutenants H. N. Cook and Isaac Benning. The officers of Company C were Captain H. M. Hulser, Lieutenants Charles MaClay and Gardner Henning. The officers of Company D were Captain Oscar Dover and Lieutenants Dugan and Williams. The officers of Com- pany E were Captain T. C. Casselman, Lieu- tenants Samuel Weast and Eli Vincent. This battalion was organized at Potosi, September 19, 1861, and after doing scout duty and taking part in a number of skirmishes, was mustered out at Hillsboro in January, 1862.
The Missouri State Militia was not largely recruited in Southeast Missouri, but one regi- ment being organized here, the 12th cavalry. It was during the winter and spring of 1862 that the eight companies comprising this reg. iment were organized. Company A was re- crnited at Cape Girardeau and organized February 10, 1862. The captain was Lindsay Murdock; first lieutenant, George W. Hamil; second lieutenant, Erick Pape; Company B organized January 23, 1862, was from Wayne county : William T. Leeper, captain; Evan Francis, first lieutenant; C. W. Purcell, sec-
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ond lieutenant ; Company C was recruited in Stoddard county and was organized Febru- ary 4. Its captain was Thomas B. Walker; first lieutenant, Anthony Arnold ; second lieu- tenant, John MeMillan; Company D was or- ganized February 27th, with William Flentge as captain; Henry Wolters, first lieutenant, and Louis Storts, second lieutenant; Com- pany E from Perry county was organized March 26th, and had for its officers: cap- tain. Peter Hogan; first lieutenant, Ferdi- nant Charveau and second lieutenant, Thomas Goin; Company F was recruited in Perry and Bollinger counties and organized on March 26th. Its officers were captain, Levi C. Whybark; first lieutenant, M. S. Ed- (lemon ; second lieutenant, Samuel G. Bid- well. Bollinger and Wayne counties recruited Company G, which was organized March 29th. The officers were A. R. Dill, captain; Phillip Sutherlin, first lieutenant, and Henry W. Worth, second lieutenant; Company H was from Washington county and William T. Ilunter was its captain.
The Third Regiment was organized May 14, 1862. Albert Jackson was made colonel ; Samuel P. Simpson, lieutenant colonel; Ben- jamin F. Lazear, major; and H. M. Mathews, surgeon. Neither the colonel nor lieutenant colonel ever took active command of the regi- ment and during its existence Major Lazear was in actual charge of it. Owing to a com- bination of circumstances it was deemed best to break the regiment up and this was done February 2, 1863. Companies A, B, and H were made a part of the Third Cavalry; Com- panies D, E, and F, a part of the Fifth Cav- alry : and Companies C and G were disbanded and distributed among the companies of the Fifth Cavalry. This Third Regiment was at this time at Pilot Knob. From there it went
to Patterson in Wayne county, where it was attacked April 20, 1863, by General Marma- duke and driven back to Pilot Knob. This regiment took part in no other active fighting though it did duty as guard and escort in various ways and did some fighting against the guerrilla bands. This regiment was or- dered to St. Louis after Price's raid and then to St. Joseph where it was employed until mustered out about May 1, 1865.
The Fifth Regiment, to which some of the companies of the 12th had been attached, was at Rolla. The regiment was engaged in scout- ing service up to the time of Price's raid and took part in the pursuit of Price, participat- ing in the battles at Jefferson City, California, Booneville, Lexington, Big Blue, Independ- ence, Hickmans Mills, and Fort Scott. They were later returned to Rolla and remained until they were mustered out of service.
Besides these there were a number of regi- ments of Enrolled Missouri Militia organized in Southeast Missouri. The Fifty-sixth Regi- ment was raised in Cape Girardeau county. It was organized October 4, 1862 ; and its gen- eral officers were : W. H. MeLane, colonel ; G. C. Thilenius, lieutenant colonel; and Casper Uhl, major. The company officers were : Com- pany A, Captain A. P. Shriner ; Company B, Captain William Regenhardt ; Company C, Captain Lemon Haile ; Company D, Captain William N. Wilson; Company E, Captain R. H. Ruhl; Company F, Captain S. W. Why- bark; Company G, Captain J. S. Needham ; Company H, Captain Elisha Sheppard; and Company I, Captain Adolph Tacke.
The Sixty-fourth Regiment was from Perry county and was organized October 27, 1862. Its general officers were Robert M. Brewer, colonel ; Joseph C. Killian, lieutenant colonel; Charles A. Weber, major ; and Thomas Hoos, adjutant. The captains were: Company A,
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William T. Wilkinson, later Jolin J. Seibel ; Company B, Felix Layton, later W. H. Ben- nett ; Company C, John C. Ochs, later Anthon Hunt; Company D, Thomas G. Chadwick; Company E, Henry Little; Company F, Jo- seph Meyer, later Henry B. Knox; Company H, Chris Feig; Company I, Emanuel Estel; Company K, Joseph Lukefahr.
The Sixty-eighth Regiment was organized November 20, 1862; it was made up of men from Iron and Wayne counties. Its general officers were : James Lindsay, colonel; George W. King, lieutenant colonel; Robert L. Lind- say, major; and C. R. Peck, adjutant. In March, 1864, John W. Emerson was appointed colonel in place of Lindsay. The captains were: Company A, William P. Adair; Com- pany B, Ross Jekyll, later W. B. Connelly ; Company C, E. A. Killian, later Franz Dinger ; Company D, Morgan Mace ; Company E, W. J. Ezell; Company F, W. W. Bunyard, later Pleasant W. Hodges; Company G, James E. Davis; Company H, H. H. Finley; Com- pany I, Jasper Belkin and Company K, P. L. Powers.
The Seventy-eighth Regiment was organized .Georgia. It was mustered out September 29,
principally from Ste. Genevieve and sur- rounding counties, was constituted April 21, 1863, with F. Leavenworth as colonel, George Bond lieutenant colonel, James Hodgmeiller major, and Leon Bogy adjutant. The cap- tains were: Company A, C. H. Eddlemon ; Company B, Thomas Stone; Company C, Phillip Wagner; Company D, John B. Eber- ett; Company E, Lawson Hughes; Company F, Andrew Miller; Company G, Herman Kustner; Company H. J. M. Benham; Com- pany I, S. E. Montgomery, and Company K, William Roth.
The Seventy-ninth Regiment was organized in June, 1863, in Scott and Mississippi coun- ties; Henry J. Deal was colonel; George M.
Kayser, adjutant, and Solomon D. Golder, surgeon. The captains were: Company A, Edwin P. Deal; Company B, L. W. Prichett ; Company C, Samuel Coleman ; Company D, George C. Vail; Company E, W. W. Camp- bell, later C. Grojean; Company F, Samuel Tanner; Company G, James H. Howard; Company K, John L. Painsberry.
The Second Infantry was organized and mustered into service at St. Louis, Septem- ber 10, 1861, and was composed in part of men from Southeast Missouri. It saw a great deal of hard service and took part in the bat- tles in Southwest Missouri and then in the principal battles in Arkansas including Pea Ridge. Then it was transferred to Cape Gir- ardeau and from there to Corinth, Riengi, Mississippi. In September, 1862, it was or- dered to Cincinnati, and then to Lawrence- ville. On October 1, 1862, it started for Nash- ville and took part in the great battle at Per- ryville; it reached Nashville in December, and participated in the battle of Murfreesboro. It was also engaged at Chickamauga and Chatta- nooga, at Charleston, Tennessee, and Dalton, 1864.
In October, 1862, the Twenty-ninth In- fantry was organized in Cape Girardeau. John S. Cavender was colonel, James Peck- ham, lieutenant colonel, and B. H. Peterson, major. Companies F, G, and H were re- cruited in Southeast Missouri; Christian Burkhardt was the first captain of Company F. He was made major of the regiment in November, 1864, and was succeeded as cap- tain by Herman Bader. James McGarvey was captain of Company G, and Thomas Rhodes of Commerce, Missouri, was first lieutenant. The captains of Company H were: N. A. Cole, Thomas Jork, W. H. Gray and David Allen, Jr. This regiment also took part in
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many of the larger battles of the war, after its organization it was sent first to Patterson in Wayne county and then returned to Cape Girardeau. On December 8th, it was trans- ferred to Helena; the regiment there became part of General Blair's brigade and took part in the campaign in Louisiana and Mississippi under Sherman. In the next summer it was engaged in the operations around Vicksburg and was present at the capture of that place. In September of that year it was ordered to Charleston and took part in the storming of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. Later the regiment was sent to Georgia and then to Alabama and on April 30, 1864, it became a part of the First Division of the Fifteenth Army Corps and was with that command in all the battles of the Atlanta campaign and the campaign against Hood; it was then mounted and took part in the cam- paign through the Carolinas. The regiment was mustered out in Washington and was re- turned to St. Louis in June, 1865.
The Thirtieth Regiment of Missouri In- fantry was composed of eight companies re- cruited for this regiment and two of which had been raised for the 34th, which, however, was not organized. The general officers were: B. J. Farrar, colonel; Otto Schadt, lieutenant colonel, and James W. Fleteher, major. Com- pany B was organized in Perry county in 1862, with William T. Wilkinson, captain ; George S. Ziegler, first lieutenant, and C. M. French, second lieutenant; this regiment was also attached to Blair's brigade participating in the campaign along the Mississippi, and in the bordering states. It was in Louisiana in 1864, and in November of that year was made into a battalion of four companies and placed under the command of William T. Wilkinson who was made lieutenant colonel. After this change in organization it saw active
service in Louisiana and about Mobile until it was transferred to Texas in June, 1865, and was there mustered out August 24 of that year.
The Forty-seventh Regiment was recruited by Colonel Thomas C. Fletcher, who had been authorized in August, 1864, to raise this regi- ment and was assigned to Southeast Missouri. The response to the call for soldiers was very prompt and more companies were offered than could be assigned one regiment, and out of the remaining companies the Fiftieth Regi- ment was formed. The officers of the 47th were: Thomas C. Fletcher, colonel; A. W. Maupin, lieutenant colonel, and John W. Emerson, major. Colonel Fletcher was elected governor of the state in November, 1864, and was succeeded as colonel by Lieutenant Col- onel Maupin. The companies were recruited and officered as follows: Company A, Iron and Wayne counties, Captain J. S. MeMur- try ; first lieutenant, J. T. Sutton and second lieutenant, P. A. Hodges; Company B, Jef- ferson county ; captain, W. J. Buxton; first lieutenant, J. C. Hamel; second lieutenant, B. F. Butler ; Company C, Perry county ; cap- tain, C. A. Weber; first lieutenant, Felix Layton; second lieutenant, Thomas Stone ; Company D, Washington county ; captain, J. W. Maupin; first lieutenant, L. J. Crowe; second lieutenant, A. J. Gilchrist ; Company E, Iron county; captain, F. Dinger; first lieutenant, George J. Fetley ; second lieuten- ant, John Schwab; Company F, St. Francois county ; captain, W. P. Adair; first lieuten- ant, C. Helber, second lieutenant, W. B. Con- nelly : Company G, Wayne and Bollinger counties; captain, Morgan Mace; first lieu- tenant, Samuel W. Whybark : second lieuten- ant, W. B. Wilson; Company HI, Wayne county ; captain, P. L. Powers; first lieuten- ant, W. P. Tate ; second lieutenant, E. P. Set-
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tle ; Company I, Madison county ; Captain, H. W. Bradley ; first lieutenant, C. H. Cummings ; second lieuenant, W. A. Dunlap ; Company K, Ste. Genevieve county ; captain, Gustavus St. Gem; first lieutenant, Leon Bogy ; second lieu- tenant, Robert D. Brown. The organization of this regiment was completed in September, 1864, and as soon as companies were ready they were sent to their respective counties and assisted in the defense against General Price; Companies A, G, and H were sent to Patterson and later returned to Pilot Knob where they were joined by Companies F and I and took part in the engagement at that place ; later the regiment was sent to Rolla and was there joined to the command of Gen- eral Thomas Nash; the regiment remained a part of the force under General Nash until mustered out in March, 1865.
The surplus companies which had been raised for the Forty-seventh Regiment were ordered to be organized into the 50th. The or- ganization, however, had not been effected at the time of General Price's raid through the country and the companies were sent back to their counties before the organization was completed. After Price had passed on to north Missouri and work of organization was taken up and David Murphy was made lieu- tenant colonel at first and then in the spring of 1865, was made colonel of the regiment. B. Newey was the lieutenant colonel; the com- pany officers were as follows: Company A, Mississippi county; captain, E. P. Deal; Company B. captain, Charles Perry; Com- pany C, Cape Girardeau county; captain, Charles F. Bruihl; Company D, Scott county ; captain, W. W. Campbell; Company E, cap- tain, Arthur M. Kuson; Company F, Iron county ; captain, Robert L. Lindsay; Com- pany G, Perry county; captain, Christian Popp; Company H, captain, Lindsay Mur-
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