USA > Missouri > Jackson County > Kansas City > Kansas City, Missouri : its history and its people 1808-1908 > Part 13
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The quartermaster's stables and yards were on the opposite side of Tenth street from the fort. The commissary warehouse was on the river bank west of Broadway. The hospital was in charge of Dr. Joshua Thorne, and was established and maintained throughout the whole war at the Farm- ers' hotel on Grand avenue, near Sixteenth street.
The city still attempted to keep up a show of civic government, had its council meetings, maintained its public schools with four teachers at an ex- pense of $1,500 a year; the Young Men's Christian Association went through the form of electing officers. But it was more of a farce than real business.
The year 1861 slowly wore away and 1862 opened with little better prospects. The Western Journal of Commerce resumed publication in the spring and, strange to say, while it could afford to publish a daily bulletin, it could not make a weekly edition pay, so thoroughly unsettled and dis- turbed was the neighboring country districts. The newspaper copied its telegrams from the St. Louis and St. Joseph newspapers, because the tele- graph lines passed around Missouri through Iowa. The St. Louis papers were brought from Cameron, Missouri, to Kansas City by a boy on horse- back, ten hours ahead of the mail.
The city became indebted to Thomas Burke to the amount of $600, and issued warrants which were ordered sold at the best cash prices, forty to fifty per cent, to pay him. No mails were received at one time for eleven days. In June, 1863, Ross, Steel & Co. commenced work on the Union Pacific railroad here and at Lawrence, Kansas. The Missouri Pacific rail- road commenced laying tracks between Kansas City and Independence, Mis- souri. The wagon trains for New Mexico were escorted by troops as far west as Fort Larned, one hundred and fifty miles out. The bushwhackers
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suddenly made a raid on Shawnee, Kansas, robbed and destroyed the town, and soon commenced firing on the steamboats on the river. The city and surrounding country was thrown into disorder. United States volunteers, militia, bushwhackers, redlegs and Kaw Indian cavalry infected the border. The wheat could not be harvested because of no "hands." The negro labor- ers had all run away, the white men were in the army or in the brush. All skiff's for miles along the river were destroyed to prevent runaway negroes from using them in crossing.
General Thomas Ewing was ordered to Kansas City in June, 1863, and established the " district of the border," including the border counties in both states for about one hundred miles south. On August 21, 1863, the Lawrence massacre occurred and on August 25, 1863, General Ewing's " Order No. 11" followed, driving out the entire population of Jackson, Cass, Bates and part of Vernon counties, except those living within one mile of Independence, Hickman's Mill, Pleasant Hill and Harrisonville and that portion of Kaw township in Jackson county north of Brush creek and west of the Big Blue river. This order was carefully executed and had the effect of quieting the operations of the bushwhackers for the remainder of the year 1863, because they were now deprived of the encouragement, sup- port and information previously given them by the people of those counties. The enforcing of Order No. 11 was one of the memorable events of the Civil war in western Missouri. The celebrated picture, "Order No. 11." by George C. Bingham, has added odium to the transaction. Following is the order: " 1st. All persons living in Jackson, Cass and Bates counties, Missouri, and in that part of Vernon included in this district, except those living within one mile of the limits of Independence, Hickman's Mill, Pleasant Hill and Harrisonville, and except those living north of Brush creek and west of the Big Blue, are hereby ordered to remove from their present places of residence within fifteen days from the date thereof. Those who, within that time, establish their loyalty to the satisfaction of the commanding officer of the military station nearest their present places of residence, will receive from him certificates stating the fact of their loyalty and the names of the witnesses by whom it can be shown. All who receive such certificates will be permitted to remove to any military station in the district. or to any part of the state of Kansas except the counties on the eastern border of the state. All others shall move out of this district. Officers commanding companies and detachments serving in the counties named will see that this paragraph is promptly obeyed.
" 2d. All grain or hay in the field or under shelter, in the district from which the inhabitants are required to remove, in reach of military sta- tions, after the 9th day of September next, will be taken to such stations
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and turned over to the proper officers there, and report of the amount so turned over made to the district headquarters, specifying the names of all loyal owners and the amount of such produce taken from them. All grain and hay found in such district after the 9th of September next, not con- venient to such stations, will be destroyed.
" 3d. The provisions of general order No. 10, from these headquart- ers, will be vigorously executed by officers commanding in parts of the dis- trict and at the stations not subject to the operations of paragraph 1st of this order, and especially in the towns of Independence, Westport and Kan- sas City.
" 4th. Paragraph No. 3, General Order No. 10, is revoked as to all who have borne arms against the government in this district since the 20th of August, 1863.
" By order of Brigadier-General Ewing.
H. HANNAH, Adjutant."
The state of Kansas, on account of the general lawlessness, was placed under martial law. Gold was at a premium of $2.50 in July, 1863. Mexican trade for the first six months of 1863 was 1,385 wagon loads, nearly 6,500,- 000 pounds, amounting to about one million dollars. In the fall the depre- dations of the guerillas increased; bridges were burned, caravans robbed and other outrages committed. Quantrell, the guerrilla leader, and his band sacked and burned Lawrence, Kansas, August 21, 1863.
Great alarm was felt in September, 1864, on account of a general up- rising of the bushwhackers in all parts of Missouri. General Sterling Price was reported to be advancing. The Kansas militia was called out and Kan- sas City was regarded in great danger. All citizens were called to arms. Major Van Horn was placed in command and the city was fortified. Lines of breastworks were thrown up diagonally across the town from southwest to northeast. Cannon were mounted under the direction of Colonel Kersey Coates. Major General Samuel R. Curtis, in command of the Department of Kansas, took command of the troops and established a line of defense along the Big Blue river.
A note of warning of the coming calamity was sounded that "struck a chill of terror deep into the hearts of the people of the busy little town by the river," which had become more quiet since the disturbances of 1862. It was re- ported that General Sterling Price had come out of Arkansas on an expedi- tion of conquest. A large, well-equipped force with fighting generals were with him; General James F. Fagan with five brigades and a battery of artil- lery ; General Joseph O. Shelby with three brigades and a battery ; and General John S. Marmaduke with two brigades and a battery. The intention of this Con-
GEN. STERLING PRICE
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federate army was to sack Westport and Kansas City, pass over into Kansas, march to Fort Leavenworth and then retreat to the South. No small won- der that disquietude and gloom settled on the peaceful river town, where pros- perity was just beginning to raise its head.
The beautiful Indian summer days had come, nature was glorious in the glowing colors of the crimson, brown and yellow leaves, the dwellers of the busy little "City of Kansas " were pursuing their peaceful occupa- tions and business was brisk. Into the atmosphere of contentment a disturb- ing alarm was heard. The excitement became intense. From day to day news items were eagerly read of " Price's raid," as it came to be called. A long week of fearful days, of tense expectation and of wild rumors passed by. On the shores of the stream east of the town of Independence, known as the Little Blue, Price's vanguard, under General Marmaduke, had a hard fight, Friday, October 21, 1864, with the forces of Generals James Ford and Thomas Moonlight of Volunteers, and General James G. Blunt's Kansas militia, under General Curtis. The federals were driven through Independ- ence. General Price fought the Kansans along the Blue river and Major- General Alfred S. Pleasanton's pursuing troopers through the streets of Inde- pendence, and on Saturday the fight was continued, the Confederates reach- ing Brush creek and the Wornall road. The next day the sun shone on an ideal Sabbath, but long before the hour for the chimes proclaiming the day, at early sunrise, the battle of Westport had begun.
The " Battle of Westport " was, by several thousand men, in point of numbers, engaged, one of the largest of all land actions of the war west of the Mississippi river. Twenty-nine thousand men fought within the limits of Jackson county, October 21, 22, 23, 1864, until the afternoon of the third day of fighting when the force of superior numbers, superior weapons and superior discipline wore away like the fierce resistance of General Marma- duke's rear guard and the dashing charges of General Shelby's troopers. The great attempt of the Confederacy to break the Union defense west of the Mississippi river failed and they fell back in retreat. About one thou- sand were killed in the three days' engagement.
Curtis' regiments moved forward through Westport against General Joseph O. Shelby's troopers; General Pleasanton threw his entire force against General Marmaduke's men at the river, and the Confederates under General Price, beset on west and north and east. in van and flank, threw themselves behind their dead horses, stripped their own dead for ammuni- tion, gathered repeatedly for desperate charges against overwhelming num- bers, and fought a rear guard action at the Blue river such as few of its vet- eran participants had seen on any field.
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The old hotel, the " Harris House," in Westport, served as General Cur- tis' headquarters, and from its roof he watched the early stages of the fight until he took the command in person. Curtis had with him several volun- teer aides, one a young man of twenty-three years, Joseph L. Norman, who proved his bravery when Curtis asked for a volunteer to undertake a peril- ous ride to deliver dispatches. Joseph L. Norman quietly stepped forward and announced his readiness to go.
Mr. Norman had a subscription school in Kansas City when the war reached here. A neighbor came to his school on August 14, 1862, and re- ported that the Confederates had captured Independence and were on their way to attack Kansas City. Mr. Norman hurriedly dismissed his school and took five of his pupils to the fort, called Camp of Fort Union and offered his services in defense of the post. The offer was readily accepted. For three years Joseph L. Norman served the Union faithfully in Company A, Twelfth Kansas Infantry. The other volunteer aide was a young politician from Kansas who later was well known as Senator Plumb.
On the hills and housetops of the town the non-combatant Kansas Cityans watched the clouds of smoke rising from the fields and listened in terror to the furious roar of cannon and the incessant din of musketry.
It was shortly before noon that the hour of the federal victory came. Before Westport itself on the present golf links of the Country Club at Fifty- first street and Wornall road, just south of the little lake, Colonel James H. McGhee's regiment of Arkansas cavalry charged upon the artillery under command of the then Major Robert H. Hunt, chief of artillery on Curtis' staff, who had gained the high grounds and had placed their howitzers and field guns at almost the spot where the club house stands today. It was at this point and immediately after this charge that an artillery duel occurred, the Confederate guns being on the Wornall road and south of the Wornall homestead, Major Hunt dismounted his horse and told a gunner to let him aim the piece, which was done, and this shot dismounted the Confederate gun and started the final retreat. For services in this campaign Major Hunt was brevetted lieutenant-colonel. Hunt was afterwards mayor of Kansas City and again a member of the School Board of this city.
In a fearful melee of plunging horses and cracking pistols, clashing sabres and shouting men, the forces met, stirrup to stirrup and pistol to breast until in a man-to-man encounter Captain Curtis Johnson, of the Company E, Fif- teenth Kansas Volunteer cavalry, shot the Confederate colonel, James H. McGhee, from his horse. It was one of those critical moments when the suc- cess or failure of a single charge may determine the outcome of the whole battle. The fall of their dashing leader disheartened McGhee's remaining
FORT UNION, 1861
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men, and in their rout more than one Southern writer finds the beginning of the Confederate defeat on this western side of the field.
At almost the same hour that McGhee fell, General Marmaduke made his last great stand along the Blue river in the endeavor to hold back General Pleasanton's men. Bullets sown like pebbles in the fields and gardens, some 1,500 feet north of the north line of Swope park and along the line of what is now Elmwood avenue, mark the spot where the brigades charged up the slope in the face of a withering fire from the men in gray behind the fences and log cabins that stood in the timber along the crest.
A log cabin that stood until 1895 was estimated to bear the marks of 5,000 bullets, received in this engagement. Colonel E. F. Winslow was shot down as he tried to force his men on, and turned over his command to Lieu- tenant Colonel F. W. Benteen. Ex-Governor T. T. Crittenden, at the time commanding the Seventh Missouri Federal cavalry, was severely wounded and left on the field when his men finally advanced.
The charge itself, that gathered the whole federal force and hurled it up the hill until even General Marmaduke's men could no longer hold their ground, was thus practically under the command of Colonel John F. Philips, later United States federal judge for the Western district of Missouri, to whom Brown's brigade had been entrusted earlier in the day by General Pleasanton.
With this collapse of the Confederate rear guard at the Blue river, Pleas- anton's field guns were brought to bear on the already breaking ranks of the whole Confederate army before Westport, and under this joint attack in front and flank, General Price's men fell slowly but surely back from the vicinity of Kansas City and the battle drew rapidly to a close. A last desperate attempt at a stand, on an east and west line marked by the beautiful monument erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy in Forest Hill cemetery, was of no avail.
Following the battle of Westport peace was restored in Kansas City. There was no more fighting in Missouri, although for many months the bush- whackers continued to make trouble. Kansas City began to revive. At the spring election in 1865, Patrick Shannon was elected mayor, the total vote of the city being 573. There was considerable excitement in town over the fact that one of the merchants, L. Hammerslough, received goods by rail from New York in eight days.
The war was officially declared ended April 9, 1865, the men were mus- tered out of the army and returned to civic occupations. At that time the population of Kansas City was probably not over 3,500, but the town began at once to develop so that the census of 1870, taken five years later, showed that the population had increased more than 600 per cent.
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CHAPTER IX.
THE NEW ERA.
The country adjacent to Kansas City was in comparative peace at the beginning of 1865. Most of the bushwhackers who had infested the country and harassed local residents had gone south with General Sterling Price after his raid in 1864. It was evident that hostilities were drawing to a close and that so far as Kansas City's territory was concerned, there would be no more war. The people were left free to cast about and begin the work of repair- ing shattered fortunes and crippled business enterprises, and to prepare for the future. The population of the city had been reduced to about three thousand five hundred, the streets were out of repair, the houses were dilap- idated and the brisk trade of earlier years was gone. The outlook was any- thing but encouraging.
Leavenworth, Kansas City's formidable rival before the war, had been the headquarters of army operations in the struggle and had prospered while Kansas City suffered. Leavenworth had grown to be a city of about fifteen thousand population and had gained control of the trade with southern Kan- sas and part of the commerce with New Mexico and Colorado. Kansas City, at the close of the Civil war, appeared to be well nigh out of the race for commercial supremacy, and would have been so regarded except for the town's natural advantages and the fact that it was the terminus of the main line of the Union Pacific railroad that already was in operation to Lawrence, Kansas. These advantages gave hope to the dejected residents; they re- newed the activities of earlier years and an era of wonderful development began.
On the northwest corner of Missouri avenue and Main street, a small merchandise store was opened in 1863 by Mr. T. B. Bullene and his brother, Lathrop Bullene. Its entire force of employes consisted of but eight per- sons, and most of the merchandise was bought in St. Louis and brought up the Missouri river to Kansas City. Mr. W. E. Emery of New York became associated with this store in 1867, causing the firm name to be changed to Bullene Brothers and Emery. The little store was patronized and expanded with the city's growth until in January, 1870, it was moved to a new build- ing on the corner of Main and Seventh streets. This was considered a large store for the size of the city. The building was three stories in height, had a frontage of twenty-eight feet upon Main street and ran through to Dela- ware street. In 1870, L. T. Moore came from Kentucky and purchased the interest of Mr. Lathrop Bullene and was taken in as a partner. The firm name became Bullene, Moore & Emery. Mr. L. R. Moore, brother of L. T. Moore,
ERFALLA
TASIL
-
MAIN STREET, LOOKING NORTHI FROM ELEVENTH STREET. 1871
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sold his plantation in Kentucky and became a member of the firm one year later. In 1881, Jos. T. Bird was admitted to the firm and in 1884 Mr. W. B. Thayer was made a partner. In 1890 the phenomenal growth of the bus- iness made a great change necessary. The store was moved np town to Eleventh streeth and Grand avenue. Mr. T. B. Bullene died in 1894 and since then the firm has been known as Emery, Bird, Thayer & Co.
Doggett & Orrison were also among the early merchants, their store opened in the year 1866 on the southeast corner of Missouri avenne and Main street. The firm built a three story brick building near the corner of Seventh and Main streets and moved into it in 1871. Mr. Orrison retired from the firm in 1873 and joined with Mr. Abernathy and North and formed the firm of Abernathy, North & Orrison Furniture Co., located on the northeast corner of Sixth and Main. The firm then changed to John Doggett until Mr. B. R. Bacon and Mr. Sam Latz were admitted to the firm when it was known as John Doggett & Co. In 1878, Mr. G. Y. Smith bought an interest in the firm and the name changed to Doggett & Smith. In 1880, Mr. G. Y. Smith bought Mr. Doggett's interest and changed the firm's name to G. Y. Smith & Co., Mr. Bacon and Mr. Latz being the company. In 1881, G. Y. Smith & Co. pioneered the corner of Eleventh and Main, which at that time was considered out of the business district. In 1890, G. Y. Smith moved his stock to Ft. Worth, Texas, where he is at the present time. Mr. "Doggett after retiring from the firm of Bullene, Moore & Emery, organized the Doggett Dry Goods Company, in 1888. Mr. Doggett retired in 1900 and died in 1903.
In 1871 Mr. H. E. Roll came to Kansas City and was employed in the store of Bullene, Moore & Emery. He became manager and superintendent of the store. The Roll, Thayer & Williams Dry Goods house, located on Main between Missouri avenue and Sixth street, was a well patronized store from its beginning in 1878. Later the firm moved to the east side of Main between Eleventh and Twelfth streets. The firm supended business in 1884.
Few cities have been so fortunate as Kansas City in escaping disastrous fires. From the time log-cabins fell into disuse and frame business and dwelling houses began to appear, Kansas City has had fire protection. In the "beginning," 'neighbor helped neighbor. Later fire companies were formed which were also social organizations. The Honorable T. B. Bullene was foreman of the first fire company of the social order. Associated with him both socially and in "time of fire" were Frank Foster, Matt Foster, S. K. Green, James Smith, Adam Long and John Long.
After the war with the revival of commercial enterprises and with the erection of new buildings, filled with merchandise, came the need of better fire protection. The first fire company in Kansas City was organized in 1867
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and named "John Campbell" in honor of a citizen who contributed gener- ously to the expense of establishing the service. It was a "gala day" in Kansas City when the first fire engine was received with the pomp and cere- mony shown an honored guest. A volunteer company of twenty-five men were formed with Colonel Frank Foster as chief, and Colonel T. B. Bullene, foreman. When the boat slowly swung into the landing at the levee, with the new engine abroad, Colonel Foster and his men in uniforms of red shirts with pearl buttons and blue trousers, were drawn up in imposing ar- ray to welcome the new arrival, while all the town turned out to applaud. With elaborate ceremony the christening took place and the "John Camp- bell" became the protector of Kansas City property. From the time of its advent in Kansas City until 1871 the "John Campbell" enjoyed the proud distinction of being the only steam fire engine in a town on the Missouri river. from St. Louis to Kansas City.
The McGee Hook and Ladder Truck company was organized in 1869 with Hyatt St. Clair foreman. In 1871, a new steam engine company was formed and a new engine, the "Dr. Lykins," was placed in service. Many in- novations were introduced in time, the Babcock extinguishers, new trucks and hose reels, until in 1872, the fire department increased to such an extent that it became a department of the municipality with paid firemen.
The "John Campbell" company was reorganized early in 1872. Joseph McArdle was employed as hoseman, the first paid fireman of whom there is any record. He was quickly followed by George C. Hale, who was offered the position of engineer by Mayor William Warner, and accepted.
The employment of Joseph McArdle and George C. Hale as paid fire- men was one of the results of a conflagation in July 1871 that destroyed a number of buildings at Sixth and Main streets, and when a few months later the west side of Union avenue opposite the depot was almost wiped out of existence, the town authorities concluded to further enlarge the paid de- partment by the employment of Nick Byrnes and Dick Beadle. Three new companies were speedily organized and placed in service, the Washington No. 2, Phoenix hook and ladder No. 2, and the German hook and ladder No. 3.
The present fire company employs 280 regular men and 20 substi- tutes. One hundred and sixteen horses valued at $200 to $250 each belong to the company. Thirty-eight thousand feet of hose are in service. The yearly expenses for the last year 1907 and 1908, including the pay roll and running expenses, were $337,862.53, and $110,000 was spent for improve- ments in the erection of new engine houses and apparatus. During the year, 1,701 alarms have been recorded. The department also has twenty-four hose companies, of which nine are engine companies, eight hook and ladders,
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HEADQUARTERS, FIRE DEPARTMENT
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one water tower, a tool wagon and a fuel wagon. The present officers are: Chief, J. C. Egner; first assistant, Alex Henderson, second assistant, D. S. Donovan; third assistant, Edward Cassidy; fourth assistant, John Leonard; fifth assistant, G. E. Hughes; sixth assistant, M. M. Mahoney; chief of util- ities, Maurice O'Connor; master mechanic, L. E. Hale; superintendent of fire alarms, B. C. Haldeman ; veterinary, C. R. Treadway ; secretary, W. R. Smith; assistant secretary, Leo McGuire; fire warden, Edward Trickett.
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