USA > Missouri > Missouri the center state, 1821-1915 > Part 44
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The guerrilla then turned his attention to Col. McFerran in the following strain :
"Col. McFerran, I have seen your official report to Gen. Brown of two fights that have taken place in Johnson and Lafayette Counties with your men. You have been wrongly informed, or you have willfully misrepresented the matter to your superior officer.
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I had the honor, sir, of being in command of both of those engagements. To enlighten you on the subject and to warn you against making future exaggerations I will say to you in the future to let me know in time, and when I fight your men I will make the proper report. As to the skirmish I had with your men in Johnson, I started to Kings- ville with fifty men to take the place, but before I arrived there I discovered a scout, four- teen or fifteen of your men, on the prairie some half a mile distant to my left. I imme- diately gave chase. They fled. There were not over eight of my men ever got near them. They did not surrender or I would not have killed them, for I understand that Company M were Southern men; they sent me that word. I ordered them to halt and surrender. I was astonished to see them refuse after sending me such word. One of their Lieutenants even planned the assassination of Gen. Brown and the taking of his headquarters, but I refused to commit so foul a deed. But they refused to surrender and I had them to kill. I regret having to kill such good Southern men, but they are fit for no service but yours, for they were very cowardly. Myself and two men killed nine of them when there were no other men in sight of us. They are such poor shots it is strange you don't have them practice more. Send them out and I will train them for you. After that I came down near Burris' camp with twenty-five regulars all told, belonging to the Ist Kansas, some of my first men. I understand that Burris was anxious to give me a thrashing. Not wishing to lose more than twenty-five men at one time, I thought I would try him with the aforesaid number, but while I was waiting for him to come out from camp, that I might devour him or be devoured, forty-eight of your men coming from Lexington with three wagons had the audacity to fire on my pickets, and very imprudently asked me to come out of the bush and fight them. I obeyed reluct- antly. They dismounted and formed on a hill. I formed under their fire under the hill and charged. They fled and I pursued. You know the rest. If you do not, I can inform you; we killed ten on the ground and wounded as many more. Had all of my men done their duty we would have killed thirty of them. Farewell, friend."
To Capt. Burris, who was trying to trap him, Anderson inclosed this message : "To Burris-Burris, I love you; come and see me. Good-by, boy ; don't get discouraged. I glory in your spunk, but damn your judgment."
This remarkable proclamation closed with the following to Gen. Brown :
"Gen. Brown. GENERAL-I have not the honor of being acquainted with you, but from what I have heard of you I would take you to be a man of too much honor as to stoop so low as to incarcerate women for the deeds of men, but I see that you have done so in some cases. I do not like the idea of warring with women and children, but if you do not release all the women you have arrested in Lafayette County, I will hold the Union ladies in the county as hostages for them. I will tie them by the neck in the brush and starve them until they are released, if you do not release them. The ladies of Warrens- burg must have Miss Pickle released. I hold them responsible for her speedy and safe return. General, do not think that I am jesting with you. I will have to resort to abusing your ladies if you do not quit imprisoning ours. As to the prisoner Ervin you have in Lexington, I have never seen nor heard of him until I learned that such a man was sentenced to be shot. I suppose that he is a Southern man or such a sentence would not have been passed. I hold the citizens of Lexington responsible for his life. The troops in Lexington are no protection to the town, only in the square. If he is killed, I will kill twenty times his number in Lexington. I am perfectly able to do so at any time. Yours respectfully,
W. ANDERSON,
"Commanding Kansas First Guerrillas."
The Death of Anderson.
A few weeks later came the report by Assistant Adjutant General Rainsford of the identification of Anderson's body at Richmond in Ray County: "On Anderson's body was also found his likeness and that of his wife, a small Con-
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federate flag with these words inscribed on it: 'Presented to W. L. Anderson by his friend, F. M. R. Let it not be contaminated by Fed. hands.' He also had letters from his wife from Texas, and a lock of her hair, about $600 in gold and greenbacks. His body, while at Richmond Court House, was recog- nized by several persons. We have heard of the band, some 300 in number, crossing the river at Brunswick, bound south; they acknowledge having had a fight with the Ray County Militia, and that Bill Anderson was killed on the 27th. I shall have his likeness in a day or two and I will have some taken and send you one."
Fisk Suggests Depopulation and Devastation.
In a letter to Gen. Rosecrans, dated midnight, September 28, Gen. Fisk gave a graphic description of the difficulties attending the incessant war in the brush :
"I had the honor to write yon fully under yesterday's date, since which time my tele- grams have advised yon of the disasters at Centralia. The capture of the railway train, the inhuman slaughter of the defenseless soldiers thereon, the robbery of the passen- gers, the burning of the moving train, and the indignities visited upon helpless women must be regarded as one of the chief barbarisms of the war. I am not yet fully advised of the extent of our loss by the defeat of Maj. Johnston, but fear it is greater than the meager reports already received have led me to believe. I am greatly pained at these reverses, and am straining every nerve to make reparation. Troops were never more earnest and active in their duties than the officers and men now seeking the destruction of the infernal fiends who are guilty of such barbarous atrocities. I am aware that it may seem to yourself and the impatient public remote from this section that we ought to accomplish more than we do; that the guerrillas ought to be exterminated from the country, and such disasters as those at Centralia prevented, but could you see this sec- tion of the State and study not only the topography of the country, but the hearts and consciences of the people, you would readily discover the great difficulties in the way of finding and exterminating bushwhackers. Jackman, with less than 100 men, remained in Boone County for fifteen months, waging his bushwhacking warfare, and during that period there were scarcely any other bushwhacking gangs in North Missouri. Yet Gen. Guitar, who was born and raised in Boone County, and knew every pathway and brush patch, with 6,000 good troops, was not able to drive out or kill them. Boone and Howard are now our two worst localities. In one of them I have Gen. Douglas, who is a native of the county, has been its Sheriff, and knows intimately the character of the country and the hearts of its citizens; and in Howard is Maj. Leonard, whose advantages for operating in his county are equal to those of Gen. Douglas for Boone. In addition I have Lient. Col. Draper, who has scouted through both counties for two years. Yet with all their knowledge, industry and perseverance the guerrillas thus far scatter and concentrate so as to elude our forces. Our movements, though made as secretly as possible, are dis- covered by the bushwhackers' friends and revealed from one to another. The citizens at home are our secret and most dangerous foes, and in no spot of all our disturbed terri- tory has the rebellion more earnest friends than in the Missouri River counties of this district. The invasion in the Southeast strengthens our sympathizing class and they are made to believe that Price with 'redemption draweth nigh.' How shall these guilty people be brought to repentance and good works? And what punishment, short of exter- mination, is mete for their treachery and encouragement of a warfare more barbarous than that practiced by the savages of the plains and frontier? We have in these counties not only the resident rebels, but in addition a large proportion of those who, by Gen. Ewing's order, were last year expelled from Johnson, Jackson, and other border counties. Depopulation and devastation are extreme measures, but if this infernal warfare continnes it will be humane and economic of human life to adopt and vigorously enforce such meas- ures wherever the bushwhackers have more friends than the government."
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A Man Hunt Among the Bayous.
The story of a guerrilla hunt in the lowlands of Southeast Missouri was told in a report made by Lieut. Col. John T. Burris. The party left New Madrid on the 21st of July. Between that time and the 26th the report says :
"We routed several parties of bushwhackers, killed four of their number, burned a distillery and a grocery at which they were accustomed to meet, and captured some arms and horses. We arrived at Scatterville on the evening of the 28th. There we routed a rebel recruiting party under Col. Clark and had a skirmish with Bolen's guerrillas. We killed one rebel Lieutenant, took Capt. Linebach prisoner, captured some arms and horses and burned the houses under cover of which the guerrillas had fired on my command. On the Ist of August we marched through the swamps and along Big Lake in a southerly direction. During the day we surprised a party of bushwhackers and thieves, cap- tured some arms, recaptured some negroes and horses previously stolen by these maraud- ers, and burned five of their houses. On the 2d we marched through an almost continuous swamp for about twenty miles; struck the settlement near Osceola late in the afternoon; soon after came upon a rebel picket, who, after firing, retreated. My advance, under command of Capt. Preuitt, pursued, the whole command following up closely until we came upon a main rebel force of that vicinity, under Capts. Bowen and Mcveigh, when a general charge was made. The rebels fled. A running fight ensued, which was kept up for several miles until the enemy's forces were scattered in every direction. We killed seven, including a lieutenant, and took twenty-five prisoners, including Capt. Bowen. We also captured a considerable number of arms and horses. No casualty on our side. August 3, marched north to the Chicasawba settlement, crossed Pemiscot Bayou, and encamped in Cowskin settlement. During the afternoon a scouting party, under Capt. Edwards, sur- prised a party of the enemy and killed two of them, capturing their arms and horses. The same evening a foraging party killed one of Convers' bushwhackers. August 4, marched at daylight. Soon came upon a rebel picket commanded by Lieut. Hedges. The rebels fled, and were pursued by Lieut. Hiller, commanding my advance guard, and Sergt. Wright's party of scouts. After a chase of two miles Hedges was overtaken and killed. His men escaped. We pursued the enemy six miles across Dogskin Swamp, when we found him in line of battle in a dense forest, two miles south of Elk Chute, in Pemiscot County, Mo. I immediately formed my battalions in line and attacked him. Our first volley partially broke the rebel line, when I ordered a charge, which was made with spirit. The whole rebel force fell back in confusion. A running fight was kept up for two miles, through the swamp, among the trees, and over logs. The enemy several times succeeded in partially reforming their lines, but each time only to be driven back in greater confusion. The last effort of Col. Erwin, the rebel commander, to rally his forces, was within about 200 yards of the Chute; but the impetuosity of the charge of my battalions on their lines, the deadly fire poured into their ranks, and the exultant shouts of my pursuing forces were more than they could stand. They again fled precipi- tately, many of them rushing, panic-stricken, into the stream, some attempting to swim their horses across, others abandoning their horses and everything else, and seeking to save themselves by swimming, while the rebel Colonel, with a portion of his terrified followers, suddenly turned to the right and, scattering, soon hid themselves in the dense forest and almost impenetrable swamps of that region.
"Our only loss in this engagement was Capt. Francis, of the 3d Cavalry Missouri State Militia, mortally wounded, and two enlisted men slightly wounded. The rebel loss was 30 killed, 6 mortally wounded, who fell into our hands, about 40 less severely wounded, who escaped, and 28 prisoners. Among the killed was a captain, and with the prisoners a lieutenant. On the morning of the 5th I had scouting parties out in every direction. They killed two guerrillas and took two of Erwin's men prisoners. On the same day marched to Gayoso, and on the 6th reached New Madrid without anything further of interest occurring. We killed in all 47, including I captain and 3 lieutenants, mortally wounded 6, not mortally about 40, and took prisoners 37, including 2 captains and I lieu- tenant. We captured upward of 200 stand of arms, including shotguns and common rifles, most of which, however, we were compelled to destroy for want of transportation.
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We captured, brought in, and turned over to the Quartermaster 230 horses and mules. We also emancipated and brought with us near twenty colored persons who were being held as slaves by rebel masters in Arkansas. Having started out without transportation of any kind, and almost without subsistence, both men and animals subsisted off the enemy. We have, I think, pretty effectually cleared out the guerrillas and punished their accomplices in the Second Subdistrict."
The Paw Paw Militia.
References to the Paw Paws were frequent in the reports :
"The so-called Paw Paws," Gen. Clinton B. Fisk wrote in a report, "were dis- loyal citizens and returned soldiers and officers from the rebel army who had been enrolled as disloyal under general orders in 1862. These men were organized into companies and regiments, under the direction of the governor of the State of Missouri, in the summer of 1863, for some purpose to me unknown. Of the policy that dictated this organization, or of the effect upon the loyal element thus to be guarded, protected and watched by armed rebels, many of them fresh from the Confederate army, I say nothing. Representations were often and freely made to the proper authorities that these troops were doing a vast amount of harm to the loyal sentiment of the State of Missouri, and it was shown in many instances that these troops would in no case fight the guerrillas and thieves who infested the neighborhoods where they were stationed in the northwestern portion of the State. The officers and inen of the 82d Regiment Enrolled Missouri Militia allowed the Confederate Col. Winston to remain safely harbored and pro- tected in the County of Clay during the winter of 1863-64, and used no exertion to arrest him, although his presence in their very midst was a well-established fact. They would not and did not arrest him.
"It was a matter of common report that Winston left a companion in Clay County, commonly known as Coon Thornton, but whose name is John C. Cal- houn Thornton. This man, it was well known, was recruiting for the Confed- erate service. Companies of the 81st and 82d Enrolled Missouri Militia were in league with Thornton.
"It was often reported to me by loyal men that these armed rebels were one by one slipping out of sight into the brush with their arms, and upon diligent inquiry I ascertained these reports to be in the main true. I immediately ordered the disarming of these men, their arms to be delivered to the armory at St. Joseph, Mo., and upon the receipt of the order twelve men of Capt. Cox's company, of the 8Ist Enrolled Missouri Militia, took their arms and disappeared. The company commanded by Capt. Bywater, at Camden Point, came in and deliv- ered up their arms at Camden Point preparatory to sending them to St. Joseph. They were stored in an old warehouse and two men of the same company left on guard over them. The same night a small body of unarmed guerrillas rode into the town, surprised the guard and carried off the guns and accouterments. Capt. Bywater's company has not been heard of since then."
As a further illustration of what an uncertain quantity the Paw Paws were Gen. Fisk told what happened at Platte City, where Maj. John M. Clark, of the 82d Enrolled Missouri Militia, was commanding. A body of the guerrillas under Coon Thornton approached Platte City. First Lieut. William Downing, of the 82d, went out and met the guerrillas. On his return he told Maj. Clark that the guerrillas were coming into town, and that he for one did not intend to resist them.
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"On the morning of the 10th of July Maj. Clark abandoned the command of the post to Capt. R. D. Johnston, Company A, 82d Regiment, and started off for a visit to his family, fifteen miles distant. Capt. Johnston being left in command immediately took counsel with such of his officers as were present, and deter- mined, in view of the known disloyalty of most of the command and the con- tinued assertions of Lieut. William Downing that he would not fight the guer- rillas, but help them, that he could do no better than surrender the garrison. Upon his announcing this fact, Lieut. Downing immediately went out and came into the town with the guerrillas, who forthwith took possession of the town and all that was in it. They took down the flag of the Union, and, tearing it into shreds, fastened them to the heads of their horses. Here again was repeated the scene of transformation of Missouri State soldiers into bushwhackers, for in less than a quarter of an hour after the occupation of the town nearly the whole of Capt. Johnston's command appeared dressed in Confederate uniforms.
"Not less than 250 or 300 of these so-called Enrolled Missouri Militia joined the guerrillas. Maj. Clark, as soon as his way was clear, reported safely at my headquarters. I shall have him brought to trial speedily. The total number of troops that joined Thornton and Thrailkill, his second in command, was four times the force at Thornton's disposal at the outset of his raid. Since the 15th of July about thirty-five of these traitors have been killed. About 100 are in the brush sending messages to me to know how they can renew their allegiance, claiming to have been conscripted by Thornton, and a few have been taken at Atchison and Leavenworth, Kan., in attempts to escape, and are now confined in jail at Atchison.
"In closing this report I can only say that every word of it is capable of proof, and an examination of all facts such as I propose to make will probably show up a darker shade of villainy and corruption than appears in this prelim- inary report."
A Brush Expedition in Western Missouri.
Capt. Ezra W. Kingsbury led a detachment of the 2d Colorado Cavalry on a typical brush expedition from Independence through Western Missouri coun- ties. He camped one night at Young's farm, four miles from Blue Mills.
"While at this place," his report says, "I learned that Fletch Taylor, Thrailkill and other bushwhackers had been in that vicinity. On starting next morning at about 3 o'clock, scouting the country thoroughly in the vicinity of Six Mile, learned that Taylor had procured a buggy and started for Lafayette County, being severely wounded. Struck the trail and followed it about fifteen miles, until near Bone Hill, when lost it, and after searching some time turned back on Lexington road for Lafayette County. Found numer- ous signs of small parties of bushwhackers, and finally reached the farm of one Ish, in Lafayette County, where, by means of passing as bushwhackers, learned from a boy, whom I took and compelled to go with me, that there was a body of about 100 men encamped in Big Bottom, about six miles from that place. I started for that point, but ascertained that Drs. Murphy and Regan, of Wellington, had amputated Taylor's arm the morning before, and, wishing to secure Murphy, started twenty-five men to Welling- ton to bring him, and proceeded south with the command two miles to Ewing's farm, where I found Murphy, who happened to be there; arrested him, and, forage being plenty, fed the horses. On examining Murphy found that he had reported the facts con- cerning Taylor to Lexington immediately after the amputation took place, but could learn nothing definite concerning his whereabouts. Before the detail sent to Wellington returned
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it was nearly night, and thence I moved south to the house of one Fishback and camped for the night, having released Dr. Murphy. Traveled this day about fifty miles. Next morning started at sunrise and went in a southerly course to the Sni, striking it at the old mill-dam, thence proceeded in a west course to Gardiner's farm; struck from thence in the direc- tion of Bone Hill and Judge Gray's farm, scouting thoroughly the brush in that vicinity ; arrived at the house of one Bord, near the line of Jackson and Lafayette Counties. On examining him at first could get no information from him; said he had never seen but six bushwhackers; saw them the evening before. Knew nothing of the whereabouts of any of them. I then made him go with us, and told him to guide us to their camp. At first he denied as before, but finally took us to the camp where Fletch Taylor had his arm amputated, and had left there very recently, as the signs were fresh and new. Found bandages stained with blood, pillow, etc., but no man. Finding that Bord was only leading us through the brush in order to give the bushwhackers time to escape I gave him a little hanging, which immediately improved his knowledge of the country. He told me two bushwhackers had been at his house the evening before to see his daughter, and on our starting again he led us through the thickest kind of brush to four other camps, one of which had only been vacated that morning, judging by the forage scat- tered around and other fresh signs; the other three were older, but had been used during the course of the summer. Searched the brush thoroughly, but could find no one. Learned further from Bord that there were plenty of them in the country in small parties ranging from Big Bottom to Bone Hill. Having obtained what information from Bord I could, released him and struck west for Robinson's, in Jackson County; trailed fifteen to that place and followed the trail to eastern edge of Fire Prairie, where 1 started fifteen in a party and pursued them through the thick brush ten miles in a southerly course, when they scattered and I lost the trail; thence returned northwest, until I struck the eastern edge of Fire Prairie; thence west, and started another party of eight, but at too great a distance to do anything with them. Struck the trail of a large party and followed them four miles to an old bridge across a ravine, where I heard a gun, fired evidently as a signal for them to disperse, as the tracks scattered immediately, and I lost them. This vicinity is evidently full of small parties of them continually passing back and forth. After searching the brush I crossed Fire Prairie to the timber on the Blue, and scouted up the river till I reached Spring Branch Crossing; thence returned to this place, arriving here about 6 p. m., traveling that day about sixty-five miles."
Plenty of signs but no game was the result of the Colorado man's scouts. It took Missourians to catch Missourians in this kind of warfare.
A Raid from Rolla.
House burning was not only considered the proper thing, but it was reported with evident pride in the official narratives of the scouts against bushwhackers. Capt. Ferd Charveaux, of the Fifth Cavalry, Missouri State Militia, in giving the details of an expedition made from Rolla in the direction of Houston, made a report :
"After traveling about six or seven miles I received information that about thirteen bushwhackers had passed through that country the night previous. I went to the house of Richmond, who is bushwhacking with his son. I ordered the things taken out of the houses and had the houses set on fire. I then proceeded five miles farther to the house of Absly, who is out with the bushwhackers, which I had burned in the manner of Rich- mond's. I went about three miles farther and received information that there was a gang of about fifty bushwhackers in the direction of Spring Valley; I tracked them about six miles, and lost their track through the woods and the hills. I stopped over night at Thomas Kinnan's and started early next morning, September 17, to Spring Valley, where I received information that some rebels had been at Thomasville two or three days previous. I imme- diately proceeded in direct course for Thomasville, taking by-roads. I stopped over night at the house of William H. Goldsberry's. Next morning, September 18, started toward
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