USA > Missouri > Greene County > Past and present of Greene County Missouri, early and recent history and genealogical records of many of the representative citizens, Volume I > Part 35
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" ساخيم
Funeral Scene of Members of Fremont's State Guard-Public
Square, Springfield,
October 28, 1861.
Public Square Scene-Early Day. Fremont's State Guard, Commanded by Maj. Zagonyi, Charging Confederates on Wil- son Creek, near Springfield, October 25. 1861.
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
that had not already been so disposed of. The major's ruse seemed to have the desired effect, although at that time he had but two dozen men under him and General Sigel was forty miles away with his command. It was Captain Wroton, mentioned in a preceding paragraph, that had saved Major White'e life when he was taken prisoner, and when the Home Guards of- fered some indignity to Captain Wroton, who was now a prisoner under White, the latter was prompt to resent the insult and swore he would shoot like a dog anyone who interfered in any way with the gallant Southerner who had saved him when he was in deadly. peril among false brethren. After the flag of truce episode a defensive force was organized, composed of the dismounted Body Guard, some of the men who had recovered from the wounds received at Wilson's Creek, and a few citizens, of whom William Massey was one. Nearly all the Southern dead had previously been buried by citizens, including John Y. Fulbright. At that time Mrs. Worrell's flag could be seen from all over the vicinity and this doubtless strengthened the belief from among Frazier's men that the town was filled with a strong force of Federals.
Major Zagonyi's total loss in killed, according to official reports, was three corporals and twelve privates; wounded, four commissioned officers, and sixteen privates ; missing, one sergeant, one corporal and eight privates. Total killed, fifteen; wounded, twenty-seven; missing, ten. Total killed, wounded and missing, fifty-two. Those killed in the Body Guard were Cor- porals Chamberlin of Company A; Schneider of Company B; Norrison of Company C, and Privates Duthro and Franz of Company A; Wright, Ross, Frei, Osburg, Shrack, Morat, Davis, Slattery of Company B; William Van- way and Alexander Linfoot of Company C. The loss in Major White's Prairie Scouts seems to have been confined to one company-Captain Pat- rick Naughton's Irish Dragoons. First Lieut. Patrick Connelly, of this com- pany, was mortally wounded, dying soon after. Private Charles Gilchrist was shot in the arm and Jerrold Connor in the hip. The commissioned of- ficers of the Body Guard that were wounded were First Lieut. N. Wester- burg, in the shoulder, and right hand; Second Lieut. J. W. Goff, in the hip; First Lieut. Joseph C. Frock, in the leg; First Lieut, Joseph Kennedy, in the arm and head. R. M. Smith, a Union citizen of Miller county, who was with the Body Guard, was wounded and taken prisoner.
The loss of the State Guard, under Frazier, is problematical, as no of- ficial report was ever made. Some who were in the skirmish assert that as many as twenty-three were killed, fifty wounded, and twenty-five taken pris- oners, but this estimate is doubtless exaggerated.
(21)
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
GENERAL FREMONT TAKES POSSESSION.
After Zagonyi's charge. Major White and his handful of soldiers and the Union citizens of Springfield spent forty-eight hours of great anxiety, fearing that the Confederates would again take possession of the town. Finally Sigel's Division, the advance of General Fremont's army arrived, and the town and the prisoners were delivered up to stronger hands on October 27th. having marched thirty miles in twelve hours. The Unionists were again gleeful and proceeded to celebrate the event. It was three days later before the rear was brought up by Gen. Jim Lane's Kansas Brigade of Gen- eral Asboth's Division. General McKistry's Division was then sixty miles away on the Pomme de Terre river and Generals Hunter and Pope were in the vicinity of Warsaw, making their way slowly southward. Fremont was somewhat umeasy. He knew that General Price was at Neosho with a con- siderable army, now seasoned and experienced after two battles, and he also knew that General McCulloch was not so far away but that he could come up in a day or two. General Lyon experienced the same anxiety three months previously. But Price was not a man to do things without due deliberation and he did not try any surprises, and in a few days Fremont's scattered army began tò rendezvous. Pope coming up on the first of Novem- ber, soon followed by McKistry's Division.
It was Major Holman's battalion of sharpshooters that first entered Springfield and occupied the place on the morning of the 27th. Several prisoners had been placed in the old brick court house, then standing in the center of the public square. One of the men was insane and he contrived to fire the building and before the flames were discovered they had made such headway that they could not be extinguished and the building was soon a mass of ruins. This was on the evening of October 28th.
Mrs. Sophia N. Worrell, Mrs. W. H. Graves and other women of Springfield determined to present a flag to the Body Guard and Prairie Scouts upon their reappearance in town in recognition of their services in assisting in recapturing the place and in admiration of the gallant charge and fight of a few days previous. Some of Major White's men learning of the intention of the women told them that the Prairie Scouts alone were entitled to the flag, proceeding to delineate the unparalleled deeds of valor they had done to gain the day. The ladies agreed to give it to them and straightway up rode Major White's command to Mrs. Worrell's grocery on the south side of the public square and received the banner. Meantime Major Zagonyi had been informed that he was to be presented with a flag and was just riding up at the head of the Body Guard when he saw White's men bearing off the prize and with a vigorous outburst of profanity he wheeled and returned to his headquarters. The donors of the flag upon learning of
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
their mistake, were greatly mortified and in order to make amends they determined to present another banner to the Body Guard and accordingly notified the fiery Hungarian cavalryman, but his pride forbade him accept- ing the proffered flag after what had happened and he sent the following dignified note :
Headquarters Fremont's Body Guard, Springfield, Mo., Nov. 2, 1861,
To Mrs. Worrell and Other Ladies of Springfield :
Ladies-Your flattering offer to present a flag to the Fremont Body Guard is appreciated and gratefully acknowledged. Some intimation of such a gift reached me late yesterday afternoon and I much regret the mis- take or misunderstanding which prevented a proper recognition of your kindness at that time. But it is with far profounder sorrow that I find my- self compelled to decline the proffered presentation. It would be idle to affect ignorance of the fact that the same distinction has been conferred upon a body of men who, though placed under my command upon the occasion to which your partiality obliges me to refer, deserted me at the very moment of conflict and exposed the officers and men of the Body Guard to a fate which the hand of Providence alone could avert. The honor of the soldiers under my command, dear to me as my own, I must not permit to be sullied or tarnished in the slightest degree. The Union women of Springfield are too noble and generous to misinterpret this rejection of a testimonial which, under other circumstances, would be so thankfully received and so highly prized. To the forlorn band which entered this city a few days ago, they gave a cordial welcome; to its patriotism their approval has added zeal; their sympathy and tenderness are now softening the tedious confinement of its wounded, and they will pardon that surplus self-respect which forbids the Body Guard to share the rewards of a victory with those who refused to participate in its hazards.
Respectfully, CHARLES ZAGONYI,
Major Commanding Body Guard,
LEGISLATURE VOTES TO SECEDE.
Gov. Claiborne Jackson convened the Missouri state Legislature at Neosho on October 26th and on the 28th an ordinance of secession was passed by both houses, only one senator, Charles Hardin, from the Boone and Calloway district, voting against it. Senator Hardin subsequently became governor of the state. There was also only one member of the house who voted against the ordinance, Mr. Shambaugh of DeKalb county. It was later claimed by some that a quorum was not present in either house. But whether that is true or not, the secession ordinance and the act of annexation to the
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
Southern Confederacy were approved by the Confederate Congress at Rich- mond, recognized by that portion of the people of Missouri who were in favor of seceding from the Union. General Price fired a salute upon the announcement of the passage of the ordinance. F. T. Frazier, whose home was in Greene county and who was at that time senator from this district, was at the convention at Neosho and voted for secession. The two repre- sentatives from Greene county, Headlee and Boyd, were in the Federal service at that time.
General Fremont concluded a sort of treaty with General Price on November Ist by the terms of which no arrests whatever on account of political opinions or for the private expression of the same were to be made within the state of Missouri by either Federais or Confederates and all per- sons then under arrest on such charges were to be released. All citizens who had been driven from their homes because of their political opinions were advised to return with the assurance that they should receive protection from both armies in the field. All bodies of armed men acting without the authority or recognition of either General Fremont or General Price and not legitimately connected with the armies in the field were ordered to disband. Violations of either of the provisions of the treaty subjected the offender to the penalties of military law, according to the nature of the offense. The treaty was signed by General Fremont in person and by Henry W. Williams and D. R. Barclay, commissioners in behalf of General Price. A second clause provided for the exchange of prisoners, grade for grade, or two officers of lower grade as an equivalent in rank for one of a higher grade, and should be thought just as equable.
GENERAL HUNTER SUPERSEDES GENERAL FREMONT.
An order signed by Gen. Winfield Scott, the great commander in the Mexican war, who was during the carly part of the Civil war at the head of the army of the United States, reached Springfield on November 2d by a messenger from St. Louis, for General Fremont's removal from command. He was directed to pass over the army at Springfield to Gen. D. Hunter and to report by letter to the war department. The order resulted in much dis- satisfaction among the Union troops, especially among Sigel's and Asboth's Divisions, and a deputation of one hundred and ten officers from these divisions presented Fremont with an address of sympathy and confidence and asked him to lead them on to battle.
General Hunter's Division had not come in on the evening of November 3, and while on a reconnoiter a detachment of General Asboth's Division that afternoon discovered a Confederate force concentrating on Wilson's Creek and McCulloch's army being reported at Dug's Spring, Fremont de-
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
cided not to abandon his charge, though suspended from office, concluding to go out and engage the enemy in battle before his successor should arrive. He accordingly gave orders for the army to march on the morning of the 4th against Price and McCulloch, who were believed by that time to have formed a junction. This caused the citizens of Springfield to again ex- perience the greatest fears, believing that a second battle was about to be fought on the little stream, which would doubtless far surpass that of three months ago in carnage, the forces being more than doubled than on the former occasion. Calling a conference of his leading officers, Fremont out- lined a plan of battle. Asboth was ordered to take charge of the right wing, McKistry the center, Sigel the left wing, and Pope the reserve. McKistry's column was to leave camp at six o'clock in the morning and proceed by the Fayetteville road to the upper end of the upper cornfield on the left of where General Lyon had made his first attack. General Sigel who was to start at the same time as McKistry was to follow his old route, with the excep- tion that he was to turn to the right about two miles sooner and proceed to the old stable on the lower end of the lower cornfield. A half hour later Asboth was to start with his division and follow the Mt. Vernon road about five miles, then by a prairie road reach the right of a ravine opposite the lower field. Jim Lane with his Kansans was to join Sigel's command and General Wyman was to join Asboth. Pope was to begin his march at seven o'clock on the Fayetteville road, following McKistry's Division. The different divisions were to come into their positions about the same time, eleven o'clock, at which hour a simultaneous attack was to be made upon. the Confederates supposed to be in camp on the Wilson Creek battle ground. Each regiment was to take with it three two-horse wagons with which to transport the wounded. The baggage trains were to be packed and held in readiness at Springfield, where one regiment and two pieces of artillery of Pope's Division were to remain as reserve. If these plans had been carried out doubtless a great battle would have been fought, for Fremont had about thirty thousand men, while the combined forces of Price and McCulloch numbered twenty-five thousand men, however the latter were not all well armed and equipped and many were undisciplined. It was Fremont's am- bition to crush Price and McCulloch at one blow, push on into the South- land to Little Rock, Memphis, Vicksburg and New Orleans, but these am- bitious plans were nipped in the bud and instead of becoming one of the great generals of the war as many expected he would, little more is heard of him, and men then unknown came forward to do the work he should have done.
In the first place Price and McCulloch's army was not at Wilson's Creek -only about fifteen hundred of their cavalry, who could have easily galloped away to safety at the approach of the formidable hosts from the North.
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
And in the second place, while Fremont was still in council with his brigadiers at midnight of the 3d, General Hunter came in and Fremont turned every- thing over to him. With Hunter's instructions to assume command were instructions from the War Department to fall back to Rolla, as the Con- federates in southwest Missouri were only maneuvering to draw out the Federals and keep them employed out in these wilds in as great numbers as possible, while General Pillow's army should steam up the Mississippi river from Columbus, Kentucky, capture St. Louis, and work incalculable mischief. It, however, afterwards learned that there was very little truth in these suppo- sitions and it was only the revival of Fremont's old idea which caused him to hold back re-inforcements from Lyon during the previous summer. Fol- lowing is a copy of Fremont's address to his army upon his dismissal :
Headquarters Western Department, Springfield, Nov. 2, 1861.
Soldiers of the Mississippi AArmy-Agreeable to orders this day received, I take leave of you. . Although our army has been of sudden growth, we have grown up together, and I have become familiar with the brave and generous spirits which you bring to the defense of your country, and which makes me anticipate for you a brilliant carcer. Continue as you have begun and give to my successor the same cordial and enthusiastic support with which you have encouraged me. Emulate the splendid example which you have already before you and let me remain as I am-proud of the noble army which I have thus far labored to bring together. Soldiers, I regret to leave you. Most sincerely I thank you for the regard and confidence you have invariably shown me. 1 deeply regret that I shall not have the honor to lead you to the victory which you are just about to win; but I shall claim the right to share with you in the joy of every triumph and trust always to be remembered by my companions in arms.
JOHN C. FREMONT, Major-General.
Fremont left for St. Louis on the 4th by way of Jefferson City; ac- companied by the Body Guard and Sharpshooters as an escort and the most of his staff and soon were dismissed from service.
General Hunter did not advance on the enemy and the plans made by his predecessor were immediately dropped. One of the first things the new commander did was to repudiate the treaty, so far as Federal authority was concerned, which Fremont and Price had made a week previously. His letter regarding this follows:
Headquarters Western Department, Springfield Mo., Nov. 7, 1861.
General Sterling Price, Commanding Forces at Cassville-Referring to
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
an agreement purporting to have been made between Major-generals Fre- mont and Price, respectively, I have to state that, as general commanding the forces of the United States in this department, I can in no manner recognize the agreement aforesaid, or any of its provisions, whether implied or direct; and that I can neither issue the "joint proclamation" purporting to have been signed by yourself and Maj .- Gen. John C. Fremont on the Ist day of Novem- ber, A. D. 1861.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. HUNTER, Major-General Commanding.
General Hunter's reasons to the War Department for the repudiation of the treaty were that the stipulation that no arrests were to be made "for the mere entertainment or expression of political opinions," if acceded to would "render the enforcement of martial law in Missouri, or any part of it, im- possible, and would give absolute liberty to the propagandists of treason throughout the state." The stipulation confining operations exclusively "to armies in the field," General Hunter said, "would practically annul the con- fiscation act passed during the last session of Congress and would furnish perfect immunity to those disbanded soldiers of Price's command who have now returned to their homes, but with the intention and under a pledge of rejoining the rebel forces whenever called upon and furthermore blot out of existence the loyal men of the Missouri Home Guard, who have not, it is alleged, been recognized by act of Congress, and who, it would be claimed, are therefore not 'legitimately connected with the armies on the field.'"
The Home Guards in Greene and 'surrounding counties were glad that Hunter rejected the treaty since they believed that the aim of Fremont was to destroy their organization and force them to enter the regular Federal army.
GENERAL HUNTER MARCHES AWAY.
On November 9, General Hunter led his well-equipped army of thirty thousand men, the best army ever west of the Mississippi river, toward Rolla. The men were from Missouri, Kansas .. Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indi- ana and Illinois. It also seemed that Price, too, did not desire a battle, for two days previously he withdrew southward to the Arkansas line. It was later learned that Price had asked for and was expecting reinforcements from General Pillow and General Polk to enable him to successfully meet the large Federal forces in southwestern Missouri. In order to prevent this, General Grant attacked Pillow at Balmont where quite an engagement took place. The divisions of Asboth and Sigel pushed forward to Wilson's creek, but not for the purpose of attacking the Confederates but as a feint to cover
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
up the retreat of the main army to Rolla. General Price was greatly aston- ished upon learning of the retirement of the Federals, thus ending a much- talked-of three months' campaign which had accomplished practically noth- ing. The entire southwestern portion of the state was thereby abandoned indefinitely to the Southern forces. This caused hundreds of Union families to leave Greene and other counties and follow the Union army in much dis- tress and disappointment, the road for many miles being filled with the wagons and live stock of the refugees. The great army of Fremont had come into the county but a few days previous with great pomp-waving of ban- ners, playing of bands and fanfare of bugles, the people believing that they could once more return to the peaceful pursuits of life; that the occupation by the Federals would be permanent, and now that the army was sneaking away without an apparent cause, the people were again at a loss to know what course to follow. Many of the families who went away with Hunter's army to find peace and protection in the regions to the northward did not re- turn until the war was over and some never came back. Several merchants of Springfield took their goods to Rolla, where they re-established them- selves in business. Bushwhackers watched the refugees and robbed many of them as they were camped along the way. The family of Thomas Green who lived two miles south of Springfield, was robbed after reaching Phelps county, but Mr. Green's two daughters followed the brigands a short distance and when the thieves laid their plunder down and spent the night, the Green girls hastened on to the main camp of refugees and, securing help, the bush- whackers were seized.
Although Fremont's army did not remain long in Greene county, it left a rather bad reputation behind, for it seems that it contained many lawless characters, plunderers and thieves. Jim Lane's men carried off some negroes with them, some of whom at the time belonged to Union families. There was no open pillaging, but many larcenies and a few houses were burned, and much foraging was done. However, whenever any kind of property was taken by authority from Union men, vouchers were given for its full value and the owners ultimately recovered pay in full.
THE CONFEDERATES IN CONTROL AGAIN.
It was not long after the army under General Hunter had marched out of Greene county until the Confederates began to take possession of the country again. Governor Jackson's Legislature was in session but one week, closing November 7, after which Price took his army into Barry and Mc- Donald counties. It was not until the evening of the 15th that McCulloch learned that the Federal army had fallen back from Springfield. He was at that time near the Arkansas line, seventy-two miles away. The next morn-
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GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI.
ing he put his army in motion toward Springfield which he reached on the night of the 18th and at that time Price's army was also marching back toward the Missouri river. But by the last of November the major portion of the Southern army was encamped in and about Springfield. Every available house was occupied for military purposes of some kind, either as. headquarters, hospital, quartermaster or commissary depot, barracks or in some cases, stables ; for in not a few instances officers were quartered in the front rooms of abandoned houses while their horses were stabled in the kitchen. An instance of this was in the home of Mrs. Worrell, mentioned previously in connection with the Zagonyi flag incident. She lived on the south side of the public square where she also maintained a grocery store. The Worrell family retreated with Hunter's army, but not being able to take- all their goods, Mrs. Worrell sewed up long sacks in which she placed much of her goods and suspended them between the weatherboarding and the plastering in the spacing between the studding. Although Price's troops occupied the front portion of the building, converting the kitchen and rear rooms into stalls for their horses, they failed to discover the hidden groceries, however, they cut a window between two studding, but it was one of the. few between which no sacks had been suspended and the troopers never knew how near they were to the stores of which they were in so much need. Some four months later when Mrs. Worrell returned to Springfield she was glad to find her goods although her house was greatly upset. During this period much foraging was done and a levy for supplies was sometimes made on citizens who openly avowed themselves to be Confederate sympathizers. Wagon trains were even sent into adjoining counties and brought back all kinds of provisions, for which pay was sometimes given in Missouri "scrip" when the property taken belonged to a good Southern man, but no pay was either asked or given most of the Union citizens, who were glad to give up their property if their lives were spared. Although General Price had from the first a vast herd of horses, he now impressed nearly every available one in the county. One of his majors visited the store of J. S. Moss & Company, whereupon Mr. Moss informed the officer that he was always glad to favor the Confederates. The officer assured him that he was glad to meet such a man and that as he happened to control a great deal of money he was in position to favor Mr. Moss. The following morning the major returned to the store with two large army wagons and goods from the store were transferred to the wagons amounting to over five thousand dol- lars, the officer not seeming to be particular as to the price, and, noting this, the merchant charged a handsome figure for most of his goods. He was in high spirits until the paying time came, when the officer counted out the aggregate sum in Missouri scrip, which had been issued by the Legislature- under Gov. Claiborne Jackson, for the purpose of carrying on the war and'
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