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 36
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wholly dependent for value upon the success of the Confederate cause. Mr. Moss gently informed his purchaser that he would prefer gold, but the officer stated that he had no gold. The former, not to be outdone, thanked the officer for his patronage and told how greatly he appreciated same, but that he was not a selfish man and that he would like for the major to call on some of his fellow merchants next time and give them a chance to turn their stock.
A good many Union men over the county were taken prisoners, some of whom had returned from following Hunter's army to take care of their families and their property and soon the jail at Springfield was full, but they were not mistreated.
Still desiring to invade northern Missouri, General Price marched his army out of Springfield on November 20, taking the Bolivar and other roads to the northward, intending to reach the Missouri river either at Boonville or Lexington and later invade Kansas. While at Neosha, Price had issued an address which was printed in the Missouri Army Argus, a paper which his own men issued with type supposed to have been taken from the Mirror office in Springfield. In this address which was directed to the people of central and north Missouri, he called for fifty thousand more men and said : "We have two hundred million dollars' worth of Northern means in Mis- souri which cannot be removed. When we are once free this amount will indemnify every citizen who may have lost a dollar by adhesion to the cause of his country. We shall have our property or its value with interest." This proclamation was freely circulated all over the state. It is believed that the circulation of this address in Greene county made more recruits for the Federal army than for Price's, and the matter was long held against the Confederates in this state. Price's army moved northward in three divi- sions. Six thousand men. the right wing, under General McBride, left Springfield November 26. General Rains's Division, composing the left wing and containing five thousand men, was commanded by General Price in person. General McCulloch had retired to the Arkansas valley with his army from which he was soon afterwards summoned to Richmond to ex- plain his conduct in thus abandoning Price. Price's troops, the three divi- sions of which had come by different routes, concentrated at Osceola early in December, where a large number of recruits and many thousands of dollars' worth of supplies were brought in from the rich counties of the Missouri valley, supposed to be peopled with Southern sympathizers. Mean- while small detachments of Confederate troops had drifted into Springfield from various quarters and there was a considerable force to guard the town.
It seems that General Hunter also failed to please the government in his methods of handling the army in Missouri and he was relieved from duty as commander-in-chief of the same just five days after he was given
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charge of it, being succeeded by Gen. H. W. Halleck. The latter was con- stantly laying great plans and telling the people what he was about to do, but never did anything. Pope's Division was immediately in front of Price and prevented many recruits from reaching the Southern army, capturing at one time, in Johnson county, about one thousand men under the command of Col. Frank Robertson and were mostly from Carroll and Saline counties.
But Halleck finally made such disposition of his forces as to cause Price to turn back from the Osage country to Greene county, he preceding his troops in person, while General Rains covered the withdrawal. Bridges were burned and roads obstructed in order to detain Pope and Lane, whom Price believed would follow him. Among the bridges destroyed was the long one over the Osage at Warsaw which Fremont had built two months previously. However, Price was not pursued and his army came on back to Springfield unmolested. It was now winter and his men suffered consider- ably on the march and in camp. The army re-occupied Springfield on Christ- mas day, 1861, and Greene county was once again under complete control of the Confederates. The first of January, 1862, found almost the entire county a military camp and its outposts. The operations of the civil law were entirely suspended. No new county officials had been elected to serve the people under the new regime and the old officers were either serving in the Union army or were fugitives. Everything was done under martial law. The provost marshal was the supreme arbiter of controversies between civilians, but frequently General Price was called upon to settle difficulties. Property continued to be seized for the use of the army wherever it could be found but both sides soon became adept at hiding things and the foragers had a harder task than formerly, even live stock was secreted in thickets and hollows.
Money was plentiful, such as it was. The forty thousand dollars seized by Price and Governor Jackson when they captured Lexington and which belonged to the branch bank of the state at that place, did not last long, together with other "forced loans," and the Neosho Legislature authorized the issue of ten millions of dollars of "defense bonds," in sums from one dollar to five hundred dollars and bonds of five dollars and upwards to bear interest at ten per cent. This species money, called "Missouri Scrip," was the current coin of Greene county by the army of General Price. It was engraved and printed in New Orleans by A. Malus and the most of it was printed on the back of old uncut blank bills of exchange and under imitations of bank note paper, the engraving being on wood and both the engraving and printing were of inferior quality. Each "bond" or bill was signed by one of the three commissioners appointed to issue the bonds. Henry W. Lyday, William Shields or Thomas H. Murray. The state seal of Virginia with-
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out the motto decorated the left end and a hunter with raccoon skin cap and hunting shirt, gun, dog and a lynx appeared on the right end.
PRICE RE-ORGANIZING HIS ARMY.
It was General Price's intention to spend the winter in Springfield, being encouraged by the promise of re-inforcements from Arkansas under McCulloch and Melntosh and by the inactivity of the Union army. Since the capture of Lexington, Price's army had become considerably reduced, now numbering about fifteen thousand which was five thousand less than formerly. His ranks had been depleted by death, desertions, transfers and furloughs. When he had become comfortably settled at Springfield he began re-organizing his army. When the terms of enlistment of the Missouri State Guards expired they were induced to enter service of the regular Confederate states. The original term of service of the State Guards was for six months and most of them having enlisted the middle of the preceding summer, their terms expired about the first of the year. The major portion of them were then enlisted in the regular Confederate army for three years or until the close of the war. So the month of January was spent in this work.
Captain Campbell's Greene county company promptly enlisted in the regular service about the middle of December, 1861, and it was one of the best companys in the Southern army. It was first organized in May, 1861, under Governor Jackson's military bill for service in the Missouri State Guard, the first organization being effected at the head of Clear creek, near Springfield. Leonidas St. Clair Campbell, who was always called Dick Campbell, was chosen captain; James McSpadden, first lieutenant; Thomas Weaver, second lieutenant; Ben Hardin, third lieutenant ; John A. Blanchard, orderly sergeant. The company numbered one hundred and twenty-five men. It was not well equipped for service in the field, being armed with double-barreled shotguns, navy revolvers and a few squirrel rifles. Soon after its organization the company left Greene county where the Union Home Guards were greatly in the majority and they disliked the idea of fighting neighbors, relatives and friends. In June it went into the southern part of Taney county on the Arkansas line where it camped about two weeks, then went to join General Price on the Cowskin prairie in McDonald county, and, joining the army of Missourians marched with it to Cassville, then to Crane creek. Dug Springs and Wilson's creek. From Cassville to Wilson's creek the company was in the advance guard of General Rains' Division. The company was engaged in the fight at Dug Springs where private Fulbright died from sunstroke. His horse was shot from under him and he became overheated in running during the retreat to prevent being captured by the enemy. W. J. Frazier, another member of the company was slightly
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wounded. The company took a prominent part in the battle of Wilson's Creek, as described in an earlier portion of this chapter. With this com- pany there also fought Captain Lotspeich's company, another Greene county organization, in which were Stone and Taney county men. The day after the battle of Wilson's Creek, Campbell's company came into Springfield as escort to General Price. It remained here for some time only a few of the members going to Lexington with the main army. When the company was re-organized the latter part of 1861, James McSpadden was elected captain; Jack Luck, first lieutenant; Louis Brashears, second lieutenant ; William Merritt, third lieutenant; William Perkins, orderly. During the first two months of 1862, the company received a number of new recruits and accompanied Price's army when it left the county on the approach of Generals Curtis and Sigel. It fought at Pea Ridge and afterwards was sent east of the Mississippi and joined Beauregard's army at. Corinth, partici- pating in the battles of Corinth and Iuka and remained in Mississippi during 1862. At the desperate assault on Corinth, October 4, 1862, the Greene county company lost just half its number in killed and wounded. Among the latter were Capt. McSpadden and Lieutenant Brashears. The company also participated in the memorable Vicksburg campaign, fighting in the vari- ous engagements of the same and always giving a good account of them- selves and surrendered with Pemberton's army to Grant, July 4, 1863. The · company was never again united after the fall of Vicksburg. Some of the members remained east of the Mississippi, others recrossed the river and joined Marmaduke and Shelby, taking part in Price's last raid in Missouri. A few fought under Sid Jackson and other irregular organizations. During the term of service of the original organization of Campbell's company, either as that company or belonging to another, participated in the following · engagements : Dug Springs, Wilson's Creek, Crane Creek, Dry Wood, Lex- ington, Missouri; Pea Ridge, Cane Hill, Arkansas; Corinth, Iuka, Saltillo, Champion Hill (or Baker's Creek), Grand Gulf, Big Black and Vicksburg, Mississippi; Spring Hill, Duck River and Franklin, Tennessee; in all the battles fought by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in the Georgia campaign in 1864, and the survivors surrendered at Mobile, Alabama, in the last battle of the war east of the Mississippi. The old company was frequently complimented for gallant conduct on the field of battle by Generals Rains, Bowen, Mc- Bride, Price and Joseph E. Johnston. It was loyal, brave, obedient. It was a very heavy loser in killed and wounded but the few of its members who lived to return to their homes in Greene county made as good citizens as they did soldiers.
After the re-organization of Price's army the remainder of the time spent in Greene county was devoted to drilling the men and scouting. In order to keep the troops employed, expeditions were sent out from time to
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time, partly to forage. The tents of the army covered all the unoccupied ground in and about Springfield and outposts were established at Bois D'Arc, Ebenezer and other points in the county and the stay of the army was un- eventful. Every house in Springfield was occupied by the officers as head- quarters or for their families, offices or hospitals. There was considerable sickness and many died. The court house, churches and other similar buildings were filled with sick and a few wounded. They were not properly treated, owing to lack of proper medical and surgical supplies. But assisted by the women of the community the doctors did as well as they could.
END OF CONFEDERATE RULE IN GREENE COUNTY.
Rumors were circulated in Greene county about February 10th that an- other Federal army was on its way from Rolla to Springfield, of sufficient force to drive Price out of the county. The next day the Confederates began preparing to evacuate. It was known now that the enemy was at Marsh- field, in the adjoining county of Webster, with a force supposed to be twice the size of that of Price and was marching rapidly on Springfield, despite the severe winter weather. General Price, knowing that he was not properly equipped to defend his position against such a formidable host as was march- ing out from Rolla and Lebanon, decided to abandon the town and county to the Federals and the retreat began after as little delay as possible. As. the Union families had followed Hunter's army the previous summer, so now many Confederate families prepared to follow Price's army, two of them being J. S. Moss and Maj. D. D. Berry, leading merchants of Spring- field.
A skirmish took place on the afternoon of February 12th near the present site of Strafford, in Jackson township, between the advance guard of the Federal army, believed to have been a portion of the First Missouri Cavalry and some Confederates who were stationed as an outpost for observing the enemy. Two of Price's men, belonging to a Morgan county company, were killed and a half dozen were wounded. No Federals were killed but quite a number were wounded. The outpost fell back to Springfield. Price's army marched away on the Cassville road on the night of the 12th. It was bad marching weather and the progress of the army was slow. However, the pace of the rear guard was accelerated by the knowledge that Gen. Franz Sigel was for the third time leading an army into southwest Missouri and also that on either flank of the Confederates detachments were near for the purpose of closing in from both sides at an opportune time, and so it hap- pened that the stars and bars went out of the county to never again wave in triumph over it. The Blanchard family, living in the western part of the county, was among the refugees following the retreating army. The Federal
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advance overtook the wagon in which were Mr. Blanchard and his son, John A. Blanchard, who had been orderly sergeant of Campbell's company. The elder Blanchard was taken from the wagon and shot. Many families did not follow the army, but went due south into Arkansas.
The Federal army had as its commander-in-chief Maj .- Gen. Samuel R. Curtis, of Iowa, whose promotion had been rapid for only eight months previously he had entered the Union service as colonel of the Second Iowa Infantry, resigning his seat in Congress to take the field. His army was now composed mainly of the divisions of Generals Sigel, Asboth, E. A. Carr and J. C. Davis. Carr had fought at Wilson's Creek as a captain of a small detachment of cavalry under Sigel. He gave a good account of himself and now was back in the county a brigadier-general at the head of several thousand men. As a member of his staff came Lieut. John E. Phelps, son of Colonel Phelps and afterward a colonel and brevet brigadier. Both Phelps' regiment and Boyd's regiment, the Twenty-fourth Missouri Infantry, both having enlisted from Greene county, were with the advancing army, and they were gladly received by their families, relatives and Union neigh- bors. There also came with Curtis' army a large number of refugees, families who had left with Hunter who were now returning to their homes, having been given positive assurance that the army was returning to south- western Missouri to stay. Among the number were several Springfield merchants.
It was found that the Confederates had greatly abused the property of Union families during their stay in the county, even the houses of Con- federate sympathizers had suffered in many instances. The amount of filth that had everywhere accumulated would have made the town untenable in summer weather, even huge piles of rubbish and trash were heaped on the public square. A few buildings had been burned but perhaps not inten- tionally. It took the new army of occupation only a week or two to clean the town up. Buildings were repaired and stores opened, filled with goods . which the citizens were in great need of. Prisoners and some details were set to work cleaning up the public square and "police" up the town generally, and the town began to wear her former appearance. This work was done under the direction of Lieutenant-colonel Mills .of the "Lyon ,Legion," as Colonel Boyd's regiment was called. Among the stores to re-open was that of Mrs. Worrell. There was yet enough money among the citizens to pur- chase what they needed, since the Federal officers had pay in greenbacks for supplies taken over the county. There was a movement to re-open the schools and on March 2d, the first religious services were held in Springfield in 1862, when Rev. A. H. Powell preached in the Presbyterian church. About the same date the telegraph line was completed from St. Louis to Spring- field, by way of Lebanon and Marshfield, the line being built by the govern-
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mient, primarily for the use of the army, and extended along what afterwards became known as the "wire road." Not long afterwards the line was ex- tended to Cassville and down to Curtis' army. The postoffice re-opened and inail began to be regularly received. Flouring mills re-opened and paid two dollars per bushel for the wheat that escaped the foragers during the six mionthis previous. Even new lines of business were established and a new paper was issued, called the Springfield Missourian, the first number of which contained practically nothing but war news. A new hostelry, the Union Hotel, was opened on the north side of the public square. But as with all large armies, there was a reckless element with Curtis' forces and they burned a number of houses which had been occupied by the Confederates. One of the buildings destroyed perhaps carelessly, was that which was used by General Lyon as headquarters and in which his body lay after it was brought from the fatal field. This house was owned by Colonel Phelps and stood near College and Main streets.
ORGANIZING THIE MISSOURI STATE MILITIA.
The War Department at Washington, early in December, 1861, author- ized Gov. Hamilton R. Gamble, the office of Claiborne F. Jackson having been vacated by ordinance, to organize the Missouri State Militia, the members of which, when engaged in active service, were to be armed, clothed, subsisted, transported and paid by the United States and to co-operate with the United States forces in the repression of invasion into Missouri and the suppression of rebellion therein. The militia was not to be ordered out of the state of Missouri, "except for the immediate defense of said state."
No steps were taken toward organizing a regiment of state militia in Greene county until March 3, 1862, when a mass meeting of Union citizens was held in Springfield, which was addressed by Col. Marcus Boyd and others and many recruits were obtained. However, John M. Richardson, formerly secretary of state of Missouri and a prominent politician in south- west Missouri, had been commissioned captain of the state militia and since the first of the year had been recruiting in this part of the state. Later he was commissioned colonel of the Fourteenth Regiment of Militia Cavalry, and his company was then commanded by Capt. Abraham Worley. To the same regiment was attached two other companies composed largely of Greene county men-Company D, under Capt. S. A. Flagg ; and Company E., under Capt. Stephen H. Julian. Commissions were given Flagg and Julian about the first of April.
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GREENE COUNTY MEN AT PEA RIDGE.
The results of the battle of Pea Ridge or as the Confederates usually called it Elkhorn Tavern, had a direct effect on the people of Greene county, for if General Curtis had been defeated there and forced to abandon south- west Missouri, the Confederates would have again occupied this territory indefinitely and there would have been another change among the people of Greene county, in fact, the destiny of the county throughout the rest of the Civil war hinged on those two days of fierce fighting, March 6 and 7, 1862. With Curtis' army which pushed on into Arkansas from Springfield were a large number of officers and men from Greene county, in Companies A, B, F, H. I and K of Colonel Boyd's regiment under Maj. Eli Weston, and Phelps' regiment under Colonel Phelps himself. Many from this county were also in the Confederate army in various organizations, the best known being Capt. Dick Campbell's company. Among the casualties of the Greene county men of Phelps' regiment at the battle of Pea Ridge were the fol- lowing :
Company D -- Capt. John W. Lisenby, wounded by rifle ball in left shoulder, buckshot in left hip and minie ball through each leg; First Lieut. Robert P. Matthews, wounded through upper part of right breast by minie ball; Second Lieut. Charles C. Moss, right hip injured by piece of shell; First Sergt. Jacob Winger, right eye destroyed by buckshot; Second Sergt. W. W. Langston, wounded in hand; Corporal James H. Cochran, musket ball through the right foot ; private Blanton Cargile, by minie ball in the left hand; James M. Logan, musket ball in the left leg; Wesley R. Logan lost left arm by grapeshot; William M. Patterson, musket ball in abdomen; Theophilus C. Piper, musket ball in right thigh; John S. Steele, musket ball in right leg ; Young White, rifle ball in left arm.
Company H, Phelps' Regiment-Capt. George B. McElhannon, gunshot wound in shoulder, from which he died in Springfield three weeks later, March 29; First Lieut. John A. Lee, in hip; First Sergt. Albert Demuth, in the right knee.
Company A, Boyd's Regiment-Hosea G. . Mullings, wounded; Daniel C. Putnam and William D. Popjoy captured.
A newspaper correspondent had the following to say regarding the part taken in the battle by Boyd's regiment, the Twenty-fourth Missouri Infantry :
On the morning of the 7th instant there were present at Sugar Creek, Companies A, B, F, H, I and K under command of Maj. Eli Weston. They were stationed some two miles north of the main command, at the
(22)
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Elkhorn Tavern, acting as provost guards, when it was discovered that Price had thrown his force, estimated at twenty thousand men, between our army and Missouri. This discovery was not made until the enemy was driven within a very short distance of us. But so wise and judicious were the dispo- sitions made of his command by Major Weston, that for an hour or more, Price's whole force were kept at bay until re-inforcements came up. All day Friday, from daylight until dark were these brave men on the field and in the thickest of the fight. They occupied a position on the left of Colonel Carr's Division, and although the point on which they were stationed was one of the most important for strategic movements and every effort was made to dislodge them, yet for nine hours did they stand their ground under the murderous fires of the multitudes opposing them, and it was only when the order to fall back was repeated time and again, that they would heed it. When they did retire, they did so contesting every foot of the ground and was the first regiment in line to meet the oncoming enemy. Too much praise- cannot be bestowed upon Major Weston, the other officers and the men for the truly brave and soldierly manner in which they acquitted themselves on that memorable day. Another remark in regard to the regiment. It is their proud boast, that, notwithstanding many of them have been robbed by the rebels of their all, yet not a man in the regiment has ever taken a single article without paying for it. To this, friend and foe will testify. You cannot find, I venture to say, a single pack of cards in the regiment. They all know and' fully appreciate what they are fighting for and all remember that when this war is done that they are again to be members of society. They intend coming out of this conflict and return to their homes and families as free from vice as when they pledged themselves to their country.
Colonel Phelps' wife, Mary Phelps, was one of the Florence Nightin- gales on the field of Pea Ridge after the fight, and rendered much valuable service to the wounded, doubtless many a life being saved by her ability and devotion. Not all the Federal soldiers from Greene county participated in this battle. among this number being Company D, which was left at Springfield ; it was then commanded by Captain Vaughan, later by Col. Baker Owen. All or nearly all the Confederates from Greene county were in the battle of Pea Ridge and many of them were killed or wounded, but no record was kept of them, at least so far as is now known.
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