USA > Missouri > Nodaway County > Past and present of Nodaway County, Missouri Volume I > Part 11
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NODAWAY COUNTY, MISSOURI.
Fifth Amendment, carried by 661 majority.
Second Amendment, carried by 1,546 majority.
Third Amendment, carried by 1,618 majority.
Fourth Amendment, carried by 592 majority.
Fifth Amendment, carried by 661 majority.
Sixth Amendment, carried by 1,688 majority.
The total number of votes cast at that election was one thousand nine hundred and ninety-five. The Republicans elected seven of the county officers, and the Liberals only three.
After that election, all residents of Nodaway county could exercise the elective franchise. Democracy assumed its old place as organized in 1868 and the Liberal Republicans generally went back to their old ranks, but some remained with the Democrats. In the presidential campaign of 1872 the interest was not great here in this county. Two tickets were in the field- the Democratic and Republican-the one in favor of Grant for his second term and the others in favor of Horace Greeley. The majority in this county for Grant was two hundred. the total number of votes polled being three thousand one hundred and ninety-five.
The financial panic of 1873 caused the Democrats to take courage and make the most of their opportunity in the campaign of 1874. Both parties were early in the field and doing their best to show the voter where his path of duty was. Nodaway county was organized into township organizations and tracts and political literature were spread throughout the county, pro and con to the issues of that campaign. The Patrons of Husbandry and Henry George factions in politics found themselves within an Independent party. Three county conventions were held, three sets of county candidates put up and a triangular fight was entered into. The battle was warm and full of in- terest. The Democrats were successful in carrying the same by thirty-three majority for Governor Hardin, while they elected six county officers as against two for the Republicans. It was a great day for Democracy, for it was the first real victory in twenty-four eventful years.
By the opening of the political campaign of 1876. another, or really the same. financial panic was working destruction to business interests all over the country. Both Democracy and Republicanism feared a new party might spring into power, hence met in sundry conventions throughout the country and discussed the financial affairs and really they acted like wise men. more than like politicians. They sought to calm the troubled waters on the sea of finance. The two old parties put each a set of candidates up and in
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PAST AND PRESENT
Nodaway county the contest was heated from the start to the counting out of votes. This went on till the night before the election. The total vote cast was four thousand six hundred and eighty-three for President, the Democratic majority in the county was one hundred and ninety-eight, and all county offi- cers on the Democratic ticket were elected.
The financial question had not been settled (at least in the minds of de- signing leaders), hence in the winter of 1877-78 the Greenback party had its birth. Meetings were held all over Nodaway county, and men who had been considered tried and true, in both old political parties, went over into the new party. So alarming was the situation to the old party men that con- ventions and mass meetings were called, at which the people were entreated not to follow off after strange gods, but take their places in the old parties and work for financial success. However, three tickets were found in the field in 1878-the Republican, Democratic and Greenback parties. The total number of votes cast in Nodaway county was four thousand four hundred and forty-two. The Democrats elected eleven county officers, while the Re- publicans elected two.
In the 1880 presidential campaign Nodaway county Republicans were much divided over the question of U. S. Grant being nominated for a third term. The "Third Term" faction canvassed this county in order to secure a delegation favorable to Grant at the state convention. This inflamed the opposition to Grant, and when the time came for holding the Republican con- vention in Nodaway county the opposition evened up by defeating every man who asked their votes as delegates to the state convention. The result was that no Grant men were sent. This also resulted in the selection of S. C. McClusky as one of the Republican delegates from Missouri to the Chicago national convention. He proved himself true throughout the famous con- vention, and voted against Grant and in favor of Washburn until the last vote. when he voted for Gen. James A. Garfield, who was nominated and elected.
The total number of votes cast in Nodaway county that year was five thousand seven hundred and twenty-four: the Democrats had a majority over the Republicans of one hundred and eighty-three. The Democrats elected seven of the county officers and the Republicans three.
Since 1874 the county administration has been pretty evenly divided be- tween the Democratic and Republican parties. Perhaps no county in the state has been more evenly divided between the two great political organiza- tions than Nodaway. The Greenback and Independent parties in their palmy
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NODAWAY COUNTY, MISSOURI.
days were unable to carry the county, but were successful in electing a congressman from the district in which Nodaway county is situated. These close political contests have really been of much benefit to this county, even as evenly divided parties are to the nation, by causing one party to watch the movements of their officials, to keep them in the correct lines, knowing that the opposite political party is constantly watching their every official act. This purifies the political atmosphere as does the fierce lightning on a mid- summer's day the heavens about us. Indeed, it is no bad sign when a stranger is enquiring "What is the politics of this county or state" to hear the reply. "Pretty evenly divided." While a radical partisan, of either political faith. will not agree with this theory, nevertheless it is true philosophy.
SPECIAL ELECTIONS.
Among the various special elections held within this county, may be named the following: On June 11. 1889, occurred an election in the various town- ships in Nodaway county. to determine whether swine should be longer al- lowed to run at large or whether or not the owners of such stock should be compelled to restrain the same. The result was a majority of two thou- sand three hundred and thirty-seven in favor of restraining swine.
The special elections relating to giving aid to railroad companies in the matter of constructing railway lines through Nodaway county have been touched on in the chapter on Railroads. hence need not be repeated in this connection.
LOCAL OPTION SPECIAL ELECTION.
The question of granting license to saloons in Nodaway county was tested at a special election held on September 12, 1907, which resulted in the county (outside the city of Maryville) going six hundred and fifty-five majority against the liquor traffic, while the city went one hundred and ninety-nine in favor of saloons. The vote by precincts was as follows :
Against License. For License.
Jefferson Township
32
258
Polk Township
260
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Monroe Township
163
53
Green Township
II7
65
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PAST AND PRESENT
Nodaway Township
I35
144
Atchison Township
81
61
Union Township
173
38
Lincoln Township
130
I21
Hopkins Township
18I
IOI
Independence Township
129
148
Jackson Township
183
II4
White Cloud Township
136
33
Hughes Township
'I34
103
Grant Township
185
35
City of Maryville
378
577
Totals
2,417
1,961
According to the state law, any city of two thousand five hundred popu- lation may license providing a majority of voters so elect. even though the county outside may go against the proposition, which it did in this case. The fact that Maryville went one hundred and ninety-nine for saloons has given the county seat the only drinking places within the county, and two saloons have a monopoly on the liquor trade.
Another special election was held in September. 1907, to determine whether the county should bond itself in the sum of thirty-five thousand dol- lars for funds with which to erect a new poor house, which measure carried by a vote of one thousand six hundred and ninety-seven for and seven hundred and thirteen against.
THE PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.
The Grange movement-Patrons of Husbandry-had its run in this county, as in all parts of the country. Elkhorn Patrons of Husbandry. in Hughes township, was organized in January. 1873. by the following charter members: J. B. Decker and wife. T. B. Greenelsh and wife, I. Colter and wife, Ed. Thayer and wife, J. M. Lineville and wife. The charter was granted October 15, 1873, and the Grange was reorganized September 20. 1880. A Grange hall was built in 1880-a frame building. costing seven hundred and fifty dollars. It was organized by Col. Jasper Needham, of Out- ly, Kansas, November, 1880. The worthy master was W. H. Bell ; overseer WV. A. Sewell; secretary. J. B. Deekes; chaplain. D. Fullington : lecturer, C. E. Bowen: steward. A. Forcade. It had a membership of one hundred at one time, about 1882.
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NODAWAY COUNTY, MISSOURI.
There were many other granges in this county, but with the passing of years and a change in opinions about the "middle men." etc., the movement went down. However, it was productive of much good and served well the purpose for which it was instituted.
CHAPTER X.
MILITARY HISTORY OF NODAWAY COUNTY.
It is unfortunate for the author of a local history of any county in Missouri, in common with any state south of "Mason and Dixon's line," that no more accurate, detailed and complete record concerning the various regi- ments and companies of troops that served in the Civil war has ever been published. The only reason is a good one, generally speaking, for in states that had about as many men on the Confederate side as on the Union side, and who were contending as devastating forces on the very soil of the com- monwealth in which they enlisted, it is not to be wondered at that many of the rolls and muster sheets and other records of the military movements of such a state were lost and destroyed by battling armies during that memor- able four-year struggle. The county officers and the newspaper press of Missouri also paid but little attention to such matters. until it was too late to recover many valuable war records, which today would be greatly prized by the sons of the soldiers who fought in that great civil contest. I In the utter absence of any history of the various companies that went forth from Noda- way county. on both the Union and Confederate sides. it is only possible to give the reader of local history a faint idea of the volunteer soldiers who went out from this county from April, 1861. to the close of the Rebellion. Nearly all of the old men are deceased and the state archives are silent as the tomb concerning rosters of men by counties. It is, therefore, left to a few who remember those trying days, and to the searcher who may be able to here and there secure a bit of history, found in illy-kept records or paper files, to furnish any clue for the present day writer to formulate a readable, in- telligent and authentic account of Nodaway county and the part she took in that fierce struggle. For an example, out of a charter membership of about fifty who organized the Maryville Grand Army of the Republic, in 1882. only four or five are now living.
Again, the usual manner of copying from local newspaper files for a list of commands, of officers and men, is in this instance thwarted by reason of the fact that "bushwhackers," during the first year of the war, came into
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NODAWAY COUNTY, MISSOURI.
the streets of Maryville and destroyed the only paper in existence in the . county-destroying its machinery and files and throwing its type into the street. There was no further attempt at editing a paper until about 1866, after the war was ended ; hence there can be no knowledge gained from such sources commonly employed in compiling a roster of men.
Nodaway county was organized when it had but few settlers, in 1845, just prior to the war with Mexico ( 1846-48), hence but very few, if any, served as soldiers in that war. It is true, however, that quite a number of the later early settlers of the county had seen service in that struggle, but they have long since died, leaving behind no record of the command in which they served, while here and there in some lone, secluded spot in a country cemetery within the county may be seen mounds covering their forms, but usually unmarked by any tombstone or inscription noting that they took part in that war. It is safe to say that few, if indeed any, Mexican soldiers went as vol- uteers from this part of Missouri, for it was then a very new, thinly settled country.
Returning again to the subject of the Civil war, and what Nodaway county did in its behalf, either for or against the Union cause, it should be said that as a rule the county was loyal to the country's flag.
Among the scores of battles fought on Missouri soil, those nearest to Nodaway county were the engagements at Albany, Gentry county; Inde- pendence, east of Kansas City; Lexington, in Lafayette county, and the skirmish at Kirksville.
To give the reader an idea of the sentiment held in many parts of Mis- souri at that date, the response to the call for the first seventy-five thousand men asked for by President Lincoln, was answered as follows by Governor Jackson of this state :
"Executive Department of Missouri, "Jefferson City, April 17, 1861.
"To Hon. Simon Cameron,
"Secretary of War. Washington, D. C .:
"Sir :- Your dispatch of the 15th inst. making a call on Missouri for four regiments of men for immediate service, has been received. There can be, I apprehend, no doubt but these men are intended to form a part of the President's army to make war upon the people of the seceded states. Your requisition, in my judgment. is illegal, unconstitutional, and can not be com- plied with. Not one man will the state furnish to carry on such an unholy war.
"(Signed) C. F. JACKSON, "Governor of Missouri."
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On April 21. 1861, nine days after Fort Sumter was fired on, the United States arsenal at Liberty, Missouri, was seized by order of Governor Jackson. A military fund was raised by the state and on May 3, 1861, Camp Jackson was organized and one week later Sterling Price was appointed major-general of the State Guard. From that time on the citizens of Missouri took sides and hot was the contest.
It may be stated, in passing, that prior to the war this county had been fully two to one Democratic, but in 1865, after the conflict had ended, the county was in the hands of the Republican party. The change in sentiment was great, made so largely by the influx of returned soldiers from the Union ranks, who here sought a home and brought their politics along with them.
The Confederate army was represented from Nodaway county by at least a part of two companies. One was raised by and in command of an ex-sheriff of the county. Thomas J. McQuiddy, from the west part of the county, and many enlisted from about Quitman and Graham. At the present time there are a few of the best citizens of Maryville who believed in the right of secession and offered their services to the Confederate side ; some of these went from this county, but, generally speaking, were volunteers from other parts of the country. But with the two opposing elements in Nodaway county during the never-to-be-forgotten years of the strife, communities were set one against another, churches were divided, lodges gave up their charters, schools were allowed to be closed, business was totally demoralized and unrest prevailed in all her borders. The allies of the South-the con- temptible organization, without law or authority, known as the "bush- whackers"-came in from other counties and had some following in this county, and they destroyed much valuable property and threatened death to the loyal citizens, thus making it a very uncomfortable section in which to reside. Again, many of the original settlers were from Southern states, and naturally were in full sympathy with the sentiments of secession This had a tendency to make matters worse. When the war was over, then came the constitutional amendments to be voted upon, which made more local strife. Many of the pioneers were disfranchised by reason of their sympathy with the South during the war. Later, they were granted the right of suffrage and since then the topic of the war is seldom discussed, but he who wore the blue and he who donned the butternut-gray now reside in harmony, side by side, and work for the common cause of developing the unexcelled soil of Nodaway county and all of her various industries.
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NODAWAY COUNTY, MISSOURI.
As to the number of soldiers who went into the Union army from this county, it is difficult to determine at this late date. There were parts of companies recruited from Maryville, and many citizens of this county enlisted at points outside the county, and hence are not properly credited in the adju- tant general's reports as being from Nodaway county. On the contrary, there were a good many men who drifted into this county, some from Iowa border counties, as well as from Nebraska and Kansas. The reports will show these names as from Maryville, when as a matter of fact they never resided in this county. Hence the confusion in trying to compile an accurate list.
It should be added that Missouri, while badly mixed in her "war opinions" from '61 to '66, showed a praiseworthy loyalty to the two prin- ciples that she espoused. More than fifty thousand entered the Confederate army from this state, while one hundred and nine thousand one hundred and eleven men are credited to the state as serving in the Union army, of which eight thousand three hundred and forty-four were colored men, most, if not all, of whom had been held as slaves on Missouri soil.
THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
The last great war in which soldiers were active from Nodaway county was that between the United States and Spain in 1898. The subjoined proclamation from William McKinley, President of the United States at the time, will serve as a preface to what will follow on this subject :
"Whereas, a joint resolution of Congress was approved on the twentieth day of April, 1898, entitled. 'Joint Resolution for the Recognition of the Independence of the People of Cuba, Demanding that the Government of Spain Relinquish Its Authority and Government in the Island of Cuba, and to Withdraw Its Land and Naval Forces from Cuba and Cuban Waters, and Directing the President of the United States to use his Land and Naval Forces of the United States to Carry These Resolutions Into Effect :' and,
"Whereas, by an act of Congress entitled 'An Act to Provide for Tem- porarily Increasing the Military Establishment of the United States in Time of War and for Other Purposes,' approved April 22, 1898, the President is authorized, in order to raise a volunteer army, to issue his proclamation call- ing for volunteers to serve in the army of the United States;
"Now. therefore, I, William Mckinley, President of the United States. by virtue of the power in me vested by the constitution and the laws, and deeming sufficient occasion to exist, have thought fit to call forth and do
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PAST AND PRESENT
hereby call forth, volunteers to the aggregate number of one hundred and twenty-five thousand, in order to carry into effect the purpose of the said resolution ; the same to be apportioned, as far as practicable, among the several states and territories and the District of Columbia, according to the popu- lation, and to serve two years, unless sooner discharged. The details for this object will be immediately communicated to the proper authorities through the war department.
"In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
"Done at the city of Washington, this twenty-third day of April, A. D. 1898, and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and twenty-second.
"WILLIAM MCKINLEY. "By the President :
"JOHN SHERMAN, Secretary of State."
The state of Missouri sent to this war (which was brought on over the sinking of the United States battleship "Maine," in the waters of Havana harbor, April, 1898) a total number of eight thousand one hundred and nine soldiers, made up of almost six regiments of infantry, cavalry and artillery. The President made a second call for seventy-five thousand men and this was responded to quickly by Missouri and recruits went forth from Nodaway to make up the quota. These men were made up from the National Guards of the state, who, almost to a man, enlisted as soldiers in the cause, hence really the National Guards made up, for the most part, the volunteer Ameri- can soldiery in the late war with Spain.
The Fourth Missouri Regiment was the one in which the men from Nodaway county served, and Company E. under Capt. I. V. McMillan. of Maryville, was the company in which they served until the close of the war. which was short, but very decisive in its far-reaching results on the history of nations. The American flag has stood far higher in the eyes of all coun- tries since that glorious victory in 1898, when gallant Dewey sunk the entire Spanish fleet in Manila bay.
As has been indicated. the Fourth Regiment was organized from the Fourth Regiment Infantry, National Guards of Missouri, and was mustered into the service of the United States at Benton Barracks. Missouri, May 16. 1898, to serve for two years unless sooner discharged. Company E was re- cruited at Maryville and all but a few of its members were citizens of Nod- away county at the date of the war. Capt. Ira V. McMillan, who headed the
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NODAWAY COUNTY, MISSOURI.
National Guard and had drilled the company for years and had kept it up as against all kinds of discouragements in way of state appropriations, by giving local talent entertainments in order to meet the actual expenses, made an effi- cient officer and his record is one he may well be proud of. He still resides at Maryville, Missouri. He also later acted as judge advocate for the Fourth Regiment Missouri National Guards. It was said by a celebrated military man and one who had traveled and seen splendid bodies of soldiers on drill and in parade, in both American and foreign lands, that the Fourth Missouri Regiment in the Spanish-American war was the finest set of men he had ever witnessed in military bearing.
ROSTER OF COMPANY E.
Ira V. McMillan, captain; N. Paul Sisson, first lieutenant ; William H. Critchfield, second lieutenant; Harry D. Snyder, first sergeant; Ross H. McMillan, quartermaster sergeant : Charles A. Awalt, sergeant; William T. Porter, sergeant ; Orville A. Bennett, sergeant ; Alvin R. Reasoner, sergeant : Henry Moore, sergeant ; Lewis H. Munn, corporal; Elmer H. Foresman, cor- poral; James F. Pixler, corporal; Arthur Miller, corporal; Victor L. Haw- kins, corporal ; Victor L. Cooper, corporal; Follis A. Wood, corporal; Marvin E. Donahue, corporal; William G. McCracken, corporal; Robert Adams, corporal; William O. Awalt, corporal; Frank Butherus, musician; William A. Lippman, musician ; Todd Johnston, artificer : James W. Wilson, wagoner.
Private soldiers mustered into service between April 27 and May 4. 1898, with some in June: Frank C. Ambrose, Boyd H. Arneel, Herman O. Ballard, Harry L. Blodgett. Luke E. Brown. Charles E. L. Branson, James E. Beal, Walter S. Boyer, Floyd L. Bradley, Emery H. Bancroft, Charles R. Basford, Leon C. Basford, Russell W. H. Cleary, Simon L. Crouse, Loren L. Charles, Frank Carley, Jesse E. Conklin, Harry N. Culbert- son, Samuel M. Deets, Isaac W. Davison, Fred N. Downing. Charles P. Denny. Thomas A. Dobbins. John P. Feeley, William S. Foresman, Frank M. Foresman, William E. Gordon. Albert Griffey. John W. Goforth, Alfred S. Gray. Joseph S. Good, Oliver Geiger, Samuel C. Hopple. James W. Hutton. James L. Hyatt, John D. Ingerham. William A. Johnston, Huston Johnston, Chandler P. Kinsey. Bart C. Knobel, Charles B. Kimmons, Ira F. Kiser, Charles F. Lippman. Archibald D. Lewis, Novia Lowe, Frank Loveall, W. J. Messenger, Charles V. Miller, Darius Moberly, Roy L. Murdock, Fred W. Maxey, Lewis N. Miller. George M. McMurray. James McMonigal, Henry
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L. McGrath, Fay A. McMacken. Joseph H. McMullin, John A. Noblet. Joseph Noblet, Clarence C. Phillips, William Patterson, George T. Peterson, Ernest J. Poff. Hubert J. Reese, James N. Reasoner, George H. Ray, John W. Shin- abarger, Jesse L. Shinabarger, Harry H. Smith, George S. Scane, Albert A. Schmaenge, Orlind B. Simpson, Rufus J. Spickerman, Benj. F. Scull, Joseph J. Turner, Marion I. Woods, Wesley Wilson, Edward L. Wells, Thomas E. Walsh, Otis E. Wright. Robert T. Wilkerson, Zion Yeary. Lousa S. Zencher, Frank Zika.
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