USA > Missouri > Buchanan County > St Joseph > The Daily news' history of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Mo. From the time of the Platte purchase to the end of the year 1898. Preceded by a short history of Missouri. Supplemented by biographical sketches of noted citizens, living and dead > Part 19
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But General Taylor was not prepared to utilize these reinforce-
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ments. There were reports of a change of commanders in Mexico and all operations were at a standstill. Colonel Doniphan's troops re- mained with Taylor about one month, when, their terms of enlistment having expired, and there being no prospect of active operations at an early date, he marched his command to Brazos de Santiago and embarked for New Orleans, where the men were mustered out.
From the beginning to the end of the campaign the forces under Colonel Doniphan had lived wholly upon their own resources. Until they reached New Orleans they had not seen a paymaster, quarter- master or commissary, save as these posts were discharged by the reg- imental officers. As may be imagined, the men after such a cam- paign were a motley crowd as to raiment. They were in rags, except so far as they had supplemented their original uniforms with articles of Mexican costume acquired on the march.
From New Orleans to their homes in Missouri the progress of Colonel Doniphan's command was a continuous ovation. The ex- pedition indeed had been a wonderful one. In thirteen months the command had marched, mainly in a hostile country, 3,600 miles by land and traveled 2,500 miles by water. On his arrival in Missouri Colonel Doniphan received the well-earned brevet of brigadier-gen- eral.
Willard Hall did not participate in the campaign beyond Santa Fe. The late Charles A. Perry, whose name is prominently identified with the history of St. Joseph, was the sutler of Colonel Doniphan's regiment, but did not got beyond Santa Fe. Carroll Hughes, Colonel Doniphan's quartermaster-sergeant, is still alive at an advanced age and with unimpaired faculties, being a resident of Agency Township Andrew Tracy, who is still a resident of St. Joseph and in business as a cabinet .maker, was with Doniphan through the entire campaign. Aside from General Hall there were only two others from Buchanan County with Doniphan. These were Joel Ryan, who died in Doni- phan County, and Vernell Thompson, who afterwards went to Cali- fornia. Hughes went from Clinton County and Perry and Tracy from Platte. Ryan and Vernell enlisted under Sterling Price and were transferred to Doniphan at Santa Fe.
Buchanan County also sent a contingent to join General Sterling Price, whose expedition to New Mexico followed that of General Kearney and relieved Colonel Doniphan at Santa Fe, as related above. Many also went as teamsters. Among those now residing in St. Joseph who went under Price is Samuel D. Gann, who enlisted from Platte County, however. The late Isaac N. Brooks and his brothers Bride and Virgil were with Price, too, as were also Dr. Gray and his son, of the lower part of the county.
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In the spring of 1847 Governor Edwards called for a battalion of five companies for service on the Indian frontier, and the routes to Santa Fe and Oregon, to protect traders and emigrants. Lieut .- Col. L. E. Powell, of St. Charles, organized the battalion, among the companies being one formed at St. Joseph. Our company was of- ficered by Robert M. Stewart, captain ; Henry Smith, first lieutenant; Howell Thomas, second lieutenant; John Searcy, third lieutenant. The battalion was formed at Fort Leavenworth. Beside Colonel Powell there were the following officers: Dr. S. Todd, St. Joseph, adjutant ; James McDowell, St. Joseph, sergeant-major; quartermas- ter, Capt. Stewart Van Vliet; commissary of subsistence, Frank Warmcastle, Atchison County. The late Gen. James Craig com- manded a company raised in Holt County. Captain Stewart was stricken with rheumatism at Fort Leavenworth and returned home. After faithfully performing the mission upon which it was sent, doing business over a vast region of country between the Missouri River and the Rocky Mountains, the battalion returned home and the men were mustered out late in the fall of 1848.
After the war with Mexico interest in military matters lagged. In 1853, the Robidoux Grays existed, under command of Capt. Bela M. Hughes. In 1860 the Fourth Military District, in which St. Jos- eph was located, was commanded by Col. M. Jeff Thompson, and the First battalion, consisting of three companies, under Major F. W. Smith, was organized in St. Joseph. Company A, Jackson Guards, was commanded by Capt. Reuben Kay. Company B, Em- mett Guards, was commanded by Capt. T. J. Rafftery. Company C, German Rifles, was commanded by Capt. George Landry.
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The Civil War period was in some respects the most momentous in the history of the community. Buchanan County was settled largely by people who had come from the Southern States and the fact that over 2,000 slaves, valued at $1,500,000, were owned here will readily explain why there was a strong feeling against abolition on the part of a considerable portion of the community. In the election of 1860, Bell and Everett, the Presidential candidates representing the remnants of the old Whig and Know-Nothing parties, under the name of Constitution-Union party, received 1,287 votes ; Stephen A. Douglas, representing that wing of the Democratic party which op- posed secession and the interference of the National government with
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the local affairs and institutions of any State, received 1,226 votes; John C. Breckinridge, representing that wing of the Democratic party known as strict State's Rights men, received 614 votes; Abra- ham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, received 452 votes, of which number 410 were cast in the city of St. Joseph.
On February 18, 1861, an election was held to chose three dele- gates to the convention which was to decide the course of Missouri upon the question of secession or loyalty. Ex-Gov. Robert M. Stew- art, Willard P. Hall and Robert W. Donnell were elected. The first two were strong, outspoken Union men, while the latter sympathized with the South. Public sentiment was fairly reflected in the vote for these delegates.
Prominent among the local followers of Governor Jackson, who had declared that the destiny of all slave-holding states was alike, were M. Jeff Thompson, Alonzo W. Slayback, J. H. R. Cundiff, then the editor of the Gazette, and others. A delegation from St. Joseph assisted in the sacking of Liberty arsenal and a portion of the arms and military equipments there taken were brought here and secreted in cellars. The Emmett Guards and the Jackson Guards were dis- banded, there being strong division of sentiment. Capt. John C. C. Thornton and Capt. Reuben Kay then formed companies of Jackson sympathizers and went into camp near the Patee house.
Excitement now ran high in St. Joseph and there was great un- easiness, as threats had been uttered against the loyalists, those who had voted for Lincoln being especially unpopular with the Southern sympathizers. At this time an incident occurred which hastened the impending crisis. John L. Bittinger, a prominent Republican, who had been appointed postmaster by President Lincoln, raised the United States flag over the postoffice, which was then located in a building on the east side of Second street, just north of Francis. This incensed the Southern sympathizers and was construed by the mili- tary companies as a direct affront to them. One morning in May, 1861, several days after the flag had been raised, a mob col- lected at Market Square and an angry discussion of the affair took place. Colonel Thompson, who was then engaged in the real estate business with Thomas Harbine, opposite the postoffice, went down and addressed the mob, denouncing the postmaster's course, but counseling moderation. Then, as if seized by a sudden impulse, he did the exact opposite. Proceeding to the rear of the postoffice building, he ascended the roof by a shed, and when his associates saw him again he had torn the flag from its pole and was waving it to the mob at Market Square and excitedly blowing a tin horn. The mob
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charged up Second street and swarmed upon the roof to join Colonel Thompson. The flag was torn to shreds, the pole was broken off and carried in triumphant procession by the mob to the river, where it was demolished and cast into the water. No resistance was offered to this piece of violence and the frenzied rabble had clear field.
A contingent, headed by Alonzo W. Slayback, proceeded to Turner Hall, where the United States colors were also displayed. Several members of the Turnverein, guarded by Robert Bradshaw. saved the flag here by taking it down in the face of danger. Rebel flags were raised in various parts of the city.
As a result of this outburst a company of United States dragoons, under command of Captain Sully, was sent here to protect loyal citi- zens. The dragoons broke up the camp near the Patee house and the State troops scattered.
Colonel Thompson joined the Confederacy and rose to the rank of brigadier-general. He was known as the "Swamp Fox," and his career in the great struggle is now a part of the nation's history.
Capt. John C. Landis had secretly formed a company for the South. In July, of 1861, he had the Liberty arsenal arms and am- munition secretly loaded into wagons, covered with hay, and taken through the Federal camp in the daytime to avert suspicion. Out- side of the city Captain Landis' company received them and carried them successfully to Price's army, then encamped near Springfield.
This was the only company that went to the South from St. Jos- eph. The others who fought on that side went singly or in small, unorganized squads. Among these was A. W. Slayback, mentioned above, who, after the battle of Lexington, was elected colonel of a cavalry regiment and served under Kirby Smith. He was killed some years ago by John A. Cockerill, then the editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Captain Landis fought at Corinth, Champion Hills and Vicksburg, where he surrendered and was exchanged. Subse- quently he commanded a battery and surrendered at the close of the war with the Army of the Gulf.
Elijah Gates went out as a private in a company formed at Easton and joined Governor Jackson in the summer of 1861. He served with distinction at Lexington and Elkhorn, also at Corinth, was promoted step by step for bravery and retired only after the guns had been silenced. He came out a brigadier-general, but left an arm upon the battlefield.
A regiment to join Price at Lexington was organized from Buchanan, Andrew, Nodaway and Atchison counties, in August, of 1861. John Saunders was colonel, J. H. R. Cundiff lieutenant-col-
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onel, and J. C. C. Thornton major. These troops fought heroically under Colonel Green at Lexington. Thornton's men rolled a bale of hemp before them as they ascended the hill to attack the Union breastworks. The bullets did not penetrate the hemp bales and the cannon balls only bounced from them to the ground. Thus they reached and took the entrenchments.
It is estimated that between 1,600 and 2,000 men "went South" from Buchanan County during the war. As there are no records to refer to it is impossible to give details of their achievements in the field. Reuben Kay of St. Joseph was in command of a company in the Confederate service, as was also Thomas R. Penick, a brother of Col. William R. Penick, who was an extreme Union man. The late John S. Tutt, county assessor, lost a leg at the battle of Corinth. John Kemper, son of Simeon Kemper, also a captain, was killed in battle, as was also George Baxter, an attorney, who went from St. Joseph and joined Sotnewall Jackson. John R. Boyd, another attor- ney of St. Joseph, was killed at Independence. Sidney Cunningham, who had taught in the public schools of St. Joseph, joined John Morgan, was with that leader throughout his career and escaped cap- ture by swimming the Ohio River. Ephraim Kelly of the county commanded a battery under General Price and also distinguished himself. It will be impossible to state more in this brief work con- cerning the sons of Buchanan County who fought and suffered and gave their lives for the cause that was lost. But there is no doubt about the valor and the heroism of these men, nor of the loyalty and patriotism of those who live to see the nation reunited and prosperous.
Matters grew worse instead of better in St. Joseph after the ar- rival of the dragoons. These were supplanted by the Second Iowa Infantry under Colonel Curtis. This regiment remained from June until August, 1861. In September, the Sixteenth Illinois, under Col- onel Smith, was here for a short time. This regiment and the Fifty- second Illinois returned and spent the winter of 1861-62 in camp on Prospect Hill. Some of the breastworks erected there are still in existence.
Early in September of 1861, St. Joseph was visited by a Confed- erate regiment, under Boyd and Patton. These troops were on their way South from the upper counties and remained in the city several days, levying tribute and helping themselves to whatever they fancied. There was a reign of terror during their stay, beside which the ordinary run of local dissension was mild and welcome.
Following them, and before the arrival of the Illinois troops,
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came Major Cranor and a battalion of raw militiamen from the Grand River country. These remained only a short time and created much amusement by their grotesque awkwardness. They soon learned how to fight, however.
In the spring of 1862 Benjamin F. Loan of St. Joseph was ap- pointed brigadier-general and placed in command of Northwestern Missouri with headquarters at St. Joseph. In the fall of that year he was put into active service in an effort to run the "bushwhackers" from the central part of the State, and finally took command of the Jefferson City district, where he remained until after he was elected to Congress. On his staff were the following from Buchanan Coun- ty : John Severance, major and aide-de-camp; Joseph Penny, major and quartermaster; James M. Wilson, major and aide-de-camp; Nicholas J. Schlupp, lieutenant and aide; Dr. R. P. Richardson, brigade surgeon.
General Loan was succeeded by Brigadier-General Willard P. Hall in the fall of 1862, as commander of the Seventh Military Dis- trict, which embraced Buchanan and Platte counties. He remained until February, 1864, when, as lieutenant-governor, he succeeded Governor Gamble, who had died. On General Hall's staff were: Silas Woodson, colonel and inspector-general; Jonathan M. Bassett. colonel and inspector; Allen P. Richardson, colonel and aide-de- camp; Mordecai Oliver, colonel and aide-de-camp; Thomas J. Chew, Jr., major and quartermaster; Dr. William Bertram, major and brigade surgeon; John L. Bittinger, major and aide-de-camp; James Hunter, major and aide-de-camp; Peter W. Fredericks, lieutenant and inspector.
Col. John F. Williams of the Ninth Cavalry was in charge of the district after General Hall. In the spring of 1864 Gen. Clinton B. Fisk was in command of the forces in this county and remained un- til he was succeeded by Col. Chester Harding, in the fall.
In the winter of 1864-65 Gen. James Craig was in command. On General Craig's staff were these from the neighborhood: Isaac B. Halsey, major and aide-de-camp; E. S. Castle, major and aide-de- camp.
Col. John Pinger was in command in the spring of 1865, and when the year closed William R. Penick was in command of the Missouri militia in this section as brigadier-general.
Among other citizens of St. Joseph and the county who held general staff positions are the following : John F. Tyler, colonel and aide-de-camp to General Schofield; James Rainsford, major and as- sistant aide-de-camp on the staff of General Guitar ; William Kemper,
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major and quartermaster on the staff of General Guitar. George H. Hall, brother to Governor Hall and afterwards mayor of St. Joseph, also rose to the rank of brigadier-general, as did also Colonel Chester Harding and Robert Bradshaw.
Major William M. Albin was provost marshal under General Loan, Jonathan M. Bassett and Silas Woodson under Generals Willard P. Hall and Guitar. General Bassett was also under General Fisk, and was followed by Captain Hardin, Captain Walser and Armstrong Beattie.
St. Joseph was a prominent base of military operations during the Civil War and a number of regiments were organized here. In June, of 1861, the Thirteenth Regiment, Missouri Volunteers, was formed, of home guard battalions, under Major Everett Peabody, Major Robert T. Van Horn and Major Berry. The regiment was employed in guarding a portion of the Hannibal & St. Joseph rail- road and upon garrison duty, until ordered to Lexington, in Sep- tember. Colonel Mulligan, who commanded at Lexington, surren- dered to Sterling Price on September 16, 1861, who paroled the of- . ficers of the Thirteenth and released the men upon their oaths. Ex- changes were subsequently effected and the regiment was reorgan- ized as the Twenty-fifth Regiment, Infantry, Missouri Volunteers, with Everett Peabody as colonel, R. T. Van Horn as lieutenant-col- onel, James E. Powell and Fred C. Nichols as majors, and Dr. J. T. Berghoff as surgeon. There were ten companies and the aggregate strength of the regiment was about 600. Among those from St. Jo- seph who held commissions were Capt. Joseph Schmitz, Capt. B. F. Buzard, Capt. Robert C. Bradshaw, Capt. Joseph Thompson, Lieut. Litt R. Lancaster and Lieut. Augustus Salzman. In 1862 the regi- ment was sent to General Grant at Pittsburg Landing and was bri- gaded in McKean's brigade, Prentiss' division. It participated in the battle of Shiloh, losing very heavily in killed and wounded, among the former Colonel Peabody and Major Powell. Chester Harding, Jr., was appointed colonel. In the advance upon Corinth the regi- ment was constantly on picket duty or engaged in the construction of earthworks. During the summer of 1862 the regiment constructed a chain of forts south and west of Corinth. It was ordered to Mis- souri in 1862, for the purpose of recruiting, but on its arrival at St. Louis was sent to Pilot Knob, Mo. Subsequently it was assigned to General Patterson and became a part of the Army of South- east Missouri. Upon returning to Iron Mountain in 1863, it was ordered to St. Joseph and actively employed in clearing the district of Northwest Missouri from bushwhackers until June, when it was
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sent to New Madrid, where it reconstructed the fortifications and constituted the garrison of the post. In November, of 1863, it was consolidated with the Engineer Regiment of the West.
Under Governor Gamble's call for 42,000 volunteers for six months' service, August 24, 1861, William M. Albin directed the formation of three companies of infantry at St. Joseph. These were mustered into service on September 19, 1861, as the First Battalion, under Major Albin, and assigned to guard duty and scouting in Gentry, Worth, Andrew, Buchanan and De Kalb counties ; also at- tached to General Prentiss' river expedition. The battalion was never in any general engagement, but had many skirmishes with the enemy, killing a number and taking over 200 prisoners. The offi- cers were : William M. Albin, major; John M. Sullivan, adjutant; Thomas Evans, commissary. Company A had forty-eight men. James Stockton was captain, Philip Huggins first lieutenant and Alex R. Stockton second lieutenant. Company B had fifty-four men, un- der Capt. Horace Hunter, with Jackson Dye and Isaac Phillips as lieutenants. Company C had forty-three men, under Capt. Henry B. Rust, with Edwin N. Storms and John Ray as lieutenants.
Joseph's battalion of six months' militia was also organized in St. Joseph in September of 1861. It was commonly known as the "Third" and was also engaged in scout duty. It was mustered out February 11, 1862. Peter A. Joseph was major, R. B. Linville ad- jutant, George W. H. Landon surgeon, Willis M. Sherwood quar- termaster and Samuel Rosenblatt commissary. There were four companies. Capt. John Pinger commanded Company A, sixty-four men, with John Watson and Henry Kelling as lieutenants. Com- pany B, Capt. William Drumhiller and Lieuts. Elezier S. Castle and Aaron Widdle, had eighty-four men. Company C, sixty-four men, was under Alex McLarer and Frederick Downey. Company D, fifty-four men, was under Capt. D. H. David and Lieuts. Christian Cook and Thurston Chase.
The Fourth Cavalry, Missouri State Militia, was organized in St. Joseph, April 28, 1862, with eight companies, and two companies were afterwards added. George H. Hall commanded as col- onel, William M. Albin as lieutenant-colonel, George W. Kelly as senior major, Douglas Dale as junior major and Lieuts. Joseph K. Robinson and David Bonham, Jr., as battalion adjutants. In 1863 Lieutenant-Colonel Albin was succeeded by Lieut .- Col. Walter King. The regiment did service in Southwest Missouri and was attached to General Brown's brigade, taking part in the battles of Springfield,
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Marshal, Huntsville, Ark., and in many skirmishes. Colonel Hall was made brigadier-general. The regiment remained in service until 1865.
The Fifth Cavalry Regiment, Missouri State Militia, was also organized in April of 1862. There were ten companies. The regi- mental organization was as follows : William R. Penick, colonel; Phil- lip A. Thompson, lieutenant-colonel; William Drumhiller and Thos. B. Biggers, majors; Lyman W. Densmore, adjutant; Josiah C. Spring, commissary ; Joel H. Warren, Henry Douglass and Henry Frasse, surgeons; Joseph H. Hopkins, chaplain. The companies were officered, during the life of the regiment, as follows : A, William Drimhiller, captain, promoted to major; John G. Woods and David E. Shannon, captains, successively ; Morgan Jerman, Charles W. Leach, William Castle and Washington Bennett, lieutenants. B, Daniel H. David, captain ; Benjamin T. Henry and William H. Bix- by, lieutenants. C, Joseph H. Richards, captain ; Don Alfonso Col- vin and John W. Enoch, lieutenants. D, George W. Fitzpatrick and John S. Minick, captains ; Henry S. Hill and George W. Fairbrother, lieutenants. E, George Wakerle, captain; Nicholas Schlupp and Herman Springer, lieutenants. F, John B. Van Zant, captain; Ed- ward N. Roberts and Theron W. Crandall, lieutenants. G, Robert G. Hubbard, captain; William F. Miller, Henry Ogle, Joseph Pen- ney and John B. Magers, lieutenants. H, John Pinger, captain ; Pe- ter Lanenger and George Weber, lieutenants. I, William McCarthy and Luther Tillotson, captains; John W. Coughlin, Peter Simpson, Thomas Wilson, lieutenants. K, J. D. M. Thompson, captain ; Fred. erick Dony, George D. Tolle, L. Densmore and William Fowler, lieutenants. Lieutenant Densmore was made adjutant and Lieuten- ant Fowler quartermaster. This regiment was employed in fighting the bushwhackers and guerrillas in Northwest Missouri. ' In July of 1862 the regiment was ordered broken up and the companies at- tached to the First and Ninth Cavalry regiment of the Missouri State Militia.
In 1862 Buchanan and Platte counties formed the Seventh Mili- tary District of Missouri, and three independent companies were or- ganized for duty at home. One of these, commanded by Capt. Will- iam Randall, with Benjamin F. Larkin and Jonas D. Butts as liett- tenants, was organized August 9, 1862. Another, commanded by Capt. G. E. Landry, with Henry Harding and William Backer as lieu- tenants, was organized August 21, 1862. These were afterwards merged into the militia. A third company organized among rail- road employes for the protection of railroad property was officered by
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John S. Kellogg as captain and John Broder and Horatio N. Turner as lieutenants.
The Twenty-fifth Regiment of Enrolled Missouri Militia was or- ganized in St. Joseph, in July, of 1862, with John Severance as co'- onel, Thomas Harbinue as lieutenant-colonel, Peter Walter and John T. Ross as majors, Gustave H. Koch as adjutant, C. W. Dav- enport as quartermaster, Alfred H. Starr as surgeon and Rev. A. H. Wright as chaplain. Colonel Severance resigned April 22, 1863, and was succeeded by Col. John Scott, who was transferred to the Eighty- first Regiment shortly afterwards, and was succeeded by Col. Thomas Harbine. James Hunter commanded Company A, with Thomas Young and Ed Freeman as lieutenants. John R. Snyder commanded Company B, with James S. Barnes and E. E. Cramer as lieutenants. James Brierly commanded C, with Peter Davis and William Sim- mons as lieutenants. Louis Hax commanded D, with John Kieffer and Fred Riesenmy as lieutenants. Charles Mast commanded E, with Charles F. Ernst and Phillip Arnholdt as lieutenants. Jonathan M. Bassett commanded F, with John A. Dolman and G. W. Davenport as lieutenants. He was succeeded by Captain Dolman, with Robert S. Gunn and Henry T. Gore as lieutenants. G was commanded by Capt. George Lyon, with William C. Toole and R. J. S. Wise as lieutenants. H was commanded by William Loving, with Joseph S. Browne, J. T. Ross and Anthony Volls as lieutenants. I was com- manded by Ephraim Perry, with Peter A. Jones and Hamilton Wilson as lieutenants. K was commanded by James H. Davis, with Francis. M. Hall, William S. Tyler and H. B. Goss as lieutenants. There were also three battalion companies, one under Capt. O. G. McDonald, another under Capt. Elias Parrott and a third under Capt. G. M. Brown. This regiment was stationed in Buchanan County. In con- sequence of an extraordinary reduction in numbers, the regiment was disbanded November 1, 1863, and the commissions of the officers re- voked, with the exception of those in charge of companies F and K. Colonel Scott was instructed by the same order to reorganize the militia of Buchanan County, which had become demoralized. He organized the Eighty-first regiment of Enrolled Missouri Militia, and used companies F and K as the nucleus. This regiment formed a component part of what was called the "Paw-Paw Brigade."
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