The History of Jackson county, Missouri, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Jackson county in the late warhistory of Missouri, map of Jackson county, Part 39

Author: Union Historical Company
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Kansas City, Mo. : Union historical company
Number of Pages: 1068

USA > Missouri > Jackson County > The History of Jackson county, Missouri, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Jackson county in the late warhistory of Missouri, map of Jackson county > Part 39

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He often called his father's name- He called his brother's, too- But oftener still his mother came Within his dreaming view ; He seemed to think that mother near, And for her hand would feel, 'Twould melt the hardest heart to hear His piteous appeal !

"Oh, mother, help your little son- My head is aching sore, And here I lie, with pillows none, Upon the cold hard floor. Oh, lay me on my trundle bed, Or take me on your knee- She does not hear what. I have said; Oh, where can mother be ?"

Anon the scene would change, and he By fancy still beguiled A husband-father-seemed to be, And spoke of wife and child; He spoke of them so tenderly, So often called their names, Though absent, yet 'twas plain that they Were present in his dreams.

His days of early manhood came, And passed in plain review His constant struggles after fame, His disappointments too ; He spoke of hardships undergone, He spoke of dangers passed, And still his thoughts kept wandeirng on, And wandered to the last.

But when more recent scenes appeared, To claim his wandering thought- The storm which civil war had stirred, The suffering it had wrought. Upon his home and family His thoughts appeared to dwell, With them again he seemed to be- To them he bade farewell.

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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

And there beneath that lonely tree Which gave the town its name, The traveler will turn to see And read the warrior's fame. And when that tree shall cease to stand, As it must shortly do, A monument with marble hand Will point to where it grew.

The Federal troops in Jackson county in the fall of 1862 and spring of 1863, were commanded by such officers as Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson, Colonel Pen- nock and Major W. C. Ranson. Colonel Pennock's regiment remained in Inde- pendence until the spring of 1863. During the time he remained in town he burned several houses; the Confederates were also occasionally beating around the town trying to burn some houses, especially the house still known as Samson's store and the public school building, which was then a seminary owned and conducted by Prof. Lewis. The buildings, however, by the action of the citizens were put out. There was some fighting between these outlying Confederates around the town and the Federal soldiers within, but nothing that amounted to much. Some rather close shots were made at the assailants and they left. Then there was formed what was called the Home Guards who closely invested the town, took every precaution toward preventing the place from falling into the hands of the Confederates, but, from facts that will be related presently, they also failed in that. The court house and yard were packed full of the citizens of Independence, but that measure did not seem to bear much fruit or safety, either to the Federal or Confederate elements among the people of the town. In fact it would have been a great blessing to the adherents of both parties living in the city limits, or those adjacent, if either one or the other of the contesting armies had gotten pos- session of the place and secured it during the whole civil war. There certainly would have been more protection offered to inoffensive women and children than was, if such had been the case. We, at this time, have reasons to believe unless the soldiers had lost all their gallantry and bravery, that the weak and helpless would have been protected, though the husbands, brothers and fathers had been in the opposing army. But as it was, first one side and then the other was in control of the town, so there was cruelty and needless injuries inflicted upon the once noble and beautiful little city of Independence. During this same spring of 1863, or the summer following, Colonel Pennock built what was called Fort Pennock, near the public spring in the city of Independence. He was oc- cupying this post when General Ewing's famous order No. 1I was issued.

ORDER NO. II.

This celebrated order was issued just one week after the memorable butchery at Lawrence, by the Guerrilla mob, led by Quantrell, and the object of it was to deprive Quantrell of a lodgment and rendezvous in the borders of Missouri, where he and his band had been protected and supported by sympathizing citizens for the preceding three years.

General Order No. 10, which immediately preceded Order No. 11, should also be understood, for we are well aware that after nearly a score of years have passed, many of those who were here then have passed away, and others, who were young, have come into the active stations of life, but knew little or nothing about the particulars. Then, again, there are thousands who having come into Jackson county, never heard of these transactions that occurred during the prog- ress of greater events in the great Civil War.

There were only three paragraphs of Order No. 10 that bore any particular relation to Order No. II, and these were paragraphs 1, 2, and 3. Order No. 10

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provided (1)-For escort to all loyal persons desiring to remove to a military post in the district, and to all persons who had been slaves of persons in rebel- lion, and that the teams of those who had aided in rebellion, whenever needed, should be taken to assist in the removal, and then turned over to the officer com- manding the military station.

(2)-All persons who willfully gave aid to the guerrillas, except women, who were heads of families, were to be arrested; but careful discrimination was to be made between those who were compelled by threats to do so, and those who aid- ed them from disloyal motives. Wives and children of known guerrillas, and women, heads of families, willfully engaged in aiding the guerrillas, were to be notified to remove out of the district forthwith, and be permitted to take unmo- lested their stock, provisions and household goods. If they did not so remove, they were to be sent to headquarters at Kansas City, for shipment south.

(3)-Persons who laid down their arms and surrendered themselves, to be banished with their families, were to be sent to such State or district outside the department as the commanding officer might direct. No. 3 was revoked, as will be seen by reference to Order No. 11. General Order No. 10 was issued Au- gust 18, 1863, just one week before Order No. 1I, of which the following is a copy :

GENERAL ORDER NO. II.

HEAD QUARTERS DISTRICT OF THE BORDER, KANSAS CITY, Mo., August 25, 1863.

I. All persons living in Jackson, Cass and Bates counties, Missouri, and in that part of Vernon- included in this district, except those living within one mile of the limits of Independence, Hickman's Mills, Pleasant Hill and Harri- sonville, and except those in that part of Kaw township, Jackson county, north of Brush Creek and west of the Big Blue, are hereby ordered to remove from their present places of residence within fifteen days from the date hereof.

Those who, within that time, establish their loyalty to the satisfaction of the commanding officer of the military station nearest their present places of resi- dence, will receive from him certificates stating the fact of their loyalty and the names of the witnesses by whom it can be shown. All who receive such certificates will be permitted to remove to any military station in this district, or to any part of the State of Kansas, except the counties on the eastern border of the State. All others shall remove out of this district. Officers commanding companies and detachments serving in the counties named, will see that this paragraph is prompt- ly obeyed.

II. All grain and hay in the field or under shelter, in the districts from which the inhabitants are required to remove, within reach of military stations, after the 9th day of September next, will be taken to such stations, and turned over to the proper officers there ; and report of the amount so turned over made to District Head Quarters, specifying the names of all loyal owners, and the amount of such produce taken from them. All grain and hay found in such dis- trict after the 9th day of September next, not convenient to such stations, will be destroyed.

III. The provisions of General Orders No. 10 from these headquarters will be at once vigorously executed by officers commanding in the parts of the dis- trict, and at the stations, not subject to the operation of Paragraph I of this Or- der-and especially in the towns of Independence, Westport and Kansas City.

IV. Paragraph 3, General Order No. 10, is revoked as to all who have borne arms against the Government in this district since the 20th day of August, 1863.

By order of Brig. Gen. Ewing.

H. HANNAHS, Adjutant.

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Five months after the order was issued, Col. Theo. S. Case, Chief Quarter- master of the Border under General Ewing, now postmaster at Kansas City, wrote a letter to the Missouri Democrat, of St. Louis, commenting on railroad matters in this part of the state, the anniversary of the emancipation proclama- tion and other things in which he referred to General Order No. 1r, in the following language: "The experience of the past three years has shown that the plan adopted in constructing the 'Division of the Border ' from the territory on both sides of the boundary line of Kansas and Missouri, is the only one which has succeeded in giving anything like peace to this vexed region. It must not be forgotten that less than six months ago this border was alive with bush-whackers and guerrillas on one side and with 'red legs' on the other, the first of whom exceed the atrocities of the savages in their horrible deeds of blood, while the latter excel in dexterity the horse stealing exploits of John A. Murrell's most experienced gangs. Now neither party is known on this border. Not a bush-whacker has been heard of in any part of the District of the Border for months and the term 'red leg ' is rapidly becoming obsolete. Stage coaches, solitary horsemen and footmen can and do travel ummolested from this city (Kansas City) to Lexington, Warrensburg, Harrisonville or Fort Scott, a state- ment which could not have been truthfully made at any previous time since May, 1861 ; while horses, mules and cattle roam about at large with almost the same immunity as of yore.

" All this has been brought about by the well-directed efforts of General Ewing who having control of both sides of the boundary line has been enabled to produce a result which no officer could have secured, whose jurisdiction ceased at the line on the other side. His measures have been harsh, it cannot be denied, but when we recall the history of the part in Jackson and Cass counties, the almost unanimous adherence to the rebel cause among their people, the harboring of bush-whackers, the persecution of Union men, as long as any remained to be persecuted, the impossibility of obtaining information in regard to the movements of the guerrillas amongst them, the certainty of the heralding to the enemy of any movement of the federal troops, the determined and repeated acts of duplicity and treachery by almost the whole population, men, women and children-when all these things are considered, and the result of Gen. Ewing's course ascertained, none but copperheads and traitors find any objection to it, while all loyal and true hearted men applaud it. It will be remembered that by order No. rI these counties were depopulated. The entire population was ordered to remove. Such as would take the oath of allegiance and could prove that they had never harbored bush-whackers were permitted to remain at the various military stations in the district. All others were compelled to remove altogether. The forage thus abandoned has been collected and used by the government and paid for where the owner was loyal. Ample time was given for the removal of cattle and thus the guerrillas were deprived of all means of support and information. After several months General Order No. 20 was issued, per- mitting all loyal citizens to remove to their homes, the males to enroll them- selves, form militia companies for home defense, receiving arms, clothing and subsistence from the government. Under this order about 250 men, mostly heads of families, have returned, enrolled themselves, and are now prepared to defend themselves against the bush-whackers should they attempt to return. Of course none are permitted to return whose loyalty is not abundantly attested. This course will gradually fill up the counties again with men who have been true to their country from the beginning, but who have been exiles from their homes since 186r. They know personally the bush-whackers and their harborers, and will not permit them to return. There are families now living almost desti- tute in this city, who have good farms, within from ten to twenty miles, but who have not dared to visit them for two years, through dread of the rifle or bowie

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knife of their former neighbors and friends. It is the latter class of people who are expelled by General Order No. 11. And the former class who are permitted to again enjoy the happiness and comfort of living upon their own farms by General Order No. 20.

"It is true that there is very little of the conservative element about this mode of dealing with the enemies of the country and their sympathizers, and it is equally true that little is needed.

"The first order relieved us entirely of the presence of the guerrillas for the first time during the war. The second order re-admitted a loyal people to Jack- son and Cass counties for the same time during the same period. All loyal men thank General Ewing for both orders.

" This plan will succeed without doubt, but should any mistaken policy dictate the removal of the barriers thus set up by General Ewing, the same scenes of per- secution, robbery, murder and wholesale butchery may be expected on the bor- der during the coming season, that have marked the past three years. The first to rush in, should an indiscriminating permission be granted to all former resi- dents, would be those who have been the sysmpathizers and harborers of the guerrillas, the spies upon the movements of the Federal troops, the persecutors of their Union neighbors in past days; and close upon their heels the ruthless butch- erers of Lawrence, Olathe and Shawneetown.

" Rely upon it, the only successful plan of filling up these depopulated coun- ties is the straining or filtering process by which all noxious matters are excluded and only the pure and loyal allowed to pass through."

The American Cyclopedia for the year 1863, published by D. Appleton & Co., has the following paragraph relating to Quantrell and General Order No. II :

"The most atrocious outrage of the war was the attack of Col. Quantrell and his band of Confederate guerrillas upon the thriving city of Lawrence on the 2 Ist of August, 1863. The attack was made, in the early morning and entirely without warning. The citizens, unarmed, were unable to make any defense, and were many of them shot down in the streets in cold blood.

"The Eldridge House, the largest hotel in the city and all the stores on Mas- sachusetts street, the principal business street, were plundered and burned, as were many dwellings and stores in other parts of the city. Two hundred and five men were killed and many others wounded. No women or children were killed or wounded, though one assailant snapped his pistol at Miss Lydia Stone, a heroic woman who had exposed her life for the preservation of others. Several of the churches were destroyed, and the property stolenand burned was estimated to exceed the value of $2, 000, 000.

"Quantrell, the leader of the gang, had been at one time a resident of Law- rence. Senator Lane (General James H. Lane) was in Lawrence at the time, but succeeded in avoiding the guerrillas, and as soon as they left the town raised such a force as could be gathered and started in pursuit. Some thirty or forty of the guerrillas were overtaken and slain, but the remainder got away safely with their plunder.

" Much indignation was felt by the citizens of Kansas at the alleged remiss- ness of General Ewing, who was in command of the district of Kansas and West- ern Missouri, and of General Schofield, who commanded the department of Mis- souri. Two days after the attack, General Ewing issued the order known as General Order No. II. Quantrell and his band of marauders still hovered around the Kansas border.

"There have been in Kansas and probably in Western Missouri, also, a con- siderable number of men, soldiers of fortune, who, while professing to belong on the side of the Union, have been ready to plunder and rob in the name of free- dom, all against whom they could raise any suspicion of sympathy with the Con- federates. These "Jayhawkers," as they were called, had really as little interest

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in the success of the Union cause as their counter-parts, the guerrillas, had in the Confederates; the controlling motive being in both instances the obtaining of plunder for their own emolument."

GENERAL PRICE'S MARCH THROUGH JACKSON COUNTY.

The autumn of '64 will ever remain important in the history of our country. There were some little things of importance going on in the county about that time; but things took a definite and determined course when it was rumored throughout the county that Gen. Sterling Price was on a northern war march and would certainly come through the county. News reached St. Louis that General Price, with Generals Fagon, Joe Shelby and Marmaduke, crossed the Arkansas River at Dardenelles, a village in Pope county, Arkansas, on his way north. The size of Price's army when he crossed the river was not ascertained, though it is pretty certain that by the time he struck Lexington and Jackson county, his ar- my swelled to nearly 30,000 men.

Many were the reports and messages sent hither and thither throughout Missouri and adjoining states during Price's raid. The movements of General Price were closely noticed and anticipated by the Federal General Rosecrans, who was then stationed at St. Louis; he kept his other officers well informed, concerning the marches and proposed attacks of the Confederate army.

So they rightly anticipated his course, and made heavy preparations. There were officers and men enough on the elert to have annihilated the whole invading army, if they had been properly disposed and had made the best assaults. The presumption is, that why Price was not driven back to his rebel retreats in Arkansas, our men were too much scattered, and had but little hopes of success when they did attack. General Curtis, who was stationed in West Kansas, was called to Jackson County, Missouri, while Generals Blunt, Sykes, Lowe, Ford, Pleasanton, Moonlight, A. J. Smith and a host of others from Kansas and the Indian Territory, were gathered along the line of march; there surely could not have been many less than 60, 000 soldiers and militia ready to strike the enemy. After General Price passed Jefferson City there were to be no doubts as to his direction and his intention. Many preparations were made by the Union army to keep Lexington from falling into the hands of the Confederates. But Price, accompanied by Fagon, Shelby and Marmaduke, some of whom were acquainted with the country, was not to be defeated or turned from his line of march. They marched upon Lexington, which with but little resistance surrrended. The Fed- erals then were very well satisfied that Price and his whole army would make for Kansas City and Westport by way of Independence.

In the meantime guerrillas did much skirmishing and much damage to the Federal army. The Union soldiers did noble fighting, and as it has been well said, contested almost every foot of ground between Lexington and Independ- ence. While the engagements were going on at and around Lexington, Inde- pendence was occupied by Colonel James H. Ford; when it was known that Price was marching toward Independence, on the 20th of October, 1864, Gen- eral Blunt with several other commanders reinforced Colonel Ford at Independ- ence. Colonel Moonlight, Captains Green and Huntoon, with a strong force, were ordered to make a strong resistance at Little Blue River, a few miles east of Independence. In due time did Price's army make its appearance. On the morning of the 21st, General Joe Shelby drove the pickets in, and the battle known as the Little Blue began in good earnest. As the river was shallow, at that season of the year, an army could ford it at a number of places. The Con- federates poured across the stream in almost countless numbers; the Union forces were compelled to give way and burnt the bridges as they retired. Major Nelson Smith, of 2d Colorado regiment, fell in this fight shot through the heart, and where also fell George Todd, the guerrilla. Price's entire army moved up

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to the scene of battle, the Federals could not do anything else but give way ; though they fought nobly, they were driven from all their entrenchments. The Confederates arrived in time to extinguish the burning bridge, so that their artil- lery had no trouble in passing the river. This defeat, which from the circum- stances could not have been otherwise, threw the whole county into the greatest confusion, for as soon as the results were known at Independence, the greatest hurry was made to evacuate the town. It is true a second stand was made by General Blunt about two miles from Independence, but it proved of little avail, as the position was soon swept away by the double columns of the advancing edemy. Independence, that had been for years the headquarters of the Federal forces, was taken without a struggle.

General Curtis and his corps of officers decided to take the next stand on the west bank of the Big Blue River, a few miles west of Independence ; and it was there that they did some of their best fighting. It was deemed exceedingly im- portant that the Confederate army should not be allowed to penetrate further toward Kansas City and Kansas, and no place offered better advantages for suc- cessful resistance.

The fall of Independence had nothing about it of interest in the history of Price's raid, as it is generally called, however of importance it might be in the history of the town. The Confederate soldiers remained in the town only a day or two and then pressed on their march toward Kansas City. It was well known by all, that General Curtis had decided to measure strength with the enemy at Big Blue. After taking his stand at the bridge, he was immediately reinforced by General Deitzler of the Kansas division, Colonels Hogan and Blair, Weir and Montgomery, and Captains Dodge and Minor, the latter of whom was of the colored volunteers. As the river was rather large, deep, and of steep banks, it was reasonably thought that a successful stand could be made. Above the main crossing McLain's Colorado battery held a commanding position, at Sim- mon's Ford, two miles south, Colonel Pennock was stationed with the 10th Kan- sas regiment. Pennock was soon re-enforced by Colonel Moonlight, who had just come from the engagement at Little Blue east of Independence. Three miles from Simmon's Ford is another known as Byrom's Ford, which proved to be the objective point made to by Price's army. The roads from Raytown and Independence cross at the latter ford and then diverge to Kansas City and West- port. Colonel McLain was directed to proceed to Byrom's Ford and hold it for further orders, but was also instructed to thoroughly scout the eastern bank and · vicinity, as well as to open communication with Russel's Ford if possible. Colo- nel McLain, with some difficulty, took his position on the 22d, and dispatched an escort of twenty men to Hickman Mills, all of whom were taken prisoners by the Confedrates except one who escaped by the fleetness of his horse. At 9 o'clock next morning Colonel Jennison with the Ist Brigade also took a position at the same crossing. Still further above on the same stream, was another ford called Hickman Mills Crossing, which was held by General Such was, in the main, the order of the Federal forces when Price's army made its ap- pearance on the opposite bank of the Big Blue, October 22d, 1864. From the skirmishers situated on Rock Creek, the Union soldiers soon. learned that the main body of Price's army was near at hand. The pickets from Rock Creek were driven in, and from a feint thrown out by General Shelby on the main road to Kansas City, the Federal army soon discovered that Price was intending to cross the Blue at some ford above where Curtis was garrisoned. The following dispatch will show how accurate was the Federalists' information concerning Price's movements the day before the fight :

HEADQUARTERS, FORKS OF THE ROAD, 9 A. M. October, 22d, 1864.

General :- Price is making very feeble demonstrations in front; look

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out for your position. Send scouts on road to Pleasant Hill, and also toward Independence to see if Price is moving toward my flank. Send me reports every thirty minutes. S. R. CURTIS, Major-General.

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The History of Jackson county, Missouri, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Jackson county in the late warhistory of Missouri, map of Jackson county, Part 39

Author: Union Historical Company Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Kansas City, Mo. : Union historical company Number of Pages: 1068

Author: Union Historical Company
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Kansas City, Mo. : Union historical company
Number of Pages: 1068