USA > Missouri > Bates County > The old settlers' history of Bates County, Missouri : from its first settlement to the first day of January, 1900 > Part 16
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OLD SETTLERS' HISTORY
money was not considered in a dicker, in fact there was hardly anything that had a money price on it. I remember seeing my father buy 14 lbs. of coffee for one dollar at Har. mony, Missouri. I remember seeing calves sell for one dol- lar in the fall of the year, and cows at $5.00 When the Mexican War commenced Government agents ran all over this country, bought up all the oxen they could get to freight across the country for the army. This stimulated the peo- ple to try and do something. On the heels of this gold was discovered in California. In this excitement I lit out for the land of gold in 1850.
I was nineteen years old when I started. We had many trials and hardships before we got through. We were four months on the road. I worked two years in the mines, but failed to make a Klondyke strike. After many ups and downs I returned to Missouri with a little money. I bought land and commenced making a farm. I spent what little money I had for the land, and improving it, and in stock. Right at this point the Civil War broke out; everything was excitement. Judging the people from their talk and actions you would have supposed they would be of one mind. I en- listed early in the spring of 1861 in what was called Cum- ming's Batalion, Missouri State Guard of three companies for six months. This organization was intended to cruise along the Kansas Jine to keep down trouble. Two.of these companies were from Bates, and one from Henry. Every thing moved along smoothly till late in the fall, when Gener- al Lane from Kansas swooped down on us with two thous- and men, and scattered us to the four winds (nobody was killed). I considered Gen. Lamb had discharged me, as also many others, so got on my horse and lit out for Texas. While on the road I came to the conclusion that I would have nothing more to do with the war. When I reached Texas the Confederate Congress had passed the Conscript law, put- ting every man in the service from 18 to 45 years of age. They didn't let me rest long before they got after ine and I dodged and hid there for four or five months, and I became convinced I could not stay there; so I retraced my steps (as did many others) and came back to the southern part of Mis- . souri. Here I met up with some of the old neighbors from Bates. They gave a gloomy account of affairs up there.
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Here I saw there was no way for me to keep out of the trouble, so I took the side of my choice and eulisted in the Confederate army. I was made the fifth sergeant, it was my duty to draw the rations for the company and issue them to the men. In about twelve months our Captain was pro- moted to Major, the line of officers went up by promotion, which left a vacancy of one Second Lieutenant, and I was elected to fill the vacancy. Ihad good health all the time of the war, and encountered considerable hardship; I was in the battle of Prairie Grove, and the attack on Helena by Gen. Holmes; also at Pleasant Hill against Banks; and the battle of Jenkin's Ferry on Solian river, against Steel. The trans-Mississippi was surrendered by Generals Price and Buckner. The most of our army was at Shreveport, Louis- iana. I got my parole and weut to Texas, and staid there till the spring of 1866, and then came to Missouri. I found everything gone, and burnt up. Where the houses and fences once stood had grown up in big weeds; everything had a mournful appearance to me. I had one little mule that I had brought from Texas, that and my land was every- thing I had on earth, and five years' back taxes on the land. I went to work by the month and paid up my taxes. My kind had to keep themselves straight, I talked very little, and strictly attended to my own business, and never got in- to any trouble, not even insulted. I rebuilt the old farm, and am on it yet, living under my own vine and fig tree.
* Yours Respectfully, S. H. WEDDLE.
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CAPTAIN JOHN A. DEVINNY.
Interviewed, and Talks of Early Times in Bates. A United and Harmonious People. The Captain not Dis- posed to Discuss Unpleasant Things out His Memory Good.
Capt. Devinny was born in Starke county, Ohio, and was educated in the common schools. In early life he learned the carpenter's trade and has followed that business until recent years. He left Ohio in 1856, went to Chicago, on his way to Missouri. and while there he heard Stephen A. Doug- lass on the Kansas-Nebraska bill and heard the people de- ride and hoot him. General Cass spoke on the same occa- sion. This was while the Kansas war was on, and he re- mained there until the election was over, and started the next day to Missouri. In 1862 he was appointed sheriff by Gov. Gamble, and served until succeeded by the election of Page. He was elected treasurer in 1804 at Johnstown. At that time county officers were more honorary than lucrative. In 1865 he was elected to the legislature to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Myers, and served through one session at Jefferson City. He has served the people of Mt. Pleasant two terms as collector, two as clerk and assessor, and in various other capacities efficiently and honestly.
"I came to Bates in the fall of 1857, from Clinton, Henry county, and have resided here continously ever since, except a short time while in the service during our unfortunate war. At that time there were not to exceed 500 inhabitants in But- ler. There were only a few stores and a blacksmith shop or two; and a little church building known as the Union church. situate on block 5, Montgomery's 1st addition and the build- ing was occupied as a school house. The congregation
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which worshipped therein finally lost title to the lot by rea- son of having no church organization, and the title fell back to Montgomery. The spot of ground is now owned by Dr. J. M. Christy. The first circuit court was held in this little structure the fall I came here, by Judge .Hicks. This was before all the records had been moved up from Papinville, the old county seat; and I remember on one occasion . while court was in session the old store pipe fell down on his Hon- or, and so begrimed and besutted him that he had to adjourn court until he could clean himself up. Peter B. Stratton was circuit clerk, and Mr. Edgar was sheriff. I remember the lawyers at this term as Starnes, Hollingsworth, Barrows of Papinville and others from adjoining counties. The con- tract for the old brick court house was let in the fall of 1857 and it was finished in 1858, after which court was held in it until burned in the fall of 1861. At that time General Price had his headquarters at Osceola and efforts were made to have a detachment stationed here. The Federal forces in Kansas heard of this and sent a detachment over here and burned the court house and several buildings on the west side, and perhaps others. Prior to this, early in the war, Robert L. Duncan, county clerk, had taken the records of his office to Clinton, and after Gen. Lane, the "Grim Chief- tain of Kansas," had burned Osceola and was on his way back to Kansas he passed through Butler and took the re- maining records to Leavenworth. All records were preserv- ed and returned after the war with the loss of the marriage records only. After the famous "Order Number 11" by Gen. Ewing had practically depopulated Bates and other border counties, marauding parties passing through here burned what was left of Butler in 1863. The county was fill- ing up rapidly when I came here. The Kansas trouble had not subsided in '57 but the people were peaceable and quiet. They lived much like all people do in a new and sparsely settled country. There was little crime prior to the war period; and much of the early history of the county prior to and during the war has never been written and never will be.
A few years more and those who lived here in 1857 when I came will live here no more. It is well that the bitterness aud animosities of thirty years ago are gone before some of
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us who passed through those thrilling times. Memories ex- ist but resentments are dead.
Men have changed their political beliefs, and party ties have been broken in peace. And whatever may divide us "old settlers" now are such questions as divide the men of a younger generation. We are a united and harmonious peo- ple and live in one of the favored sections of the country.
There should be a roll call at each succeeding Old Settlers' reunion and some fitting memorial service adopted in mem- ory of those, if any, who have passed beyond the river of death during the previous year."
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LIEUTENANT JOHN ATKISON.
Details Some Interesting Historical Facts.
In March 1860, John Atkison, the author of this sketch, came to Bates County and settled at the town of Pleasant Gap. He had come from a Free State, Ohio, and although a citizen of Cooper county, Mo. since 1844, he was regarded by the Pro-Slavery men of this section with suspicion, as all men were who were known to have come from a Free State. The war spirit was getting pretty high at that time, and the Southern sentiment largely predominated among the people of this section.
There was a drunken blacksmith by the name of Watson living at Pleasant Gap. Watson notified Atkisou to leave there, and not complying he shot at him twice, afterwards claiming he did it to scare him. He left then and went to Sedalia and found Federal troops there. He recruited a pla- toon of thirty men and was elected 1st Lieutenant. He then went on and recruited a full company. Col. John F. Philips was raising a regiment there, Atkison's company joined his
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JOHN ATKISON.
John Atkison was born in Kanawha County, West Virginia, November 12, 1815. Hle lived there until grown, on a farm, and attended school only six months, traveling three miles over a high mountain to and from. His father died when he was twenty years old. Ilis mother then moved to Ohio with a family of seven children and settled in Mercer county. He married Miss Hannah Catterlin June 18. 1840. While living there he was elected and commissioned a Justice of the Peace. After that he was elected captain of a militia company under the existing laws of Ohio, and was commissioned by the Govenor. Two children were born there. They then moved to Missouri in a two-horse wagon in 1844, and settled near Otterville in Cooper county, nine children being born to them while living there. They moved to Bates county March 28, 1860, settling in Pleasant Gap. Two children were born there, making in all 13 children. The fact of coming from a free state to Missouri he was looked on and called a black Republican and Abolitionist.
He enlisted in Co. "H." 7th Calvary, M. S. M. in 1862, and served about one year in Co. "H." as first Lieutenant. On account of disability, he was compelled to resign. Soon afterward he was appointed captain of a company of home guards for Bates county by Gov. Fletcher, with head- quarters at Pleasant Gap. He was elected sheriff in the fall of 1864, and shortly afterward the legislature passed a bill disfranchising all rebels and rebel sympathisers, and declaring all the county offices vacant. Then the Governor appointed him to fill out his unexpired term. In 1866 he was elected again. and in all served the people as sheriff four years. He was also ex-officio collector of taxes. Prior to his election as sheriff the first time he was a Judge of the County Court.
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OF BATES COUNTY.
regiment and was designated. Company H. In 1862 Company H was ordered to Lexington. Mo. On the 15th of August, 1862 Company H, with other troops was ordered to Lone Jack. Jackson county, in command of Major Foster of the Tth Regiment. Company H was the only company of the 7th Regiment that was engaged in the Lone Jack fight, one of the hardest fought battles of the war considering the num- ber engaged in it. While on that trip Atkison was thrown from his horse and seriously injured, on account of which he had to resign his commission. He returned and found his family living in Clinton. Henry county, Mo. He then moved to Germantown iu Henry county. Shortly after that Gener- al Ewing issued his famous order known as "No 11"; order- ing all the inhabitants out of Bates County. Every family in the county left, excepting Jefferson L. Porter who lived near Johnstown. It is said he and his family went over in Henry county and stayed all night and returned the next day to his home, and never left there again. Soon after re- turning home Lieutenant Atkison recruited a company of malitia, known as Home Guards. He was elected Captain and served it that capacity the rest of the war.
In the meatime Bates County had lost its organization. The people petitioned the Governor to appoint judges that they might reorganize the county. He appointed Jacob D. Wright, who then temporarily resided in Dresden, Mo., and John Atkison and Jefferson L. Porter as judges: . The judges met and organized. they appointed John D. Myers clerk. There was no one living in the county at that time except Jefferson Porter. The court then designated Johnstown as the place where court might be held and legal business trans- acted. They held two or three courts in Johnstown before auy one moved back to Bates County. Time for election came on, notice was given temporary citizens living nearby that au election would be held in Johnstown to elect county officers. John B. Newberry had been elected sheriff of Bates County in 1862. and was serving at that time, but temporari- ly out of the county.
The election held at Johnstown was in August 1864. At that election John Atkison was elected sheriff, and resigned as county judge, to accept that office. C. I. Robords, John Griggs and Mr. Petemyers were elected county judges for
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the ensuing term of two years. John D. Myers was elected circuit clerk. and he was also ex-officio county clerk and re- corder. Capt. H. C. Dounohue was elected Treasurer. At that time we had no county prosecutor nor probate judge. Ou the expiration of his term Sheriff Atkison was re-elect- el iu 1866, and thus served two full terms. This was during the unsettled times succeeding the war, and by the close of his last term the county had been fully re-populated and the civil authorities had restored order. Mr. Atkison has resided in Butler with his family ever since, and is now in his 85th year.
An incident in his life while sheriff was the offer of $10,000 from some Texas cattle men who had 10,000 head of cattle iu Vernon and Bartou counties, to let these cattle go through the county of Bates to the railroad at Holden for shipment east. There was at that time a statute against driving Southern cattle through this state. on account of Texas fe- ver. This munificent offer was rejected and the cattle had to be driven out of the state and across the Mississippi at Memphis.
Another incident occurred in April 1865. during his first term as sheriff, and while he still resided at Germantown, Henry county. Only a few men lived in this county at that time. It had been the practice of certain marauding parties to traverse this county, stealing horses and doing other der- ilment. Judge J. L. Porter reported a gang in the vicinity of Johnstown which had tried to take the Judge's horse, and did shoot and kill his horse while he was trying toget away. Upon the report of this, and other acts of lawlessness upon the part of these traveling marauders, Sheriff Atkison sum- moned a posse comitatis and pursued them north to Grand river. Among the posse were J. L. Porter, A. E. Page, John Sisson, George and Wm. Warner, and Valincount and Lafayette Griggs, and some others. On their march they stopped at the home of Mr. Page who had just returned to the county, where a laughable incident occurred. Here they got track of the marauders afresh, and pushing on they sud- denly came upon nine of the party who were afoot, the ones on horseback having gone further up the river where they could cross. The fight opened at once by the opposing forces. At the first fire Lafayette Griggs fell dead. It be-
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OF BATES COUNTY.
came a running fight thereafter and both parties got across the river, and the marauders made a staud in a small lake. Here the battle raged fast and furious. The captain who shot Griggs, was shot by Griggs at the same moment, the ball hitting him in the right hand and shattering his arm to the shoulder. It was supposed that eight men went into the lake and so far as he saw or knew, only two men ever goi out. He said he rode across the lake and the water was very crimson with human blood, but he only saw two dead bodies in the water. The two that got out escaped and the captain who had been shot was afterward killed by some of the posse. This battle occurred on April 14, and after the battle the dead body of Griggs was tied on a horse and it was taken back to Germantown for burial. The horse of Sheriff Atkison was shot in the nose and it bled so that it fell down. They made arrangements to put two men on one horse. supposing this horse was dead: but the blood stopped and the horse got up and overtook the party about two miles out and fully recovered. None of the posse except Griggs were hurt. The dead marauders were left where they died, some fourteen miles from the closest settlement at that time.
A report of this fight was made by Sheriff Atkison to a Sedalia paper published by Thos. Single and printed by him. Several of the parties in the Sheriff's posse are still living and would doubtless corroborate this last battle of the war within our borders.
This was the iast of the traveling marauders. The war was just over, and soon peace and quiet prevailed.
OLD SETTLERS HISTORY
R. G. HARTWELL.
An Interesting Account of Men and Event; in Our Early History.
Old Settlers will Enjoy this Letter. Mr. Hartwell is a Well Informed Man and Writes Well.
The writer landed in Butler. April 24. 1866. in company with Capt E. P. Henry. Judge Weaver. Charley Morris and George Bartley. The Sheriff John Atkison and J. D. Myers who was filling the offices of county clerk. circuit clerk and recorder, were then building each of them offices on the pub- lie square, having just moved the records from Pleasant Gap to Butler. There was supposed to be a daily stage run each war from Pleasant Hill to Ft. Scott and Ft. Scott to Pleas- ant Hill. Butler being the half-way station. A. H. Lami was the Butler stage agent. At that time there were prob- ably not to exceed one thousand people in the county, and not a dwelling house in Butler: but there was one or two in process of erection. The bushwhackers and Kansas jay- hawkers had left a few old barns built of native lumber, and a small part of two or three buildings, formerly used for dwellings that were not worth the trouble of setting on fire.
The attorneys here at that time were Win. Page, David McGaughey, C. C. Bassett, C. F. Boxley. Tom Stearns, and Horton & Christian. Stearns died 1:66. Horton died in 1809, and Christian married Hortons's widow and moved to Illi- nois a few years later.
J. W. Cullar, Dave Forbes and Benjamine White had stores on a very small scale with about a shirt tail full of goods and a barrel of whiskey: but I am not certain that all of them had the barrel of whiskey. Cocran and Shane about
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OF BATES COUNTY.
that time opened up a saloon. and several old bums .daily . held a ghost dance on the north side of the square, having their dead.line: and woe to the poor victim they could induce to cross that line. . He was held till the bottle was replenish- ed. :
That summer . J. W. Hannah and Smith C. Minturn , put up a two story building on the corner that the Bennett & Wheeler Mercantile Co. now cecupy. and put in a good stock, consisting principally of hardware. A two story building was also built west of the corner where the Palace hotel now stands, and occupied as a dry goods store by M. S. Cowles & Co.
John A. Divinny, Judge Steele and J. G. Mckibben were the building contractors in the spring and summer of 1866, and later J. B. Tinklepaugh and D. B. Heath came. In. the summer of '66 the Bates County Record was started by D. K. Abeel. was also running a paper at Harrisonville; but in the summer of '67 O. D. Austin bought the paper and is suppos- ed to be still holding the fort for the Republican party -- in the newspaper line.
E. P. Henry & R. G. Hartwell opened the first exclusive real estate office in the county in the summer of '66. Others were connecting realestate with law practice: but soon. bad all the law practice they could attend to, and dropped out of the real estate business.
In '67 the jail was built, with dwelling attached, which was occupied by Sheriff Atkison and family. who was not only sheriff but.was ex-offieio county collector, and . having. no better place to keep the county money he often had from ten to twenty thousand dollars in the house, which he generally kept in a ballot box. One John Walt who was in the em- ploy of the Sheriff took a fancy to that ballot box one night when it contained about $12,000 or $14,000, and in the ab- sence of Atkison, slipped it out and buried the money in the ground: and returning to his work as innocent as a suckling dove: but he was finally spotted, and Lamb, who was then deputy sheriff. can tell all about how and where they found the money.
The first sermon preached in Butler after the war was about the last of April '66 by one Callaway, sent into Mis- souri by the Southern Illinois M. E. Conference as a mission -
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OLD SETTLERS' HISTORY
ary, and having consented to preach, next day being Sun- day, we carried lumber in and improvised seats in the part- ly finished office of Sheriff Atkison. The Sunday following Bro. Willard from Wisconsin Conference having come to Butler during the week filled the Sheriff's pulpit, aud as he remained during the summer he organized what is now known as the Ohio Street M. E. Church. The next year the First Presbyterian Church was organized by Rev. S. W. Clark, with only three members, but it grew rapidly in wem- bers and they built the first church building in the town. There was a building put up in '66 vy private subscription, near where the Presbyterian church now stands, and used for school, Sunday School and public worship till the new church and school house were bailt when it was given to the negroes for church and school purposes.
Among the early physicians in Butler was Drs. Frizell, Boulware and Cornell. The Masonic Lodge. was organized in October 1867 with about twelve charter members, of which only three are now living in Butler. Dr. J. H. Frizell was the first Master of the lodge. He has now youe from labor to the place where all good Masons go.
Old Time, whose scythe is always going, has gathered in a large number of the early settlers of our beautiful city, while some have moved away, and today one can almost count on his fingers the residents of Butler that were . here in April 1866. The harvest is still going on and in a few more years our reunion of the early settlers will be on the other side of the River. God grant that when life's curtain is lifted to us our reunion shall be one that never ends.
R. G. HARTWELL
OF BATES COUNTY.
THE BATTLE AT FORT TOOTHMAN.
This fort was situate on the N. W. quarter, Section 35, Township 40, Range 32, in Charlotte township.
J. S. Pierce, an old settler. being interviewed said:
"I came to Bates County in the spring of 1853, and hare resided here ever since, except a short time during the late unhappy war between the States. Ft. Toothman was a reg-
ular U. S. fort, and garrisoned by regular U. S. troops, col- ored: and must have been established there late in 1862. What I know about the battle was gleaned from a soldier whom I met in Little Rock. Ark., shortly after the battle, and who had participated in it. He and other Southern men were camped, or rendezvoused on the slough island nearly directly south of the fort, and were taking care of themselves the best they could in the unsettled condition of the country.
"The colored troops to the number of 150 or 200, were for- aging upon the country for a living; and in order to punish them these Southern men planned an attack. They sent out a few men to approach the fort and entice the colored troops out. The rest of the force was quietly disposed for action a short distance south on the low land of the Marais de Cygne river. One man had been placed in a cottonwood tree where he could see the colored troops, and at the same time signal a charge. This was not to be made nutil the colored troops were some distance from the fort, and near the river timber.
"The scheme worked. The colored troops came out in force and pursued the squad nearly to the timber, and at the proper time the man in the cottonwood tree gave the signal, and the Southern men, numbering some 15 to 25 men, charg- ed the colored troops, and the battle raged fast and furious until the few who escaped were inside Fort Toothmau. Both sides were mounted, and the Southern men had the ad- vantage of fresh horses, and the colored troops had to re- treat with fagged horses and up over the bluffs towards the fort. Hence, they were cut down mercilessly, and only one
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