Clay County, Missouri - History Of. the County from 1822 to 1830, 1885 (part 4 of 4)

Not so with the Ohio troops. These men were all gentlemen, and seemed to understand that the war was one between fellow-citizens of a common country. They came quietly into town, went into camp, and as quietly conducted themselves during their stay. They abused nobody, insulted no one, and there did not seem to be a thief among them. Even at this late day, these regiments, and especially the Thirty-ninth, and its old colonel, John Groesbeck, are pleasantly remembered. Brave men these were, and manv a time afterward iu the mighty battles in Teiinsssee, Mississippi and Ooorgia, did they accomplish great deeds of gallantry and moment, bui not the least among their gloiies during their term of service wet<« their acts of gentility, honor and chivalry toward the people of Misfciiri in the fall and winter of 1861. It is a pity that the same can no^ bf- said of :'.ll Federal regiments !

Upon the fall of Lexington there was great ''ejoicing imoii-j the Secessionists, and enlistments in the armj^ of Gen. Pii^'e were tirthe'r stimulated. About this time inflammatory appe^ln were made by certain leaders of the Secession forces to our peoole, ask ag for assistance in men and means, and denouncing Federa s and Federt,! sympathizers in the severest terms. The following is an extract iroru a communication of Col. John T. Hughes, in the Liberty Tribune, of September 20 : -

* * * Were I Governor of this State I would notify Gov. Charles Robinson, of Kansas, that if he should again suflier his soldiers to cross into Missouri I would retaliate with a terrible vengeance. I would invade, occupy and hold, and desolate the entire State ot Kansas with fire and sword, and sack raid burn every town and city in the State. I would i-educe it to its primeval solitudes.

* * * The exiled soldiers are returning, and this land will be drenched in blood, and widows and orphans be multiplied, and the wildest anarchy prevail, if there should be any attempt to support the Provisional Government of the traitor and usurper, Hamilton R. Gamble, by force of arms.

Col. Hughes appealed to the women to weave cloth and prepare clothing, and to the men to prepare leather and other supplies for the use of Price's army, and the appeal was not altogether unresponded to.

The bank at Liberty, which was a branch of the Farmers' Bank of Lexington, suspended specie payments in the summer, and early in the fall the coin was sent to St. Louis for safety.

Recruiting was kept up for the army of Gen. Price during the fall, and on December 1 there were at least five companies with "Old Pap " in his camps down in Southwestern Missouri : Capt. P. C. Pixlee's, L. B. Dougherty's, Gideon Thompson's, Robert Minter's and R. Scott's. Other men from Clay belonged to companies whose officers were from adjoining counties.

The Neosho Secession Ordinance

secession was passed by both houses. In the Senate the only vote against it was c.i;t by Charles Hardin, then Senator from the Boone and Callaway 'hstrict, and afterwards Govcrnc-r of the State, and in the House tl .nly member voting " no " was Mr. Shambangh, of DeKalb A^c^rding to the records and to Mr. Shambaugh theio were in the J'ckgOi Legislature at the time but 39 members of the House and DieEiburs of the Senate, when by the constitution a quorum for tb'> trui^sactio:. of business was required to consist of 17 Senators and 67 I?or''esei.l.itiYe-. Be that as it may, the secession ordinance and the net of innexatif r to the Southern Confederacy were approved by the Confederate C'^ngress at Richmond, recognized by that portion of the |) '^iiie of Mis. ouri who were in favor " of cutting loose from the old UiAion," and Gen. Price fired a salute in honor thereof. And so those Mijsuurians, then and afterwards in arms against the Federal flag, became entitled to the name of Confederates, and will so be denominated in future pages of this history, instead of being called " State "Secessionists," "Southern troops," etc., as they have hitherto been spoken of.

On Sunday, December 8, about 2,000 Federal troops, under commind of Gen. Ben. M. Prentiss, appeared in Liberty and remained until the following Tuesday. During their stay quite a number of citizens of Confederate proclivities were arrested and forced to take an oath of loyalty to the Federal Government. Among these was Robert. H. Miller, editor of the Tribune, who was required to agree not to publish any more " secesh " articles in his paper. When he left Gen. Prentiss carried off with him Dr. Patton, Judge Vertrees, Deputy Sheriff J. J. Moore, Constable J. H. Ford, and 9 others.

During The Year 1862

The " Gambk: Oalli " - It In Taken by a Majority of the County OfflclalH - MlscellaticouH - I'arker'M Italil on I^lberty - The Kcign of Pcnick - Organization of the Enrolled Mllltla - MlHcellancous Military Matters - November Election, 1802.

Aftorthe reorganization of tiio Missouri State Govcrnmont by ordinance of tlie State Convention - witii Hamilton K. Gamble as Provisional Governor, Willard P. Hall as Lieut. -Governor, Mordecai Oliver as Secretary of State, etc., - it was required that all county ofBcers (and many others) should take an oath of allegiance, not only to the United States, but to the Provisional Government. In this county some of the oflicials refused to take this oath, but whether this refusal was upon the grounds that the Gaml)le government was illegal or that they considered Missouri, under the Neosho ordinance of Secession, one of the Confederate States, can not here b(! stated. For a time, owing to the disturbed comJition of affairs incident to military occupation, pul)lic business was practically suspended.

IJiit at last, after due deliberation, and upon a consideration of all tlie circumstances, it was concluded that it was best to accept the sil nation and to recognize the authority of the Federal and State Governments. Some of the officers took the oath willingly, others with a mental rescirvation. In January, 18(J2, the county court assembled at LibiMly. All tint oilic(!rs had been reappointed, and had taken the Gamble oatli. TIks jiisLices were Thomas M.Chovis, Alvah Maret and Isaac Wood ; clerk, Kphraim D. Murray. Public business was transacted as usual. Jn March the court assembled, and considering the cases of many of the justiiies of the peace of tlie county who had resigned rather than take the oath, reappointed nearly all of them, and the most of them afterward served.

In the circuit court Judge George W. Dunn had refused to take the oath, and <!X-(jov(!rn()r Austin A. King was appoint<!il in his stead, (yircnit Attornc^y I). (J. Allen would not take and sui).scribc to the oalii, and I). P. Whitmer, of Ray, was commissioned. Circuit Clerk A. .) . Calhoun acc(^pted the situation. (222) that 1 will support, protoot and dofoiid tlio Constitution ot" tho United States, and iho Constitution ot' tho State ot" Missouri, against all enemies and opposors. whether domestic or toroign ; that 1 will boar true taith. loyalty and allogianoo to the United States, and will not, direetly or indirectly, give aid and comtort or eountouanoo to tho enemies or oppressors thereof, or of the Piwisional Government of tho State of Missouri, any oi\linance. law or resolution of any State Convention or Legislature, or any order or organization, secret or otherwise to the contrary notwithstanding ; and that I do this with a full and honest determination, pledge and purpose, faithfully to keep and perform the same, withont any mental reservation or evasion whatever. And I do further solemnly swear (or affirm ^ that I have not, since the 17th day of December. A. D. IStU. willfully taken up arms or loYied war agtiinst tho United States, or against the Provisional Government of the State of Missouri. So help nto God.

After a time tho '- Gamble oath " was supplemented by one more binding, more exacting, hal^^er to take, and still harder to observe. riiis was called the -- ironclad oath."

In February a small Fodentl command under Lieut. Elias Lankford, then engaged in raising a company for service in the Sixth regiment, Missouri State Militia, Col. E. C. Catherwood's. came to Liberty as the advance of a force that was to occupy the county. Lieut. Lanktord opened a recruiting office, but ivcruits came in very slowly. In all o"J men trom this county joined Catherwood's regiment.

On the 10th of March Maj. A. Lightburno's extensive ivpe factory at Liberty was set on tire and burned to the gronnd. involving a loss of some thousands of dollars. The incendiary was a negro woman, the slave of L. N. Kees. She was arrested and confessed that she did the burning to be iwongod on Maj. Lightburno, who some time previously had caused her to be whipped for stealing some clothing from him. The woman, with some other slaves, was sent otf to another quarter of the State and sold. Somehow a report that the Federals at Liberty had burned tho factory gained currency, but there was not the smallest particle of truth in it.

Liberty and held the place for a few hours. Soon after their entrance they called up to them a citizen named Owen Grimshaw, who had a short time px'eviously enlisted in the Federal service, and after conversing with him for a moment, shot him in the shoulder, bringing him to the ground. The wound was a severe one, but did not prove mortal.

Capt. R. G. Hubbard, afterwards of Penick's regiment, had a recruiting office, with ten men. The Confederates attacked them and there was an irregular exchange of shots for nearly three hours, wheiv Hubbard and his men surrendered to keep from|bcing burnt out. After paroling the prisoners and tearing down the U. S. flag from the court-house, the raiders left as suddenly as they had entered, striking straight for their rendezvous in Jackson county, among the Sni Hills. Save Grimshaw nobody was hurt. Kit Childs was with Parker and acted as his lieutenant.

News of his raid was sent to Cameron, and Col. Catherwood, with four or five companies of militia and recruits, came galloping down to Liberty, making the march of 42 miles over heavy roads in 15 hours. After a little examination Catherwood realized that the raiders were out of all reach, and on Sunday, the 16th, he returned to Cameron, leaving at Liberty a company of his own regiment under Capt. E. D. Johnson, - Caldwell county men.

In a day or two came a reinforcement to Liberty from St. Joseph, under Col. T. T. Kimball, con.sisting of two companies of his six months' militia, commanded by Capts. Drumhillerand Phelps. These remained until about the 1st of April, when, their term of service having expired, they left for their honiies, and then came Col. W. R. Penick, with his 500 men, and after that all Confederate raids on Liberty by small bands were prevented.

Col. Parker was subsequently killed, June 28, 1863, in a raid on Wellington, by a squad of McFerran's First M. S. M. On his person was found a commission as colonel of the " First Missouri Partisan Rangers," signed by J. S. Seddons, Confederate Secretary of War, and H. D. Walker, assistant adjutant-general of the Confederate army. Parker was the only Missourian that ever held a commission as a partisan ranger during the war. At least he was the only one knoivnto hold such a commission. Quantrell, Todd, Anderson and others were never commissioned.

The Reign Of Penick

possession of Clay and other counties in this pai't of the State for several months during the summer of 1862. Clay was known as a strong " rebel " county, and it must have been that the Federal commander of the district had an especial spite against our people when he sent down Penick's men to hold them in subjection. The regiment was recruited at St. Joseph and the men were all or nearly all from Northwest Missouri - some were from Kansas. Col. Penick himself was (and yet is) a citizen of St. Joseph; he was of Southern birth and rearing, a native of Boone county, Mo., and a slaveholder.

After not quite a year's service the regiment was broken up and dismissed from the Federal service, as the order said, " in viewof the interests of the public service."

Upon Col. Penick's advent into Clay county the situation was fairly felicitous for a season of peace and quietude. The people were about ready to declare the war for the independence of the Confederacy a failure and to accept the situation generally.

On the 7th of April a Union meeting was held in Liberty to consider the condition of affairs, and men of both and all parties attended to counsel together for the public good. T. C. Gordon presided and Robt. H. Miller was the secretary, and published the proceedings approvingly in the Tribune.

A committee on resolutions composed of Hon. L. W. Burris, Geo. S. Story, A. M. Riley, Dr. W. A. Norton and Milliner Haynes reported a series of resolutions, declaring among other things that " any further efforts to separate Missouri from the Federal Union would be madness and folly," and requesting "our fellow-citizens to lay down their arms and return home." To all who were willing to heed the latter admonition Gen. Halleck was requested to " offer them the privileges on reasonable terms."

The resolutions were adopted without dissent. Col. Moss and Gen. Doniphan made speeches indorsing them, and going even further in demanding that hostilities against the Union should cease. These speeches were reported and Col. Moss' was republished in the St. Louis Reimblican and many other public journals.

About this time Hon. J. T. V. Thompson, a prominent Secessionist of this county from the start, a member of the " Claib. Jackson Legislature," who had followed Price's army into Arkansas and had been taken prisoner at the battle of Pea Ridge, was released after a brief term-sof imprisonment at St. Louis, upon taking the oath. A few days later he returned home and wrote the following open letter.

Sir - For more than thirty years we have stood in antagonistic political relations. In the present troubles we have seen and acted diflerently, but I hope, hereafter, will act together in bringing the State back to its allegiance to the United States Government of Missouri ; in promoting peace and friendly feeling among our people and in the State generally. This I have a great desire to do, and will do when I return home. We have a common interest in putting down all bands of outlaws and guerrilla parties that now infest and may infest our State. I hope to be able, as I am willing, to act with all good men in bringing the State to its allegiance to the United States Government, and in sustaining the i>rovisional government of Missouri.

That the course I took in the Legislature of Missouri since these troubles commenced (though dictated by honest motives at the time), was injurious to the State and to the Union, I freely admit, and I will hereafter, as a private citizen, do all I can to repair the injury and ruin resulting therefrom. I can, as you know, do much in my county and my old senatorial district, to restore peace, lo3'alt}' and good feeling among the people. I will use my influence to restore law and order, and will oppose, discountenance, and, if need be, assist in destroying all bands of men who aim to trample law and order under their feet. The State has already sulfered enough, and I will, with you, and all other law-abiding men, urge the people to return to their allegiance to the United States Government, and to sustain our present Provisional Government, as the only means for peace and prosperity. 1 am fully convinced that this is the duty of all good men. Respectfully,

Soon after his arrival at Liberty, Col. Penick began a system of general arrest and apprehension of those of our citizens who had identified themselves with the rebellion. These were for the most part taken at their homes and brought to Liberty, where the oath of loyalty was administered to them, and then upon giving an approved l)ond for the observance of their oath they were released and allowed to depart in peace, even if in mortification.

The first victims were B. W. Nowlin and S. D. Nowlin, who were released upon giving bonds of $5,000 each. Among those brought up in May was Franklin James, afterwards the notorious bandit, who took the oath and gave a $1,000 bond for the faithful observance of its terms. * time so many had subscribed to the sworn and solemn pledges of faithful allegiance to the Federal government that it would seem Clay county was as loyal as any county in " bleeding Kansas." Our people had stvoi-ii to their loyalty, while the Kansans only protested theirs.

The undersigned solemnly swears that he will bear true faith and allegiance to the Government of the United States of America and support the Constitution thereof as the supreme law of the land ; that he will never take up arms against said Government, or those who may be acting under its authority ; that he will never, by word, act, or deed, knowingly give aid or comfort, or in any manner encourage armed opposition to the Government of the United States, but that, on the contiary, he will do all in his power as a citizen to prevent such opposition, and to discourage the same wherever it is being made. He makes this oath freely and voluntarily, with no mental reservations or restrictions whatever, honestly intending, at all times hereafter to keep the same, in spirit as well as in letter, and to conduct himself as a peaceable, law-abiding citizen of the United States. This I do solemnly swear, so help me God. (Signature.)

April 27, another large public meeting was held at Liberty ; many of Penick's men were present. Ex-Gov. King spoke and was followed by Col. Thompson, who graphically and humorously described his disastrous experience in following the fortunes of the Confederacy, and the result, and then seriously addressing his audience he declared that it was folly to think of contending longer against the mighty armies and vast resources of the Federal government : that the Confederate government would ultimately perish from the earth ; that there might be required three or four years more of war to demonstrate this, but the end would surely come, and the Confederacy fall, and if the war lasted two years more slavery would fall with it, while if tlie wai- ceased then (" now ") slavery would be preserved. Col. Thompson declared himself emphatically for peace, and altogether f)pposed to bushwhacking, and finally said he would live honorably up to the terms of his release and to every syllable of the oath he had taken.

Some time in the latter part of the winter Col. H. M. Routt, who had returned from the Confederate army, tilled of the war, was arrested at his home in Liberty and -taken to St. Louis on a charge of treason, in leading the force that captured the Liberty arsenal. Expressing a willingness to take the oath of loj'alty, and fully acknowl- edging the " error of his past ways," upon the influence of certain prominent UnVon men, he was granted a full and free pardon by President Lincoln, and soon returned home. He, too, like Col. Thompson, declared the war of secession had been and would continue to be a failure, and that its further continuance would be a gross wrong if not a crime.

Thus the two men who were the most prominent among the first Secessionists of Clay county, each a stalwart among the stalwarts; were the first to abandon the cause to its fate and to cry for peace. Col. Routt was the first prominent officer from the county to enter the Southern service, and was the first to leave it. Col. Thompson was among the first to proclaim the doctrine and policy of secession, and was the first to declaim against it. It is not untrue to say that they were consistent in both courses. Believing secession to be politic and right in April, 1861, it was proper they should advocate it and support it. Believing in April, 1862, that secession was wrong and impolitic, it was proper they should denounce it.

But Thompson and Routt made but few proselytes among the Clay county Confederates in arms. They not only refused to desert their new colors, but cursed them for " getting them into the scrape," and then getting out of the scrape themselves in the easiest but most discreditable way.

Now it is perhaps only the truth to say that it was Col. Penick's dictation and counsel - and it may have been his orders - that brought about these meetings and the speeches and acts of Thompson and Routt. He advised the people to a course of submission, and granted favors to those who obeyed him for a time. But after a brief season he lost nearly all of the advantages he had gained on account of the lawless conduct of his men. People learned to hate the Union cause because they somehow considered "Penick's thieves" its exponents.

Organization Of The Enrolled Missouri Militia

On the 22d of July, 1862, whan Cols. Jo. Porter and J. A. Poiudexter were leading large forces of newly I'ecruited Confederates through North and Northeast Missouri, and Cols. John T. Hughes, John T. Cofl^ee, Vard Cockerell, Joe Shelby and other Confederate (ifficers were slashing about through Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette and Saline counties, and the Feder^il forces in the State-seemed powerless to interfere with them - Gov. Gamble issued an order for the organization " of the entire militia of the State into companies, regi-

This order of Gov. Gamble's had a most wonderful effect in creatinir soldiers. It threw into partially active and irregular service on the Federal side many thousands of men, and it drove into the Confederate army nearly 10,000 other men who had from the first vowed that if they were forced to take up arms they would enlist under the banner of the stars and bars.

In Clay county the conservative Union men, chiefly under the leadership of Col. J. H. Moss, decided to obey the order at once, and organize the militia of this county under the auspices of the Conservative Union party, to protect the county against all " marauders," whether guerrillas and bushwhackers from Missouri or jayhawkers and red-legs from Kansas.

In the latter part of July three companies of enrolled militia were organized at Liberty. The first companj- had for officers, Anthony Harsell,^ captain ; T. N. O'Bryant andR. W. Flemming, lieutenants ; second company, J. H. Moss, captain ; Wm. A. McCarty, C. J. White, lieutenants ; third company, W. G. Garth, captain ; Arch. Lincoln, J. S. Thomason, lieutenants. A fourth company, organized for the defense of Liberty, and composed of " exempts," had O. P. Moss for captain, and A. J. Calhoun and Wm. T. Reynolds for lieuteilants. The companies averaged 80 men each.

The companies of enrolled militia in Clay and Platte were organized in September into a regiment denominated the Forty-eighth Regiment of Enrolled Missouri Militia. Of the field officers of this regiment the following were from Clay county : James H. Moss, colonel; C. J. White, adjutant; W. T. Reynolds, quartermaster; W. A. Morton, surgeon. The following were the Clay county companies in the Forty-eighth.

Company D - Captain, Anthony Harsel ; first lieutenant, T. N. O'Bryant, resigned January 8, 1863, succeeded by Benj. Jaggers, second lieutenant, R. W. Flemming.

Company H - Captains, John E. Green, promoted to major September 29, 1862 ; Solomon G. Bigelow. First lieutenants, Sol. G.- Bigelow, promoted to captain; J. S. McCord. Second lieutenants, J. S. McCord, promoted to first lieutenant October 18, 1862 ; Taylor Hulin.

Company K - Captain, Darius Sessions, killed by the bushwhackers at Missouri City, May 19, 1863. First lieutenants, Ben. R. Everts, resigned January 2, 1863 ; Wm. T. Davis. Second lieutenant, De Wilton Mosely.

In consequence of the extraordinary reduction in numbers of this regiment by I'emovals from the State, payment of commutation tax in lieu of military sei'vice, volunteering in the United States' service, etc., this regiment was disbanded November 1, 1863, and the commissions of officers, with the exception of Col. Moss, were revoked. Col. Moss was retained in commission, and instructed to reorganize the effective militia of Clay, Platte and Clinton counties. He was afterward made colonel of the Eighty-second Enrolled Missouri, one of the regiments of the "Paw-Paw" militia, fully mentioned elsewhere in this volume.

For a time Maj. JI. L. James, of Catherwood's regiment, was in command at Liberty. He it was who had commanded the Caldwell countv Home Guards in the Blue Mills fight. Drunkenness became so common among the soldiers, and was of such aggravated form that the major issued strict orders in Ma}', that no more spirituous liquors were to be sold to his men, and the severest penalties were threatened against all offenders.

One incident i-egarding the estimation in which slavery was held in certain Federal sections ought to be mentioned, as a fact for one reason, as a curiosity for another. In the month of May, of this^'ear 1862, four runaway Missouri slaves, the property of Mrs. Sarah Davis, were arrested near Topeka, Kan., and returned to their owner mainly by the assistance of the Federal military authorities. They were l)rought to Liberty and put in the county jail for safe keeping, taken in charo;e bv the sheriff, and so on, all the same as before the war. But the rule was, even before as well as during the war, that when a slave escaped from Missouri to Kansas he was practically as free as if he had his deed of emancipation in his pocket.

During the first pai't of the month of August a number of stirring military incidents occurred in the adjoining counties. At Independence August 11, and at Lone Jack five days later, occurred two important and memorable conflicts between the Federals and Confederates, in both of which the Federals were defeated, though after stubborn fighting. For the numbers engaged the battle of Lone Jack was one of the hardest ever fought in Missouri, or perhaps anywhere, during the Civil War.

Perhaps 200 Clay county men took part in these engagements. Capt. Grooms, Col. Gideon Thompson and Col. Boaz Roberts were there at the head of considerable commands. At ludependeuce Col. John T. Hughes, who had formerly been a prominent citizen of Clay, the author of " Doniphan's Expedition to Mexico," aud who has been frequently referred to in preceding pages of this volume, was killed. Among the Confederate killed at Lone Jack was Wash Thompson. Other Clay men were killed and a number wounded.

At this time Confedei-ate raiders were on both sides of the river. Down in Carroll county Maj. John L. Mirick had 500 men, too strong for a force of Penick's men under Maj. Biggers, sent against them, and the first week in August Penick himself went down with the remainder of his regiment, leaving Capt. Harsel with some newly enrolled militia in command. There was considerable uneasiness lest Liljerty should l)e taken, but the strong Confederate bands in Jackson county could not cross the river, and the danger passed.

After the Lone Jack fight Lexington was seriously menaced by the Confederates. From Liberty Penick and his command and the enrolled militia companies under Capts. Moss, Harsell and Garth went down to reinforce the Federal garrison. Capt. O. P. Moss was the only ofiicer in command at Liberty, or even in Clay county, for a few days. Wheu Penick returned he remained i)ut a day or two, and then, with his entire regiment, he left for Jackson county, leaving the enrolled militia to take care of Clay.

Thursday, August 14, Col. Penick, with 50 men, went from Liberty into Platte, to break up a baud of alleged bushwhackers, though perhaps they were really Confederate recruits that had formed in the southeastern part of that county, three miles southwest of Barry. Nearing the camp Penick made inquiries concerning it of two citizens there living, but they declared that it was not within three miles. A few hundred yards fui'ther, the bushwhackers were encountered, in ambush, ready and waiting. At the first fire two Federals were killed outright, one mortally wounded and two others seriously hurt. The Federals were thrown into confusion, but rallied, and then both parties retreated. Penick took out the two citizens, who he claimed had betrayed him, shot them and burned the house and barn.

August 23, a band of Kansas jayhawkers and red-legs made a raid on the southwest portion of Clay. Word was br.ought to Liberty and Capt. H. B. Johnson, of Penick's regiment, in command, sent 30 enrolled militia, under Lieuts. Flemming and Thomason, after them. The raiders were found in the bottom between Liberty and Kansas City. The militia fired on them, attacking them as savagely as if they had been Confederate bushwhackers, wounded a number, took four prisoners and recovered 25 negroes and 30 horses, which the rascals had stolen from our citizens and were carrying off to Kansas. During the day a company of militia from Kansas City came over and co-operated with Flemming and Thomason in breaking up and driving out the marauders. It was now demonstrated that the enrolled militia of Clay, so long as commanded by Col. Moss and led by Lieuts. Thomason and Flemming, might be depended on to fight thieves and robbers, whether they were clad in Federal blue or wore " hodden gray" and butternut.

September 24 two Confederate oflScers, Col. Boaz Roberts and a partisan leader named Scott, while in Barry, captured Deputy Sheriff Wm. E. Rhea, who was out in the country collecting taxes. They took from him the tax-books, about 25 writs of execution, robbed him of his horse, pistol, $40 in money and then released him.

November Election 1862

Notwithstanding the presence of hundreds of soldiers in this county in the year 1862, and the thousand and one shocks to the law and order incident to "war's alarms," courts were held and other proceedings gone through with according to the forms of law, and the vote at the election of this year, while not very large and full, was fair and free, and the election itself was conducted without intimidation or any overawing on the part of the soldiery. So far as this county was concerned, the bayonet protected, and did not attempt to control the ballot box.

vote unless he had first taken the Gamble oath, and so all the voters were - or at least presumed to be - "loyal." The following was the vote in this county : - -

Congress - J. H. Birch, 582 ; Austin A. King, 159 ; E. M. Samuel, 179. (Birch and King were anti-Emancipationists; Samuel was not committed.)