Johnson County, Missouri - Chapter 7: - Military, 1918

Spanish-American War

THE MORMON WAR - THE CIVIL WAR - TWO PHASES OF THE JIILITART HISTORY OP JOHNSON COUNTY: (1) JOHNSON COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE MAIN UNION AND CONFEDERATE ARMIE.S - THE FIRST COMPANIES - CONFEDERATE ORGANIZATIONS - UNION ORGANIZATIONS - (2) THE WAR IN JOHNSON COUNTY - BLACKENED POST MARKS FOUR SOLDIERS' GRAVES - SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.

In 1831 the Latter Day Saints under what was claimed by their leader, Joseph Smith, as divine revelation began coming to Jackson county. There trouble arose between them and the other settlers, and they moved to Caldwell county. Trouble arose again and by 1838 both sides were armed, and an anti-Mormon army of 450 men had come in from outside counties, and later Governor Boggs called out the state militia against them. Eventually, on October 30, 1838. eighteen of the Saints were killed or massacred by the militia, and the balance of the large and prosperous settlement in Caldwell county driven from the state. During this trouble Johnson county's participation is shown in the following record copied from the Johnson county history of 1881, page 508:

"In 1837, during the Mormon war in Missouri. Lieutenant Colonel Jehu Robinson commanded a battalion. James Warnick was captain. The following constitutes a list of his privates: William Thornton. Jerome B. Greer, Henry Hayes, Daniel Marr, Elmer Marr, William Marr, Joseph Di.xon, James Borthick, Charles Oglesby."

The Civil War. - When the Civil War broke out all shades of opinion on union and secession could be found in Jolmsdii count}-. Lincoln well expressed it when he said, of the political situation at that time in Missouri, "It was a perplexing compound of Lnion and slavery, even for those who were for the union, to say nothing of those wiio were against it." There were "those who were for tJie union, witli but not without slavery; those for it without, but not with: those for it with or without, but preferred with: and those who were for it with or without, but preferred it without. Among these, again, was a subdivision of those who were for the gradual but not for immediate, and those who were for immediate, but not for gradual, extinction of slavery." The above fairly represented Johnson county at that time.

At the election in February. 1861, to elect delegates to a state constitutional convention to declare Missouri's status in the union, the union sentiment prevailed and Aikman A\'elch of Johnson county was elected delegate.

The military history of Johnson county during the Civil War is reallv divided into two parts: I. That of the organizations and men who enlisted in the regular armies and fought outside of Johnson county, and II. that of the war as it was fought by regular and irregular organizations and individuals within Johnson county.

Thomas A\'. Houts was first lieutenant of the Union company. They had no military clothing, and wore for a uniform black pants and red shirts, and came to be called the "Red Shirt Company."

A remarkable condition existed in regard to these two companies. The following fact was personally stated to the writer by Captain George S. Grover, who was a member of Foster's company at the time, and also by Dan D. \Villiams, of Warrensburg, who was an eyewitness. Foster's company drilled on the east side of town, and Cockrell's company on the west side, each preparing itself for the time when they would perhaps be in mortal combat with eacli other. At different times, Foster and his men went over and drilled with Cockrell and his company, and the latter came over and drilled with Foster and his company. ]\Ien who were fighting for principle and what they believed to be right could do tliis. ( It was this same spirit that after the war led the union colonel, T. T. Crittenden, and the confederate general, F. M. Cockrell, to become partners in the law practice.)

Confederate Organizations. - Another confederate company was organized early in 1861. wliich was commanded by Lieutenants Barney Atkinson and William ]\IcCarty. and Captain King and then by O. A. \A'addell. A third confederate company was organized in June. 1861, by Captain H. Mize, at Holden, in response to Governor Jackson's call for state militia. B. Jeanes, Robert Pruitt and W. J. Lea were first, second and third lieutenants. It had fifty men.

These three companies (Cockrell's, A\'addeirs and Mize's) ineluded the bulk of all those that early went into the regular confederate service. These three companies were together in the battle of Carthage, the camp and mobilization at Cowskin Prairie and the Ijattles of Wilson's Creek and Lexington. All went south then.

Some of Cockrell's company were also men who enlisted under Colonel Elliott in February, 1862, fought in Elk Horn battle and then joined Company H. William H. Drue, the only Confederate now living in Hazel Hill township, was among this number.

The lieutenants of Cockrell's company were: James Selby, 1st lieutenant, killed at Corinth, Mississippi: James Douglas. 2nd lieutenant, and Samuel Rice, 3rd lieutenant, all now dead.

Waddell's company became Company "A", Fifth Missouri Regiment, and Cockrell's company, "H", Second Missouri Regiment. Both went east of the Mississippi river, and were in the Ijattles of Corinth, luka. Champion Hills, Big Black and were captured in the surrender of Vicksburg. July 4, 1863.

After the surrender at Vicksburg and their sul)sequent exchange, the men in Company ".\"' (Waddell's company) divided and alwut half the men crossed the river and served the balance of the war umlcr ' General Marmaduke. and finally surrendered June 5, 1865. at Shreveport. Louisiana. The remainder of the company and also Company "H" remained east of the river and served there till the end of the war. They were under Gen. Joe Johnston in his retreat liefore Sherman and the battles accompanying, in the bloody battles of h'ranklin and Nashville, and were finally captured at Fort Blakely, .\lal)ama, several days after Lee's surrender. l)ut before the news had readied them.

l^he men in Captain Mize's company, after the\- went soulh from Lexington, were mustered out at Osceola and most of them then went into the confederate service under Col. Jcremiaii X'ardaman Cockreil, (a l)rother of F. M. Cockreil) and served there till the end of tiie war.

In addition to the foregoing, there was another Confederate company formed from Fayetteville and Columlnis neigliborhoods. wliicli afterwards consolidated with other companies. Mack .Vewlon was tlie

Union Organizations. - March ,t, 1861, State Senator Benjamin W. Grover was conmiissioned by Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, lieutenant-colonel of the Johnson County Home Guards, the name then given to the volunteers, and authorized to recruit a regiment. He and James D. Eads, a Douglas Democrat, who had served in the Mexican War, canvassed the county for volunteers and by May 1, 1861, had organized a full regiment with ten companies, nine from Johnson county and one from Pettis. Colonel Groxer was twice elected colonel, but declined each time on account of his lack of previous military experience, and Jacob Knaus was the first and James D. Eads the second colonel.

The following are the ofTicers of this regiment (27th Mounted Infantry, Missouri Volunteers), the commanders of the companies and their locations in the county :

Lieutenants - (List of lieutenants follows, but cannot be arranged by companies) : Shanks, Box. Baird, Barnett, Gallaher, McCabe, Van Beek, Peak, Marr, Maguire, Hall, Starkey, Pease, W. L. Christian, Keaton, Smiley, A. W. Christian, Jewell, Daly.

The regiment did active service in scouting between the Osage and ^lissouri rivers, had minor skirmishes and September 20, 1861, were captured at Lexington under Colonel ^lulligan and Gen. Sterling

Price, after an eight-days' battle. In the battle Colonel Grover and Captain McCluney were mortally wounded, and Captains Maguire. Duncan, Applegate and Parker also were wounded. Three hundred men of the regiment were in the battle, and only one hundred thirty surrendered, the rest being killed or wounded.

After this battle, four of the companies under Capts. T. W. Houts, M. U. Foster, Maguire and Box, and Lieutenants Jewell. Peak. ^^'. L. and A. W. Christian, Marr, Maguire and Daly enlisted for three years in the Seventh Cavalry Missouri State Militia; part of them were at the battle of Lone Jack. Another detachment enlisted in the Fiftieth Enrolled Missouri Militia; another in Company A, Thirty-third Missouri Volunteers; others were on the plains in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Missouri Cavalry under Captain Turley. Some served from the Cumberland to the Gulf for three years, came back to \X^vrensburg and enlisted in Foster's Cavalry Battallion.

(The editor's authority for the foregoing history of the Twentyseventh Mounted Infantry, is Capt. George S. Grover, a son of Col. B. W. Grover, in the article "Civil War in Missouri," Missouri Historical Review, Vol. 8, No. 1, October, 1913. Complete rosters of Captain Mize's company from Holden is in the files of the Holden "Enterprise" for February 1, 1906, and of Cockrell's company is in the Springfield, Missouri, "Leader," for May 21, 1916, and also in the Warrensburg "Star-Journal" for December, 1915.)

II. The War in Johnson County. - There was never any engagement of importance between the union and confederate armies in Johnson county. Both armies were in this section at various times, and various commands and detachments of the union troops were here most of the time during the war.

Gen. Sterling Price's army passed through Jnhnson county to Lexington and Colonel Grover, with his union command, retre.itcd to Lexington, which fell into the hands of General Price's army.

Owing to the dix'ided sentiment in Johnson count\- and the proximity of the county to the Kansas border, with its hotlicd <if liitter contentions, much nuirder, pillage and dc\-astation \\;is conimitled in the cf)unt\- by men who rangcrl all tlie way from irresponsible criminals to soldiers in iItc regular military serxice. 'I'here were some minor military actions, but with not many men engaged. I'.ut nnich ]iroperty was destrovcd and stolen, in addition to the loss of life; m;in\- houses.

]\Iost of the fighting in Johnson county was done by the Missouri State Militia and the bushwhackers. The enrolled militia did considerable elYective service, but they were only called into service occasionally and were not really trained or experienced soldiers.

]\Iarch 8, 1862, Company A, Seventh Regiment Missouri State Militia, was mustered into service. The commissioned officers of this company were Capt. Thomas W. Houts, First Lieut. J. AI. Jewell, Second Lieutenant, Christian. About the 1st of February, 1862, Company G, Seventh Regiment Missouri State Militia, was organized with the following ofificers: Captain, Melville L". Foster; first lieutenant, Dick Box, and second lieutenant, Sandy Law. These two companies played the most conspicuous part in the military operations which followed in this county. Emory S. Foster was the first major of the regiment and commanded both companies.

1. In the eastern part of the county, between a squad of the Home Guards under Colonel Knaus, and a small detachment of Confederates. One of the first skirmishes. No casualties, if any, ever officially reported.

2. About September L 1861. Union pickets south of Warrensburg fired on by Confederates, two killed. A few days later a Union man, Jake Sams, who resided near Holden, was taken prisoner by the Confederates and no trace of him was ever found afterward.

About this time General Price passed through this county on his way from Springfield to Lexington, with his command, which consisted of about twenty thousand men.

3. On October 16, General Jim Lane, of Kansas, sacked Kingsville, killed eight men, confiscated several horses and other property, and burned several houses of Southern sympathisers.

4. In November, 1861, a government train of ox wagons was captured near ^^'arrensburg by the Confederates, recaptured by six hundred Federal cavalry from Sedalia. On their road to Fort Leavenworth with prisoners and cattle and Matt Hou.x with about a hundred men ambushed Federals near Blackwater church. Houx's men opened fire on advanced guard and then both the Federals and Confederates ran in opposite di-

5. In January, 1862, about two hundred of Jamison's men from Kansas, under Major Herrick, came to Holden, and with former Johnson county Union men for guides, burned forty or fifty homes of the most prominent Southern men in the western part of the county. The raiders carried everything they did not burn. About two days later about fifty of this command destroyed and carried ofif much property at Columbus. Captain Elliott, of Lafayette county, with his company and quite a number of Johnson county men, met this detachment and killed five and captured two. The Jayhawkers retreated, joined the main body under Major Herrick, and Captain Elliott retreated. The Kansans entered Columbus again and burned nearly every house in town.

6. Early in 1862 ten or twelve men, formerly from Johnson county, came from Kansas, camped on Big creek, not far from Rose Hill, and were attacked by a small squad of men under Dr. Jones and two or three of them wounded.

7. Twenty-four of Foster's men, under Lieutenant Christian, after a foraging trip in the northwestern part of the county, about five miles from Warrensburg near Ingal's Mill, were fired upon by concealed Confederates and four wounded.

8. An old gentleman, named Raker, of Chilhowee township, father of Capt. D. M. Raker, who later became sheriff of Johnson county, a man named Piper, seven miles southwest of Warrensburg, a Mr. Greenlet, in Warrensburg, were all killed by Foster's men. A man named Keene near Pittsville, killed by bushwhackers under Ross.

9. Scouts under Captain Houts, captured Bill Stewart at Cornelia and decided to hang him, but some of the boys who were well acquainted with him used their influence in his behalf and the officer finally decided to take Stuart to camp. On the way he escaped and later became one of the most noted bushwhackers of that period. In 1864 Stuart was killed north of the Missouri river.

10. A detail of Foster's men surroundeil a house where John Brinker and Frank Burgess were, a short distance south of A\'arrensburg. Brinker and Burgess made a sudden dash, killed and wounded two of Foster's men and escaped. Foster's men burned the house and killed the owner for harboring Brinker and Burgess.

12. The Confederates planned to organize on a systematic basis to drive Federals out. They notified their friends in Johnson, Jackson and Lafayette counties to meet at Craig's old mill on Blackwater Creek, about ten miles northeast of Holden.

Foster learned their plans and sent to Sedalia for reinforcements, and two companies of the First Iowa Cavalry reached Warrensburg about daylight of the very morning that the Confederates had planned to attack. Through some misunderstanding the Confederates did not all meet ; the attack was given up and they disbanded.

Foster, with two hundred of his men and the Iowa troops, started out in search of the Confederates. He encountered the belated command of Colonel Parker with fifty-six Jackson county men. Colonel Parker immediately began a retreat and a running fight was kept up for a mile or so, when Colonel Parker's command scattered and most of them escaped. The Federals captured Colonel Parker and ten of his men, two of the Confederates and two Federals were killed and mortally wounded. In Colonel Parker's hasty retreat he was thrown from his horse and the Federals overtook him. He fell prone on the ground and played dead. Some of the Iowa soldiers came up and examined him. They rolled him over and looked for the wound that caused his death, but not even a drop of blood could be found. At this perplexing juncture one of them said, 'T think we'd better empty a load into him and finish the job. If he's not already dead that will help him along, and if he is dead it won't hurt him." This was enough for Parker. He bounded to his feet just in time to surrender alive. He was released in a few days, and a few months later was killed near Wellington, Lafayette county.

Later Major Curley, of Sedalia, was transferred and took command of the Warrensburg post. He issued a proclamation calling on all the Confederates to come in and lay down their arms, promising them protection. Many by this time were sick and tired of fighting and quite a number went to Warrensburg and took the oath of allegiance. This move met with strong condemnation of their former comrades and they became afraid and many left immediately for Illinois and elsewhere. Those who dropped out of the conflict on account of taking the oath of allegiance w-ere succeeded by others and local operations were kept up with as much intensity as ever.

13. Shortly after this a Union man named \\'ilham Barton, who lived two miles west of Holden. was killed, then a man named Brown, who lived near Chilhowee, and had a son in Captain Hotits" company, was killed on his way to \\'arrensburg. A man named Potts, who had been in the confederate army. He had been captured and after being released started home. Two of Foster's men followed him and killed him near Devil's Branch, west of Warrensburg.

14. Shortly after this Captain Houts, with forty men, encountered a party of Confederates northeast of Hazel Hill, one Confederate was killed.

15. The following story of war-time days comes from Columbus township and is from the Johnson County history of 1881 : On the night of January 8, 1865, two men requested admission at the home of an old gentleman named Bedichek, near Columbus. Bedichek's daughter, a girl of nineteen, upon looking out the window, saw that the men were armed with double-barreled shotguns. They stated that they wanted to come in to get warm. The girl told them one might come in unarmed. He did so. After entering the house he found the old gentleman and the girl were the only inmates, and upon being told that they were, he drew a revolver and started to kill the old man. The latter seized the pistol with one hand and the girl drew a lieavy corn knife, which she had concealed 1)}' her side and struck the intruder several times, cutting off one of his ears and nearl_\- se\'ering his pistol hand. The intruder then tried to escape and the man on the outside came to the rescue. The girl met him at the door and drove him off with her cornknife. Later in the night a couple of shots were fired through the window, but with no damage. Colonel Crittenden, who commanded the post, upon receiving the report of this girl's bra\-ery, presented her with a i-egulation Colt's revoher. The heroine of this occasion was Mary M. Bedichek. Later she married S. Campbell. In 1879 she came into public notice by fasting forty-one days.

During the last part of the Civil War the Union state troops and enrolled militia practically dominated the situation in Jdhnsdu cmmty. However, minor outbreaks and insignificant clashes fre(!iicntly occurred. May 5. 1865, Rill .Anderson, Arch Clemments and Dave Pool with about two hundred bushwhackers appeared in Kingsville and began firing on the inhabitants. The citizens tried unsuccessfully to defend themselves under Carit. Lcro\- C. Duncan and soon the bushwhackers had robbed the inhabitants and burned the town. After the war had officially closed, April 9, 1865, man\- desperate characters in organized bands continued their guerilla warfare and terrorized this section of the state for some time. They came from both sides and seemingly had become accustomed to this method of living and were unwilling to return to ordinary civil life. The Jesse James gang and others came from these bands.

On the other hand when Grant and Lee agreed upon the closing chapter of the great struggle, the real soldiers of both the Union and the Confederacy had had enough of war and returned to retrieve their lost fortunes and rebuild their homes. They were both anxious to make their county a safe place where life and property would be secure and civil authority supreme. It was through the combined efforts of these men. who had bravely fought on opposite sides for four years, that Johnson county eventually rid itself of those who had become outlaws. (See Chapter on Reign of Terror.)

Of the marks of the Civil \\'ar and its remains in Johnson county today, nearly all have disappeared. Of the men who went into the armies but a handful are still living in the county. A full list as far as known is gi\en hereafter, under the chapters on the Grand Armv of the Republic and the Confederate Veterans. Of the material remains the writer has been able to find only a decayed post. Its story is best told b\' the following extracts from an article in the "Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal" of February 18, 1918, by James M. Shepherd.

Blackened Post Marks Four Soldiers' Graves. - Remains of First Blackwater Bridge on Lexington Road Reminder of Price's Raid. - Just west of the bridge which spans Blackwater, on the road that leads from \\'arrensburg to Lexington, and only a few yards from the place where Post Oak empties into the mother stream, one may, by creeping down the steep bank, and peering into the water, see the top of a blackened post. The wood is old and decayed, for murky floods have flown over and around it for seventy years. It is a part of the pioneer liridge which spanned the stream.

A few yards to the east traffic from the north thunders o\-er a steel bridge and gay parties pass in automobiles who never dream that hidden near are the remains of the old causeway wdiose blackened stump stands as a monument to the first four Johnson county boys wdio gave up their lives that the nation might Hve. Even the names of these martyred heroes liave lieen forgotten and perliaps their liones rest yet in the mold beside the blackened post, for their comrades left them where they fell and hastened on. For at the heels of the retreating Federals were the victorions hordes of General Price.

'It was late in the summer of '61 that refugees from the South began to pour into Warrensburg. They all brought the same news. General Price with his army was marching victoriously through Missouri from Springfield, where he had defeated General Lyons at Wilson Creek. One evening couriers rode into Warrensburg with the news that the advance guard of the Southern army was camped near Chilhowee. There was quick action among the companies then stationed here. They were mustered and started on their retreat to Lexington wdiere Colonel Mulligan was in command. Just as the sun rose they arrived at Blackwater bridge three miles north. This bridge was built of wood, and timbers of white oak sunk deep in the mud, upheld the framework and the floor. Surmounting the floor was another framework some twenty feet high with rafters and roofed with shingles. Taken altogether, it was a massive structure, all built of heavy timbers.

After the little army of recruits had passed over the bridge, Colonel J^Iarshall decided it must be burned to stop the progress of the pursuing enemy. Torches were applied and the great structure was soon burning. Colonel Marshall then ordered a company to stay at the bridge and defend it while the balance continued their long march north to Lexington.

The smoke of the burning structure was seen rolling over the hills to the south by the advance guard of Price's army who hastened forward in order to save the bridge. They reached the bluff to the south of the bridge and saw the little company in the bottom beyond guarding their work of destruction. .\ rifle Idast swept the line of l)lue, and six men fell. Their comrades replied, firing into the dense underbrush which covered the blufif, with such vigor that the advance guard retired. But again advancing the rebels poured a deadly fire into the little company who slowly retreated with their faces to the foe across the broad Blackwater bottom. But four of their men lay at the edge of the burning bridge.

Spanish-American War. - In 1898. during the war between the United States and Spain, a company was organized at Warrensburg, which was mustered into the United States service at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. May 12. 1898. as Company L. Fourth Regiment. This company, with other Missouri troops, was mobilized at Jefferson City, Missouri, where they remained until May 6, 1898. when they were transferred to Jefferson Barracks. Here they remained until after being mustered into the United States service, then they were at different camps until November 8, 1898, when they proceeded by rail to Camp Churchman, two miles from Albany, Georgia. Here they remained until mustered out. March 3, 1899.

The following is a list of the officers and men taken from the muster roll: Captain Henry R Peed, journalist, 1st lieutenant; Charles E. DeGroft", photographer, ind lieutenant; G. E. Huggins. resigned, cadet; orderly sergeant. R. W. Selvidge, teacher; quartermaster-sergeant, C. L. Carter, comedian: sergeant. Frank Hyatt, clerk; Charles H. Palmer, clerk; Richard H. Gaines, miller; corporals. Oscar R. Stone, farmer; James Van Matre, journalist; Ralph W. Smith, farmer; William E. Pennington, clerk; Guy Graham, farmer: \\'esley B. L\'tell, farmer; musicians, Walter S. Stillwell, student: William C. Colver, artificer; Gns S. Shidenberger, painter. Privates, Frank Adams, farmer: Rolla J. Alexander, teacher; George W. Ashley, salesman ; Frank Baird, machinist: Fred \\'. Bertram, musician; Perry S. Braden, farmer; Rolla L. Blevins, farmer: Frederick Bradley, laborer: John E. Bradley, miner: William C. Cadey. farmer; Raymond C. Christopher, farmer: Charles E. Clay, farmer: Frederic G. Clements, clerk; Roscoe H. Clarey. laborer: Warren T. Courtney, farmer: John \\'. Donaldson, blacksmith: Earl Edwards, farmer; Walter C. Elliott clerk: \\'illiam H. Faulconer. l)aker: Paul P. Floyd, teamster; Benjamin Fry, farmer: John A. Fulks. farmer: Henry Funk, farmer; Frank L. Ferguson, teamster; Charles O. Gates, laborer; William H. Glenn, farmer; William F. Hayes, farmer; Clinton M. Hayes, farmer; Harry L. Hartman, laborer; George E. Heberling, laborer; Edward Holden, apprentice; Samuel H. Lindsey, stone mason: Hugh S. Longbnttom, farmer; George \\'. Mason, liricklayer ; ^^'illiam E. Mason, farmer: John j\I. McCutcheon. teacher: Archie McMahan, teacher: Frank C. ]\IcClellan. machinist: George A. Moyer. farmer: