Lincoln County, Missouri - Chapter 10: Bench and Bar, 1888 (part 2 of 2)

"When the forces in Missouri were ordered to concentrate at Jefferson City, Lieut. -Col. Matthews, who was then at Rocheport, moved to that place; arrived there with the Second Battalion, on the 3d day of October, and was there joined by a detachment under command of Lieut. Blain, who had come through ahead of the enemy from Gen. E wing's command. On the 4th the battalion moved out and met the enemy on the Osage; was there engaged until forced back, with the balance of the command, slowly to the city. It then followed in pursuit of the enemy to Boonville, under the command of Gen. Sanborn, until Gen. Pleasanton assumed command, when it was placed in McNeil's brigade and continued the pursuit to Independence and was engaged in that battle. It was then detached from the command and left to garrison the post.

"After the Price raid the regiment concentrated at St. Louis. From there moved by rail to St. Joseph, where five companies are now stationed, headquarters at Weston, Mo. ; two companies at Liberty, one at Parkville, one at Chillicothe, two at Carrollton and one at Weston, Mo.

" This is but a brief summary of the operations of the regiment, it being impossible to give a detailed account of the movements, marches, scouts, skirmishes, etc., in which it has been engaged during the last year.

Immediately after the Price raid into Missouri, which continued until the latter part of 1864, this regiment was concentrated at St. Joseph, Mo.

On the 1st of January, 1865, the headquarters were at Weston, Platte County, Mo., where they remained until most of the regiment was mustered out.

During this time the] ^ere energetically engaged in bunting down tin- guerrillas tli.it then infested thai portion of the State, and did good service Id restoring peace and quiel within the limits of their district.

Out at expiration of term, during the months of January, February and .March, L865. The recruits were consolidated into one company (A), which, under instructions of the War Department, dated June k23, 1865, was mustered out July 13, 1865.

Forty-Ninth Infantry, Missouri Volunteers

Company A of this regiment, commanded by Capt. William Colbert, was raised in Lincoln County; and Company E, of the same regiment, was also mostly raised there. The following is the roster of the regimental staff and of the officers of the companies serving in the regiment from this county:

This regiment was organized at Warrenton, in Warren County, in August and September, 18(54, and on becoming full it moved to Mexico, and from there, on the occasion of the Price raid into Missouri, it moved to Jefferson City, and during Price's stay in the State it did service up and down the Missouri River for the purpose of preventing the Confederate army, or portions thereof, from crossing to the northern side. After Price retreated from the State the Forty-ninth Missouri regiment returned to Mexico. The companies were then distributed to different points, mostly in Callaway, Boone, Audrain and other counties. Capt. Colbert's company was sent to Columbia, Boone County, and Company F, commanded by Capt. A. Kimpinski, was stationed for a short time at Troy, in Lincoln County. The following letter, addressed to the adjutant-general of Missouri, completes the history of this regiment:

" Colonel Samuel P. Simpson, Adjutant-General of Missouri, " Sir: - In obedience to your request of the 17th inst., I have the honor to submit the following as a history of the operations of my command from the commencement of the present year to the date of the muster out:

" On the 1st day of January, 1865, the regiment was scattered throughout several counties in North Missouri, principally along the line of the North Missouri Railroad. The regiment was at that time under the command of Lieut. -Col. Smart (leave of absence having been granted to me to attend a session of the State Legislature). On the 30th of January orders were received by Lieut. -Col. Smart to report with his command at St. Louis, Mo. On the 1st day of February I reported at St. Louis and assumed command of the regiment, and thereupon received orders from Gen. Dodge to proceed to New Orleans and report to Maj.-Gen. E. R. S. Canby, commanding military division of West Mississippi. On the 10th day of February we embarked at St. Louis, and on the 21st of same month reported to Gen. Canby at New Orleans, and by him were assigned to the Sixteenth Army Corps, Maj.-Gen. A. J. Smith commanding. My regiment was, bj order of Gen. Smith, assigned to the Third Division, Bii teenth Army Oorps, Brevet Maj. Gen, E. A. Oarr oommanding. The regiment remained a( New Orleans until the LOth day of March, at which time it embarked on Bteamer, under orders to report at Dauphin Island, the entrance to Mobile Bay. On the 20th of the same month left Dauphin Esland and proceeded by way of Gulf <A' Mexico to Fish River, which we ascended tor a distance of some twenty miles, and then disembarked, proceeding opposite the city; that fort and Fort Blakely, situated four miles above, comprising the main defenses of the city in this siege, which lasted for thirteen days. My command hold a portion of the main line investing the fort, being near the center of the division, and the division occupying the right of the line. My loss during the siege was twenty-one killed and wounded. On the 9th of April the garrison surrendered, and on the next day we started in the direction of Fort Blakely, which, before our arrival, had also surrendered. From there we marched to Montgomery, Ala., a distance of 200 miles, reaching there on the 26th of April. At this latter place the regiment remained until the 14th of July, at which time eight companies of the regiment were ordered to report for muster out and discharge. Left Montgomery on the night of the 14th, and proceeded by the way of Selma, Meridian, Jackson and Vicksburg to St. Louis, reporting at the latter place to Col. B. L. E. Bonneville for muster out, and were, on the 2d of August, finally mustered out and discharged. The two remaining companies, H and K, commanded respectively by Capt. Gentry and Grabenharst, are at this time at Eufaula, Ala., awaiting the expiration of their term of service.

"The men composing the several companies of the regiment were not acclimated, and hence, during the summer season, a great deal of sickness prevailed, with fearful fatality. During the encampment at Montgomery, Ala., a little more than two months, we buried of our number fifty-two, thirty-eight of whom sleep side by side in one graveyard.

On the 1st day of August, 1864, when a draft was pending in Missouri to raise her quota of soldiers for the United States army, the county court of Lincoln County, in order to avoid the enforcement of the draft therein, by virtue of an act of the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, entitled: "An act to encourage volunteer enlistments in the United States military service," approved February, 1864, ordered that $100 should be paid to each citizen of the county who would volunteer to enter the service to fill her share of the quota, the aggregate number of men to receive such bounty not to exceed 205. The court further ordered that an amount of money not exceeding $15,000 should be borrowed for the payment of such bounties, at the rate of 10 per cent interest, the interest to be paid annually, and that bonds or orders on the county treasurer, signed by the president of the court, and countersigned by the clerk thereof, should be issued for the payment of the money borrowed.

At a special term of the court held in March following, when another draft was pending, it was ordered, by virtue of the aforesaid legislative act, that $200 should be paid to each citizen of the county "who would volunteer for the term of twelve months in the Missouri Volunteers for the United States service," $100 to be paid upon enlistment and $100 at the expiration of term of service, the aggregate number of men to receive such bounties not to exceed 103 men.

On the 22d day of the same month (March, 1865) the Court ordered " that $200 bounty be paid to each soldier who should volunteer for the term of three years in the Missouri Volunteers for the United States service, to be credited to the quota of Lincoln County, $100 to be paid when accepted, and $100 to be paid at the expiration of twelve months, with 10 per cent interest from date. Bonds or orders to be issued for the deferred payments. The aggregate number of men not to exceed the number required to till the quota. The Oourl appoints Maj. Alex. II. Martin commissioner to contract for and superintend the filling of the quota for the county t'<>r fche Impending draft." On April 7, following, the Court made an order to borrow from fche school fund such amount as proper to pay the bounties, and to execute bonds to the State for the same.

On the 10th day of April, following, the Court rescinded the orders made on the 22d of March and 7th of April preceding, and made the following order instead:

" By virtue of an act of the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, entitled ' An act to encourage volunteer enlistments in the United States military service,' approved February 26, 1804, it is ordered by the Court that the sum of $15,000 be appropriated for the payment of substitutes to fill our quota for the present draft. The Court also appoints Maj. A. H. Martin a commissioner to contract for and superintend the filling of said quota, limiting him to an amount not to exceed $200 for each substitute furnished for one, two or three years. It is further ordered by the Court that Shapley E. Woolfolk, treasurer of this county, pay over to said commissioner any proportion of the aforesaid amount of $15,000 which he may require from time to time for the payment of said substitutes, and charge to any fund to which it properly belongs."

In accordance with these several orders of the Court, bounties were paid to a sufficient number of volunteer soldiers to exempt the county from the enforcement of any draft.

During the continuance of the war a number of cruel actions were committed, which might have been avoided. Several individuals were killed, undoubtedly without sufficient cause. Among those killed were the following: A German living a few miles north of Troy, and whose name was Chitty, was arrested by some Federal soldiers, and, while being brought to town, he attempted to escape from his guard, who shot and killed him. He was the first man killed in the county during the war period.

Harrison Hubbard, who lived about four miles south of Troy, being accused of harboring rebel bushwhackers, was killed by a party of Federal scouts from Troy.

William M. Allen, while passing on the road south of Olney, in company with William Adams, was shot and killed by a bushwhacker. This was in the fall of 1864. No clue to the murderer was found.

Sanders Warren, who resided between Troy and Truxton, was killed by one of a squad of soldiers that went out from Troy. On this occasion he and the soldiers suddenly discovered each other, when he started off on a run, was commanded to halt, and, upon refusing to obey, was shot and killed. His running created a suspicion in the minds of the soldiers that something was wrong. Had he not started to run, or even obeyed the command to halt, he probably would not have been disturbed.

Sylvester Millsap, one of the three men in this county who voted for Lincoln in 1860, was killed in the fall of 1863 by a bushwhacker who was concealed in the bushes.