James Brothers' House and Farm

Again it was deemed advisable to limit the area of the county, and on January 2, 1833, the reduction was made to its present limits, being bounded on the north by Clinton on the east by Ray, on the south by Jackson, with the Missouri River intei"vening - and on the west by Platte. The county comprises 254,423 acres. The county was divided into only two townships - Gallatin and Fishing River; the county seat being in Gallatin until May 2, 1825, when Liberty Township was created. Platte Township was createti June 4, 1827; Washington Township, August 9, 1830, and Kearney Township was created September 3, 1872. That pai-t of the county north of its present limits in 1831, extending to the Iowa line was called Lafayette Township, and was very sparsely settled, and on the west of the limits of the county "attached for civil and military purposes," was the Platte country, or rather the greater part of what constitutes now Platte County, was in 1837, divided into Pettie, CaiToll, Far West and Preston Townships. /

Passage source: History of Clay County, Missouri, published 1920.

The annexation of Texas was the alleged cause of the declaration of war by Mexico against the United States in April, 1846, and a counter declaration by Congress was made, that "a state of war exists between the United States and Mexico." There was a strip of disputed territory lying between the Nueces and Rio Grande rivers, in Texas; the United States troops occupied this territory, when the Mexicans crossed the Rio Grande, with a large army, under command of two able generals, Ampudia and Arista. General Taylor had defeated these troops in their attack on the American forces at Palo Alto on the 8th of May, and at Resaca de la Palma, the day following, and these defeats were accomplished with great slaughter of Mexicans. The United States Congi'ess, in April, 1846, had passed an act authorizing the President to call into the war with Mexico 50,000 troops. The general commanding the American forces determined to attack Mexico at three different places; but changed his plans so that Major-General Scott, with a well appointed force, was sent to Vera Cruz; General Wood was ordered to effect a junction with General Taylor at Saltillo, and Gen. Kearney was ordered to divide his troops into three separate commands; the first to lead in person to the shores of the Pacific. A body of troops of about 1,000 Mis- souri volunteers, under the command of Col. A. W. Doniphan, was ordered to make an invasion of the State of Chihuahua, with the expectation of joining General Wood at the capital ; while the greater number of soldiers were to be left as a garrison at Santa Fe, under the command of Gen. Sterling Price. The original plan of operations against Mexico was as follows: A southern wing of the army or the "Army of Occupation," commanded by Major-General Taylor, was to strike directly into the heart of Mexico ; a column under Brigadier-General Wood, or the "Anny of the Center," to operate against the City of Chihuahua, and a command under Colonel Kearny, afterwards general, known as the "Army of the West," to march upon the city of Santa Fe.

Passage source: History of Clay County, Missouri, published 1920.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Washington Township - 43,568 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.