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| A reprint of Goodspeed's 1888 History of Barry County
Military History, Typed by: Linda Garrett |
| On December 31, 1860, the Twenty-first General Assembly met at Jefferson City. On January 4, Claiborne F. Jackson, who was elected governor on the Douglas Democrat ticket, was inaugurated governor. His message was the opposite of Governor Stewart's farewell message, for he pointed out on that day the many ties which connected Missouri with the slaveholding States. The question of calling a convention was at once taken up, a bill and several substitutes were presented, but the original bill, subject to a few amendments, was accepted. W. C. Duval and seventeen other representatives voting against the measure. In the Senate John Gullet, of Lawrence, voted for Charles H. Hardin's amendment. In March 1861, Mr. Gullet voted for a resolution calling upon representative of Missouri in Congress to oppose all Federal bills granting supplies of men or money to coerce the seceded States, and instructing them, should such bills pass, to retire from Congress.
In May, 1861, an extraordinary session was held, attended by seventy-seven representatives, among whom was W. S. McConnell. A series of six resolutions was presented by George G. Vest, complaining of the action of the Federal troops at Camp Jackson, etc., W. C. Duval and I. N. Shambaugh voting in favor of them with their seventy-seven fellow members. In the history of Neosho the transactions of the Secession Legislature are given up to adjournment to Cassville. The House and Senate of Claib Jackson's Legislature assembled at Cassville, October 31, 1861, and continued in session there until November 7, when the General Assembly adjourned to meet at New Madrid the first Monday in March, 1862. At Cassville there were eleven senators and forty-four representatives present. There was a large amount of legislation performed during the session, among which were the signing of the acts of secession from the United States and annexation to the Confederate States, and the confirmation of Maj.-Gen. Price, of the Missouri State Guards, and of Brig.-Gens. N. W. Watkins, Thomas A. Harris, John B. Clark, W. Y. Slack (killed at Pear Ridge), A. E. Steen, M.M. Parsons, H.H. McBride and James S. Rains. On July 25, 1861, Gen. Price moved from Elk River in McDonald County to Cassville, where he was joined by McCulloch and Pearce on the 29th. Gen. Price at this time joined Pearce's division, while Greer's Texan Rangers, and Gen. Rains' battalion of mounted Missourians, joined forces on August 1 and 2. It was with the intention of attacking this large force at Cassville that Gen. Lyon set out on that march which resulted in the disastrous affair at Wilson's Creek in August, 1861. The captain of the White River Company always called his command "foot infantry, " and in his orders would use such expressions as "March! foot infantry, " etc. Capt. Mitchell, who raised a Confederate company of cavalry here prior to the Carthage affair of July 6, 1861, took part in the skirmish at Dugg's Springs. Subsequently, when addressing his command in the court-house square at Cassville, he would bring up this reminiscence of the campaign, telling his boys that on the occasion referred to be felt not a bit of fear, yet every moment thought of "gettin, " which in the language of the times was understood to mean desert or run away. It was the same captain who when ordering his command to mount would cry out, "Boys, get to your critters." After Mitchell retired from the army a Federal scout took him 100 yards from his house, where they shot and killed him. Col. Clark Wright, of the Sixth Missouri Regiment, writing from Cassville on February 27, 1862, refers to the skirmish at Keetsville, of February 25, thus: "I learned that 500 Texan rangers attacked Capt. Montgomery, killing two men (Maj. Ross says nine), capturing one, and sixty horses, and burning five sutler's wagons, at Keetsville. On arriving there I learned that Montgomery had fallen back on Cassville, and though dark I resolved to join him, and did so at 9 o'clock that night. The Captain related that at 11 o'clock on the night of the 25th, 500 well armed mounted men descended on the camp, fired right and left; but the men being rallied a general fight ensued. A part of the command was cut off, but the remainder repulsed the rangers three times. After twenty minutes the Federals fell back on the town of Keetsville, the enemy retiring, and then fell back on Cassville, leaving Lieut. Montgomery to collect the scattered property, bury the dead and bring up the rear. The rebels lost three killed, ten wounded, one prisoner and one horse. There were eight full companies under Maj. Ross, of Young's brigade, except Bird's, smith's and Davis' companies of McBride's Missouri Confederate State Guards. After this attack they moved south, and at Harbin's captured ten prisoners, a sutler and teamster, and burned three wagons before the door. It was rumored that three rebel regiments were near Keetsville to capture trains, and that Col. Coffee was at or near Pineville, with 500 men. Walter Anderson, of Cassville, of the Confederate force, aided in this capture. After the Montgomery affair at Keetsville, the Captain found himself at Cassville minus his shirt. Next day he rested at old Mrs. Walker's house, and the old lady, filled with joy at the news of old Montgomery's defeat, could not resist giving expression to this joy even in the presence of strangers. On this occasion she opened the conversation thus: 'I hear old Montgomery had a close call at Keetsville, but I'm sorry they did not kill him,' 'So,' said the Captain. "How did you hear this?' 'Oh,' said the old lady, 'the woods are full of the Federals, and they haven't sense enough to hold their tongues, but I wanted to hear that old Capt. Montgomery was killed, I did.' 'Well,' said the Captain, 'I'm old Montgomery.' 'Well,' said the old lady, 'I have nothing to take back.'" Capt. William Ray's company of State Militia was organized at Cassville in 1862, with Amos N. Kelley, first, and D. P. Pharis, second lieutenant. The force was ninety-two men, armed with Sharp's and other rifles, and clothed in regular uniform. Among the members were George McComas and K. Higgs. Jacob Hollis, a member of this company, who resides six miles northwest of Cassville, returned to his home in the fall of 1862, and shortly after was called to his door and killed. The skirmish near Plat [Flat?] Creek, two miles west of Christian's took place February 15, 1862. Gen. S. R. Curtis moved slowly until his command passed Crane Creek, when the precipitate flight of the Confederates suggested pursuit. The latter made a stand and held the valley until Curtis' heavy artillery drove them to flight. That evening the Federals moved to Cassville, taking with them straggling cattle, and resolved to drive Price out of the State. Col. Clark Wright, writing of Keetsville, after the battle of February 25, 1862, says: "I also learn that the citizens of Keetsville all knew of the attack being made, communicated intelligence to the enemy and purposely kept all knowledge of it from Capt. Montgomery. In the afternoon the ladies left the town one by one, and at the time of the attack all were out, and many other circumstances prove conclusively that the citizens are a part of the attacking party without exception. * * * * What is best to do with the town and people of Keetsville? It is the worst hole in all this country." Col. C. A. Ellis, of the First Missouri Cavalry, in his report on the expedition to Berryville, Ark., March 3-7, 1862, says that 140 men of his command moved to Keetsville on March 3, sent forward a commissary train, then proceeded east to Roaring River; thence to a point eight miles northeast of Cassville, bi-vouacked, and on the 4th moved to Morris' Mill, on White River; thence in the direction of Berryville, crossing White River six times in eight miles. On the 5th, as the command approached the town, a suspicious looking fellow was arrested, who informed Col. Ellis that a rebel company was forming there. Pushing forward, a body of horsemen was seen, and in pursuit of them went Col. Ellis, while Maj. Pease moved forward to take the town. The latter captured fifty prisoners, twenty-two horses and fifty stands of arms, while Col. Ellis did not succeed in overtaking the fugitives. On May 9, 1863, a detachment of State militia engaged a Confederate force near Gadfly, resulting in the killing of three Confederates, who lost their horses, equipage and two of their negroes. Gen. Brown, in his letter of June 2, 1862, states that a Texan arrived at Cassville that morning who reported that Rains left Fort Smith to take charge of the Confederates in Southwest Missouri, where Genls. Coffee, Stand Watie, Schnable, Pike's Indians and the jayhawkers were to join him. McBride was at Yellville with three guns, and two small Texan regiments were moving toward Cassville. He also speaks of Richardson's defeat at Neosho, and reported coffee with 1,500 men at Sarcoxie on June 1. Speaking of Richardson, he states that he camped his men in the bottoms, while himself and officers went into Neosho to sleep; also that he only lost five men, killed, wounded and missing. The skirmish of June 11, 1862, seven miles from Cassville, was simply an attack on an army service train; five men of the thirty-seventh Illinois Infantry were fired upon, killing one, wounding two, and one taken prisoner. Four horses were lost. On this becoming known, Gen. Brown prohibited the sending of trains without full escort. He sent six squadrons of cavalry forward to break up a camp at Berryville, Ark., ordered Mount Vernon to be garrisoned by the Tenth Illinois Infantry, and placed Lieut-Col. Wickersham in command of Lawrence and Jasper Counties, while Col. Julius White was placed in command of McDonald, Stone and Barry Counties, with headquarters of the Thirty-seventh Illinois Infantry at Cassville, to be re-enforced by six squadrons of Second Wisconsin Cavalry, under Col. King. White the Federal troops held Blankenship's Mills, at Corsicana, a Federal scout killed Doc. Lewis, and wounded Ross. Subsequently a blanket, the property of James Bradley, was found on the spot from which the bush-whackers fired on the scout. Bradley left the country at once. In June, 1862, Coffee was reported near Neosho with 1,000 men, part Indians. On June 15 Gen. Brown, writing to Col. Julius White, at Cassville, tells him that there are four times the number of Confederates south of Cassville that he had reported, and cautioned him to be on the alert, as if Rains and Coffee joined forces their strength must be over 3,000. Brown promised to forward re-enforcements to Mount Vernon and Cassville at once. On the 20th he order Col. Hall's regiment to Neosho, and a mounted force from Cassville---part to Pineville and part to Arkansas---to protect citizens during the wheat harvest, while scouts were placed from Springfield to Mount Vernon, Neosho on to the Kansas line, and from Pineville through Cassville Galena and Ozark. Doubleday's regiment and some Ohio companies were ordered to occupy Neosho and Pineville. Col. Weer, in his advice of June 22, states that there were at Cassville then 3,4000 cavalry, 600 infantry, and seven six and twelve-pound guns. At Camp Walker Coffee and Rains had 2,200, and Stand Watie, McBride and others 2,000 men not far off. At this time the telegraph line extended to Cassville. A force was sent toward Yellville that day to break up McBride's camp. Clark Wright, of the Sixth Missouri Cavalry writing July 3, 1862, speaks of his march along the Arkansas line, of having captured sixty desperate cases, fifteen of whom were executed, and of 6,000 Confederate men, which then were ready to attack Cassville, as well as of Coffee's troops and Watie's Indians at Pineville. Col. Hall about this time reported the killing of three guerrillas and capture of four horses near Gadfly, and the killing of ten out of eighteen guerrillas at Jollification. He lost four horses in these affairs. He tendered the oath to seventy-six Arkansas prisoners, who gave bonds and cheered the old flag before starting home. In July the Fayetteville expedition returned to Cassville with nine prisoners. On July 14 Gen. Brown reported a concentration of Federal troops at Newtonia without disturbing the company at Neosho or the one at Mount Vernon. On July 15 the report of the murder of four Kansas troops, prisoners at Coffee's camp, was confirmed. Coffee's own men were ashamed of the deed, and one whole company voted to join another command---Tracy's---and did so. Rains curses the actors bitterly, and saw the dead men buried decently. In August, 1862, severe comments were made on the destruction of stores and arms at Cassville, by Hall, under Gen. Brown's order. On August 13 Brown answered his critics, saying that the force at Cassville was 644, not 3,000; that the arms destroyed were a few old country guns, and that the stores were small in quantity. [See order July 23, above.] He also reported that Mr. Bray, of Lawrence County, went to Fort Scott to ask protection for the new militia organization in Barton and Vernon Counties. On July 15, 1862, the Third Missouri Infantry, except a detachment, held Newtonia; one company of Missouri militia held Neosho, and one company garrisoned Mount Vernon. Gen. Brown was commanding, and in his letter of July 23 he makes the statement that "all good citizens are using their influence to restore peace and security." About this time Col. Hall reported a rebel force of 2,000 at Bridgeville, twenty-five miles from Cassville. Brown order him to fall back toward Springfield, to destroy his stores, and to order Col. King from Newtonia to Cassville, who would also fall back in case the rebel force was reported advancing on them. These orders were carried out, and on July 31 the Confederates appeared on White River, part of whom, on August 1 attacked 100 Missouri militia at Ozark, but were repulsed. On October 4, 1862, Maj.-Gen. Curtis wrote to Schofield: "Cross Hollows is no place for a fight. I am anxious to have the rebels around Keetsville impoverished so that they can't feed the rebel army. I also want your force to move west, eat out the country and operate in the Indian Territory. The region of Pineville Newtonia and Granby is a rebel haunt. The President also desires Ross re-established in the Cherokee country" On October 22 Schofield made a night march to Robinson's Roads, so as to cut off Coffee, who was getting flour at the Cross Hollows Mills; but the wily rebel escaped. He left Herron's command there to run the mills in the Federal interest. On November 16 Gen. Totten was ordered to Pineville. In November, 1862, Quantrill and his guerrillas invaded Jasper and neighboring counties, and burned the court-house and part of the town of Lamar, and held possession of the country west of Stockton and north of Sarcoxie. In 1862, at a time when the Confederates held Cassville, a Federal force of about 150 men entered town at a gallop, driving the pickets before them. The Confederates fled to the houses, and the battle was continued from house to house. The skirmish ended in the half log, half frame house, just south of the kitchen of the present Pharis House. One Federal was killed and one wounded, and one Confederate was killed. Forsythe, of Washburn, was one of the Confederates present. Dr. Clements came on the same day and rendered aid to the wounded. The Federal force retreated as Confederates poured into town from the east and west. Gen. Schofield, writing from Gadfly, October 11, 1862, informed Gen. Blunt that he would move to Cassville with Totten's division on the 12th, while the brigade at Keetsville would be ordered to fall back there if threatened, and in such event asked Blunt to push forward his command to Cassville, meanwhile to send forward a heavy scout on the Fayetteville road as far as Pea Ridge, if the enemy should not be encountered before that point was reached. Gen. Brown drove the Confederates out of Pineville on October 10, without sustaining any loss, shelling the town and bottoms from Testerman's Hill. Schofield ordered Herron to move on Cassville, leaving four companies of McClurg's regiment at Crane Creek, under Maj. Eno, for scout and escort duty On October 12 Schofield's command camped at Cassville, where he was joined on the 14th by Gen. Herron's reserves from Springfield. On October 17, 1862, a reconnoissance (sic) was sent forward from Cassville to Pea Ridge to ascertain the movements of Rains and Cooper, and on the 18th a report was sent in that Cooper, with a large force, moved toward Maysville, while Rains moved toward Huntsville, leaving 2,500 or 3,000 cavalry at Pea Ridge to conceal these moves. Schofield dispatched Blunt, Weer and Cloud in pursuit of Cooper; Totten and Herron in pursuit of Rains, and Salomon to hold Pear Ridge. It must be remembered that at this time the Confederate force was only strong in numbers, one-half or one-third being unarmed. After a night's hard march, Blunt attacked Cooper near Maysville, routed him across the Arkansas, and captured his four guns. Totten and Herron could not, or did not particularly wish to overtake Rains. They were, however, successful in obtaining information that Hindman, McRay, Parsons, McBride and other equally skillful Confederates were massing and were well equipped. Totten and Herron still had work to do, for on October 27, 1862, they were sent forward to attack 3,000 or 4,000 Confederates on the main fork of White River, eight miles from Fayetteville. At dawn, on the 28th, Herron espied his enemy and gave battle, driving them off without their camp equipage, which, with fifteen killed and wounded, covered the field. The First Iowa and Seventh Missouri Cavalries---1,000 men---only were engaged, losing five men wounded and one killed. This closed the work under Gen. Schofield, for on November 20, 1862, he resigned this command, leaving to Blunt and Herron the honors of the victory at Fayetteville. On October 14, 1862, the Seventh Missouri Cavalry was at Cassville, where several skirmishes took place. The operations about Cassville and Keetsville, November 17 and 18, 1862, were reported November 20 to Lieut.-Col. C. W. Marsh, A. A. G., Frontier Army. It appears that on the 17th a loyal woman advised him that a small Confederate force was encamped on Roaring River. Lieut. Gibson and ten men were sent out, going as far as Easlie's [Easley's] Ford on White River, and ran four men out of Easlie's [Easley's] house, killing one and capturing one, and at their camp close by, two tents, three saddles, three horses and two mules were captured. William McMurtry, the captured man, belonged to Dixon's company of "Provos, " whose business it was to confiscate the property of Union men. On November 18 Capt. Julian and twenty men were sent to scout around Keetsville. Thomas H. George, a member of the Confederate army, was captured at John Roller's house, five miles south of Keetsville, and ran out two bush-whackers; also Harrison Cornelison, a "Provo," engaged in robbing Union men of their property, and one horse and saddle. On November 20 Lieuts. Stephens, Wilcox and Ball were sent out toward White River, to search for 4,000 infantry and 500 Confederate cavalry said to be in the Huntsville neighborhood. The Stone Prairie Independent Home Guard Company comprised William W. Lee, captain; Hood Tate, first lieutenant; Thomas Smith, second lieutenant; George M. Goodnight, first sergeant, and the following privates: L. Mattingley, Amos Carlin, A. B. Carlin, M. V. Smith, J. Goodnight, F. M. Goodnight, Silas Moudy, T. Moudy, E. Davis, W. R. Browning, P. P. Henderson, H. J. Smith, George W. Browning, M. L. Tate, J. W. Lee, Jesse Nott, T. Smith, W. Toner, G. B. Roden, James Riddle, W. Horine, William Stringer, J. B. Blankenship, John Miller, Tilmon Edwards, Dave Thomas, C. C. Edmonds, H. L. Jackson, Corny Westfall, A. J. Marbut, J. McKennys, I. W. Roden, J. R. Stringer, G. L. Carlin, A. J. Lee, J. M. Marbut, Thomas Carlin, William A. Lee, Asa Carlin, Thomas Calton, Morgan Calton, Gideon Jackson, John A. Smith, J. Blankenship. In October, 1864, Lee was ordered by Col. Harrison, of the First Arkansas Cavalry, to report at once at headquarters This company, in common with others, continued in service from beginning to end of the war. The Cassville hospital was in the building now the resident of W.S. McConnell. Dr. Ray was post surgeon, with Dr. Coffee, of Carthage, and Dr. Teft, of Springfield, and, it is thought, Dr. Pollard. The soldiers furnished the United States by Barry County, under all calls prior to December 19, 1864, numbered 222, being 139 over the county's quota. In answer to the call of December 19, 1864, four men responded. In February, 1875, Alfred B. Greenwood and F.M. Bates were appointed legal agents of Barry County to prosecute a claim for $1,882.69 against the United States, this amount representing the money paid out from March 14, 1866, to October, 1872, for repairs on court-house, the expenditure being due to its occupation by United States troops for nearly four years during the war. Immediately after the Federals garrisoned Cassville, the court-house was port holed and a chevaux de rise erected round it. |
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