Spies and Scouts were used to gather valuable information from the opposing military side, the location and movement of enemy regiments and their strength in numbers. Through his numerous and faithful scouts and spies, General Nathaniel Lyon learned of the concentration of Southern troops at Cassville and their intention to march on Springfield. Major R.K. Hart reported to the Republican in July 1913 that he had been a spy for General Lyon in Raines’ camp near Dug Springs, prior to the Battle of Wilson Creek.2 It was his duty to find out the number of men at the Confederate camp and the course of their direction. A Union spy known only as “Three”, later identified as Charles A. McNair did reconnaissance work on General Sterling Price’s army in Southwest Missouri and reported his finding to John D. Perry, stating that, “Sir I have just returned from a thorough trip through South West Missouri – was in the camps of the rebels his men are tolerably well clad, McCulloch was in Springfield on Friday last, with not exceeding 7000 men, perhaps not more than 3 or 4000. Price’s Men have no confidence in him & don’t think he wants to fight – they curse him all the time & say he has done nothing since the 10th August but eat up the substance of the state. The South West is nearly depopulated”.3

Some of the most prominent and finest spies for both sides were women, like Mary Ann Pittman, who dressed like a Confederate Lieutenant named Rawley, joined General Nathan Forrest, accompanying him through Tennessee and Mississippi.4 Disguises, alias, diversions, and secrecy were all weapons spies and scouts used to conduct their business during the war. Eventually, she revealed her female identity to Forrest in which he laughed and said she made quite a good looking woman. Forrest cautioned her to let this secret go no further, and believed “success would be more certain if she appeared as a woman dressed herself in a suit of female apparel.…” and then sent her off on a mission..5 Under the name “Mollie Hayes,” Pittman spied and smuggled goods for the Confederacy. As “Mollie Hayes,” Pittman visited St. Louis and gained information on Union troops and fortifications.

Pittman eventually concluded that the Confederacy would loose the war and allowed herself to be captured by General Lionel Booth’s troops. While at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, she informed Booth of Forrest’s pending attack with 4,000 men. Realizing her value, Acting Provost Marshall Genreral Joseph Darr Jr. petitioned to use Pittman as a spy for the Union. He stated, “she can be trusted and would be a proper person to send to [Sterling] Price’s Camp.”.6 In January 1865, Major General Grenville Dodge provided Pittman a pass through Federal lines, allowing her to begin her mission for the United States government. That April, Pittman served as a Union spy reporting information on Sterling Price, as well as bushwhackers, Samuel Hildebrand and Alfred Bolin.

Two other valuable allies for the U.S. government were Native Americans and freed African-Americans. Many pro-union refugees from Indian Territory entered southern Kansas to escape conscription and aggression of Confederate Native Americans on the tribal lands. Their presence in Kansas and proximity to Indian Territory encouraged Kansas regiments to employee Native American scouts and spies. Fall Leaf, a Native American scout, and ten of his men were employed to gather intelligence from Rebel soldiers in Kansas and Indian Territory.7 The Union also used freed African Americans for reconnaissance work. In one extreme case, two black men returned to Dixie acting as slaves to gather information about African American kidnapping rings in Tennessee.

These men and women risked their lives in gathering intelligence for the United States. If caught spies were automatically accused of treason and sentenced to death. Some informants such as J. H. Oreton, of Webster County, and Katie Smith, were identified by and attacked in their homes. This collection is contributed by the National Archive and Records Center, and focuses on Union intelligence efforts. The Confederacy intelligence network is documented in other individual collections. Researchers are encouraged to consult other collections within Community & Conflict for additional information on scouts and spies from the region.

Contributed by the National Archives and Records Administration
Photocopies Contribiuted by Mine Creek Battlefield, Kansas State Historic Site.

View this collection

1. “Historical Times Encyclopedia of the Civil War” Edited by Patricia L. Faust, Article by Edward G. Longacre. updated 15 December 2002, accessed 22 November 2010, http://www.civilwarhome.com/espionage.htm
2. “Scout Tells of Incidents of Terrific Battle in Ozarks”, Republican, Vol. XXII, No. 179, July 1913, pg 1.
3. Charles A. McNair Letter to John D. Perry.  Nov. 28, 1861, Entry 36, Correspondence, Reports, Appointments, and Other Records Relating to Individual Scouts, Guides, Spies, and Detectives; Records of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau (Civil War), RG 110; National Archives and Records Administration, Washington DC. pg 2 & 3
4. Joseph Darr,Jr. Letter to Frank Bond. Oct. 21, 1864, Entry 36, Correspondence, Reports, Appointments, and Other Records Relating to Individual Scouts, Guides, Spies, and Detectives; Records of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau (Civil War), RG 110; National Archives and Records Administration, Washington DC. pg 4
5. Joseph Darr,Jr. Letter to Frank Bond. Oct. 21, 1864, Entry 36, Correspondence, Reports, Appointments, and Other Records Relating to Individual Scouts, Guides, Spies, and Detectives; Records of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau (Civil War), RG 110; National Archives and Records Administration, Washington DC. pg 3
6. Joseph Darr,Jr. Letter to Frank Bond. Oct. 21, 1864, Entry 36, Correspondence, Reports, Appointments, and Other Records Relating to Individual Scouts, Guides, Spies, and Detectives; Records of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau (Civil War), RG 110; National Archives and Records Administration, Washington DC. pg 1
7. Robert J. Roe Letter to John E. Tappan. May 27, 1865. Entry 31, Correspondence, Reports, Accounts, and Related Records of Two or More Scouts, Spies, and Detectives; Records of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau (Civil War), RG 110; National Archives and Records Administration, Washington DC.

The 16th Missouri Cavalry scouted and patrolled routes across the Ozarks, seeing action in Wright, Dallas, Texas, Ozark, Laclede and other Missouri Counties. They also participated in the Battle of Mine Creek and other engagements during Sterling Price’s 1864 expedition into Missouri. During their time in service one officer and twelve enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded. One officer and thirty-one enlisted men succumbed to disease. In total, 16th Missouri Cavalry lost forty-five men.1

This collection contains three equipment reports from the 16th Missouri Cavalry outlining the use of supplies and their value. Researchers are encouraged to consult other equipment and supply ledgers located in the Community & Conflict collection to study the war’s impact on distribution of goods, demand and market value in the Ozarks.

Contributed by Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

View this collection

1. Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion vol 2, (Dayton: Broadfoot Publishing Company Morningside Press, 1994), 1311.

Introduction
1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry

The 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry was one of the earliest African-American regiments organized during the Civil War. This regimental order book documents correspondences, general orders and special orders between 1863 and 1864. During this period the 1st Kansas Colored was stationed in southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri, western Arkansas and Indian Territory, Oklahoma.

In October 1862, soldiers from the regiment engaged Rebel troops at the Battle of Island Mound in Bates County, MO. This skirmish earned them the distinction of the first African-American troops from a northern state to see action as soldiers. The 1st Kansas Colored became seasoned veterans by the end of the war, participating in several battles and engagements. On December 13, 1864, the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry was re-designated as the 79th U.S. Colored Troops.

Original Documents Retained at the National Archives and Records Administration.

Photocopies Contributed by Mine Creek Battlefield, Kansas State Historic Site.

View this collection

The 35th Arkansas Infantry, CSA, was organized on July 11, 1862. Col. Frank Rector led the regiment, and its commanding officers included Cols. James King and Harry J. McCord, Lt. Col. John Wallace, and Majs. John Dillard and Mark Tatum. The regiment had several names including: 22nd Arkansas Infantry (Rector’s – King’s – McCord’s Infantry), and 1st Arkansas Infantry (Rector’s Infantry, Northwest Division). The 35th Arkansas Infantry saw action at Helena on July 4, 1863, Little Rock on September 10, 1863 and Jenkins’ Ferry on April 30, 1864.1

William Patton, quartermaster in the 35th Arkansas Infantry, kept this ledger recording supplies distributed to soldiers in the regiment. Each page lists a soldier’s name, rank, and equipment details. Patton documented purchase dates, quantity and price. He also provided notes on battles, deaths and wounds incurred by soldiers in the 35th Arkansas Infantry.

The ledger offers evidence for a study of economic conditions in the Ozarks, specifically on the war’s impact on the distribution of supplies, demand and market value. This ledger might draw interesting comparisons with union and civilian ledgers located in the Community & Conflict collection.

Contributed by Rogers Historical Museum

View this collection

1. Stewart Sifakis, Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Florida and Arkansas (New York: Facts on File, 1992), 117-118.

Dr. Albert Badger was among the early Caucasian settlers in Vernon County, Missouri. The first settlers came to the area in 1823, but by 1840 there were only 35 or 40 families living in the County.1 Badger was born in 1821 in Windham County, Connecticut. His father, Albert, died when he was only four and a half years old. Young Albert was raised by his uncle, until he turned 14. In 1835, Albert traveled with his grandfather to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to attend school. Five years later, he sailed down the Ohio River to Louisiana, where he eventually became interested in medicine and attended the New Orleans Medical College. After graduation, Badger began his voyage north. In 1844, he traveled up the Mississippi River and across to Osceola, Missouri. He purchased a land claim for $30 dollars in present day Vernon County and became the namesake of Badger Township. Badger built the first “modern” house in the area. It featured glass windows, a nailed-on roof, three large rooms, a hallway and a porch. Other settlers only had simple cabins with wooden widows on leather hinges.2

On a visit to Blue Mound Township, Albert met Col. Anselmn Halley, namesake of Halley’s Bluffs, and his daughter Sarah Halley. Albert and Sarah married in 1853, and through the course of their lives had eight children. Albert practiced medicine in Vernon County, but the area’s small population made it difficult for that to be his only source of income. Albert purchased 2,200 acres of land for cultivation, and had a large population of livestock and at least one slave.3 Before 1861, Albert’s mother, Asenath Badger, traveled from the east coast to live with Albert and Sarah in their Vernon County home. She assisted Sarah with raising and educating the children, as there were no schools available at the time. Albert’s brother, Oscar Badger, was a Captain in the US Navy, and stationed on the east coast. Oscar owned land next to Albert’s estate, and hired men to take care of the property. In late 1860, Oscar wrote Albert from Baltimore about the volatile political climate and the outbreak of war.

Dear Brother: I have had it in contemplation to write to you for some weeks past, but put it off in hopes I should be able to surprise you by a visit this Fall, but I have been ordered to duty at this station, which will keep me here for some time. I shall however see you all in the Spring. I hope. I consider my Commission in the Navy of no great value at present, as from the complexion of affairs in the political horizon, the Country will fall into anarcy and dissolution of its several members before many months roll around. I may threfore be forced to seek some other occupation, which will probably be farming alongside of you on my land.

Oscar Badger letter to Albert Badger – Oct. 13, 1860

Oscar’s letter suggests he was a Southern sympathizer. Presumably he meant to resign from the navy if hostilities broke out. Though we have no evidence for why, Oscar definitely changed his mind. He remained in the navy and participated in the 1863 Union Campaign to capture Charleston, South Carolina. During the assault on Fort Sumter, he was hit in the leg by shrapnel which left him with a noticeable limp. Oscar eventually rose through the ranks to Commodore.

Back in Vernon County, Albert chose the Southern cause. Carrying his double-barrel shotgun from home, Albert enlisted in the 7th Missouri Cavalry, 8th Division, Missouri State Guard on June 1, 1861. Albert was commissioned as a Lieutenant and served under Confederate General Sterling Price at the Battles of Carthage and Wilson’s Creek. At the Battle of Carthage, he was shot through the leg with a bullet, and like his brother, walked with a limp for the rest of his life. He went on to fight at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek on August 10, 1861. Albert left the Missouri State Guard on August 25, 1861. His shotgun, valued at $20, was sold to William Halley before he and the MSG marched north to Lexington, Missouri.4

The historical records documenting Albert’s actions between the fall of 1861 and beginning of 1864 are vague. Presumably, Albert returned home after he left the Missouri State Guard in late August 1861. Some accounts indicate Albert was harassed by Jayhawkers, and he fled his home in fear of his life. Other reports state he simply moved to St. Louis. The collection contains two letters written during that interim period, but neither provides Albert’s location at the time. In the summer of 1863 Albert’s father-in-law left his home in Vernon County and moved to Calhoun, Missouri. He wrote Albert shortly after General Thomas Ewing issued General Order No. 11, forcing civilians to evacuate their homes in Bates, Cass, Jackson and parts of Vernon County Missouri.

Dear Albert,

I received your letter the 6th. The times in Johnson County is bad. The soldiers have burned five houses in that County. Henry County is peace. In the last of August some eight or ten Bushwhackers paid me a visit. After searching the house some time, they asked my name and what I was. I told them “Union” they thought it strange. They behaved very well and said they would not take anything of mine. There are a great many people moving from the counties west. Some of them are in destitute condition. It is a bad order. I am told it does not enclude Vernon County, if it does, what will Sarah & the children do.

Anselm Hailey letter to Albert Badger – Sep. 14, 1863

While Order #11 included Vernon County, it was only the northern half, thus, Sarah, the children and Albert’s mother remained on their farm. Unfortunately, Asenath Badger passed away in 1864.

Meanwhile, Albert probably maintained correspondence with his brother Oscar, letters which unfortunately have not survived. Albert reappears in the historical records at Mound City, Illinois, working as a Chief Clerk in the Naval Ordnance Department. The decision was likely encouraged by Oscar, but Albert’s true motivation is unknown. Mound City is located approximately seven miles north of Cairo, IL along the Ohio River. Three of the Union’s “City Class” ironclad gunboats – U.S.S. Cairo, U.S.S. Cincinnati and U.S.S. Mound City – were built at Mound City. The small town eventually became the location of a Union General Hospital, and by April 1862 a spur of the Illinois Central Railroad ran into the city. Troops and supplies traveled by train to Mound City and then were transferred by ship along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. In November 1863, the Navy Department established Mound City as the primary ordnance depot for the Mississippi Squadron. Ordnance shipments distributed through Mound City, were at some point overseen by Albert.

Head Quarters, Department of the Missouri, Saint Louis,

The Conductor of the first train passing Pana, Ills. Central RailRoad for Mound City, after 5 O’Clock tomorrow morning, will attach three cars of Orinance Stores, under charge of Mr [Albert] Badger. It being absolutely necessary that the stores reach Cairo to-morrow

By order of Major Genl William S. Rosecrans – Mar. 29, 1864

The experiences of Oscar and Albert are fascinating but difficult to explain. Oscar seemed concerned by the impeding crisis, yet he remained in the Union navy. Albert actually fought alongside Confederate soldiers in the Missouri State Guard, but ended the war working on Union ships. Without other documents, students and historians are left to speculate on why these men acted as they did.

Like most families in the Ozarks, the war took a heavy toll on Sarah. With Albert away, nearly all of their livestock was stolen by bushwhackers who frequently raided their home for food and clothing. Sarah was left with a blind horse and an ox, which she used to drive a cart to Fort Scott, Kansas for supplies. Albert commended Sarah for her courage and dedication to the family, as she assumed control over their estate, farm and family affairs while Albert was gone.

You had better hire a boy or man, probably a man one or two days. Mr Eidson if possible to take some loose rails, & fix up your Field & Orchard & Garden fence, you might take some of the rails from the fence round the pasture if you could do no better. It can be fixed temporally enough to stop out hogs & cattle in a coupple of days. Call on Mr Eidson & he will do it, and credit his note. Also call on him at any time for money, giving him a few days notice & he will get it. Or for any thing else you may want. You have been a good, brave woman, to stay there as long as you have, & now nearly at the end of trouble, dont despare.

Albert Badger letter to Sarah Badger – Aug. 20, 1864

Albert was discharged at the close of the war. Family records indicate he worked 18 months in Mound City. The Badger family lost approximately $10,000 in property during the war, some of which was taken by Union soldiers. He wrote the Quartermaster General in 1874, “I also lost… Horses, Cattle, Sheep, Hogs, Corn, Oats, Hay &c: taken by U. States Troops for the use of the U.S. and found myself when discharged from service at the close of the war, made poor, by the very Government, I had so faithfully Served.”5 Albert requested compensation for the lost property, and it is unknown if he received any type of payment. Albert died on February 19, 1885, after leading a successful life. He helped establish Vernon County, and served as the first County Administrator, its first Justice of the Peace and first Probate Judge. He served both the Confederacy and the Union, and was a loving family man.

This collection consists of fourteen documents spanning from 1852 through 1874, related to Albert Badger and his family. It comprises of material contributed from the Bushwhacker Museum and Jail and Missouri State University’s Special Collections. The MSU documents are part of the Freeman Barrows Collection. Freeman’s son, John N. Barrows, married Elizabeth (Lizzie) Badger, Albert’s daughter. Correspondence between John and Lizzie are available at MSU.

Contributed by the The Bushwhacker Museum and Jail and Missouri State University, Special Collections and Archives

View this collection

1. “County named for Col. Vernon,” The Nevada (Mo.) Herald, 29 June 1980, pg. 4C.
2. “Historic Houses of Vernon County” in Albert Badger’s Vertical File, 09.56.273.3, Bushwhacker Museum, Nevada, Missouri.
3. In an 1874 letter to the US Quartermaster, Albert claimed he took a slave into the service with him. He lost the slave while in the service and asked the Quartermaster for compensation. Albert Badger. Letter to US Quartermaster. Jul. 12, 1874. Barrows Family Collection, M31, Special Collections, Missouri State University, Springfield
4. Ordance Department, Missouri State Guard. Letter to Albert Badger. ca. Aug. 25, 1861. Barrows Family Collection, M31, Special Collections, Missouri State University, Springfield.
5. Albert Badger. Letter to US Quartermaster. Jul. 12, 1874.

Alfred Dexter Morgan a native of Chicago, Illinois, enlisted in Company D, Illinois 17th Cavalry on March 24, 1864 and was promoted to full Sergeant before he was mustered out on December 20, 1865.1 The 17th Illinois Cavalry Volunteers trekked across the Missouri landscape engaging Confederate soldiers, serving as military escorts, and acting as provost guards. Morgan documents his travels from Glasgow, Moberly, Centralia, Fayetteville, MO, and recorded news of various engagements.

The 17th Illinois Cavalry’s proximity to central Missouri placed them in an area known for guerrilla warfare. The prominent guerrilla band in the area was William Anderson’s gangs. William “Bloody Bill” Anderson was one of the most notorious guerrilla fighters of the Civil War. Having lived in Missouri during the period known as “Bleeding Kansas,” Anderson and his family were familiar with the horrors of conflict. Anderson began his full on campaign against the Union army in August 1863 in revenge for his sisters who were injured and killed a Kansas City jail that had collapsed. Union soldiers imprisoned the Anderson girls, for aiding their brother. Anderson and his gang terrorized Missouri and Kansas, plundering civilians homes and killing indiscriminately. Anderson earned the nickname Bloody Bill from the uncivilized tactics he used during conflict, the display of scalps on his horse’s bridle evidence of his cruelty. On September 23, 1864 Morgan received orders to Rocheport, Missouri. While in route he encountered Jim Anderson, Bloody Bill’s brother.

found Jim Anderson and 6 of his gang on the route give him chase killed him and 5 of his men, Jim is a brother of Bill the great thief and the daring chief of his Bushwhackers…. If billy Anderson gets me and this Book he will Scalp me
Alfred D. Morgan, 1864 Diary,  pg 3

On the morning of September 27, Anderson attacked Centralia. While waiting for the train, Bloody Bill and his gang terrorized local civilians, robbing and burning stores. The bushwhackers robbed all the passengers on the train, taking 23 unarmed Union soldiers who were on furlough, and killing them on the spot. Morgan and his company witnessed the horrific scene as they passed through the town,“we pass on and find that at Centralia Anderson killed 187 more; we camped here, burned the town. I wish we had Anderson we would burn him sure.”2

In September 1864, Sterling Price also began his raid into Missouri. Price’s ultimate goal was to regain Missouri for the Confederacy, however above all else the Confederacy needed men. Even if he had to retreat from Missouri, the expedition would be successful if a sizeable number of recruits were brought into the army. Morgan reported a rumor that, “it is supposed that Anderson and his Scalpers are with Price ….”3 Anderson and approximately one hundred guerrillas under his command did attempt to join Price’s party; however, the human scalps taken at the Centralia Massacre two weeks earlier were still proudly displayed on the horses of Anderson’s men. Horrified, Price refused to ride with Anderson until they were discarded. Price instead ordered Anderson to destroy bridges along the North Missouri Railroad. Union soldiers throughout the region were on high alert and ready to fight Price and his forces to drive them out of Missouri once and for all. Morgan and his company engaged Price on October 9, 1864.

Started in pursuit of Price,, follow all day, come up to his rear guard, have some Skirmishing on the road. he retreats one of the mo. Lieuts is killed on the road. Price, retreats we chase up close to his rear guard, overtake him at a town called, California we have a small fight here, our shells do good execution.
Alfred D. Morgan, 1864 Diary, pg 18 & 19

Many in Morgan’s regiment were excited at the prospect of war and fighting. The thrill of the fight was alive in many a young men’s hearts. That is until the reality of war confronted them head on, and as Morgan wrote in his diary, he saw no joy in fighting as he heard the “sad and disgusting” stories fellow soldiers told while camped in Springfield, MO in October 1864. Morgan feared retribution for William Anderson. Morgan’s company killed Anderson’s brother, and Morgan wrote in his diary, “If billy Anderson gets me and this Book he will Scalp me but I defy him and I will kill him if I can.”4 Those fears ceased when Anderson band of bushwhackers was ambushed by Union soldiers on October 26, 1864. Anderson was killed during the engagement and eventually beheaded.

Morgan wrote in two diaries. His first diary ends in November 1864, and depicts the eagerness of young soldiers willing to join the war and the devastating realities these men actually faced. Yet through harsh conditions and bloody battles Morgan’s patriotism and sense of duty never wavered. He wrote, “I shall fall for the right, for friends I love, and my Country, the Rebs, cannot whip us up, big hurrah for our old flag liberty.”5 Morgan’s second diary, written from January 1865 to January 1866, is less descriptive and mentions weather conditions, orders and men in his company. Morgan was aware of the dangers he faced, but kept his diary as a testament for future generations to remember his actions.

Contributed by the University of Tulsa Special Collections and University Archives

View this collection

1. Historical Data Systems, comp.. U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009.
2. Alfred D. Morgan Diary, 1864. E505.6 17th .M67 1864, University of Tulsa Special Collections, Oklahoma.
3. Alfred D. Morgan Diary, 1864. E505.6 17th .M67 1864, University of Tulsa Special Collections, Oklahoma.
4. Alfred D. Morgan Diary, 1864. E505.6 17th .M67 1864, University of Tulsa Special Collections, Oklahoma.
5. Alfred D. Morgan Diary, 1864. E505.6 17th .M67 1864, University of Tulsa Special Collections, Oklahoma.

As southern states started to secede from the Union, political tension within Missouri rose. Union Gen. Nathaniel Lyon marched from St. Louis to Jefferson City to confront the pro-Confederate Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson. Jackson, however, vacated the state capitol and marched southward with the Missouri State Guard. Lyon split his force with the intention of cutting off the guardsmen, preventing the arrival of reinforcements from Arkansas and defusing pro-southern sympathies among Missouri civilians. Union and Southern forces meet outside of Carthage on July 5th in what has been noted as one of the first serious ground conflicts between Union and Confederate troops. Reports indicate that many of the southern soldiers did not have weapons, nor were they properly trained for combat. On paper the Union forces retained the advantage, better muskets and better training, yet they were outnumbered nearly six to one.1

Around 8:30am opposing forces exchanged fire approximately eight miles north of Carthage. The MSG took position on the high ground between Dry Creek and North Fork, overlooking the position occupied by Union forces.2 Both sides unleashed artillery barrages, and Thomas noted the booming sound of the cannon fire in his memoir.

State troops filed to the left of the road formed in order of battle, plantng the cannon on the side of the hill with their infantry to support them. when ready the order was given and off went the misiles of death and distruction from the cannons mouth. with the loud roar of distant thunder, in quick succession roar followed roar from each battery and we could see at every fire the state battery made, a swarth open through the columns of the federal troops and again and again discover the officer rally the men, but again and again would the state cannon belch fourth death among them untill they fled
Archy Thomas – Battle of Carthage Memoir, n.d.

The battle progressed into Carthage, and soon house-to-house fighting erupted. Thomas was wounded in the arm, and many of the buildings in Carthage were damaged during the close quarter engagements. Thomas reported the zealous nature of rebel women in Carthage by saying, “One lady running out when the balls were flying thick and heavy shouting hurra for Jef Davis Liberty and independence forever down with the dutch.”3 The Union Troops comprised primarily of German soldiers, and were led by Colonel Franz Sigel. “Dutch” was a common term used to describe the Germans. After nightfall, Sigel and his men were able to retreat to Sarcoxie, MO and elude the much larger Confederate force.

Both sides claimed victory in what was one of the largest engagements yet of the Civil War. Sigel was commended for confronting an overwhelming number of enemy soldiers, while Jackson and Sterling Price took advantage of the Federal retreat to organize and arm their men. Archy Thomas documented these notable events and preserved a rare first-hand account of one of the earliest battles of the Civil War.

The above is about what I saw and heard of course I cannot pretend to give all that was done or said as I could not be at both ends of a large army at once.
- An eye witness of the battle.

Contributed by the STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY of MISSOURI RESEARCH CENTER – ROLLA

View this collection

1. Phillip Steel and Steve Cottrell. Civil War in the Ozarks. (Gretna: Pelican Publishing Company, 1993), 17.
2. Ward Schrantz, “The Battle of Carthage,” in The Missouri Historical Review vol. 31 (Columbia: State Historical Society of Missouri, 1936), 144.
3. Archy Thomas. “Civil War Battle of Carthage Memoir.” n.d., R167. The STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY of MISSOURI RESEARCH CENTER – ROLLA, 4.

The Eighth Division, under the command of Gen. James Rains, participated in the Battle of Wilson’s Creek on August 10, 1861. Wilson’s Creek was the second major battle of the Civil War. Union troops under Nathaniel Lyon marched from Springfield, Missouri to engage the Confederates encamped along the creek. Completely surprised by the attack, the Confederates were able to hold their ground and repel the Union advance. Gen. Lyon was killed during the battle, and Union forces retreated to Rolla, MO. Bradford sketched part of the battlefield noting the location of the Sharp house, Sterling Price’s headquarters at the Edwards’ farm and the Gibson’s Mill.

After the Battle, Bradford’s company marched north with Price and participated in the Battle of Lexington between September 18 and 20, 1861. Price mobilized roughly 7,000 men on his march to Lexington. The town was held by Col. James A. Mulligan and his force of 2,700 Federals. Southerners flocked to Price, and by September 18 his army had grown to nearly 10,000 men.

Mulligan fortified his position in the Masonic College on the north end of town. Rains and his men, which included 3,052 guardsmen and two batteries of artillery, took a position to the north and east of the college. Mulligan launched an unrelenting artillery barrage into the approaching Confederate line. The Rebels captured Oliver Anderson’s house, which at the time was being utilized as a Union hospital. This enraged Mulligan, and he quickly ordered a counterassault to reclaim the building. The order resulted in heavy casualties, and the Federals only held the Anderson home for a short period before the Confederates overpowered them again.

On September 19, the guardsmen encircled the college, and the federals eventually exhausted their supplies. The Union men, surrounded by enemy troops, were forced to endure the battle and heat without water. On September 20, the Confederates discovered a large quantity of hemp bales stored in a nearby warehouse. The guardsmen rolled the bales onto the battlefield slowly charging the Union trenches. The bales provided ample protection for the men; even the Union cannons could not penetrate the dense hemp. Finally, the guardsmen advanced close enough to charge the Union line. Hand-to-hand combat erupted, and soon Mulligan realized surrender was his only option. Price captured several pieces of artillery, 3,000 rifles and 750 horses.

In his journal, Bradford recorded the names of his men who fought bravely at Lexington. He then made a list of those who did not answer the call of duty.

The following list of names are those who stood bneath the enemies grape and muskets for 60 hours at Lexington Mo and won for themselves never dying glories

The following list of names are those who did not go to the brest works oposite these names are there and by excuses for them1

Price reported 25 killed and 72 wounded for the three day engagement. Rains reported only two men were killed from the 8th Division and twenty wounded. Bradford offered the following tribute to his fallen comrades.

So Sleep the brave who sink to res with all there countrys’ wishes best

Asbury C. Bradford journal – n.d.

While Confederate troops clinched victories at Carthage, Wilson’s Creek and Lexington, Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson prepared the political stage for Missouri admission to the Confederacy. The General Assembly elected to remain in the Union in early 1861, but Jackson was determined to cut ties with the United States Government. Days before the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, Jackson issued a “Proclamation of Independence,” which declared Missouri a sovereign and independent state. He cited atrocities committed by Union forces, who repeatedly violated Missouri’s rights and liberties. Two weeks later, the Confederate Congress passed a resolution admitting Missouri to the Confederacy, but technically Missouri had not seceded from the Union.

The momentum built from the victories on the battlefield gave Jackson the opportunity to achieve his goal. In September, Jackson called the General Assembly back into session, and asked them to meet at the Newton County Courthouse in Neosho on October 21. On October 20, Bradford’s men marched towards Neosho to protect the legislators as they gathered to solidify Missouri’s future with the Confederacy.

Sunday 20 marched to Neosho

Sunday 27 yet at Neos.

Monday 28 a fine day News confirmed that the Fedrals are in Springfield Also the Legislature in Neosho assembled ratified the Proclamation of the Govens delivered at Newmadrid

Asbury C. Bradford journal – October 20 – 28, 1861

Bradford served in the Missouri State Guard for six months. On March 1, 1862, he was transferred to the 5th Missouri Infantry, C.S.A. According to his service records, Bradford participated in the Battles of Carthage, Wilson’s Creek, Dry Wood, Lexington, Pea Ridge, Fort Gibson, Champion Hill and Vicksburg. Bradford left the service on furlough in August 1863. His records state he was last heard from on December 22, 1863, when he reported that he was extremely sick and did not expect to live. Bradford resided in Bolivar, Missouri.

Contributed by Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

View this collection

1. Asbury Bradford, Journal, 1861. WICR 30060. Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Republic, Missouri, 49-52.

Benjamin Fullager enlisted in Company A of the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry, who served mostly in Arkansas and the Kansas Territory. The 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry organized in Janesville, Wisconsin from November 30, 1861 to January 31, 1862. In spring 1862, the Regiment was stationed at Benton Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri, before being assigned to frontier and provost duty in Kansas.1 As the regiment moved across Missouri, passing through Lexington and eventually reaching Fort Leavenworth, Fullager encountered bushwhackers and Jayhawkers. Fullager and his regiment were in constant pursuit of one of the most infamous individuals of the region, the Missouri bushwhacker, William C. Quantrill.

Quantrill had a checkered past when he joined the Confederate army in 1861. He quickly became the leader of a small group of men who acted with their own authority. Quantrill and his band of guerrilla warriors terrorized the Missouri – Kansas border throughout the war. They targeted Union supporters and abolitionists, pillaging the land and killing indiscriminately. Quantrill is most known for the raid and massacre in Lawrence, KS on August 21, 1863. Quantrill led 450 men into town, burning buildings and murdering men throughout the Union stronghold. 183 men and boys were killed by the guerrilla band, before they retreated back to Missouri.2

Quantrill and his raiders also plundered the Kansas towns of Shawnee, Spring Hill, Aubrey. With guerrilla warfare increasing along the Missouri-Kansas border many citizens left their homes and sought refuge in other parts of the country for safety. Fullager’s regiment continued to pursue Quantrill and other Rebel forces along the borderline all the way into Arkansas. The company stayed at one of these deserted properties on their campaign across Arkansas. They had comfortable quarter in a large deserted resident, which had a large grist mill. However, by time they reached the property it was beginning to be overrun with weeds, the mill had been partially burned, and the farm was in disarray since no one was there to maintain the land. Fullager and his fellow soldiers came across many farms in this condition south of the Mason-Dixon Line.3

On November 28, Fullager and Company A had a brief encounter with Confederate forces at Cane Hill, AK. General John Marmaduke occupied Cane Hill with 2,000 cavalry men and was met at dawn by General James Blunt and 3,000 Union men. The Battle raged on for nine hours, over 13 miles.4 At night fall, Marmaduke withdrew toward Van Buren, AK while Blunt and the rest of Company A continued to Ft. Smith, which was one of the last strong holds of the rebels in northern Arkansas.

In the early years of the war, the Ozarks experiences several major battles and was a heavily contested region. The massive influx of men and the numerous engagements had a disastrous impact on the land. In December 1862, Fullager walked over the Pea Ridge battlefield. He wrote to his brother, describing the how ravaged the land still looked eight months after the battle concluded. Trees bore marks of hard fighting, splintered and cut to pieces from shots fired in combat. Fullager was impressed by the strong position held by Sterling Price and further amazed that it was overtaken in combat.5

Fullager recognized the inadequacies of some of the officers in the army and how ill prepared they were for a war of this magnitude. He wrote a letter explaining the inefficiencies of the commanders and the devastating consequences that followed.

The 20th Wisconsin Suffered very severely being ordered to charge en a rebble batery they was very clumsily handled by their Lieut. Col [Henry A. Starr] who is reported to have been drunk the men found themselves huddled together twenty or thirty deep right in front of the batery which was just mowing them down by the dozen. But the brave boys rushed on and took the Batery but could not hold it, not being supported now I will give as my opinion that the greater part of our disasters is caused more by the jealousey of the commanding officers than anything else.
Benajamin Fallager Letter to his friend, Dec. 21, 1862

Fullager expressed his beliefs regarding the Union’s failure to support those who had sacrificed their lives to preserve it. His emotionally charged writing reflected the feelings of many poor-middle class men who sacrificed everything for their country. There was a strong sense of honor and duty that Fullager felt many civilians did not appreciate. It was the “Exausted class of me who think more of the honore of their country than of their political advancement or the filling of their purce. see that only which will shed honor & glory on our republic and make it the beacon star of freedom for the nations of the Earth to guide their course by.”6 He documented his disgust with men who sought to buy their way out of service. If a man had enough money, he could pay for another individual to take his place in the military. Fullager despised those who he viewed as starting the war, only to have others fight in the war. Fullager’s beliefs reflect a Marxist view of society; citing how the citizens of the lower class were in constant struggle against the upper classes.

do those who blowed for free niggers and Lincoln now come forward and offer their lives to free the one or defend the other or do they stand with a few dollars in their hands to get others to go in their places there may not be one Such in the State of N.Y. but if there is I wish I had the lungs that would forever screach in his Ear with the voice of ten thousand Cannons, the words Traiter Coward & Scoundrel
Benjamin Fallager Letter to his brother, Sep. 19, 1862

The Fullager letters span from September 1862 through January 1863. In that short time frame Fullager’s correspondence offer a candid and raw perspective into the life of a Union soldier from Wisconsin. In the spring of 1863, the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry conducted scouting missions throughout southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas. They entered Indian Territory in the fall of 1863, and in the spring and summer of 1864 conducted expeditions in Arkansas. In October 1864, Company A of the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry changed to Company K; with the entire regiment being mustered out of service at Fort Leavenworth, KS on September 29, 1865.7

Contributed by  Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

View this collection

1. Dyer’s Compendium of the War Vol. 2 pg. 1668
2. Albert Castel, William Clarke Quantrill: His Life and Times, (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1999), 122-143; “New Perspectives of the West: William Clarke Quantrill”, The West Film Project, 2001, http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/i_r/quantrill.htm
3. Benjamin Fullager Letter to his friend. Jul. 22, 1863. WICR 1027, Benjamin Fullager Collection, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Republic, Missouri.
4. “The Battle of Cane Hill- Cane Hill, Arkansas”, Explore Southern History, http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ARCaneHill.html
5. Benjamin Fullager Letter to his brother. Dec. 1, 1862. WICR 1026, Benjamin Fullager Collection, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Republic, Missouri.
6. Benjamin Fullager Letter to his friend. Jun. 15, 1863. WICR 1014, Benjamin Fullager Collection, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Republic, Missouri.
7. Dyer’s Compendium of the War Vol. 2 pg. 1668