In 1871, Benton County, Arkansas provided civilians with the opportunity to places grievances against the United State Army. The civilians provided a description, amount, and value of the property taken by Union Soldiers. Many claims list multiple witnesses attesting to the specifics of the theft and the names and affiliations of the soldiers. Oaths of loyalty accompany the claims attesting to the civilian’s loyalty to the Union.

The records include notation indicating whether the claim was paid or rejected. Not all of the claims were paid, and it is uncertain why some of the claims were rejected. Perhaps plaintiffs were Confederates seeking monetary revenge on the Union, or the appraisal value of the property was too high. Regardless, this collection provides valuable information about living conditions and market values in the Ozarks, and insight to the relationship between soldiers and civilians during the Civil War.

Contributed by the Benton County Archives

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Benjamin Gratz Brown was born in Lexington, Kentucky, May 28, 1826. Brown graduated from Yale College in 1847 with a degree in law. He was admitted to the bar in 1849 and commenced practice in St. Louis, Missouri. Brown soon got into politics and was elected as a member in the State house of representatives from 1852-1858. During his time in office he helped found the newspaper, the Missouri Democrat and was the chief editor in 1854.1

His strong opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act almost cost him reelection in 1854. Brown spoke to the Missouri General Assembly in 1857 and forcefully demanded the end of slavery in Missouri. Brown’s strong political made him many enemies, especially the lieutenant governor, Thomas C. Reynolds.2 Their feud escalated to the point of violence when Brown challenged Reynolds to a duel after Reynolds made slanderous comments about Brown in a rival newspaper. Brown was shot in the knee and would permanently walk with a limp for the remainder of his life.

Brown, although strong-willed and often controversial, was an intelligent politician. He did not base his support on emancipation of slaves in Missouri on humane grounds, but of aspirations for free white men and called slavery a barrier to economic progress. His speeches in the state legislature actually designed to work on several levels: the call for slavery’s end was designed to appeal to German immigrants, most of whom were hostile to the institution; the call for economic progress was designed to appeal to moderate Whigs whose party had self-destructed over the slavery issue; and the emphasis on free labor was designed to appeal to the aspirations of ordinary farmers who had made up the backbone of Benton’s followers.3

In 1860, he attended the Republican National Convention as a delegate for Edward Bates. Brown believed Bates was too conservative, and when the convention nominated Abraham Lincoln Brown cast aside his loyalty to Bates and supported Lincoln.4 With the outbreak of the Civil War in Missouri, Brown organized his own regiment, the 4th Regiment of the Missouri Volunteers and served as colonel of the company. The regiment patrolled St. Louis streets for three months and reinforced the troops of General Franz Siegel after the Battle of Carthage in southeastern Missouri. Brown did not reenlist when his term of service expired.5 The regiment did not face any significant conflict and Brown realized that he was a better leader in the legislature than the battlefield.

In 1863, Brown was elected to the U.S. Senate when Southern sympathizer Waldo P. Johnson was expelled. Brown focused his term on the state’s economic conditions. He helped obtain federal reimbursements for military expenditures, secured federal land grants for the development of railroad lines, and worked to improve navigation on the Mississippi River. Brown also advocated the nationalization of telegram lines, the reduction in working hours for federal employees.6 On January 11, 1865, the Missouri state convention, meeting in St. Louis, passed an emancipation ordinance immediately freeing all slaves in Missouri. However, Brown did think that measure was enough to help Missouri move into the future. Brown wrote to Mr. J.R. Winchell in April 1865 about his doubts that Unionists and southern sympathizers could live together post-Civil War. “I need scarcely say that I am one of those who have from the beginning believed that the loyal and disloyal can never live in Missouri together and the latter must be forced to depart and I believe that registration is the only mode that will accomplish it.”7

Brown though would change his beliefs on punishing southern sympathizers when leadership of the Radicals passed to Charles Daniel Drake. The Missouri 1865 Draconian Constitution, so named because of Drakes influence, severely restricted the civil rights and liberties of southern sympathizers. Believing that such measures were justified only in times of war, Brown recanted earlier demands for eternal punishment for former Rebels, and called for universal suffrage and amnesty.8

Senator Brown, citing poor health, returned to Missouri in 1867. He was nominated as the Liberal Republican Party nominee for the 1870 gubernatorial election and, with support from the Democratic Party, was elected in 1871 as the 20th governor of Missouri. Brown’s tenure, although limited by law to a two-year term, was productive. Taxation laws were changed, and he quelled the Ku Klux Klan within Missouri’s borders. He also established the law and medicine departments at the University of Missouri and supported a new admissions policy allowing the enrollment of women.9

In 1872, Brown was nominated as a vice presidential candidate under Horace Greeley for the Liberal Republican ticket. Greeley’s eccentricities, along with Brown’s reputation as a hard drinker, doomed the ticket. After the election of 1872, Brown returned to his law firm in St. Louis and continued to practice until his death on December 13, 1885 in Kirkwood, MO.10

Contributed by the Greene County Archives and Records Center

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1. Norma L. Peterson, American National Biography; Dictionary of American Biography; Freedom and Franchise: The Political Career of B. Gratz Brown. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1968. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=b000905
2. Benjamin Gratz Brown, 1871-1873; Office of Governor, Record Group 3.20; Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City. http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/mdh_splash/default.asp?coll=brown
3. “Benjamin Gratz Brown”, Missouri Civil War Sesquicentennial, http://mocivilwar150.com/history/figure/213
4. Robert Sobel and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 2 (Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978
5. Missouri State Archives Finding Aids 3.20, “Benjamin Gratz Brown”, pg 2, http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/findingaids/rg003-20.pdf
6. Missouri State Archives Finding Aids 3.20, “Benjamin Gratz Brown”, pg 2, http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/findingaids/rg003-20.pdf
7. Benjamin Gratz Brown Letter to J.R. Winchell. Apr. 20, 1865. B. Gratz Brown Papers, 1863-1865, CW99, Greene County Archives and Records Center, Springfield, Missouri. 2, pg 1.
8. Brown, Benjamin Gratz, in All Biographies (on-line) from Men of Our Day; Or Biographical Sketches of Patriots, Orators, Statesmen, Generals, Reformers, Financiers and Merchants, L.P. Brockett (St. Louis, MO: Ziegler and McCurdy, 1872).
9. Benjamin Gratz Brown, 1871-1873; Office of Governor, Record Group 3.20; Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City. http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/mdh_splash/default.asp?coll=brown
10. Robert Sobel and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 2 (Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978)

The civil suits stemmed from the destruction of the mill, machinery, stored goods, and the three homes owned by the Bowers. The importance of regional grist mills to rural Ozarks communities cannot be overstated. Mills served myriad functions to the regional economy, and their preservation and continued operation was important to maintain a sense of hopefulness and security in the Ozarks during the War.

The first Bowers suit began on January 23, 1864, with the plaintiffs asking for roughly $32,000 in damages from 47 defendants. Depositions failed to produce a confession, and instead served to absolve certain defendants of association with the alleged crime. Defendant, Jess Newton Gotcher, noted the importance of the mill to his family living in the area, as evidence of his innocence.

(I) had no hand in it and (am) not guilty of any participation in the same (I am) opposed as a soldier and officer the robbing of private citizens non combatants and destruction of private property (I) regretted to hear of the plaintiffs mill being destroyed by any one as (my) Father lived in the neighborhood and depended on the mill for his breadstuff and (I) had…lived near the mill and was acquainted with the plaintiffs and regarded them as (my) personal friends though differing politically and (I) had no inclination to injure the plffs had (I) been present (I) would prevented so far as lay in(my)s power and injury to the person as property of the plaintiffs…
Deposition of Jesse Newton Gotcher, Paris, Texas, October 25, 1866

On October 18, 1865, the Bowers brought suit against Henry “Harvey” T. McCune for the destruction of their property. McCune’s son, Thomas, was a defendant in the first trial. The second suit did not proceed quickly, but it did produce results. Despite McCune’s death during the trial, the deposition continued, and the Bowers finally received a confession in 1869.

(I) was in Benton County Arkansas in September, 1863, and in September about the last of September 1863 (I) left Benton County with Gen Shelby’s Command, and proceeded to the State of Missouri and reached Lawrence County in the State of Missouri on or about the fifth day of October 1863, and…(I) together with one John Nelson Set fire to and Burned the Mills and Other buildings On Spring River in a little town known by the Name of Oregon. …(The) burning was done as Gen Shelbys Command pased North from Benton County Arkansas And…(I) knew at the time that…(if I) Burned the Mills and other buildings that it was in violation of Gen Shelbys orders And (I) was not ordered persuaded nor hired to burn said buildings but done it with (my) own free will and accord…(I believed at the mill)and other buildings was that the Malitia of Lawrence County Missouri made their head quarters at said Mills and other buildings and that (I) wanted to broke up their nests…
James Barnes, Dallas, Arkansas, October 15, 1869

James Barnes also implicated his partner in crime, James Dixson. The men believed Bowers Mill was a nest for the Enrolled Missouri Militia (EMM), and thus justified its destruction. The EMM stationed men around mills throughout the Ozarks to establish a safeguard for civilians and help alleviate fears of guerrilla attacks. The militia’s presence allowed for continued cultivation and provided a source of food for the men. The destruction of Bower’s mill hurt more than just George, John and William, as it impacted the lives of women, children and Union forces that depended on the mill for food.

Contributed by the Greene County Archives and Records Center

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everything is in an uproar…there is nothing to talk about here but war. I hate the war and all that is connected with it… from what I can learn the south has been behaving all the while it is the republicans that are doing the mischief I guess there will be a great deal of blood shed before the north whips the south some of the people around here thinks it will be a very easy matter to whip but I guess they will have a bitter pill to swallow first
Minerva Phillips, Central City, Illinois – January 26, 1862

Alexander served in the 3rd Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, Missouri State Guard. His initial post was Camp New Madrid, in southeastern Missouri. His service in the Missouri State Guard expired in late 1861, and Alexander joined the 2nd Missouri Cavalry as a 2nd Lieutenant. Alexander wrote home about news from the front and friends in the services. Soldiers often speculated about rumors and news in camp, and in one letter Alexander reflects on how President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation will impact the War.

We are all well; there has been but little sickness in camp this winter so far. There is little to do now in camp and times are rather dull Since we returned from the Holly Springs Raid [MS] of which you have no doubt already heard at least the federal account: if you get the other letter you will find a Short description of that brilliant little affair…The Yankees are deserting very fast Several hundred have deserted and come to Grenada …I see by a paper which I have just been reading that at Baton Rouge Louisiana whole Regiments laid down their arms and refused to fight to carry out Lincolns Proclamation We have rumors of Illinois and Indiana withdrawing their Troops from the field and it is believed by a great many that a parts of [Ulysses S.] Grants army have gone back there to put down rebellion. it is also said that Kentucky has refused to aid in prosecuting the war unless the Proclamation is withdrawn. One thing is pretty sure, the yankee army is becoming or has already become very much demoralized, and from all that I can learn we will soon see the beginning of the end according to my opinion…..
Alexander Chadwell, Camp Buck Hill, Mississippi – February 8, 1863

As the War continued, Gideon received news from his friends and family throughout the Midwest. He received letters from soldiers in Arkansas about camp conditions, and others who were captured and sent to Union prisons. Gideon’s nephew in Illinois wrote about the passing of Union troops and their treatment of defiant civilians.

…there Was Some Rough times when they stayed At Centralia there was a man went There One day and there was A pointed Him out as a copperhed they arrested Him and used him Rough for A while And he got A way from them and there Was A Soldier Shot at him did not hit Him the Same day the cut the buttons Off A mans coat another Instance They was going to take a Mans Briches off because they were brown He drawed his Revolver and they Took It from him…
James M. Strong, Central City, Illinois – March 20, 1864

Beyond war and political news, the Chadwell Leavenworth Collection provides details about the family’s post-war life. Alexander worked was a surveyor and schoolteacher. By August 1881, he was teaching in Conway County, Arkansas. Martha married Joseph A. Leavenworth, who operated a sawmill in Leota, Mississippi. Their lumber contributed to the building of homes in Mississippi. The Chadwell Leavenworth Collection consists of correspondences from 1837 through 1944. Community and Conflict only included correspondences from 1861 through 1875. Researchers are encouraged to contact Western Historical Manuscript Collection for additional letters and document.

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

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Introduction
Clinton Owen Bates

“Old Age,” written by Clinton Owen Bates in 1949, reflects on the life of a young boy growing up in Arkansas during the Civil War, and his career as a teacher. Bates was born in 1857, and grew up on a farm in Fayetteville. The Bates family had split loyalty among the North and South, and even as a young child, Bates remembered the tension that the War brought into their home. Bates recalled the bloody conflict along the border of Missouri and Kansas, encounters with runaway slaves, and various Trans-Mississippi Theater battles. After the War, Bates began his career as a teacher. He taught at the Cherokee Headquarters on the Tahlequah Indian Reservation and later held a position in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Contributed by the University of Arkansas Libraries Special Collections
Manuscript Collection MC 594

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Introduction
Louisa Cheairs McKenny Sheppard

A Confederate Girlhood, the memoir of Louisa Cheairs McKenny Sheppard, reflects upon the life of a young lady raised in the Ozarks during the Civil War. While her reminiscence is decidedly sentimental, it is a compelling representation of wartime and economic struggles and refugee life. Louisa wrote the memoir many years after the events took place. Researchers are reminded that the validity of the events recorded, as with any memoir, may be embellished and should be thoroughly researched.

Louisa Cheairs McKenny Sheppard, “Lou” or “Lulu,” was the fourth child of Talitha and E.D. McKenny. Talitha died during Louisa’s birth in 1848, and she was raised by her grandmother Louisa “Lucy” Terrell Cheairs. Lulu was twelve when the War began, and she recalled impact it had on Springfield and her family. Eventually, they were forced to flee Springfield, and her family left for uncle’s plantation in Mississippi. Over time the family moved to Arkansas, and did not return to Springfield until after the War. A Confederate Girlhood is a recollection of Louisa’s youthful adventures and a tribute to her beloved grandmother.

Contributed by the The History Museum for Springfield-Greene County

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The collection does not contain any of Margaret’s letters, but it appears she may have been a secessionist. Elizabeth’s passionate belief in the Union and graphic news from home may have caused a rift among her family. It is unknown how Elizabeth’s letters were received, but through their context it becomes clearer Margaret did not always feel loved by her family’s correspondence. Despite Margaret’s political thoughts, Elizabeth remained adamant about her feelings; she believed the suffering of her family, friends and neighbors was the fault of the Confederates and their deplorable tactics. The Hunter-Hagler letters are a powerful collection depicting the hardships many families faced in a politically torn region as neighbors and even families turned on one another.

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

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Introduction
The Macks as Refugees
Macks in the War
Macks in Politics

The John A. Mack Collection offers valuable insight into the lives of Union sympathizers in the Ozarks. In many ways, their experiences are typical of Southern Unionists, though their home in Missouri placed them squarely in a border region. The war was bitter and personal for the Mack family. Their experiences as refugees and those who fighting guerrillas in the 1st Arkansas Cavalry (U.S.) hardened their feelings towards Confederate sympathizers. As Radical Republicans, the Macks entered the political arena only to find themselves at odds with fellow Unionists.

Regrettably, the Mack collection contains only half of the correspondence between the family members. The surviving letters were written to those serving in the army. While the soldier’s responses are missing, the existing letters provide researchers with a unique perspective on the civilian experience in southwest Missouri.

Contributed by a Private Collector

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The defendants in the case thoroughly contested the accusations brought against them. They argued that since Rush could not afford to pursue the case that it should be dismissed. They also stated that since it had been more than six months since the alleged crime was committed, that the statute of limitations had run out for Mrs. Rush to bring charges against them. Although the outcome of the case is unknown, it represents the vicious nature of warfare that continued after the war in Missouri.

Contributed by the Greene County Archives and Records Center

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1. Mary E. Randolph, Ancestry.com. Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007, accessed October 27, 2010.

The 36th Iowa Infantry eventually traveled southward toward Helena, Arkansas, stopping in St. Louis at Benton Barracks. While stationed at Helen, Arkansas, Miller resigned from the 36th Iowa Infantry, and accepted a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd Arkansas Infantry (African Descent). He wrote about the condition and development of the African American soldiers in his letters home. Miller participated in the Battle of Helena on July 4, 1863, and described the Battle to his mother. The remainder of the War, Miller served in support capacity, stationed at Pine Bluff, Little Rock, and Fort Smith, Arkansas. At the end of the War, when Miller was finally eligible for discharge, he elected to continue his career as a military officer. Miller’s letters tell a remarkable story, and provide a rare glimpse of life in the Ozarks during the Civil War.

Contributed by the University of Arkansas Libraries Special Collections
Manuscript Collection MS M58

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