Past and Present of Greene County, Missouri • ca. 1914

LEGISLATURE VOTES TO SECEDE.

Gov. Claiborne Jackson convened the Missouri state Legislature at Neosho on October 26^th and on the 28^th an ordinance of secession was passed by both houses, only one senator, Charles Hardin, from the Boone and Calloway district, voting against it. Senator Hardin subsequently became governor of the state. There was also only one member of the house who voted against the ordinance, Mr. Shambaugh of DeKalb county. It was later claimed by some that a quorum was not present in either house. But whether that is true or not, the secession ordinance and the act of annexation to the Southern Confederacy were approved by the Confederate Congress at Richmond, recognized by that portion of the people of Missouri who were in favor of seceding from the Union. General Price fired a salute upon the announcement of the passage of the ordinance. F. T. Frazier, whose home was in Greene county and who was at that time senator from this district, was at the convention at Neosho and voted for secession. The two representatives from Greene county, Headlee and Boyd, were in the Federal service at that time.

General Fremont concluded a sort of treaty with General Price on November 1^st by the terms of which no arrests whatever on account of political opinions or for the private expression of the same were to be made within the state of Missouri by either Federals or Confederates and all persons then under arrest on such charges were to be released. All citizens who had been driven from their homes because of their political opinions were advised to return with the assurance that they should receive protection from both armies in the field. All bodies of armed men acting without the authority or recognition of either General Fremont or General Price and not legitimately connected with the armies in the field were ordered to disband. Violations of either (if the provisions of the treaty subjected the offender to the penalties of military law, according to the nature of the offense. The treaty was signed by General Fremont in person and by Henry W. Williams and D. R. Barclay, commissioners in behalf of General Price. A second clause provided for the exchange of prisoners, grade for grade, or two officers of lower grade as an equivalent in rank for one of a higher grade, and should be thought just as equable.

GENERAL HUNTER SUPERSEDES GENERAL FREMONT.

An order signed by Gen. Winfield Scott, the great commander in the Mexican war, who was during the early part of the Civil war at the head of the army of the United States, reached Springfield on November 2d by a messenger from St. Louis, for General Fremont's removal from command. He was directed to pass over the army at Springfield to Gen. D. Hunter and to report by letter to the war department. The order resulted in much dissatisfaction among the Union troops, especially among Sigel's and Asboth's Divisions, and a deputation of one hundred and ten officers from these divisions presented Fremont with an address of sympathy and, confidence and asked him to lead them on to battle. [324]

General Hunter's Division had not come in on the evening of November 3, and while on a reconnoiter a detachment of General Asboth's Division that afternoon discovered a Confederate force concentrating on Wilson's Creek and McCulloch's army being reported at Dug's Spring, Fremont decided not to abandon his charge, though suspended from office, concluding to go out and engage the enemy in battle before his successor should arrive. He accordingly gave orders for the army to march on the morning of the 4^th against Price and McCulloch, who were believed by that time to have formed a junction. This caused the citizens of Springfield to again experience the greatest fears, believing that a second battle was about to be fought on the little stream, which would doubtless far surpass that of three months ago in carnage, the forces being more than doubled than on the former occasion. Calling a conference of his leading officers, Fremont outlined a plan of battle. Asboth was ordered to take charge of the right wing, McKistry the center, Sigel the left wing, and Pope the reserve. McKistry's column was to leave camp at six o'clock in the morning and proceed by the Fayetteville road to the upper end of the upper cornfield on the left of, where General Lyon had made his first attack. General Sigel who was to start at the same time as McKistry was to follow his old route, with the exception that he was to turn to the right about two miles sooner and proceed to the old stable on the lower end of the lower cornfield. A half hour later Asboth was to start with his division and follow the Mt. Vernon road about five miles, then by a prairie road reach the right of a ravine opposite the lower field. Jim Lane with his Kansans was to join Sigel's command and General Wyman was to join Asboth. Pope was to begin his march at seven o'clock on the Fayetteville road, following McKistry's Division. The different divisions were to come into their positions about the same time, eleven o'clock, at which hour a simultaneous attack was to be made upon the Confederates supposed to be in camp on the Wilson Creek battle ground. Each regiment was to take with it three two-horse wagons with which to transport the wounded. The baggage trains were to be packed and held in readiness at Springfield, where one regiment and two pieces of artillery of Pope's Division were to remain as reserve. If these plans had been carried out doubtless a great battle would have been fought, for Fremont had about thirty thousand men, while the combined forces of Price and McCulloch numbered twenty-five thousand men, however the latter were not all well armed and equipped and many were undisciplined. It was Fremont's ambition to crush Price and McCulloch at one blow, push on into the Southland to Little Rock, Memphis, Vicksburg and New Orleans, but these ambitious plans were nipped in the bud and instead of becoming one of the great generals of the war as many expected he would, little more is heard of him, and men then unknown came forward to do the work he should have done. [325]

In the first place Price and McCulloch's army was not at Wilson's Creek—only about fifteen hundred of their cavalry, who could have easily galloped away to safety at the approach of the formidable hosts from the North. And in the second place, while Fremont was still in council with his brigadiers at midnight of the 3d, General Hunter came in and Fremont turned everything over to him. With Hunter's instructions to assume command were instructions from the War Department to fall back to Rolla, as the Confederates in southwest Missouri were only maneuvering to draw out the Federals and keep them employed out in these wilds in as great numbers as possible, while General Pillow's army should steam up the Mississippi river from Columbus, Kentucky, capture St. Louis, and work incalculable mischief. It, however, afterwards learned that there was very little truth in these suppositions and it was only the revival of Fremont's old idea which caused him to hold back reinforcements from Lyon during the previous summer. Following is a copy of Fremont's address to his army, upon his dismissal:

Headquarters Western Department,
Springfield, Nov. 2, 1861.
Soldiers of the Mississippi Army Agreeable to orders this day received, I take leave of you. Although our army has been of sudden growth, we have grown up together, and I have become familiar with the brave and generous spirits which you bring to the defense of your country, and which makes me anticipate for you a brilliant career. Continue as you have begun and give to my successor the same cordial and enthusiastic support with which you have encouraged me. Emulate the splendid example which you have already before you and let me remain as I am proud of the noble army which I have thus far labored to bring together. Soldiers, I regret to leave you. Most sincerely I thank you for the regard and confidence you have invariably shown me. I deeply regret that I shall not have the honor to lead you to the victory which you are just about to win; but I shall claim the right to share with you in the joy of every triumph and trust always to be remembered by my companions in arms.
John C. Fremont,
Major-General.

Fremont left for St. Louis on the 4^th by way of Jefferson City, accompanied by the Body Guard and Sharpshooters as an escort and the most of his staff and soon were dismissed from service.

General Hunter did not advance on the enemy and the plans made by his predecessor were immediately dropped. One of the first things the new commander did was to repudiate the treaty, so far as Federal authority was concerned, which Fremont and Price had made a week previously. His letter regarding this follows: [326]

Headquarters Western Department, Springfield Mo.
Nov. 7, 1861.
General Sterling Price, Commanding Forces at Cassville—Referring to an agreement purporting to have been made between Major-generals Fremont and Price, respectively, I have to state that, as general commanding the forces of the United States in this department, I can in no manner recognize the agreement aforesaid, or any of its provisions, whether implied or direct; and that I can neither issue the "joint proclamation" purporting to have been signed by yourself and Maj.-Gen. John C. Fremont on the 1^st day of November, A. D. 1861.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
D. Hunter, Major-General Commanding.

General Hunter's reasons to the War Department for the repudiation of the treaty were that the stipulation that no arrests were to be made "for the mere entertainment or expression of political opinions," if acceded to would "render the enforcement of martial law in Missouri, or any part of it, impossible, and would give absolute liberty to the propagandists of treason throughout the state." The stipulation confining operations exclusively "to armies in the field," General Hunter said, "would practically annul the confiscation act passed during the last session of Congress and would furnish perfect immunity to those disbanded soldiers of Price's command who have now returned to their homes, but with the intention and under a pledge of rejoining the rebel forces whenever called upon and furthermore blot out of existence the loyal men of the Missouri Home Guard, who have not, it is alleged, been recognized by act of Congress, and who, it would be claimed, are therefore not legitimately connected with the armies "on the field."

The Home Guards in Greene and surrounding counties were glad that Hunter rejected the treaty since they believed that the aim of Fremont was to destroy their organization and force them to enter the regular Federal army. [327]

GENERAL HUNTER MARCHES AWAY.

On November 9, General Hunter led his well-equipped army of thirty thousand men, the best army ever West of the Mississippi river, toward Rolla. The men were from Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. It also seemed that Price, too, did not desire a battle, for two days previously he withdrew southward to the Arkansas line. It was later learned that Price had asked for and was expecting reinforcements from General Pillow and General Polk to enable him to successfully meet the large Federal forces in southwestern Missouri. In order to prevent this, General Grant attacked Pillow at Balmont where quite an engagement took place. The divisions of Asboth and Sigel, pushed forward to Wilson's creek, but not for the purpose of attacking the Confederates but as a feint to cover up the retreat of the main army to Rolla. General Price was greatly astonished upon learning of the retirement of the Federals, thus ending a much-talked-of three months' campaign which had accomplished practically nothing. The entire Southwestern portion of the state was thereby abandoned indefinitely to the Southern forces. This caused hundreds of Union families to leave Greene and other counties and follow the Union army in much distress and disappointment, the road for many miles being filled with the wagons and live stock of the refugees. The great army of Fremont had come into the county but a few days previous with great pomp—waving of banners, playing of bands and fanfare of bugles, the people believing that they could once more return to the peaceful pursuits of life; that the occupation by the Federals would be permanent, and now that the army was sneaking away without an apparent cause, the people were again at a loss to know what course to follow. Many of the families who went away with Hunter's army to find peace and protection in the regions to the northward did not return until the war was over and some never came back. Several merchants of Springfield took their goods to Rolla, where they re-established themselves in business. Bushwhackers watched the refugees and robbed many of them as they were camped along the way. The family of Thomas Green who lived two miles South of Springfield, was robbed after reaching Phelps county, but Mr. Green's two daughters followed the brigands a short distance and when the thieves laid their plunder down and spent the night, the Green girls hastened on to the main camp of refugees and, securing help, the bushwhackers were seized.

Although Fremont's army did not remain long in Greene county, it left a rather bad reputation behind, for it seems that it contained many lawless, characters, plunderers and thieves. Jim Lane's men carried off some negroes with them, some of whom at the time belonged to Union families. There was no open pillaging, but many larcenies and a few houses were burned, and much foraging was done. However, whenever any kind of property was taken by authority from Union men, vouchers were given for its full value and the owners ultimately recovered pay in full. [328]

THE CONFEDERATES IN CONTROL AGAIN.

It was not long after the army under General Hunter had marched out of Greene county until the Confederates began to take possession of the country again. Governor Jackson's Legislature was in session but one week, closing November 7, after which Price took his army into Barry and McDonald counties. It was not until the evening of the 15^th that McCulloch learned that the Federal army had fallen back from Springfield. He was at that time near the Arkansas line, seventy-two miles away. The next morning he put his army in motion toward Springfield which he reached on the night of the 18^th and at that time Price's army was also marching back toward the Missouri river. But by the last of November the major portion of the Southern army was encamped in and about Springfield. Every available house was occupied for military purposes of some kind, either as headquarters, hospital, quartermaster or commissary depot, barracks or, in some cases, stables; for in not a few instances officers were quartered in the front rooms of abandoned houses while their horses were stabled in the kitchen. An instance of this was in the home of Mrs. Worrell, mentioned previously in connection with the Zagonyi flag incident. She lived on the south side of the public square where she also maintained a grocery store. The Worrell family retreated with Hunter's army, but not being able to take all their goods, Mrs. Worrell sewed up long sacks in which she placed much of her goods and suspended them between the weatherboarding and the plastering in the spacing between the studding. Although Price's troops occupied the front portion of the building, converting the kitchen and rear rooms into stalls for their horses, they failed to discover the hidden groceries, however, they cut a window between two studding, but it was one of the few between which no sacks had been suspended and the troopers never knew how near they were to the stores of which they were in so much need. Some four months later when Mrs. Worrell returned to Springfield she was glad to find her goods although her house was greatly upset. During this period much foraging was done and a levy for supplies was sometimes made on citizens who openly avowed themselves to be Confederate sympathizers. Wagon trains were even sent into adjoining counties and brought back all kinds of provisions, for which pay was sometimes given in Missouri "scrip" when the property taken belonged to a good Southern man, but no pay was either asked or given most of the Union citizens, who were glad to give up their property if their lives were spared. Although General Price had from the first a vast herd of horses, he now impressed nearly every available one in the county. One of his majors visited the store of J. S. Moss & Company, whereupon Mr. Moss informed the officer that he was always glad to favor the Confederates. The officer assured him that he was glad to meet such a man and that as he happened to control a great deal of money he was in a position to favor Mr. Moss. The following morning the major returned to the store with two large army wagons and goods from the store were transferred to the wagons amounting to over five thousand dollars, the officer not seeming to be particular as to the price, and, noting this, the merchant charged a handsome figure for most of his goods. He was in high spirits until the paying time came, when the officer counted out the aggregate sum in Missouri scrip, which had been issued by the Legislature under Gov. Claiborne Jackson, for the purpose of carrying on the war and wholly dependent for value upon the success of the Confederate cause. Mr. Moss gently informed his purchaser that he would prefer gold, but the officer stated that he had no gold. The former, not to be outdone, thanked the officer for his patronage and told how greatly he appreciated same, but that he was not a selfish man and that he would like for the major to call on some of his fellow merchants next time and give them a chance to turn their stock. [329-330]

A good many Union men over the county were taken prisoners, some of whom had returned from following Hunter's army to take care of their families and their property and soon the jail at Springfield was full, but they were not mistreated.

Still desiring to invade northern Missouri, General Price marched his army out of Springfield on November 20, taking the Bolivar and other roads to the northward, intending to reach the Missouri river either at Boonville or Lexington and later invade Kansas. While at Neosha, Price had issued an address which was printed in the Missouri Army Argus, a paper which his own men issued with type supposed to have been taken from the Mirror office in Springfield. In this address which was directed to the people of central and north Missouri, he called for fifty thousand more men and said: "We have two hundred million dollars' worth of Northern means in Missouri which cannot be removed. When we are once free this amount will idemnify every citizen who may have lost a dollar by adhesion to the cause of his country. We shall have our property or its value with interest." This proclamation was freely circulated all over the state. It is believed that the circulation of this address in Greene county made more recruits for the Federal army than for Price's, and the matter was long held against the Confederates in this state. Price's army moved northward in three divisions. Six thousand men, the right wing, under General McBride, left Springfield November 26. General Rains's Division, composing the left wing and containing five thousand men, was commanded by General Price in person. General McCulloch had retired to the Arkansas valley with his army from which he was soon afterwards summoned to Richmond to explain his conduct in thus abandoning Price. Price's troops, the three divisions of which had come by different routes, concentrated at Osceola arriving in December, where a large number of recruits and many thousands of dollars' worth of supplies were brought in from the rich counties of the Missouri valley, supposed to be peopled with Southern sympathizers. Meanwhile small detachments of Confederate troops had drifted into Springfield from various quarters and there was a considerable force to guard the town.

It seems that General Hunter also failed to please the government in his methods of handling the army in Missouri and he was relieved from duty as commander-in-chief of the same just five days after he was given charge of it, being succeeded by Gen. H. W. Halleck. The latter was constantly laying great plans and telling the people what he was about to do, but never did anything. Pope's Division was immediately in front of Price and prevented many recruits from reaching the Southern army, capturing at one time, in Johnson county, about one thousand men under the command of Col. Frank Robertson and were mostly from Carroll and Saline counties. [330]

But Halleck finally made such disposition of his forces as to cause Price to turn back from the Osage country to Greene county, he preceding his troops in person, while General Rains covered the withdrawal. Bridges were burned and roads obstructed in order to detain Pope and Lane, whom Price believed would follow him. Among the bridges destroyed was the long one over the Osage at Warsaw which Fremont had built two months previously. However, Price was not pursued and his army came on back to Springfield unmolested. It was now winter and his men suffered considerably on the march and in camp. The army re-occupied Springfield on Christmas day, 1861, and Greene county was once again under complete control of the Confederates. The first of January, 1862, found almost the entire county a military camp and its outposts. The operations of the civil law were entirely suspended. No new county officials had been elected to serve the people under the new regime and the old officers were either serving in the Union army or were fugitives. Everything was done under martial law. The provost marshal was the supreme arbiter of controversies between civilians, but frequently General Price was called upon to settle difficulties. Property continued to be seized for the use of the army wherever it could be found but both sides soon became adept at hiding things and the foragers had a harder task than formerly, even live stock was secreted in thickets and hollows.

Money was plentiful, such as it was. The forty thousand dollars seized by Price and Governor Jackson when they captured Lexington and which belonged to the branch bank of the state at that place, did not last long, together with other "forced -loans," and the Neosho Legislature authorized the issue of ten millions of dollars of "defense bonds," in sums from one dollar to five hundred dollars and bonds of five dollars and upwards to bear interest at ten per cent. This species money, called "Missouri Scrip," was the current coin of Greene county by the army of General Price. It was engraved and printed in New Orleans by A. Malus and the most of it was printed on the back of old uncut blank bills of exchange and under imitations of bank note paper, the engraving being on wood and both the engraving and printing were of inferior quality. Each "bond" or bill was signed by one of the three commissioners appointed to issue the bonds. Henry W. Lyday, William Shields or Thomas, H. Murray. The state seal, of Virginia without the motto decorated the left end and a hunter with raccoon skin cap and hunting shirt, gun, dog and a lynx appeared on the right end. [331]

PRICE RE-ORGANIZING HIS ARMY.

It was General Price's intention to spend the winter in Springfield, being encouraged by the promise of reinforcements from Arkansas under McCulloch and McIntosh and by the inactivity of the Union army. Since the capture of Lexington, Price's army had become considerably reduced, now numbering about fifteen thousand which was five thousand less than formerly. His ranks had been depleted by death, desertions, transfers and furloughs. When he had become comfortably settled at Springfield he began reorganizing his army. When the terms of enlistment of the Missouri State Guards expired they were induced to enter service of the regular Confederate states. The original term of service of the State Guards was for six months and most of them having enlisted the middle of the preceding summer, their terms expired about the first of the year. The major portion of them were then enlisted in the regular Confederate army for three years or until the close of the war. So the month of January was spent in this work.

Captain Campbell's Greene county company promptly enlisted in the regular service about the middle of December, 1861, and it was one of the best companys in the Southern army. It was first organized in May, 1861, under Governor Jackson's military bill for service in the Missouri State Guard, the first organization being effected at the head of Clear creek, near Springfield. Leonidas St. Clair Campbell, who was always called Dick Campbell, was chosen captain; James McSpaddan, first lieutenant; Thomas Weaver, second lieutenant; Ben Hardin, third lieutenant; John A. Blanchard, orderly sergeant. The company numbered one hundred and twenty-five men. It was not well equipped for service in the field, being armed with double-barreled shotguns, navy revolvers and a few squirrel rifles. Soon after its organization, the company left Greene county where the Union Home Guards were greatly in the majority and they disliked the idea of fighting neighbors, relatives and friends. In June it went into the southern part of Taney county on the Arkansas line where it camped about two weeks, they went to join General Price on the Cowskin prairie in McDonald county, and, joining the army of Missourians marched with it to Cassville, then to Crane creek, Dug Springs and Wilson's creek. From Cassville to Wilson's creek the company was in the advance guard of General Rains' Division. The company was engaged in the fight at Dug Springs where private Fulbright died from sunstroke. His horse was shot from under him and he became overheated in running during the retreat to prevent being captured by the enemy. W. J. Frazier, another member of the company was slightly wounded. The company took a prominent part in the battle of Wilson's Creek, as described in an earlier portion of this chapter. With this company there also fought Captain Lotspeich's company, another Greene county organization, in which were Stone and Taney county men. The day after the battle of Wilson's Creek, Campbell's company came into Springfield as escort to General Price. It remained here for some time only a few of the members going to Lexington with the main army. When the company was re-organized the latter part of 1861, James McSpadden was elected captain; Jack Luck, first lieutenant; Louis Brashears, second lieutenant; William Merritt, third lieutenant; William Perkins, orderly. During the first two months of 1862, the company received a number of new recruits and accompanied Price's army when it left the county on the approach of Generals Curtis and Sigel. It fought at Pea Ridge and afterwards was sent east of the Mississippi and joined Beauregard's army at Corinth, participating in the battles of Corinth and Iuka and remained in Mississippi during 1862. At the desperate assault on Corinth, October 4, 1862, the Greene county company lost just half its number in killed and wounded. Among the latter were Capt. McSpadden and Lieutenant Brashears. The company also participated in the memorable Vicksburg campaign, fighting in the various engagements of the same and always giving a good account of themselves and surrendered with Pemberton's army to Grant, July4, 1863. The company was never again united after the fall of Vicksburg. Some of the members remained east of the Mississippi, others recrossed the river and joined Marmaduke and Shelby, taking part in Price's last raid in Missouri. A few fought under Sid Jackson and other irregular organizations. During the term of service of the original organization of Campbell's company, either as that company or belonging to another, participated in the following engagements: Dug Springs, Wilson's Creek, Crane Creek, Dry Wood, Lexington, Missouri; Pea Ridge, Cane Hill, Arkansas; Corinth, Iuka, Saltillo, Champion Hill (or Baker's Creek), Grand Gulf, Big Black and Vicksburg, Mississippi; Spring Hill, Duck River and Franklin, Tennessee; in all the battles fought by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in the Georgia campaign in 1864, and the survivors surrendered at Mobile, Alabama, in the last battle of the war east of the Mississippi. The old company was frequently complimented for gallant conduct on the field of battle by Generals Rains, Bowen, McBride, Price and Joseph E. Johnston. It was loyal, brave, obedient. It was a very heavy loser in killed and wounded but the few of its members who lived to return to their homes in Greene county made as good citizens as they did soldiers. [332-333]

After the re-organization of Price's army, the remainder of the time spent in Greene county was devoted to drilling the men and scouting. In order to keep the troops employed, expeditions were sent out from time to time, partly to forage. The tents of the army covered all the unoccupied ground in and about Springfield and outposts were established at Bois D'Arc, Ebenezer and other points in the county and the stay of the army was uneventful. Every house in Springfield was occupied by the officers as headquarters or for their families, offices or hospitals. There was considerable sickness and many died. The court house, churches and other similar buildings were filled with sick and a few wounded. They were not properly treated, owing to lack of proper medical and surgical supplies. But assisted by the women of the community the doctors did as well as they could.

END OF CONFEDERATE RULE IN GREENE COUNTY.

Rumors were circulated in Greene county about February 10^th that another Federal army was on its way from Rolla to Springfield, of sufficient force to drive Price out of the county. The next day the Confederates began preparing to evacuate. It was known now that the enemy was at Marshfield, in the adjoining county of Webster, with a force supposed to be twice the size of that of Price and was marching rapidly on Springfield, despite the severe winter weather. General Price, knowing that he was not properly equipped to defend his position against such a formidable host as was marching out from Rolla and Lebanon, decided to abandon the town and county to the Federals and the retreat began after as little delay as possible. As the Union families had followed Hunter's army the previous summer, so now many Confederate families prepared to follow Price's army, two of them being J. S. Moss and Maj. D. D. Berry, leading merchants of Springfield.

A skirmish took place on the afternoon of February 12^th near the present site of Strafford, in Jackson township, between the advance guard of the Federal army, believed to have been a portion of the First Missouri Cavalry and some Confederates who were stationed as an outpost for observing the enemy. Two of Price's men, belonging to a Morgan county company, were killed and a half dozen were wounded. No Federals were killed but quite a number were wounded. The outpost fell back to Springfield. Price's army marched away on the Cassville road on the night of the 12^th. It was bad marching weather and the progress of the army was slow, however, the pace of the rear guard was accelerated by the knowledge that Gen. Franz Sigel was for the third time leading an army into southwest Missouri and also that on either flank of the Confederates detachments were near for the purpose of closing in from both sides at an opportune time, and so it happened that the stars and bars went out of the county to never again wave in triumph over it. The Blanchard family, living in the western part of the county, was among the refugees following the retreating army. The Federal advance overtook the wagon in which were Mr. Blanchard and his son, John A. Blanchard, who had been orderly sergeant of Campbell's company. The elder Blanchard was taken from the wagon and shot. Many families did not follow the army, but went due south into Arkansas. [334]

The Federal army had as its commander-in-chief Maj.-Gen. Samuel R. Curtis, of Iowa, whose promotion had been rapid for only eight months previously he had entered the Union service as colonel of the Second Iowa Infantry, resigning his seat in Congress to take the field. His army was now composed mainly of the divisions of Generals Sigel, Asboth, E. A. Carr and J. C. Davis. Carr had fought at Wilson's Creek as a captain of a small detachment of cavalry under Sigel. He gave a good account of himself and now was back in the county a brigadier-general at the head of several thousand men. As a member of his staff came Lieut. John E. Phelps, son of Colonel Phelps and afterward a colonel and brevet brigadier. Both Phelps' regiment and Boyd's regiment, the Twenty-fourth Missouri Infantry, both having enlisted from Greene county, were with the advancing army, and, they were gladly received by their families, relatives and Union neighbors. There also came with Curtis' army a large number of refugees, families who had left with Hunter who were now returning to their homes, having been given positive assurance that the army was returning to south- western Missouri to stay. Among the number were several Springfield merchants.

It was found that the Confederates had greatly abused the property of Union families during their stay in the county, even the houses of Confederate sympathizers had suffered in many instances. The amount of filth that had everywhere accumulated would have made the town untenable in summer weather, even huge piles of rubbish and trash were heaped on the public square. A few buildings had been burned but perhaps not intentionally. It took the new army of occupation only a week or two to clean the town up. Buildings were repaired and stores opened, filled with goods which the citizens were in great need of. Prisoners and some details were set to work cleaning up the public square and "police" up the town generally, and the town began to wear her former appearance. This work was done under the direction of Lieutenant-colonel Mills of the "Lyon Legion," as Colonel Boyd's regiment was called. Among the stores to re-open was that of Mrs. Worrell. There was yet enough money among the citizens to purchase what they needed, since the Federal officers had pay in greenbacks for supplies taken over the county. There was a movement to re-open the schools and on March 2d, the first religious services were held in Springfield in 1862, when Rev. A. H. Powell preached in the Presbyterian church. About the same date the telegraph line was completed from St. Louis to Springfield, by way of Lebanon and Marshfield, the line being built by the government, primarily for the use of the army, and extended along what afterwards became known as the "wire road." Not long afterwards the line was extended to Cassville and down to Curtis' army. The postoffice re-opened and mail began to be regularly received. Flouring mills re-opened and paid two dollars per bushel for the wheat that escaped the foragers during the six months previous. Even new lines of business were established and a new paper was issued, called the Springfield Missourian, the first number of which contained practically nothing but war news. A new hostelry, the Union Hotel, was opened on the north side of the public square. But as with all large armies, there was a reckless element with Curtis' forces and they burned a number of houses which had been occupied by the Confederates. One of the buildings destroyed, perhaps carelessly, was that which was used by General Lyon as headquarters and in which his body lay after it was brought from the fatal field. This house was owned by Colonel Phelps and stood near College and Main streets. [335]

ORGANIZING THE MISSOURI STATE MILITIA.

The War Department at Washington, early in December, 1861,authorized Gov. Hamilton R. Gamble, the office of Claiborne F. Jackson having been vacated by ordinance, to organize the Missouri State Militia, the members of which, when engaged in active service, were to be armed, clothed, subsisted, transported and paid by the United States and to cooperate with the United States forces in the repression of invasion into Missouri and the suppression of rebellion therein. The militia was not to be ordered out of the state of Missouri, "except for the immediate defense of said state."

No steps were taken toward organizing a regiment of state militia in Greene county until March 3, 1862, when a mass meeting of Union citizens was held in Springfield, which was addressed by Col. Marcus Boyd and others and many recruits were obtained. However, John M. Richardson, formerly secretary of state of Missouri and a prominent politician in southwest Missouri, had been commissioned captain of the state militia and since the first of the year had been recruiting in this part of the state. Later he was commissioned colonel of the Fourteenth Regiment of Militia Cavalry, and his company was then commanded by Capt. Abraham Worley. To the same regiment was attached two other companies composed largely of Greene county men: Company D—under Capt. S. A. Flagg; and Company E—under Capt. Stephen H. Julian. Commissions were given Flagg and Julian about the first of April. [336]

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