MO Bushwhacker Victims

Booner

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Boonville, MO.
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Driving back from a visit to western MO this past weekend, I stopped and visited a little cemetery that I must have passed a hundred times. St. John's cemetery is located a couple of hundred yards north of the service road along I-70 around mile marker 62, just west of the little town of Emma, MO. The little town of Emma didn't come into existence until after the CW, but the surrounding area began to be settled in the 1830's by a large group of German immigrants. During the war, theses immigrants were pro-Union, and had been the target of previous guerrillia raids, but in October of 1864, they were decimated as they fought to defend their homes from Missouri's most notorious guerrillias. Around 100 guerrillias, led by David Poole and George Todd, killed over 25 of the Germans. Eight of those killed are buried in this cemetery.

Their graves
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I forgot to add, most of the older gravestones in this cemetery are in German, including those 8 above. This is a older cemetery for the area, the early graves start around 1840.
The language changes over to English around 1890 or so.

And you can easily see the cemetery from I-70.
 
Tod didn't last long after these poor people perished. From Oct. 27, 1864, Missouri paper. The Union army was in pursuit. There's a flurry of gruesome dispatches from this month, pretty awful to read.

tod oct 27 1864.JPG


There are some wonderful German language graves in cemeteries in this area- if you wish to find someone specific it becomes important to know inscriptions like ' geborn '. Phrases elude me although the old folks tend to know- it's wonderful how many kept their German through generations.
 
In my family history, there is one individual, Walter Rawleigh Brady, that is listed as "lined up and shot by bushwackers in the Civil war near Trimble, Mo".

That part of my family had interesting names back then: Napoleon Bonapart Lamar, Thomas Jefferson Lamar, Abraham Lincoln Lamar..
 
In my family history, there is one individual, Walter Rawleigh Brady, that is listed as "lined up and shot by bushwackers in the Civil war near Trimble, Mo".

That part of my family had interesting names back then: Napoleon Bonapart Lamar, Thomas Jefferson Lamar, Abraham Lincoln Lamar..
During the 1830s Clay County was the initial destination for many southern families traveling westward up-river to claim new lands in the Platte Purchase territory (northwest Mo.). Some filtered northward into Clinton, DeKalb, Caldwell and other nearby northwestern Counties, but many waited for the PPT to open up for settlement. The German immigrants began to arrive in large numbers into the Counties along the Missouri River during the 1850s. When "the Dutch" arrived, the State's southern culture was already established and they were seen as foreigners.
 
Not sure if they victims, it appears they choose sides, and on the day or night they met their demises, they were apparently on the wrong side for that time and place.
Perhaps, there had been previous provocation. Maybe they were truly innocent victims. Many incidents have been documented of Home Guard or other local Union militia made up of Dutchmen tormenting and sometimes murdering defenseless civilians, whose offense primarily centered on family relationship to Confederate soldiers or guerillas. There are no monuments in my County commemorating the victims of Union depredation.
 
Perhaps, there had been previous provocation. Maybe they were truly innocent victims. Many incidents have been documented of Home Guard or other local Union militia made up of Dutchmen tormenting and sometimes murdering defenseless civilians, whose offense primarily centered on family relationship to Confederate soldiers or guerillas. There are no monuments in my County commemorating the victims of Union depredation.
Just going by the post that said they were Pro Union, and choose to fight...actions have consequences, and they paid em

There's hardly a cemetery in Missouri that doesn't have "victims" from both sides if one chooses to call them that. Personally I always assume there's a certain risk associated with choosing to take up arms, for either side.
 
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Not sure if they victims, it appears they choose sides, and on the day or night they met their demises, they were apparently on the wrong side for that time and place.
In his memoir "Three Years With Quantrill," John McCorkle refers to Dave Poole occasionally "visiting his Dutch friends around Concordia" or words to that effect. When you read it in context, the comment is obviously sarcastic. I think Poole hated the German immigrants in the Concordia / Emma area, but I don't know if he had a grudge about their allegiance or if it was a pure cultural bias.
 
Just going by the post that said they were Pro Union, and choose to fight...actions have consequences, and they paid em

There's hardly a cemetery in Missouri that doesn't have "victims" from both sides if one chooses to call them that. Personally I always assume there's a certain risk associated with choosing to take up arms, for either side.

Here's a link to what happened---http://haygenealogy.com/dankenbring/bushwhacker.html
 
John McCorckle mentions Dave Poole "paying a visit to his Dutch friends in Concordia" or words to that effect. It's a sarcastic comment. Poole seems to have hated the immigrants, but I don't know if it had to do with their federal allegiance or a pure cultural bias.

Coming back to edit: Sorry for the double post. I made post #9, then couldn't see it and assumed I hadn't actually uploaded it. Recomposed essentially the same message. Then saw both. Oh, well...
 
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In his memoir "Three Years With Quantrill," John McCorkle refers to Dave Poole occasionally "visiting his Dutch friends around Concordia" or words to that effect. When you read it in context, the comment is obviously sarcastic. I think Poole hated the German immigrants in the Concordia / Emma area, but I don't know if he had a grudge about their allegiance or if it was a pure cultural bias.

Here's a link to what happened---http://haygenealogy.com/dankenbring/bushwhacker.html

And corrupt and vengeful Union militias routinely visited their democrat neighbors, its one of the reason many of the guerrillas became guerrillas, seldom see them referred to as "victims" for deciding to take up arms in response....just applying the same standard equally


Guess you make the case the pro union "victims" were victims of pro confederate "victims"....but as I said earlier, personally if one took up arms, for either side, see little reason to portray them as "victims".....I suspect all Missourians were aware of the nature of the deadly game they were playing, regardless of which side they choose to play for...….
 
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And corrupt and vengeful Union militias routinely visited their democrat neighbors, its one of the reason many of the guerrillas became guerrillas, seldom see them referred to as "victims" for deciding to take up arms in response....just applying the same standard equally


Guess you make the case the pro union "victims" were victims of pro confederate "victims"....but as I said earlier, personally if one took up arms, for either side, see little reason to portray them as "victims".....I suspect all Missourians were aware of the deadly game they were playing, regardless of which side they choose to play for...….
Yes. I'm not suggesting there weren't provocations. Of course there were. I was saying that McCorckle doesn't explain why Poole hated the "Dutch" around Concordia.
 
Yes. I'm not suggesting there weren't provocations. Of course there were. I was saying that McCorckle doesn't explain why Poole hated the "Dutch" around Concordia.
would assume

A they were foreigners
B they had formed private armies in St Louis to attack the MVM
C they had fired into civilians afterwards
D they tended to be republican which was a distinct anomaly in rural MO
E By choosing to be pro union or militia they clearly identified themselves as enemies to a substantial number of rural Missourians

Think B was a bigger one then some credit, someone referenced Mormon war in a thread awhile back.....once they formed their own private army and created Danites, that was going to be clearly unacceptable., same happened at Nauvoo afterwards, once a sect raises its own army, its hard for the non sect neighbors to not start to be a little alarmed by it, The Germans creating militias that didn't owe allegiance to the state would create the same distrust....But E was enough to show them combatants in a war where either side gave little quarter
 
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There's hardly a cemetery in Missouri that doesn't have "victims" from both sides if one chooses to call them that. Personally I always assume there's a certain risk associated with choosing to take up arms, for either side.

Your implication that one could potentially survive a visit from the guerilla's - had they not taken up arms is nullified by the reality of what was actually happening in Missouri at the time. Using the county history books that you have expressed you favor for factual information, from the "History of Carroll County, MO"
Pg 343
Riding rapidly on, Anderson and his men, near Daniel H. Cary’s, came upon and killed in detail, Alexander Skaggs, John T. Arterburn, Jr., and Richard Wilson. The latter was killed in a field where he was plowing. An old man, named Hiram Griffith, was caught, and a wretch named Archibald Clements threw him down upon the ground, and cut his throat from ear to ear with a bowie-knife, and left him weltering in his own blood. All of the men killed were robbed of their money, and of the best of their clothing, especially if any of it chanced to be blue. Other citizens houses were visited, and the women inmates terrorized and commanded to reveal the whereabouts of their husbands, some of whom had had barely time to escape. The ladies invariably refused or prevaricated.
Pg 345
Hiram Griffith, whose throat Arch Clements cut, was nearly sixty years age. He was a union man in sentiment, but universally regarded as quiet and inoffensive.
Pg 349
A guerrilla, named John Maupin, pursued Mr. John Kirker, whose horse fell. Maupin came upon him, shot him, and, springing from his horse, scalped. him, and then with his bowie knife cut off his head, mutilating the body in a shocking manner…..
Mrs. Stephen Mitchell, at the first firing, attempted to make her escape to a neighbor’s. Anderson himself, and Arch. Clements, followed her, and she not obeying the command to “stop,” Anderson brought her down with a pistol ball, which took effect in the top of the right shoulder, and came out under the left shoulder blade. When afterward reproached, by some of his men, for shooting a woman, Anderson said, “Well, it has got to come to that before (pg 350) long anyhow.” Mrs. M. recovered, and is still living, the wife of the county surveyor. Edwards’“Noted Guerrillas” says that Anderson “accidentally shot a lady during the melee” but, like many other statements made in that volume, this one is incorrect.
Pg 363
After Bill Anderson was killed in Ray county, October 27, his first lieutenant, Arch Clements, assumed command of the entire force of some 300 confederates and guerrillas, and pledged himself to cross the Missouri in 48 hours. He refused to consider the rank of Col. Thornton or recognize the authority of any of the other confederate officers as superior to his. “This is bushwhacking, gentlemen,” said he; “you men may be my superiors in the regular service, but, by G-d, no man is my superior as a bushwhacker. Fall in! Clements at this time was only about twenty years of age."


Thus, civilians had a choice. Men could try to protect their homes by themselves, men could hide in the woods and hope their families would be left alone (this route seemed to be the most popular in areas of sparse farms), or they could join together and try to defend themselves. But in reality, I guess you are saying in post 6 and every post since, it was the German civilian's fault for (1) being new foreign immigrants (2) being loyal to their new country (3) failing to commit mass suicide before the guerilla's arrived to do it for them (4) for being partly responsible for the guerilla's being guerilla's in the first place (5) and finally, using your line of argument when accusing the Federal Army of massacring native American's, for having the audacity to believe they had any right to protect their homes, family and property (rights the Missouri Constitution, the Castle Doctrine and the open carry law give every Missouri citizen today).

Thank you for posting an informational Missouri post Booner. It is regretful that like many posts on Missouri, it quickly has turned into "victim blaming" or a "they did it first" thread for some.

I suspect all Missourians were aware of the nature of the deadly game they were playing, regardless of which side they choose to play for

I would word this "I suspect all Missourian's were victims of the war, in one way or another, regardless of where their loyalties laid."
 
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Thank you for posting an informational Missouri post Booner. It is regretful that like many posts on Missouri, it quickly has turned into "victim shaming" or a "they did it first" thread for some.

I would word this "I suspect all Missourian's were victims of the war, in one way or another, regardless of where their loyalties laid."[/QUOTE]

Your most welcome. I've passed this cemetery so many times, it's a pretty little place, visible from the interstate, out by itself with a white fence around it. I've meant to stop and look at it so many time. I knew a little about the history of the area so I wasn't too surprised by what I found, and thought others might enjoy my find.

I certainly did not intend the post to devolve into pro or anti rant and would ask that we not do that. I agree that all Missourians were victims in that damnable war.
 
I heard once that people would have 2 flags , 1 Union and 1 Confederate and depending on who was in the area would fly that flag. True or False ?????
 
I heard once that people would have 2 flags , 1 Union and 1 Confederate and depending on who was in the area would fly that flag. True or False ?????
I can't say it never happened, but I don't know of it ever happening. You couldn't do such a thing without your neighbor knowing, and your neighbor might inform on you. It's much more likely that people hid their valuables for the duration of the war, and sometimes hid themselves, regardless of who was in the area.
 
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