O'Kane's Infantry Battalion Missouri State Guard

Price's Lieutenant's
Compiled Service Record & List of Officers Paid. Appointed 1 Jan 1862- Formerly Capt of Co E thence Lt-Col of the 4th Infy Regt- Bartels, The Forgotten Men, p. 278. Elected Lt-Col 4 July 1861. Compiled Service Record- Required by Special Orders No. 67, 1 March 1862, to superintend certain elections- Sterling Price Orderly Book- Captured near Cassville, Missouri, on or about 23 or 27 June 1862- O. R., Series I, Vol. XIII, p. 452; & Bartels, The Forgotten Men, p. 278 Reported to have been a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, New York- History of Cole, Moniteau, Morgan, Benton, Miller, Maries, & Osage Counties, Missouri, p. 493 this claim could not be verified in Eliot, West Point in the Confederacy, or in Heitman, Historical Register & Dictionary of the United States Army. This 25-year-old Virginia-born officer listed his residence as Independence, Jackson County. Record Book of the 8th Div, pp. 18-19, 26-27, 164-165, 172-173, & 302 A biography of this officer can be found in Harrell, "Ark," pp. 543-544.
List of Officers Paid & Bevier, History of the First & Second Missouri Confederate Bgdes, p. 71. Previously Capt, Co E. Elected Lt-Col 4 July 1861. Compiled Service Record- Record Book of the 8th Div, pp. 18-19, 26-27, 164-165, 172-173, & 302 subsequently appointed to the Staff of Brig Gen Rains (above)


3/20/62 Hqs 8th Div, MSG- In reporting the action of the 8th Div in the recent engagement at Elkhorn…
To the members of my staff I am particularly indebted. Col [L. A] MacLean, AAG; Lt-Col [Walter S] O'Kane, ADC, & Lt-Col's [George S] Rathbun & [George W] Haymaker were with me on the field all the time & bore themselves gallantry in the thickest of the fight. As prompt, brave, & efficient officers I commenced them to your favorable notice. To Mr. W. K. Palmer & Major's Blane & Martin, with Sgt-Maj Orear, I tender my thanks for their services on the field.
James S. Rains, Brig Gen, Cdg 8th Div, Missouri State Guard.

4/17/62 Memphis Daily Appeal-Yesterday evening we had the pleasure of meeting Col L A Welton one of our old citizens under Gen Price the last year.
He arrived last night on the Kennett & will remain several days for the purpose of organizing an Infy regt from the material still remaining in the gallant MSG.
By his advertisement it will be seen that he waives rank & takes the majority of a Regt instead of the Colcy.
Col Kelly who has made a name on every battlefield is announced as the cdg officer; Lt Col O'Kane next & our friend Welton as major of the new Regt.
He learns that this ticket meets the cordial approbation of Gen Price who, though a CSA Gen, desires those of his old followers who do not enter the CSA service shall still remain in the field under his command & sustain their reputation on the battle fields of Tenn.
Col Shelton [Welton] is stopping at the Gayoso House, & will announce through our columns tomorrow his Hqs. We wish him success.

4/8/62 Harding Reminiscences--At Des Arc, on the 18th​ [8th​?] of April, Gen. Price formally resigned his commission in the MSG. Whilst at Des Arc I paid a large amount of bounty money ($50 to each man) to men enlisting for the war in the CS service. Among others, I paid the bounty to Gen Price's escort, a very fine Co numbering 114 men, & whose captain rejoiced in the euphonious name of Epaminondas M. Smith. Whilst detained at Des Arc we received news of the bloody battle of Shiloh.

Those of MSG remaining behind are assigned to Gen Raines
Rains remained behind with other MSG forces who did not wish to leave the T/M

........At Clarksville we met Gen M. M. Parsons & Col Joseph Kelly, returning from Richmond. They missed "Elkhorn," & missed coming out through the small end of it. The army gave them a cheer as they passed....................

4/9/62 G O #1 MSG, Des Arc

I. By order of the Gov of the State of Missouri, bearing date 4/8, I have this day assumed the command of the MSG.

II. The above-mentioned troops will be immediately organized into Co's, Bns, & Regts, according to the laws of the State of Mo.

III. Lt-Col Shields is hereby detailed as inspector to muster & report the troops to these Hqs.

IV. Gen'ls of Div's will report immediately the entire force of their respective commands.

V. Div QM's, or, in their absence, Regtal QM's, will immediately report all horses, mules, wagons, tents, camp equipage, & other property in their respective commands & belonging to the State of Missouri. They will also especially report all State property which has been transferred to the armies of the CS.

"VI. Div ordnance officers will forthwith report all arms, ammunition, & Arty now belonging to the State of Mo, & also all arms, ammunition, & Arty which may have been transferred to the CS Army.

VII. Gen'ls of Div's will cause the pay rolls of their respective commands to be made out & certified to without delay, as the funds for their payment are daily expected.

VIII. Col Joseph Kelly will, until further orders, assume command of the 6th Div of MSG.

By order of M. M. Parsons, Brig Gen, cdg MSG



4/19/62 Memphis Daily Appeal-Attention Missouri State Guard-Memphis 4/16/62
Gen M M Parsons cdg the MSG [since the resignation of Gen Price] has authorized Col J Kelly, Lt Col O'Kane & myself, to organize at once, in time for the next fight, a Regt of Infy, composed of Missourians for 12 months service.
I arrived so late this evening that I have not yet selected my recruiting Hqs. They will be announced in handbills today.
Your country! Your all! Calls for your immediate response-Come!


5/20/62 Camp Corinth, Hqs 3rd​ Bgde, 1st​ Div, Army of the West, D W Vowles to Gen Thos A Harris [Mo]-I wrote you some days since & sent it to Mobile to be mailed. I did not in it communicate to you fully the progress of affairs here & cannot do so now as I write you in a hurry, as we have just returned from the field where we have been in line of battle for three days. The Yankees are evidently afraid to attack us; in other words, they show timidity.
Old Capt Robards, from Hannibal, reached our camp yesterday direct from his home. He came by water to St Louis, from there to Nashville, thence to Chattanooga & here. He says my brother, the old doctor, was sent to Alton in irons. He was chained very heavily, as they thought him very vicious, says the Capt, Robards.
Dr Foster is here (in Alton) in advance of my brother & condemned to be shot. The sentence has been approved by Gen Halleck. The charge was bridge burning & railroad tearing up. I wish you take some action or have taken to mitigate this penalty of our old friend Foster.
The boys are bushwhacking in Northeast Mo. There are no troops there now except the Gamble militia or home guards. He reports the boys are taking small parties of Feds every day in that region; they take no prisoners. No quarter is shown by either side. Gilchrist Porter is on the bench. They are making an effort to collect tax in that region, with what difficulty & success you may well judge. Men are determined to resist. Gen Rains, Gen McBride, Gov Jackson, Col Coffee, Col Clarkson, Col O'Kane have gone back to bushwhack. They are now in Ark preparing to go up. Gen Curtis in Ark with 10,000 men. Why is Gen Pike in command yet?
I write you in haste & will do so again soon & more fully. I should like to hear from you.
Address me in care of Brig-Gen Green.
Your friend, D. W. Vowles
P. S. - Our pickets have been fighting with Federal for eight days. We came near bagging 6,000 a few days ago. We get water from the same spring.
I should like to get a permanent position if possible soon as I can. Barney King was killed in the battle [of] Shiloh. Old Moore, from Northeast Mo, had his leg shot off by a cannon ball. The Federals confess a loss of 28,000. Our loss was 9,000

6/3/62 Hindman to W.C. Chappell [was ADC to Jeff Thompson] at Helena-I have authorized Col White [was Lt Col in Thompson's 1st​ Div-later Col 9th aka 12h Mo Infy Regt] to muster Missourians into C.S.A. for war [the] Missouri state troops we org in this Dist. You can muster your men in C.S.A. for war-until then undertake no military operations



Springfield, June 27, 1862.
Brigadier-General Schofield:
Three expeditions that were sent into Ark, south, southwest, & southeast from Cassville, under the several commands of Col King, 3rd Missouri State Militia; Maj Hubbard, 1st Missouri Cav, & Major Miller, 2nd Wisc Cav, have after a successful reconnaissance returned to that post. The aggregate capture of prisoners & property is as follows: Col Fox, Pettis County, Col Lewis, Jackson County; Col O'Kane, Independence County; 4 Capt's, 7 Lt's, 1 enrolling officer under the conscription law, & 120 Pvt's prisoners, 60 stand of arms, 12 teams, 25,000 pounds lead & powder, & considerable camp & garrison equipage, property of the CS Army.
Jude Walker, president Ark Secession Convention, was taken prisoner, & after giving bonds for $10,000 & taking the oath was released on parole to report at Cassville. He will be at that post tomorrow. Four secessionists killed. Carroll, Madison, Benton, & Washington Counties have been thoroughly scouted. Hunter, Rains, & Coffee are about 15 miles west of Maysville with 1,200 to 1,300 men, about one-third armed. Gen Hindman has ordered Rains & Coffee to join the CS service or disband-the expedition bringing in about 100 recruits for the 1st Ark Regt. Northwestern Ark is reported loyal, & its permanent occupation would demonstrate it. These were successful expeditions. Our casualties nothing E. B. Brown



9/23/62 Walter S O'Kane, Col 4th​ Mo, 8th​ Div, MSG, appears on list of prisoners sent from Alton to Vicksburg





12/21/62 to Gen Frost cmdg. 3rd​ Div-…a Bgde …of Clark's Missouri Regt, O'Kane's Regt & the Missouri recruits under Col Waldo Johnson to be formed into a Regt. Alexander Papers

12/23 Parsons to Gen Frost -Please find enclose a report of the organization of the 10th​ Co for Col Mitchell's command thereby entitling it to its full complement of Regimental officers
I recommend
Col-Mitchell
Lt Col-Frazier
Maj-Smizer
They all belong to the Regt which bore a conspicuous & gallant part in the recent engagement...
An additional reason for me recommending these men to these positions is they went into the interior of the state when in complete possession of the enemy to raise the Co's which form this Regt...which actions ought to be acknowledged & encouraged for others to do likewise as a great incentive for increasing our forces from Missouri...
Should you or the Maj Gen cdg disagree with these nominations, permit me to nominate someone from my Bgde one who would be acceptable to you both
Alexander Papers


12/23/62 Hindman to Gen Holmes-I have in my command two Bns one of 6 & the other of 3 Co's making 9 Co's but having enough men to make up a full Regt of 10 Co's. The first named is Lt Col Mitchell's & the other Major Frazier. I desire a Regt formed from them & ask authority to consolidate & make O'Kane as Col, Mitchell as Lt Col, Smizer [Major of Mitchell Bn] as Major. Frazier is reported by Frost cdg their Div as being entirely unfit for being a Major besides not having been apptd by the War Dept or any other competent authority whatever....
....................
Alexander Papers
 
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