1862 War Events in Monroe County

January to June

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Skirmish

Location: Eight miles from Paris, Monroe County, MO

Date: 2 Jan 1862

Source: Broadfoot’s “Supplement to the ‘O.R’” part 2, vol. 34, 3^rd Mo Cavalry (Union), pp. 683, 711-12

Description: Maj Henry A. Gallup with 179 troopers of 3rd MO Cavalry searched the Monroe County area looking for Rebel leader Bill Dunn of Scotland County with about 100 Rebels. Possibly, Dunn was leading recruits for the southern army, as there were several southern recruiters at work in northeast MO at this time. Lt Joseph F. Biggerstaff of Company C of 3rd MO Cavalry with only seven troopers came onto the sought-after Rebels at least eight miles from Paris and in the exchange of shots one on each side was captured and the Federals also captured one horse and three rifles. 

Skirmish Location: At or near Hunnewell, Southeast Shelby County

Date: 3 Jan 1862

Source: Dyer's "Compendium" vol. 2, p. 800 and vol.

3. p. 1327

Description: Four companies of 10th MO Infantry (Union) were the Union side of this fire fight. That particular regiment was stationed at Warrenton, Warren County between 23 December 1861 and February

1862. Possibly, the Rebel side of this fight was guerrilla chief Tom Stacy and his band, since they were known to operate in this neighborhood about this time. 

Skirmish

Location: Near Renick, Southeast Randolph County

Date: 3 Jan 1862 (?)

Source: Newspaper article from "Liberty Weekly Tribune" of 10 January 1862

Description: The newspaper reports this mystifying event and implies that Col Erastus Morse and elements of 22nd MO Infantry Regiment were involved in some fight there. The newspaper article stated that Col Morse died of "his wounds received in a late engagement near Renick, Mo, Fri. afternoon." The article also stated that Morse, a NY native, had lived in St. Louis several years before the war. 

Guerilla Depredations

Location: near West Ely, south-central Marion County and Lick Creek in southwest Ralls County near the Monroe County line

Date: 10/11 January 1862 and 15 January 1862

Source: 1884 History or Marion County, p. 438 and the newspaper "Louisiana Journal" of 23 Jan 1862 which may have been quoted later in a St. Louis paper. The latter event was also in “Columbia Missouri Statesman”

Description: It was possibly Tom Stacy's guerrilla band that the night of 10/11 January 1862 robbed the Reverend Darrah's home near West Ely of articles made by area ladies for the Palmyra Union military hospital. A few days later on 15 January (the Columbia paper seems to say this event happened on 22 January) the same marauder band shot down Robert Granville Carter in his dooryard on Lick Creek in front of his family. Carter was said to be a "violent Union man." According to the 1860 MO census, Carter lived in Salt River Township of west Ralls County. 

Skirmish

Location: Nine miles north of Hunnewell, southeast Shelby County

Date: 16 Jan 1862

Source: "Columbia Missouri Statesman" of 17 Jan 1862

Description: Three hundred troopers of Col Glover's 3rd MO Cavalry attacked the camp of an estimated 280 Rebel recruits at the above location. The Federals fired on and drove in the southern pickets and chased them and most of their companions into Monroe County capturing eight and taking lots of "guns and hats."  

Union Patrol with Captures

Date: 24 and 25 Jan 1862

Location: Fourteen miles from Hudson City, near Woodlawn, west Monroe County

Sources: "Supplement to the 'O.R.'" part 2, vol. 35, 7th MO Cav (Union), p. 366 and Joanne Chiles Eakins' 1995 "Union Military Post Returns," published in Shawnee Mission, Kansas by Two Trails Publishing on pp.58-59, and 67-68

Description: Cpt Thomas C. Miller, with 70 troopers of Company F stationed at Hudson City (present-day town of Macon), captured five southerners during the two-day patrol. At this time the nearest Union troops to Monroe County seemed to be Col Daniel Huston, Jr. and his regiment of 7th MO Cavalry at Hudson in Macon County; a small force of Union troops constructing blockhouses at critical bridge sites on the railroads in the region; and the 10th MO Infantry Regiment under Col George R. Todd stationed at Warrenton, Warren County, until the regiment was ordered to move to High Hill, east Montgomery County on 26 February.  

Large Number of Rebel Cavalry

Location: Florida, East Monroe County

Date: 19 March 1862

Source: "O.R." series 1, vol. 8, p. 627

Description: Several hundred mounted Rebels were reported to be in Florida. Evidently, southern recruiters in this region were again preparing their charges for a long ride south to join the southern army. 

Union Patrol with Captures

Location: In Monroe & Randolph Counties

Date: 20 March 1862

Source: "Supplement to the 'O.R.'" part 2, vol. 35, 7th MO Cav (Union), p. 366

Description: Cpt Thomas C. Miller and 64 troopers of 7th MO Cavalry out from Hudson captured "several prisoners" during their 45-mile patrol through the two counties. 

Union Expedition

Location: Through West Monroe County

Dates: 27 March to about 1 April 1862

Sources: "Supplement to 'O.R.'" part 2, vol. 35, 6th Cavalry MSM, p. 331 and the St. Louis "Daily Missouri Republican" of 4 April 1862

Description: Maj David McKee and about 280 troopers of 7th MO Cavalry (later placed in the 6th Cavalry MSM) was sent out to confront and defeat 1200 reported Rebel recruits in the west Monroe County area. On 27 March at Woodlawn in northwest Monroe County they chased several Rebels a mile or two exchanging shots and captured 10. Part of this Union force scouting Otter Creek on 28 March captured seven southerners at Kipper's Mill while other troopers scouting the Middle Fork bottom near Paris captured two more. On 29 March while this force spent the night at Paris six more Rebels gave themselves up. On 30 March part of these Federals tracked some southerners to their camp on Mud Creek southwest of Woodlawn captured three and wounded a fourth who escaped. During March 30 and 31 some of the cavalrymen near Smith's Mills at Madison captured two southern men.  

Union Expedition with Skirmishes

Location: in Macon, Randolph, Monroe, and Shelby Counties

Dates: 4 to 7 Apr 1862

Source: Broadfoot's "Supplement to the 'O.R.'", part 2, vol. 35, pp. 331-2.

Description: The source gives few details except that the northern troops were Cpt H. P. Spellman with 58 troopers of Company C, 7th MO Cav from their station at Hudson, southeast Shelby County. One Federal was killed and fifteen southern men were captured along with 26 firearms. 

Stationed Union Troops

Location: in Monroe County area

Date: 30 Apr 1862

Source: old National Archive records quoted in Joanne Chiles Eakins'

1995 "Union Military Post Returns," on pp. 70-1

Description: At Hudson, southeast Shelby County, were nine companies of the 7th MO Cavalry under Col Daniel Huston (737 present, 58 on extra duty, 79 sick, 62 on detached service) and five companies of Cavalry Missouri State Militia (MSM) soon to be part of 11th Cav MSM under Ltc A. L. Gilstrap (consisting of 330 present and 19 sick). 

Poindexter’s Secret Recruiting Visit

Location: In and around Randolph County

Date: About 1 May 1862

Sources: 1881 History of Carroll County, pp. 317-8 and 1911 History of Carroll County, p. 258

Description: Col James Poindexter in disguise returned to his home area in and around Randolph County about this time to begin recruiting again. His quiet, efficient efforts continued for several weeks with little or no notice from area Union troops as he slowly added several local southern men to his group.  

Skirmish

Location: Between Florida and Paris in Monroe County

Date: Night 3/4 May 1862

Source: 1882 History of Boone County, p. 420 and 1884 History of Monroe County, p. 236

Description: Twelve men of Cpt Cook's company of 9th Cavalry MSM were harassed by local guerrillas trying to steal their horses in the dark. In the excitement the Federals mortally wounded their own officer, Lt Theo. Brooks. 

Skirmish

Location: At or near Paris, Monroe County

Date: 22 May 1862

Source: Dyer's landmark "A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion," vol. 2, p. 802

Description: A detachment of 3rd Iowa Cavalry suffered two troopers wounded in this fight against unspecified foes. There are no other details. 

Skirmish

Location: On Salt River, near Florida, Monroe County

Date: 31 May 1862

Sources: Broadfoot's "Supplement to the 'O.R.'" part 2, vol. 19, 3rd Iowa Cav, pp. 210, 238; Dyer's "Compendium" vol. 2, p. 802; newspaper Fulton, Callaway County, "Missouri Telegraph," 6 Jun 1862

Description: About twenty guerrillas attacked Lt John C. McCrary and four troopers of his larger patrol on Otho Adams' farm near Florida while they were investigating a report of a Rebel camp in that area. The outnumbered Iowans fell back to the trees and soon Maj Henry C. Caldwell and the rest of the patrol rode to the sound of the firing and the southerners scattered. Two troopers were wounded and Rebel losses were unknown except that the cavalry captured seven horses, several firearms and ammunition, tents and camp equipment. The patrol arrested Otho Adams for oath and bond violation. The 1860 MO Census index lists his farm in Jefferson Township in east central Monroe County. 

Report of Stationed Union Troops

Location: In Monroe County area

Date: 31 May 1862

Sources: Eakins' 1995 "Union Military Post Returns" pp. 71-3

Description: Six companies of 11th Cav MSM under Ltc A. L. Gilstrap are listed as stationed at Hudson, southeast Shelby County with them sending out patrols fifty to sixty miles away and some guarding blockhouse construction near railroad bridges in the area. 

Northern or Southern Depredation

Location: Unspecified location in Monroe County

Date: About 15 through 26 Jun 1862

Source: 28 Jun 1862 edition of the "California Weekly News" in Moniteau County

Description: Unspecified party mortally wounded W. R. Fugate through the window while he was sitting at his dinner table somewhere in Monroe County. There is no other detail given.