This was just one
of the many sad Civil War stories of Monroe County. The
background information about Allsman and Capt. Sidner’s
subsequent death was extracted from the book “With
Porter in North Missouri” by Joseph A. Mudd. LPP
----------------
“The number of
prisoners, citizen and Confederate, killed in Missouri
during the war by the Federal militia reached many
hundreds, but no case of single or wholesale slaughter
created so great an inquiry or so general reprobation as
the killing of Willis Baker, Thomas Humston, Morgan Bixler,
John Y. McPheeters and Hiram Smith, of Lewis County,
Herbert Hudson, John M. Wade and Marion Lair, of Ralls
County, Thomas Sidenor, of Monroe County, and Eleazer
Lake, of Scotland County, by order of General John McNeil,
at Palmyra, Saturday, October 18, 1862.
J.B. Threlkeld of
Shelbina, Shelby Co, related his Palmyra prison experience
which gives background on this sad story: “Provost-
Marshal Strachan (of Palmyra, Marion Co office) thought he
had me pretty well worn out, and writing to my father
asked him to influence me to take the oath, give bond and
go home, or he would have to send me to Alton, Illinois,
the following Monday morning. My father got Uncle Bob
Threlkeld and Judge Foster to come to Palmyra and see what
they could do. They got me out that night on parole,
to report next morning at eight o’clock. Andrew
Allsman (note: of Marion Co PM office) was in the office
when I went in and remained there during my entire
examination. Strachan put a great many questions to
me which I answered. Allsman told Strachan that he
very readily recognized me, and that I had done some
terrible deeds, all of which I denied. It was hard to
bear, but circumstances were such that I had to make the
best of it.
I told Strachan
before I took the oath that I would never go into the
militia. I had been home two months when the order
came for every man to go into the militia. I got on
my horse and went to Porter, taking forty men with me, and
we were sworn into the Confederate service for three years
or during the war. When Porter went to Palmyra he
burned all of Strachan’s papers, my oath and bond with
the rest, which was good for me. He took Allsman with
him. At Whaleys Mill he released Allsman and
furnished him with a horse to ride back to Palmyra. I
think Allsman’s bones lie in a cave between Whaley’s
Mill and Palmyra.”
Later, a notice was
served on Colonel Porter by publication in the local
papers and by a copy placed in the hands of Mrs. Porter
which read thus:
Palmyra,
Mo. October 8, 1862
Joseph C. Porter
Sir:- Andrew
Allsman, an aged citizen of Palmyra, and a non-combatant,
having been carried from his home by a band of persons
unlawfully arrayed against the peace and good order of the
State of Missouri, and which band was under your control;
this is to notify you that unless said Andrew Allsman is
returned unharmed to his family within ten days from date
ten men who have belonged to you band, and unlawfully
sworn by you to carry arms against the Government of the
United States, and who are now in custody, will be shot as
a meet reward for their crimes, among which is the illegal
restraining of said Allsman of his liberty, and if not
returned, presumably aiding in his murder. Your prompt
attention to this will save much suffering.
Yours etc., W.R.
Strachan
Provost-Marshal
General District N.E. Missouri
Per order of
Brigadier-General Command McNeil’s Column.
The dread day came
without light on the fate of Allsman… The fortitude of
the ten victims in the face of death robbed Strachan of
half his pleasure in the deed… Of all the men, Captain
Tom Sidenor aroused the greatest interest. Young,
handsome, cultivated, of high parentage, he had given his
best to the cause of the South and the din of battle was
sweet music to his ear. “Aim here,” he said, placing
his hand over his heart, and his executioners, merciful to
him, did his bidding, but many of the soldiers purposely
aimed high; their repugnance and horror preventing them
from realizing that obedience to orders was not only a
duty but a mercy.
…The editor of
the Palmyra Courier whose hatred of everything Confederate
or Southern was bounded only by the scope of his vigorous
intellect, gave a minute description of the tragedy.
Heretofore he had gloried in all the lesser
“severities,” but now, no word of approval for this
tragedy, and scarcely a word of condemnation for its
victims: “He (Captain Sidenor) was now elegantly attired
in a suit of black broadcloth with white vest. A luxurious
growth of beautiful hair rolled down upon his shoulders
which, with his fine personal appearance, could not but
bring to mind the handsome but vicious Absolom…”
Letter
of Capt. Thomas Sidner
----------------
“Below we (print)
a letter handed (unknown) week by Mr. Frank Sidner, of
this city, which will bring to many old citizens and
inhabitants of this country, familiar recollections of
‘war times.’ The letter was written by Captain
T.A. Sidner to his brother, Mr. Noah Sidner, father of Mr.
Frank Sidner, who lived near this city, at the time of the
shooting in Palmyra. The McNeal butchery, as it has
always been called, is too well known to need a review of
the affair, having been published in this paper several
months ago. Captain Sidner was born and raised in
Monroe county, south of this city, but was known as a
Shelbinian, as he did (much of) his training and spent
much (of his) time here. The letter has (been) well
kept and looks as though (it) had been written only a
short time. It is published just as it was written:
Military
Prison,
Palmyra,
October 17, ‘62
Dear Brothers,
Sisters, Friends:
I seat myself for
the last time to write you a few lines. I am in good
health, but alas tomorrow is the day set apart for me to
be carried away to another world. Oh, I hope I will
be welcome in Heaven where justice is done. I have
not had a trial for my life; they will give me no trial. Oh,
I hope God will forgive them for this unpardonable act, to
take innocent men and shoot them for crime that others
have done. We are to be shot for one man that J.C.
Porter took away from this place, a man that I (never) saw
in my life. Oh, is this (… unknown) God in Heaven
knows that (… unknown) justice. Oh, how can it be
(…unknown) no mortal man can do any (…unable to read
next few lines …) we to leave you all, to never meet
again only in Heaven, where (all the) righteous meet to
never (part again).
Tell my friends
good bye for (yon) brother who will be no more (on) this
earth in a few short hours. Oh, my mind is so
frustrated. I cannot write, I cannot collect hardly
(a) sentence or spell a word correctly but read it the
best you can and think it is from your brother. (Jacob)
he is with me, I will tell him good bye myself. Take
good care of yourselves and try and get along through this
hard and troublesome world the best you can. Tell
Uncle Thornton’s family good bye and all inquiring
friends. I have some little money with me, divide it
to suit yourselves I will have no use for it. Boys, I
want you all three to pay my debts, I don’t want any
blemish left on my character after I am gone. Oh
little did I think I would be caught and shot, if I had
they would not have kept me this long. I have had
several chances to get away from them but I thought they
would give me justice consequently I stayed, and now see
what they are going to do with me.
Oh, if I had only
known they were going to shoot me I would have left them
days ago. October 18, 1862, good bye to you all this
morning, brothers, sisters, friends, and relatives, I have
to bid you all good bye for the last time. I am to be
shot at 1o’clock this evening. The federals won’t
let Jack come up to see me. I got to see him this
morning and shake hands with him. I don’t know that
I will get to see him any more. If I do not, tell him
good bye to me. I can only say ‘Farewell Forever’
on this earth but I have better prospects for the future. I
put my trust in the God and hope to receive the rewards in
Heaven. Farewell (unknown) forever.”
Source: Original
source unknown; untitled, undated article extracted from
the newspaper article collection started in 1879 by Mrs.
Nannie Brown of Madison, Missouri. Generously
provided by NE Missouri genealogist Kathleen Wilham of
Shelbina, MO (kwilham@missvalley.com).
