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News of 150 Years Ago–September 1864.

NEWS OF 150 YEARS AGO

September 1864

Missouri Confederates, both military and political, had long advocated for a major push to reclaim the state for the South. Previous raids by Confederate General Jo Shelby had shown how easily Missouri could be penetrated by a significant cavalry force. In mid-September 1864, former Missouri Governor and Confederate General Sterling Price amassed a force of 12,000 to invade the state and strike north for St. Louis and its arsenal. Despite dispatches from throughout southeast Missouri, Union headquarters in St. Louis initially discounted reports that the raiding force could be so large. On September 25, St. Louis District Deputy Commander Brigadier General Thomas Ewing left Jefferson Barracks by train for Pilot Knob with a small force of infantry and artillery to see the situation for himself. On September 26, lead units of Price’s army reached Arcadia, just south of Pilot Knob, and encountered Union pickets from Fort Davidson. The Battle of Pilot Knob was about to begin.

From The Missouri Democrat, Thursday, September 15, 1864.

FROM PILOT KNOB.

Guerrilla Outrages in the Southeast—An Attack on Caledonia, Mo., Repulsed.

The following was received by General Ewing yesterday.

PILOT KNOB, September 14, 1864.

To Brigadier General Ewing:

A squad of forty or fifty guerrillas attacked fourteen men commanded by Sergeant Warfield, Company A, 3d cavalry, M. S. M., at Caledonia, yesterday at 12 o’clock, and were repulsed, with one man killed and several wounded. The Sergeant had two men severely wounded. Last night, at 12 o’clock, they plundered the stores at Iron Mountain, and destroyed the papers and machine in the telegraph office. All the mounted men I have are in pursuit of them.

JAMES WILSON,
Major Commanding.

 

From The Missouri Democrat, Thursday, September 22, 1864.

NEWS FROM ST. LOUIS.

The Object of Bringing A. J. Smith’s Force into Missouri—Political News.

[Special Dispatch to the Chicago Times]

ST. LOUIS, September 19.

The report given out by Government officials, that Sterling Price was on the point of invading the State, is considered wholly untrue. It was merely a pretext for bringing General A. J. Smith’s whole force up from Memphis. They have been stationed for several days at Sulphur Springs, on the Iron Mountain railroad, only twenty miles below the city. The real design is to enforce the draft and overawe citizens at the November election.

Ex-Mayor John How, one of the Claybank chiefs, will support the Democratic State ticket, and, it is believed, will support McClellan in November. Dr. J. B. Cosgrove, another convert, will take the stump for McClellan.

 

From The Missouri Democrat, Friday, September 23, 1864.

FROM CAIRO AND BELOW.

A BIG SCARE AT CHARLESTON, MO.

Shelby’s Force Said to be Moving in that Direction.

Inhabitants Preparing to Skedaddle.

REBEL BANDS AT NEW MADRID.

ETC., ETC., ETC.

[Special Dispatch to the Missouri Democrat.]

CAIRO, September 23.—The Cairo News publishes the following in an Extra this morning: We learn from a citizen just arrived from Charleston, Mo., that great excitement prevails in that locality. News was received there by telegraph on Wednesday night of the evacuation of Bloomfield, thirty-eight miles from Cape Girardeau.

Captain Sells, who was in command with a force of two hundred men of the 2d Missouri militia, fearing that an attack from a large force of Shelby’s men, variously estimated at from eight hundred to eight thousand, would be made, evacuated the place, retreating towards Whitewater, between Bloomfield and Cape Girardeau, where he was overtaken….

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From The Missouri Democrat, Monday, September 26, 1864.

The Invader in Missouri!

SHELBY’S CAVALRY IN THE SOUTHEAST.

Price Coming from Arkansas.

CAPE GIRARDEAU THREATENED.

The Rebels at Farmington.

THE PERIL OF PILOT KNOB.

THE DUTY OF MISSOURIANS.

The long threatened and anticipated invasion of our State by the forces of Pap Price and Joe [sic] Shelby, has at last begun in earnest, and is now in lively progress. The startling reports brought by scouts into Bloomfield, Stoddard county, last Wednesday evening, resulting in the evacuation of that extreme outpost and the withdrawal of its small garrison to Cape Girardeau, prove not to have been exaggerations.

Shelby and Marmaduke are together undoubtedly moving northward in Southeast Missouri, with a joint force of cavalry reasonably estimated at about five thousand strong. This appears to be the advance guard or a division co-operative with Price’s main army, stated at nine thousand cavalry, with artillery, which crossed the Arkansas at Dardanelles some days ago, and is since heard from moving north along the west side of Currant river, in the vicinity of Pocahontas, Arkansas….

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From The Missouri Democrat, Monday, September 26, 1864.

EVACUATION OF BLOOMFIELD.

THE FIGHT AT WHITEWATER.

LATEST FROM CAPE GIRARDEAU.

[From our Saturday Evening Edition.]

The interruption of telegraphic communication left us this morning without the looked-for intelligence of further movements incident to the rebel incursion in Southeast Missouri; but from a merchant who arrived this morning from Cape Girardeau, and other sources, we learn the following:

The gentleman referred to reached Bloomfield on Saturday morning, in company with Captain Noell, the Union nominee for Congress. Captain N. spoke at Bloomfield Monday and left on Tuesday, his companion remaining. At 5 1-2 P. M., Wednesday, Captain Smith, of the 2d Missouri, returned from a scout and reported that the pickets had been fired upon at the Shoals, in St. Francis, some eighteen miles from Bloomfield. Also, that a large body of rebels was moving upon Bloomfield, estimated at from eight to fifteen thousand….

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From The Missouri Democrat, Tuesday, September 27, 1864.

THE INVASION.

PRICE AT FREDERICKTOWN.

Skirmishing at Pilot Knob and Ironton.

Official and other intelligence received in the city up to half-past ten o’clock last night, relative to “the situation” in the Southeast, was about as follows:

General Ewing, last reported from Pilot Knob, retaining possession of that post, and the line of railroad from it to Mineral Point. Light attacks had, during the day, been made upon the garrison at the Knob, and were readily repulsed. Like assaults at Ironton had been in a similar manner disposed of. The enemy did not seem inclined, at least not at once, to seriously assault either of those places, or to seize the railroad. His real designs were not developed, but it was thought that the lapse of twenty-four hours more must disclose them.

All reports indicate the presence of General Sterling Price, with the main body of his forces at or near Fredericktown, in Madison county, while his advance, under Shelby and Marmaduke, is in the neighborhood of Farmington, in St. Francois….

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From The Missouri Democrat, Wednesday, September 28, 1864.

THE INVASION.

Desperate Fighting at Pilot Knob.

THE POST STILL HELD.

Narrow Escape of R. R. Trains

MAJOR JAMES WILSON AND OTHERS WOUNDED.

Details of the Capture of Farmington.

…The following, from Pilot Knob, came to hand last evening.

[Special Dispatch to the Missouri Democrat.]

PILOT KNOB, Sept. 26, 3 P. M.—The rebels in force are attacking this post. Our troops in the rifle pits are offering a stubborn resistance.

Major James Wilson, 3d Missouri cavalry, is wounded in the head. William Rector, company I, 3d cavalry, mortally wounded.

WALDO.

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From The Missouri Democrat, Wednesday, September 28, 1864.

THE CAPTURE OF FARMINGTON.

Full Details—A Gallant Defense—The Garrison Burned Out—Depredations of the Rebs—Their anxious Hunt for a Darkie—Stores Sacked—Story of a Dying Rebel—Wholesale Conscription.

[Special Correspondent of the Missouri Democrat.]

IRONDALE, Monday, Sept. 26, 4 P. M.

The refugees from the town of Farmington, the county seat of St. Francois, sixteen miles from here, give me the following particulars of the capture of that place:

On Saturday afternoon, about four o’clock, the rebels made their appearance in the outskirts of the town, which was garrisoned by a squad numbering some dozen soldiers, of Colonel Fletcher’s regiment, the 47th Missouri, the squad being under command of Lieutenant Wilber, of company I. The little garrison made a gallant defense, fighting from the Court House, and succeeded in driving the rebels out of town. The citizen refugees are loud in their praise of the bravery of the boys of the 47th.

On Sunday morning at nine o’clock, the rebels again made their appearance in larger force than before, and surrounded the Court House, where the Union soldiers were garrisoned. Our men went into the upper story, and the rebels, despairing of making them surrender without a hard struggle, built a fire in the lower story of the building, when our men, seeing no alternative but surrender or burning alive, chose the former….

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From The Missouri Democrat, Wednesday, September 28, 1864.

IMPORTANT ORDERS.

GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 178.

HEADQUARTERS, DEPT. OF THE MISSOURI,
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 26, 1864.

On the recommendation of His Honor, the Mayor, and many leading business men of the city, all public business will be suspended after 12 M. to-morrow, to enable us to complete our organizations for local defenses, and so permit an active force to pursue the enemy….

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From The Missouri Democrat, Thursday, September 29, 1864.

DIRECT FROM PILOT KNOB.

Arrival of Gen. Ewing’s Quartermaster.

Narrow Escape of Government Property.

THE SITUATION ON MONDAY.

The Condition of the Fort.

PROSPECTS OF SUCCESSFUL DEFENCE.

The Order to Evacuate the Knob.

REBEL CONSCRIPTION.

ETC., ETC., ETC.

We are indebted to Captain B. Garven, Assistant Quartermaster of the District of St. Louis, for a variety of interesting information from the seat of war in the Southeast.

Captain Garven left Pilot Knob at 4 A. M., on Tuesday, in charge of three railroad trains sent off with stores by order of General Ewing. One of the trains was crowded with refugees. The trip was dangerous for several reasons, not the least of which was the uncertainty of finding the track clear of down trains. Captain Garven sent a hand car ahead to feel the way in order to avoid collisions and the progress was very slow. After crossing the Big River Bridge, he met a down train carrying two hundred and fifty soldiers as reinforcements to Gen. Ewing. After this train passed the upward the engineer discovered some rails displaced. The soldiers commenced to repair the track, when they were fired upon by concealed rebels. They replied to the fire and killed several rebels and proceeded forward. The train had not gone far before they saw the South Big River bridge on fire. The train then backed up to and joined Captain Garven’s. The soldier’s train and the others reached De Soto without further adventure.

The situation on Tuesday at five P. M. was as follows: On Monday our lines extended to Arcadia, and a picket was stationed at Ironton. The fort at Pilot Knob was strengthened by Gen. Ewing’s order, and vigorous preparations made to defend the post….

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From The Missouri Democrat, Thursday, September 29, 1864.

LATEST FROM THE KNOB.

Situation at Tuesday Noon.

All General Ewing’s Troops in the Fort—The Rebels Shelling from Shepherd Mountain—Destruction of the Railroad Depot—Plunder of Homes and Stores—Gen. Ewing with Plenty of Ammunition and Provisions, but in a Bad Position for Defence.

The latest intelligence received from Pilot Knob up to last evening, came through Mr. Burns, telegraph operator, who left that place on Tuesday afternoon, at half-past twelve, in disguise, and reached DeSoto yesterday morning.

When Mr. Burns left the Knob, General Ewing had withdrawn all his troops into the fort on the Arcadia road—the rebels had occupied the town, and burnt the railroad depot. They captured no Government property, but helped themselves to the contents of stores and homes without stint. The rebels had planted a battery on Shepherd’s Mountain, and were throwing shells into the fort quite lively. Mr. Burns says that General Ewing had plenty of ammunition and supplies to hold out against a siege or assault, but the rebel shells were doing some execution, and our forces were unable to return the compliment owing to the elevated position held by the rebels. Mr. Burns remained at DeSoto last night in the office of the military telegraph at that place.

Official Bulletin:

We received the following from headquarters at half-past ten last night:

General A. J. Smith’s headquarters are at Desoto, our cavalry are now scouting the country and report that a portion of the rebel raiders have gone to Richwood, in Franklin county, a few miles northwest of Mineral Point.

Nothing has yet occurred to indicate the exact strength of the rebels.

It is reported that cannon firing was heard yesterday in the vicinity of Cape Girardeau, probably gunboat firing.

A large number of veterans arrived here yesterday from Illinois.

The organization of citizens is progressing favorably, and there are now 12,000 militia armed and equipped.

 

From The Missouri Democrat, Thursday, September 29, 1864.

FROM PILOT KNOB.

The Advance of the Rebels from Below—Lively Skirmishing—The Capture of Patterson—A Big Scare at the Knob.

Editors Missouri Democrat:

PILOT KNOB, September 24.

We are having stirring times in Southeast Missouri, in the vicinity of Pilot Knob. In the last six days we have done a pretty large share of fighting, r[illegible]ing, marching and scaring. On the 20th of this month, Lieutenants Fuge and Brouner [sic-Brawner], of the 3d M. S. M., with Lieutenant McMurty [sic-McMurtry], of the 47th infantry Missouri volunteers, and about seventy men, drove the rebels from Doniphan, in Ripley county, and from their camp six miles south of Doniphan, after sharp skirmishing at the bridge and ford of Current River. On our return, when about twelve miles from Poplar Bluffs [sic], our camp was surrounded by about three or four hundred rebels, and after twice gallantly charging and driving back the enemy, we were compelled to charge through and over his lines to get away.

In this engagement we lost Lieutenant Brouner, of company K, 3d M. S. M., a gallant soldier and good officer; also ten men, either killed or captured. The rebels lost seventy killed, being thrown into great confusion on our last charge, many of them wearing our uniform and got mixed up us and fell by rebel lead….

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From The Missouri Democrat, Friday, September 30, 1864.

FROM PILOT KNOB.

A BATTLE FOUGHT.

Gen. Ewing Victorious!

1,500 REBELS KILLED AND WOUNDED.

Price in Command

REBEL GEN. CABELL WOUNDED.

Pilot Knob Evacuated!

THE COMMAND ALL SAFE.

SEPTEMBER [illegible], 1864.—To Colonel John V. Du Bois, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Department of the Missouri: At daylight our outposts at Ironton were attacked and forced back in within half a mile of the Fort. The enemy made desperate efforts to get possession of Sheppard’s [sic-Shepherd’s] Mountain, and at [illegible] P. M. succeeded in driving the battalion of the 14th Iowa into rifle pits and getting two six pounder guns in position on the mountain. The three mountain slopes overlooking the Fort were filled with dismounted cavalry….

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From The Missouri Democrat, Friday, September 30, 1864.

AFFAIRS IN THE SOUTHEAST.

Good News from Ewing.

REBELS MOVING WEST.

General Smith in St. Louis.

OUR LINE AT THE MERAMEC.

Return of Troops to Jefferson Barracks.

THE REFUGEES, &C.

An extra train arrived in the city at six o’clock last evening, over the Iron Mountain railroad, from Jefferson Barracks, bringing Major General A. J. Smith and several of his staff officers.

The brigade at North Big river bridge fell back seven miles to De Soto Wednesday afternoon. Yesterday morning the 2d brigade began moving in trains from De Soto to Jefferson Barracks, where the first installment arrived at about seven o’clock. The rolling stock of the road was all day employed in transporting the remaining troops from De Soto and other points on the road. A brigade was left at the Meramec bridge, and the rest of the force, including the artillery, returned to their old camps in and around the Barracks. The cavalry was last to withdraw, and probably did not reach the Barracks till nine or ten o’clock last night. General Smith arrived at the Meramec at seven A. M., and at the Barracks several hours later. Some scores of refugees from various towns and cities in the Southeast came in on the trains.

This withdrawal, so far from resulting from the presence of the enemy, was taken, as we are given to understand, on account of his absence, and of indications of his moving rapidly and in force towards Rolla and Jefferson City. The information on which the military authorities proceed is of course not furnished, but in this instance one of the items has already gained publicity. In the statement that a large body of the rebels was early yesterday morning been moving westward near Richwood [sic-Richwoods], about mid way between the Southwest Branch and Pacific roads….

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From The Missouri Democrat, Friday, September 30, 1864.

THE FIGHTING AT PILOT KNOB.

Full and Graphic Details.

ASSAULT BY VASTLY SUPERIOR NUMBERS.

A Heroic and Glorious Defense.

Captain Chas. K. Hill, Assistant Provost Marshal of St. Louis, reached St. Louis at eight o’clock last evening from Pilot Knob. He left that place Wednesday night, traveled about sixty miles across the country, with escort, to the Pacific railroad at Cuba, and thence on the road to this city. He brings the glorious intelligence that General Ewing’s defense was triumphant and that he and his garrison are in safety.

He reports Price personally in command of the rebels, who are about 12,000. A train of 44 wagons had been destroyed and the men slain by the rebels, who massacred the men without demanding a surrender. This took place between Irondale and Mineral Point.

Captain Hill, last evening, made to General Rosecrans the following narrative, verbally, of the experience of the command:…

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