The Woodruff Gun–Annotations to the Margreiter Article: Finding Love

The Woodruff Gun

Annotations to the Margreiter Article

Finding Love

Quincy Daily Whig and Republican, 7 December 1861, page 3, column 1

DOING GOOD SERVICE.—A short time since Capt. Love of the 18^th Missouri Regiment purchased of Mr. Greenleaf one of the cannon which he has been for some time past engaged in manufacturing in this city.

A letter received in this city from the Captain—who is represented as being something of a sportsman—states that he took it with him on a hunting excursion recently, during which he came across a covey of seseshers [sic], and succeeded in bagging seven and winging seven more.  Whether any of his party were killed or not we did not learn, but one man was brought over last night that was wounded in the skirmish and left at the Hospital.  The 18^th Missouri have recently moved from Laclede [in Linn County, where they were organized], and are now quartered at Weston [in Platte County on the Missouri River north of Kansas City].

The 18th Missouri Volunteer Infantry was organized at Laclede, Missouri,¹Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Des Moines, IA: The Dyer Publishing Co.  1908.  p. 1330. in Linn County, along the route of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad in August 1861²Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Missouri 1863, Jefferson City, MO:  W. A. Curry, 1864.  p. 281..  Some time in the fall of 1861, the regiment, which had been guarding the railroad, was moved to Weston, Missouri, on the Missouri River north of Kansas City ³Dyer, Frederick H., A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, Des Moines, IA: The Dyer Publishing Co.  1908.  p. 1330..  No “Capt. Love” is reported among its officers in the 1863 Report of the Missouri Adjutant General. ⁴Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Missouri 1863, Jefferson City, MO:  W. A. Curry, 1864.  pp. 281-282.

However, the publication Organization and Status of Missouri Troops in Service During the Civil War⁵Record and Pension Office, War Department, Organization and Status of Missouri Troops in Service During the Civil War, Washington, DC:  Government Printing Offfice, 1902.  p. 216.  https://digital.shsmo.org/digital/collection/amcw/id/20260/rec/3 lists:

Love’s Independent Company.  (Attached to Eighteenth Infantry Regiment, three years’ volunteers;  became Company L, Seventh Cavalry Regiment, three years’ volunteers.)

The 1863 Report of the Missouri Adjutant General⁶Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Missouri 1863, Jefferson City, MO:  W. A. Curry, 1864.  p. 864-865. section on the 7th Missouri Cavalry reports:

While this entry lists “Capt. Louis’ Company of Cavalry”, this is most probably a transcription error.  There is no “Capt. Louis” listed among the officers of the 7th Cavalry, and it is easy to see how “Love’s” could have been mistaken for “Louis’” in transcribing a possibly poorly handwritten original.

The same entry lists:

This is the only “Capt. Love” found showing service in a Missouri regiment, so this is most likely the officer reported in the news article.  No records yet found indicate the disposition of Capt. Love’s Woodruff gun either after his company’s transfer to the 7th Cavalry or after his resignation.