Bits and pieces

A fascinating aspect in the study of the Civil War is that there are many smaller interesting threads that are incidents or happenings which are often overlooked, but help bind the fabric into the mosaic of the entire war. This column contains a number of such incidents that occurred in September of 1864 that are briefly described in Series I, Vol. 41, Part III Correspondence of the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion on the following pages:

Page 12; Deer and Bear Hunting Tactics:

"Saint Louis, September 1864.

Brigadier General Douglas,

Mexico, Missouri:

Turn all your wits to teach our men the secret of expeditions to STILL HUNT and SURPRISE the enemy. All that is wanted is to adopt the DEER and BEAR HUNTING TACTICS! Our men must have routes and at times to avoid being seen at all. No stopping at farm houses or any other place to be seen.

W. S. ROSECRANS,

Major General."

Page 31: Wartime Work Release:

"Glasgow, Mo., September 2, 1864.

Major General Rosecrans,

The steam ferry belonging to the State Penitentiary left Jefferson [City] Thursday morning, manned, piloted and crewed by convicts. She was fired into at Rocheport and taken after her Captain was killed and Pilot mortally wounded. Capt. Eads of the [Steamboat] Tutt reports that the commanding officer at Jefferson told him about 200 Rebels crossed near Rocheport during Tuesday night and that the boat was released the next morning.

HENRY SUESS,

Major."

[Note: Quite a form of 19th Century work release by crewing a ferryboat only to be captured by Confederate Guerrillas /Bushwhackers. It is not known if the convict crew was killed or recruited by the guerrillas. ]

Page 95: An INFERNAL MACHINE:

"Saint Louis, Mo. September 7, 1864.

Col. E. D. Townsend,

Assistant Adjutant General:

A fact proper to be known in connection with others previously reported to the Secretary of War is that an INFERNAL MACHINE exploded last night in the principle storehouse of Quartermaster's Stores in this city and but for the vigilance of the watchman in charge $1,500,000 of government property would have been destroyed. It was contained in a VALISE filled with COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS and exploded by CLOCK-WORK, set to run till 12:30 o'clock at night.

W. S. ROSECRANS,

Major General."

[Note: Sabotage was common in major cities of the North and South and was especially prevalent in Saint Louis, Missouri. Often wood used to fuel steamboats was hollowed out, filled with gunpowder that exploded in the firebox & destroyed the boat. However, a TIME BOMB mechanized by a running clock was the ultimate advanced sabotage device of the time.]

Page 29: SPIES KILLED:

"Cape Girardeau, Mo., September 2, 1864.

Brigadier General Ewing:

Have just received a dispatch from Captain Edwards, at New Madrid. Says one of his SCOUTS came across TWO SPIES AND KILLED THEM. Other two SCOUTS are still out and I will notify you as fast as they get in. My posts are all weak, but as soon as I can locate this Rebel force I will concentrate and move against them.

H. M. HILLER,

Lieutenant Colonel, Commanding."

[Note: According to both the Union & Confederate Articles of War a captured SPY could be and was executed on the spot without a trial or Court Martial.]

Page 12: NIGHT PATROLS:

"Headquarters Sub-District 3, Dist. of South Kansas

Paola, Kansas, September 1, 1864.

Captain Henry Pearce,

Company C, Eleventh Kansas Vol. Cav., Coldwater Grove, Kansas.

Captain: Lieut. Col. P.B. Plumb has made the following change in the patrol system in his command on the border to wit: Two men will leave Aubrey, going SOUTH, EVERY 10 MINUTES after 7 P.M. for TWO HOURS, making twenty four men. They will go to a point halfway below on the Aubrey and Coldwater Grove Road and meet the pickets from Coldwater and then go East or West, as the case may be to another road and observe the same order in going back. North of Aubrey the patrol will consist of one man instead of two. You will make the same change in your system of patrols until further notice. IRA I. TABER,

First Lieut. and Acting Assistant Adjutant General."

Page 83, SALUTES:

"Headquarters, Dept. of the Missouri,

Saint Louis, mo., September 6, 1864.

Special Orders No. 247:

In accordance with the President's proclamation of the 3rd instant a SALUTE OF 100 GUNS [cannon] will be fired at 12 m. tomorrow, the 7th instant within the limits of the city of Saint Louis in HONOR of the RECENT VICTORY of our arms at ATLANTA, GEORGIA. COL. N. Cole, Chief of Artillery, department of the Missouri, is charged with the execution of this order.

By command of Major General Rosecrans:

FRANK ENO,

Assistant Adjutant General."

[Note: Salutes for this and many occasions were fired in Fort Scott using large cannon such as 24 Pounders. Think of the many headaches from the deafening continuous sound of the guns!]

Page 98: HOSTILE INDIANS:

"Field Headquarters, Dept. of Kansas,

Camp at Chalk Creek, on Solomon River, September 7, 1864.

Orders:

For the purpose of dividing forces so as to make further search after HOSTILE INDIANS, the company of Pawnee Scouts is attached to the Battalion of Colonel Summers and Major R. H. Hunt will also transfer a mountain howitzer [small cannon] from the First to the Second Battalion. The commanders will divide the company's supplies and be ready to march at 7 o'clock tomorrow morning. The First Battalion Eastward and the Second under direction of General Mitchell Westward.

S. R. CURTIS,

Major General ."

[Note: In 1864, Major General S. R. Curtis commanded the Dept. of Kansas and was responsible for defending the eastern and southern borders against Confederates in Missouri and the Indian Territory and keeping the Santa Fe & Smokey Hill River Trails open and protecting the settlers in central Kansas by waging a war against the Plains Indians. Therefore, he was conducting a war on 3 fronts which was almost a Mission Impossible, but he managed to accomplish same.]

Page 109 & 110: TALKING WIRE:

"Kansas City, Missouri; September 8, 1864.

Major Smith,

Commanding, Independence;

Sergeant Coy starts for the Blue, near Raytown, at daylight tomorrow with thirty five men. You will send out a large party with the TELEGRAPH REPAIRER to PUT UP the LINE [known as the Talking Wire] between your station and Pleasant Hill. Perhaps your force may be able to cooperate with Coy. Coy's party. Wear no badges but he will be mounted on his big gray horse which all know. Send Sergeant Tibbits or an officer in charge.

R. S. ROE,

Acting Assistant Adjutant General."

Now then, all of these smaller incidents offer a pause to the major facets of the Civil War in Missouri and Kansas. However, they were indeed part of the war's fabric and of course the War went on!