© 2013 Robert O. Banks, Jr. All Rights Reserved
With the Civil War winding down in 1865, Missouri's organization of militia went through a series of confusing changes. A new militia law was passed in February, 1865, then amended in April. Orders were issued by the state adjutant general and rescinded. Enrolling officers were appointed and relieved. Companies were formed and disbanded. Exactly how all of this played out in Barry County isn't clear.
On March 8, 1865, Captain William Ray of the 15th Missouri Cavalry was ordered to form a volunteer militia company for Barry and McDonald counties under General Orders No. 3. These orders were rescinded for the entire state July 6, 1865, and all companies formed under them were disbanded. The Annual Report of the Adjutant General of Missouri for ... 1865 has a chart showing companies formed under these orders and does not show a company for Barry and McDonald counties, although some adjoining counties did form companies.
Then, four days after General Orders No. 3 were revoked, on July 10, 1865, Elias Horine was appointed enrolling officer for Barry, Newton and McDonald counties under the provisions of the April militia law. The Adjutant General's 1865 Report showed these three counties plus Lawrence county as part of the 20th Regiment of Missouri Militia with Michael Horine of Barry County as major. If actual militia companies were formed for this regiment, I have not yet located a roster.
Finally, in 1866, there was a militia enrollment of 814 Barry county men in nine companies organized by township. The enrollment form says the enrollment was purusant to the February, 1865 law, which made enrollment mandatory for all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 45. The section for Sugar Creek Township, south Barry County, has this interesting note, "Total No. of men Enrolled in the above Township is 155, all rebels but the Lieutenant." In a decade when many men disappeared without a trace between the 1860 and 1870 censuses, this mandatory enrollment under the militia law amounts to a mid-decade census of able-bodied men in the county between the ages of 18 and 45 -- a useful research tool.
The following table shows the number of men and commanding officer for each militia company and township:
| Company | Township | Number Enrolled | Commanding Officer |
| A | Capps Creek | 68 | 1st Lt. Harrison Horine |
| B | Shoal Creek | 94 | Captain Michael Horine |
| C | Liberty | 66 | Captain Josiah Davidson |
| D | Sugar Creek | 155 | 1st Lt. Randolph R. Smith |
| E | Flat Creek | 130 | Captain John Ray |
| F | White River | 74 | Captain O. D. Harbert |
| G | Mountain | 66 | 1st Lt. Joseph L. Page |
| H | Crane Creek | 50 | 1st Lt. Elias W. Williams |
| I | McDonald | 111 | Captain William Lee |
Here is a complete transcription of the roster for Company A, Capps Creek Township. Rosters for the remaining companies can be found at the Missouri State Archives in Jefferson City on microfilm reel S1069.
| ROSTER, COMPANY A, CAPPS CREEK TOWNSHIP | |||||||
| Name (Alternative Spellings) | Age | Height | Hair | Eyes | Complexion | Marital Status | Known Civil War Service, Other Notes |
| Officers & Non-Commissioned Officers | |||||||
| 1st Lt. Harrison Horine | 24 | 5' 6" | Dark | Hazel | Dark | Married | Stone Prairie Home Guard. Roster. |
| 1st Sgt. William M. Carlin (aka Marsh or Marshall Carlin) | 27 | 5' 5" | Light | Hazel | Fair | Married | Stone Prairie Home Guard. Roster. 1st Arkansas Cavalry (Union) |
| Sgt. Pleasant H. Ripley | 22 | 6' 1" | Light | Blue | Fair | Single | In April, 1871 Marsh Carlin and his father Asa were arrested in Barry County for disturbing the peace of P. H. Ripley. Charges dropped. |
| Sgt. Peter R. Swiger | 40 | 5' 7" | Light | Blue | Fair | Married | Stone Prairie Home Guard. Roster. 24th Missouri Infantry |
| Sgt. Washington Horine | 21 | 5' 7" | Dark | Hazel | Dark | Single | Company G, 15th MO Cavalry. Roster. |
| Sgt. William Norman | 25 | 5' 6" | Light | Hazel | Fair | Married | |
| Sgt. William Schooling | 33 | 5' 6" | Light | Blue | Fair | Married | Stone Prairie Home Guard. Roster. Company G, 7th PEMM. Roster. Company G, 15th MO Cavalry. Roster. |
| Cpl. Franklin Haddock | 27 | 5' 7" | Dark | Hazel | Dark | Married | Company H, 14th Missouri State Militia. Company M, 8th Missouri State Militia. |
| Cpl. Eli Albert | 40 | 5' 10" | Dark | Blue | Dark | Married | |
| Cpl. William J. Robbins | 36 | 5' 11" | Dark | Hazel | Dark | Married | |
| Cpl. Joseph Hudson | 25 | 5' 6" | Light | Blue | Fair | Married | |
| Cpl. Spenser Crumley | 25 | 5' 7" | Dark | Blue | Fair | Married | Company L, 76th EMM. Roster. Company G, 7th PEMM. Roster. Company D, 46th MO Infantry. |
| Cpl. Henry Birks (Birkes, Burks) | 25 | 6' | Black | Blue | Dark | Married | Company L, 76th EMM. Roster. Company G, 7th PEMM. Roster. Company G, 15th MO Cavalry. Roster. |
| Cpl. Jacob Birks (Birkes, Burks) | 22 | 5' 6" | Light | Blue | Fair | Married | Company L, 76th EMM. Roster. Company G, 7th PEMM. Roster. Company G, 15th MO Cavalry. Roster. |
| Cpl. Noah Haddock | 23 | 5' 6" | Dark | Dark | Dark | Married | Company B, 11th MO Infantry (CSA). Company G, 7th PEMM. Roster. Company G, 15th MO Cavalry. Roster. |
| Privates | |||||||
| Arnold, Levi A. | 20 | 6' | Dark | Black | Dark | Single | |
| Burch, U. K. | 32 | 5' 9" | Black | Blue | Dark | Married | |
| Burch, David | 25 | 5' 5" | Black | Black | Dark | Single | |
| Burks, Marion | 18 | 5' 5" | Dark | Hazel | Dark | Single | Arrested for Horse Theft, May 1884. Details. |
| Bennett, Joshua | 30 | 5' 6" | Black | Black | Dark | Married | |
| Burk, Isaac | 20 | 5' 6" | Light | Blue | Fair | Single | |
| Bettis, William T. | 32 | 5' 9" | Black | Hazel | Dark | Married | |
| Brown, James | 18 | 5' 7" | Light | Hazel | Fair | Single | |
| Christopher, Jesse | 25 | 6' 1" | Light | Blue | Dark | Married | Company H, 8th MO Infantry (CSA) Company G, 7th PEMM. Roster. Company G, 15th MO Cavalry. Roster. |
| Crumley, John | 28 | 5' 6" | Dark | Hazel | Dark | Married | Company L, 76th EMM. Roster. Company G, 7th PEMM. Roster. Company D, 46th MO Infantry. |
| Carlin, Thomas | 18 | 5' 8" | Dark | Hazel | Dark | Single | |
| Coats, George | 20 | 5' 7" | Dark | Blue | Dark | Single | |
| Crumley, Samuel | 32 | 5' 6" | Black | Black | Dark | Married | Company L, 76th EMM. Roster. Company G, 7th PEMM. Roster. Company G, 15th MO Cavalry. Roster. |
| Clardy, Norman | 40 | 5' 8" | Light | Blue | Fair | Married | |
| Christopher, William | 23 | 6' 2" | Light | Blue | Dark | Married | Company H, 8th MO Infantry (CSA) Company G, 7th PEMM. Roster. Company K, 2nd MO Regiment Artillery (New) |
| Doty, Ambrose | 40 | 5' 8" | Light | Blue | Dark | Married | Company L, 76th EMM. Roster. |
| Eden, Absalom | 18 | 5' 4" | Light | Blue | Fair | Single | |
| Eden, William M. | 30 | 5' 5" | Light | Blue | Fair | Single | |
| Eden, Daniel | 18 | 5' 4" | Light | Blue | Fair | Single | |
| Fergison, Charles W. | 31 | 5' 10" | Dark | Blue | Dark | Married | |
| Gentry, Mark | 41 | 5' 10" | Light | Hazel | Dark | Married | |
| Hatch, Nathaniel | 24 | 6' 1 1/2" | Black | Black | Dark | Single | |
| Hudson, Allen | 32 | 6' | Light | Blue | Fair | Married | Sheriff Barry County, Elected 1878 &1880. Biography in Goodspeed's. |
| Hisand, William (Hisaw) | 31 | 5' 10" | Light | Blue | Fair | Married | Company G, 8th MO Infantry (CSA). Biography in Goodspeed's. |
| Hanes, Martin | 38 | 6' | Light | Blue | Fair | Married | |
| Hart, Lewis D. | 20 | 5' 9" | Dark | Blue | Dark | Single | |
| Haddock, Alexander | 30 | 5' 9" | Black | Black | Dark | Married | |
| Harrison, William L. | 25 | 5' 3" | Light | Blue | Fair | Married | |
| Johnson, Lafayette | 19 | 5' 7" | Light | Blue | Fair | Single | |
| Legrand, Marion | 21 | 5' 7" | Black | Blue | Dark | Married | |
| Lawrence, J. C. | 32 | 5' 11" | Dark | Hazel | Dark | Married | |
| Montgomery, Robert | 21 | 6' | Black | Hazel | Dark | Married | |
| Mulkey, William H. | 20 | 5' 5" | Dark | Hazel | Fair | Single | Company K, 7th PEMM. Roster. Company K, 15th MO Cavalry. Roster. |
| Medlin, William H. | 25 | 5' 5 1/2" | Dark | Hazel | Dark | Married | |
| Moudy, Thomas | 19 | 5' 8" | Dark | Grey | Dark | Married | |
| McMillen, James | 28 | 5' 9" | Light | Hazel | Fair | Married | |
| Owen, John | 25 | 5' 10" | Dark | Blue | Dark | Married | |
| Prether, James H. | 29 | 6' | Dark | Grey | Dark | Married | |
| Rogers, George W. | 25 | 5' 11" | Black | Blue | Dark | Married | |
| Reaves, Jasper | 23 | 5' 9" | Light | Hazel | Fair | Single | |
| Scovel, James W. | 36 | 5' 11" | Black | Blue | Dark | Married | |
| Sexton, James | 37 | 6' 1" | Light | Blue | Fair | Married | Stone Prairie Home Guard. Roster. |
| Stinett, John R. | 23 | 5' 10" | Light | Grey | Fair | Married | |
| Sexton, William J. | 21 | 5' 9" | Light | Blue | Dark | Married | Company D, 8th Missouri Cavalry |
| Swiger, Thomas P. | 18 | 5' 1" | Light | Blue | Fair | Single | |
| Stinett, William | 26 | 5' 11" | Light | Blue | Fair | Married | |
| Smith, Thomas J. | 25 | 6' 5" | Light | Hazel | Dark | Single | |
| Terry, L. D. | 21 | 5' 10" | Dark | Dark | Dark | Single | |
| Vermillion, Reason | 18 | 5' 6" | Light | Blue | Dark | Single | |
| Waltrip, William | 18 | 5' 7" | Light | Hazel | Dark | Single | |
| Waltrip, John R. | 21 | 5' 10" | Black | Hazel | Dark | Married | |
| Wright, William P. | 36 | 6' | Black | Blue | Dark | Married | Company K, 7th PEMM. Roster. |
| Wormington, John | 20 | 5' 11" | Dark | Hazel | Fair | Married | |
SOURCES: Microfilm S1069, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City. Annual Report of the Adjutant General of Missouri for the Year Ending December 31, 1865, pages 43-55, 633-704. The full text of this report is online at the State Historical Society of Missouri website.
This site created by Bob Banks. Comments, corrections and suggestions are welcome.
Home: Historical Items from Barry & Newton Counties, Missouri
© 2013 Robert O. Banks, Jr. All Rights Reserved