The Thrailkill and Taylor Raid on Livingston and Caldwell Counties

THE THRAILKILL AND TAYLOR RAID

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON AND CALDWELL COUNTIES 1885

The most exciting incident occurring in Caldwell county during the year 1864, and perhaps during the Civil War, was the raid into and through the county in July by a body of Confederate recruits and guerrillas, led by two noted chieftains named John Thrailkill and Chas. F. Taylor. The latter was and is generally known by the name of Fletcher, or "Fletch." Taylor. Perhaps a full account of the origin and termination of this raid ought here to be given, since it is believed this can· be done fairly and accurately at this time. The writer has taken great pains to ascertain the facts, and has confidence that in the main he has done so.
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Fletch Taylor had been in the war from the start. He was one of the prisoners captured at Camp Jackson by Gen. Lyon, was at the battle of Belmont, then in Lee's army, where he was taken prisoner, paroled, and sent home to Independence, Mo. Here, in the latter part of 1862: he was arrested by the Federal military authorities and ordered to work on the breastworks, but he escaped in a day or two and joined Quantrell. In a year he was Quantrell's first lieutenant, and in the latter part of June, 1864, crossed the Missouri into Clay county at the head of 75 guerrillas, 12 of whom were Quantrell's old men. John

Thrailkill was from Holt county. Originally a Secessionist in sympathy, he took no active part until late in the war, when he was recruited into the regular Confederate service in Platte connty by Col. J. C. C. (Coon) Thornton. He Was a man of near middle age, with a superior education and of fine ability.
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By some means Thrailkill and Taylor met in Clay county soon after the latter crossed the river. Recruits were joining Taylor's company very rapidly, and Taylor says he made Thrailkill captain of a company. In a brief time the two had 300 men, and Clay county became too small to hold them. Taylor resolved to make a raid with his guerrillas into Iowa, and sent a courier to Bill Anderson, then in Chariton county, to join him. Thrailkill swore the men under his immediate command into the Confederate service and

announced his intention of crossing the river and joining Gen. Price's army in Arkansas the first opportunity.
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All of western Missouri was ablaze at this time. The Confederate guerrillas had been at work and the Federal troops were unusually active. Taylor captured Platte City and held it long enough for Jesse James and others of his band to have their "tin-type" pictures taken; Col. Ford, of the 2d Colorado cavalry, and 300 militia defeated "Coon" Thornton and 150 of his men at Camden Point, Platte county, and afterward burned the town and killed a number of its citizens, and passed on to Platte City, which was also partially burned and some of its people put to the sword. Men were being killed every day, by each side.
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Soon after the events in Platte county noted above, Taylor and Thrailkill, at the head of 300 men, left Clay county and passed eastward into Ray. July 17, Fletch. Taylor hadly defeated Capt. Moses and his company of the 2d Colorado cavalry at Fredericksburg, killing 6 and wounding others. Thrailkill's immediate command did not take part in this fight. Plundering Gay's store, at Fredericksburg, the raiders passed on to Elkhorn, robbed the store of Maj. Allen, a prominent Unionist, and carried off even part of his clothing. They now threatened Richmond, but Capt. Clayton Tiffin, of the 4th Provisional regiment of militia, succeeded in throwing his company into the town ahead of the guerrillas, and when

a mile from the place they turned north toward Knoxville. Of course Thraikill followed, or accompanied Taylor.
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Near Knoxville, on the 18th, some of Taylor's men killed Lieut. .Jesse C. Tunnage and two other men named Shumate and Wilson, all of the enrolled militia. South of Knoxville, at Moses Yoacum's. they met and rohbed the stage, destroying the mail, etc., and taking the stage company horses. At that lime the stage ran between Lexington and Hamilton. At Knoxville nearly 100 citizens had assembled, but as they held less than 50 guns of any sort, and as Capt. Tiffin had sent them word not to make a fight, they mostly fled to the brush. A few under Capt. Kelso, of the 6th M. S. M., and Lieut. Stone, remained
in town until the rebel forces were in sight. Lieut. Stone rode out a mile south of town to meet them, and when he hailed them and asked who they were they answered, "Illinois 100 days men," a species of Federal soldiery then in the service. Stone galloped back to the village and Thrailkill formed a line of battle across the road as if expecting an attack. Soon after the guerrillas came up into the little hamlet, from which Kelso and his men had retired, and held it. They fired at a few fleeing citizens who were just

entering the brush, shot and killed a poor half-witted negro belonging as a slave to Mrs. Stone, plundered the stores of Jacob Wright and O. H. White, and robbed the few citizens of their pocket money, and left the place after an occupation of less than an hour.
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Following close after the rebels were nearly 400 militia and Colorado troops, under Maj. Pritchett or Prichard, of the 2d Colorado. These were but two miles south when Thrailkill and Taylor were in Knoxville, but Maj. Pritchett ordered a halt "to feed up", as he said, and remained until his enemy had departed. He then marched up to Knoxville, but refused to come any further north, although assured that his enemy was in camp only three miles away, and the same evening marched for Liberty, Clay county. For this singular Conduct the major was severely censured at the time by the Unionists of the country. He had more men and they were better armed and mounted generally than those of Thrailkill and Taylor, but for some reason he avoided a fight.
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After leaving Knoxville Thrailkill and Taylor came up the Kingston road two miles and turned east to John Rainwater's, where they arrived about 4 p. m. Here they remained until after nightfall, when the greater portion of the command went to old John Switzer's on the Flat fork of Crooked river, where they remained until 3 a. m. of Tuesday, July 19th. Then they again set out and about daylight went into camp, or halted, in Black Oak Grove, near the present village of Black Oak.
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From Black Oak Grove a detachment of Taylor's company, said to have been under the command

of Lieut. Frank James, went into the countly to the northwest of the Grove early in the morning. Beating up the country for straggling militia, they called upon Joseph Cain and John Phillips, two residents of the locality, and members of Capt. Noblett's company of enrolled militia. Both Cain and Phillips were taken from their families, carried some distance away and killed. Cain was killed half a mile or more from his home, and Phillips a mile farther. This was on Tuesday, and Cain's body was not recovered until the following Suuday, when it was found horribly mangled and. nearly eaten up by hogs.
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It is said that Phillips was by no means a radical Union man, and there were those who even doubted his loyalty. It is believed that had the guerrillas known the real character of the men-known that they were practically unoffeuding-they wouId not have killed them. But an ex-guerrilla, now residing in Jackson county, and who was present, says in a communication to the writer:

The two men killed the day before we took Kingston belonged to a company of redleg militia, that had sometime before killed an old man, 80 years of age, burnt his house and tnrned his distressed family out of doors. This company had also murdered many other unoffending Southern men in that county, and done much other injury uncalled for. We would have killed every member of this company if we could have caught them. I remember that one of the men claimed to he a Southern man, but as soon as he told us what company he belonged to that settled his fate.
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Meantime the militia of the county were swarming. Thc night before Capt. Noblett, with a part of his company, stayed at Widow George's, west of Black Oak Grove. Other members of the militia stayed near Black Oak, and Noblett sent them word to come on to Kingston. Twenty-six men arrived at 9 0'clock Tnesday morning at the residence of Daniel D. Michael, who then lived and now lives two miles southwest of the prescnt site of Black Oak. Here they halted to organize and await orders. The majority if not all the men belonged to Capt. Fortune's company (E) of the 33d Enrolled Militia. While these 26 men and 3 or 4 others were waiting at Michael's a messenger came up and said that Lieut. Joshua Orem, of Fortune's company, wished them to wait where they were for the arrival of Capt. Fortune, and accordingly they remained at Michael's for some time. One or two went on towards Kingston. The remainder were gathered in a little hollow, just west of Michael's house, on the road, when a column of men were seen approaching across the prairie from the northeast. Some of the militia called out, "There comes Fortune;" but others, who had seen more service, said, .. "It looks like d--d bad fortune for us-for they are the bushwhackers sure."
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The pun and the profanity were bad, but the statement was true. " They" were the bushwhackers. Uniting in the Black Oak Grove Thrailkill and Taylor started southwest towards Michael's, having heard of the presence of the militia and citizens there and determining to bag them. Taylor with his company made a detour around to the east and south intending to come up on them from the southwest, while Thrailkill marched straight forward. Nearing the little hollow, where the militia were huddled, alarmed and flustered, Thrailkill's column spread out like a fan and swooped on and around them, calling out "Surrender! " and capturing the entire outfit without the snapping of a cap.
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Not all of the militia were armed, and there were only 26 of them all told, a, few having broken away on the first appearance of the rebels. There was no officer in command, and, of course, no organization. Not all had ever seen service in the militia. or were regular members. There was, of course, great trepidation among them when they found they were prisoners, believing that they were all about to he put to the sword. But Thrailkill bade them be of good cheer, and assured them that their lives were not in danger. "You are fortunate that I captured you, and not Capt. Taylor's company," said he. "Taylor's men are guerrillas," he explained, " and it is very seldom that they receive or give quarter."
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Very soon Taylor's company arrived, coming up from the south. The men were disappointed that they had not reached the militia first, but, as it was, they made sundry threats and demonstrations against the prisoners, and were only restrained by Thrailkill and the strong guard he placed about them. Some of the guerrillas sncceeded in obtaining a few pocket-hooks, but Thrailkill forced them to restore all booty of this kind to its owners. All the prisoners were residents of the locality, and expected nothing else than that their property wonld be taken or destroyed, as it was well known that that section

contained but few "Southern men." Consequently they permitted themselves to be robbed without much protest, quite content if they could get off so cheaply.
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Thrailkill informed the prisoners that they would all be released and not harmed if they would give their paroles not to take up arms against the Confederate forces until regularly exchanged. Thrailkill himself claimed to be (and doubtless was) a regular Confederate officer, and had sworn his men into that service. He assured the prisoners that he wished to carry on his operations in true military style, and did not want to kill a single prisoner. "Your officers murder my men with out mercy when they capture them," said he, "but I have never yet killed a prisoner. I hope, however, that whenever in the future any of my men are taken by yours, you will remember how you have been treated this day, and use your influeuce to prevent their being shot down like dogs." To this day the prisoners speak admiringly of Maj. Thrailkill, and commend him for his humanity and generositv.
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Thrailkill bore himself throughout with coolness and dignity. He listened calmly to the oft expressed desire of Taylor"s men to "shoot the d--d heads off" the prisoners, but saw to it that not a hair of one of their heads was harmed. They were marched up to Michael's house, where pen and ink were procured, and each man furnished with a written parole, Thrailkill wrote the first parole, and Wm. Wheeler, a recently discharged Federal soldier, one of the prisoners, wrote a sufficient number of copies. The paroles were signed, "John Thrailkill, Capt. C, S, A" commanding," The prisoners had their guns and horses taken from them, and all of either that were serviceble were taken off.
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The rebel force remained at Michael's from 8 to 11 a. m. A majority cooked and ate their breakfasts, and fed their horses. "Michael was a Union man, and had left early that morning to join the militia at Kingston, His barn and kitchen were thoroughly .. cleaned out," as thoroughly as 250 hungry horses and 250 hungry raiders could do it. A good horse was also taken, At about 11 o'clock the whole force left Michael's, going south at first, and then turning east towanls Mandeville, in Carroll county.
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While at Michael's, Daniel Toomey, an Irishman, and a Union resident of thc vicinity, came riding up from the south with his gun on his shoulder, on his way to join the militia. Believing the force he saw at Michael's to he Federals, hc rode fairly into Taylor's company before he discovered his mistake, The guerrillas gave him a rough reception. Half a dozen fired at him. One shot took off the end of a finger, another passed through the back of his neck, and he fell from his horse apparently dead, One of the raiders examined the body, and announced that "the whole back part of his head is shot off." Picking up his hat he threw it down again, declaring he did not want it becausc it was so bloody. Toomey

played 'possum" until the raiders left, when he crawled and limped a mile or more away, and was found and taken care off. He was not seriously hurt, and soon recovered.
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Thrailkill and Taylor moved their forces to the vicinity of Mandeville, frightened Carroll county thoroughly, causing a concentration of the militia at Carrollton, then suddenly turned back and moved rapidly to the westward, going into camp the same night in this county, in the Elk Grove, or a little east and northeast of Black Oak. That night Maj. M. I. James, James Ray, John Esteb, and two or three others, who had come down from from Kingston to observe the movements of the enemy, slept within Thrailkill's lines, and the next morning breakfasted within 300 to 400 yards of his pickets.
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The rebels remained in the vicinity of their camps, resting themselves and their horses and procuring food and feed, when they started for Kingston, Fletch Taylor's company, as usual, in the advance. At Jesse Butts' residence nearly all of them took dinner and then came on, avoiding the prairies and keeping under cover of the ravines as much as possible until they struck the Shoal creek or Long creek timber, and coming into the Richmond road two miles south of Kingston.
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In the meanwhile there was great activity among the militia and Union citizens of the county. At 9 o'clock on Monday night, the 18th-the evening off the day the raider's were at Knoxville, a messenger bearing the news arrived at Kingston. The greatest excitement resulted. Runners were sent out through the county to rouse up the people, and during the night a number of citizens came in to defend the town. There was a great scarcity of arms, and only 25 shot-guns and rifles and a few revolvers could be gathered up.
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Early on Tuesday morning Capt. Noblett, with some 25 men of the Enrolled Militia, came in. Others arrived and about noon a couple of scouting parties started out, leaving but few arms in the town. In
the afternoon Lieut. Filson, with a party of militia called "the Wolf Hunters," came upon three straggling raiders seven miles east of Kingston, and firing upon them drove them into the brush, capturing their horses and some of their clothing. About noon on Wednesday, the 20th, a dispatch was received from
Maj. S. P. Cox, of Daviess county, stating that he was moving with 400 militia down towards Black Oak Grove, and requesting that all the militia that could be raised meet him at Breckinridge. Lieut. J. H. Snyder immediately started with about 30 men, all he could arm, for Breckinridge, leaving Kingston entirely defenseless. Between 4 and 5 o'clock in the afternoon John McBride, then the county treasurer, was overtaken on the Richmond road, a mile or more south of Kingston, by the entire force of Thrailkill and Taylor, some 300 strong. The leader, supposed to be Thriiilkill, inquired if there were any soldiers in town. McBride replied that they had all gone to join the force under Maj. Cox to operate against the bushwhackers. He then said, "You belong to Capt. Tiffin's company, do you not, and you are coming to protect the town, I suppose?" The leader answered, "No, we are Capt. Taylor's company, but we are coming to protect the town all the same." After crossing Log creek, Mr. McBride turned eastward to his home, then in the country, having been unharmed and unmolested, while the raiders dashed forward up into town.

As the head of the rebel column appeared over the hill a mile south of town, it was discovered by a lookout in the cupola of the court- house, and a general stampede among the able-bodied male citizens of the town began. Those who had horses mounted them and galloped rapidly away, while the footmen took to their heels. The thermometer stood at 105 degrees, but many a fat, well-fed gentleman made ad-
mirable fast time in reaching the goal whither all steps were directed — the thick shade and foliage that then bordered along Shoal creek and fringed the northern boundary of the town. One gentleman sought safety in the cupola of the court-house. The raiders rode leisurely into town, the head of the column halting in front of the court-house. Pickets were thrown out on all the roads and perhaps two dozen men dismounted. Two men mounted the cupola of the court-house to take down the flag, the stars and
stripes, gaily waving in the breeze. Miss Olivia George, a young lady of the place, ordered them not to touch the flag, but they paid no attention to her, except to compliment her on her spunk, and tore it down and bore it away. Another flag was taken from the Ray Bros.' grocery, and all the whisky in the grocery was drank up by the guerrillas, who were thirsty as Sahara camels and thought the beverage all the better because it came from an establishment that had a Union flag over it.

Some of the band then went to the court-house and broke open the doors of the offices. The vaults were found locked, and two sledgehammers were brought from a blacksmith shop. With these the
vaults in the offices of the circuit and county clerks, as well as the sheriff 's safe, were broken open, and then plundered. A few men went into the printing office of the Caldwell Banner of Liberty, broke
up some old guns that chanced to be there, carried off the subscription book, but did no damage to the material of the office. The editor, Judge Geo. W. Buckingham, was at the time hiding in a hazel thicket

north of town. None of the public records were destroyed except some enrollment lists and papers relating to the organization of the militia, which were taken out in front of the court-house and burned.

From the court-house the marauders went to the stores. Northup & Lewis' establishment was robbed of $200 worth of cigars, four boxes of ladies' shoes, four dozen cans of oysters, linen, calicoes, dress goods, etc. Woodward's store was entered and was being rapidly emptied, when Thrailkill rode up and ordered the goods returned, and forced the robbers to leave the premises. It is said this was done because Thrailkill believed the owner of the store to be John H. Ardinger, a " Southern sympathizer."

Only one or two private houses were entered, and from them nothing was taken. Many of the citizens were made prisoners, and robbed of what money they had in their pockets. Prior to the entrance of the
raiders into town, on the same day, one of their number had been taken prisoner by the militia, brought in and confined in the court- hourse. He was of course released. He proved to be a member of Capt. Taylor's company of guerrillas, and Taylor swore that he would "burn the d___ d court-house," since the Federals were using it only for a prison. Thrailkill protested and declared the building should not be harmed. There was something of a discussion between the two, but finally it was concluded to spare the court-house, as Gen. Price was expected to recapture and permanently hold Missouri, and we will need it to hold court in ourselves," said Thrailkill. The stay of the raiders in Kingston did not exceed an hour. They left about 4 p. m., in the direction of Mirabile, taking a circuitous route, however, toward the southwest, by way of the Widow Brown farm. On the way they stopped at houses by the wayside and procured something to eat. Some had procured lunches in Kingston.

Thrailkill and Taylor entered Mirabile from the east about 11 o'clock at night. Capt. E. D. Johnson had alarmed the citizens and nearly all of them had left town for Cameron. Immediately Taylor's company began work. Dr. W. H. Crawford's store, on the north side of Main street, towards the west end, was the first object of attack. The goods were nearly all taken or destroyed, and the safe broken open and its contents appropriated. The stores of Robt. Walker and the losses reported were: Northup & Lewis, $860 in goods and money; John and James Ray, $200 in liquors and groceries; L. C. Woodward, $160 in goods; J. C. Lillard, $500 in notes and revenue stamps; S. M. Davis, $100 in clothing; Sergt. John
Green, $75 in clothing. The losses from the court-house were in addition.

W. A. Myers were also plundered, but the grocery of Mr. McKinnis was not disturbed. Some citizens were also robbed. From Mrs. Dr. Browning, whose husband was in the Federal army, the guerrillas took
$25 and her husband's clothing; from Judge Jones they took the clothing of his two sons, Avho were in the Federal service; from Aaron Pfost they took $32 in money and a revolver. The day previous two of Thrailkill's men had been captured a few miles west or northwest of Mirabile by a squad of neighborhood militia belonging to Capt. Grouse's company. These men were named "Stump " Breckinridge and Richard Lancaster, and their homes were in Platte county. They admitted that they had been with Thrailkill, but declared that they had enlisted in the regular Confederate service and had deserted their command when it turned back in Carroll county after finding it impossible to cross the Missouri river. They said they intended returning home and surrendering to their home militia, with
whom they were well acquainted, and by whom they would be well treated. It is said that the prisoners had an overcoat and some other articles taken from Capt. Abraham Allen, of Elkhorn, Ray county.

The prisoners were guarded in Mirabile till the following night when Capt. Crouse and 15 men started with them ostensibly for Kingston.

But two miles from Mirabile, on Capt. E. D. Johnson's farm, near the Plattsburg road, and 200 yards southwest of the Morris graveyard, the prisoners were shot. A current report that they were tied to
trees and executed is doubtless untrue. The writer is assured that they were killed on a small bit of prairie near the timber. It is said that Breckinridge, when he saw the preparations that were being made
to kill him, said to the militia, " If I had known you intended killing me you never would have taken me alive." It required several shots to finish the prisoners, owing to the darkness. As soon as they were
dead the militia returned to Mirabile leaving the bodies lying on the ground. The next day they were buried by Capt. Johnson, Ben Mumpower, Chris. Kerr, and perhaps others, in the Morris graveyard,
four miles west of Kingston, where they still lie. When Taylor and Thiailkill reached Mirabile they learned of the killing of Breckinridge and Lancaster, and some of the raiders who were from Platte couuty were especially indignant. About a dozen prisoners were gathered up, among whom were J. D. Cox, Aaron
Pfost, James Ray, Rev. Tunnage and his two sons, and Mr. Cates, and Fletch Taylor swore he would kill old man Pfost and another prisoner who it is saitl were present and aided in the killing of the two Confederates the night before. Thrailkill himself was at first not inclined to interfere. '* Only yesterday morning," said he, "I captured 26i of the militia of this county and released them without harming one of them, and last night their comrades brutally murdered two of my men without any cause whatever. It does not seem right that I should do all the releasing and the Federal militia all the killing."

Matters were looking serious for Mr. Pfost, when J. D. Cox succeeded in getting Thrailkill to recognize the sign of Freemasonry, and taking him apart told him that if Pfost was killed 10 or 20 citizens of the county accused of being rebel sympathizers would be murdered in retaliation, and advised him to prevent the killing of any one. Whereupon Thrailkill ordered all the prisoners released, and gave orders that none of them should be hurt. Many of his men were not satisfied at this, and rode sullenly away mattering and murmuring. After taking or ''swapping for" all the good horses they could find, and remaining in town two or three hours, the raiders left. The amount of booty secured was very respectable. It is alleged that the following sums were taken from Dr. Crawford's safe, where they had
been deposited for safe keeping by the individuals named : From Dr. Crawford himself, $2,700; from Solomon Musser, $1,000; Andrew Adams, $500; Patrick Denean, $300; William A. Myers, $100;
James Douglas, $45 in gold and $40 in notes; James Battle, $80. Total, $4,765. Besides the $2,700 in cash. Dr. Crawford lost $2,300 in goods and $42.60 in postage stamps. Robert Walker lost in money
and goods $1,500 ; W. A. Myers lost $250 in groceries, chiefly canned goods.

Taking; the Plattsburij road the raiders went three miles west of Mirabile and lay down and slept till daylight, when they resumed their march to the westward. Eisfht miles west of Mirabile, in the edore of
Clinton, the advance, Taylor's company, killed a militiaman named Eli Christopher. He was standing in his door yard when they rode up, and he asked them who they were. They replied, " Militia, out after bushwhackers." Christopher rejoined, "That's right; clean them out; don't leave one to tell the tale. I am a militiaman, too." A dozen pistols were at once pointed at him, to his great consternation, and informing him he was the man they wanted the guerrillas forced him to accompany them some distance from the house, when they shot him dead and then rode their horses over him. At 11 o'clock Thrailkill reached Plattsburg, threatened it, but did not attack. Capt. Turney, of the Clinton militia, held the town, and when the rebels were leaving came out at the head of 20 men to attack the rear miard, and was shot from his saddle. Thrailkill and Taylor passed southward to Gosneyville, in Clay county, when they turned and went northwest towards Union mills, in Platte county. Near the mills the command breakfasted on Friday morning, July 22d, two days after leaving Kingston.

Meanwhile Maj. Cox's command, numbering about 400 militia, from Daviess, Livingston and Caldwell, moved from Breckinridge towards Black Oak, on Wednesday morning, but learning that the raiders had marched on Kingston they turned and hastened toward that place, where they arrived at sunrise on Thursday morning. As the command marched through the county it was continually re-enforced. The 26 men captured and paroled by Thrailkill at Michael's paid no regard to their parols, but joined in the pursuit of the rebels very readily. At Kingston a number of citizens joined, and Maj. Cox hastened on to Plattsburg, which place he reached at 4 in the afternoon. Here Capt. Crouse's and Capt. Jones' companies of militia from this county and Clinton came up, and in a short time the force was joined by a company of militia from Stewartsville and a company of 50 citizens from this county, under Capt. E. D. Johnson, Lieuts. J. L. Mylar and James Kay. Lieut. J. H. Snyder, when he left Kingston for Breckinridge to join Maj. Cox, went to Hamilton first for ammunition. There he learned of the raid on Kingston, and
hurried forward to Cameron to join the force at that place. Maj. Cox's entire force, 640 strong* camped at Plattsburg Tuesday night, and next morning took the trail towards Gosneyville, Clay county, and pushed forward as rapidly as possible. Some twelve miles to the southwest fresh jjuerrilla siijns were discovered, and the command closed up rapidly and pressed forward.

At the Union mills it was learned that the rebels were camped near a large white house, two and a half miles out on the road to Camden Point. A halt was ordered; the Stewartsville company was sent for-
ward as flankers and skirmishers, and the command again hurried on. Arriving at the white house it was found that the rebels had left, but a cloud of dust in advance showed that they were not far off. Two
miles further on, as the main body was passing through a lane, the advance was fired on. It immediately threw down a pasture fence at the right, rode into the field and was ordered to dismount; but before the order could be executed it was countermanded, and the advance re-entered the road and passed on. The road ran down into a kind of hollow and then angled to the right. On the left was a field, between it and the road a ridge whose side was bare to the top, but whose crest bore a thick growth of small trees and underbrush. In this thicket the rebels were concealed.

Capt. Noblett's Caldwell county company (Co, F, 33d E. M. M.), and one or two other companies which were in front, immediately formed in line, charged the hill and fired into the brush. The fire was returned with spirit and the militia checked. The brush was so dense that only an occasional glimpse of a man could be seen, and Noblett's men were guided in their aim only by the smoke of the rebel fire. At
one time while the men were on their knees loading, a guerrilla rode bravely from the brush and called out "Who are you?^ Are you Federals? " Capt. Noblett replied, " Yes, we are Federals, and if you
will all come out of the brush we will whip h — 1 out of you ! " Other militia companies now dismounted and formed as rapidly as possible, and Cox deployed a force into the field to the left for the purpose of flanking the rebel position, but it was found that the latter movement could not be executed without danger of firing into fellow- comrades. Although Maj. Cox had 650 men, while Thrailkill and Taylor united had at the time not more than 200, the nature of the ground in front was such that not more than 150 Federals could operate at a time, and therefore a large portion of Cox's force remained in the rear inactive and unemployed.

A second charge was made on the rebel position and checked. Many of the militia ran back from the hill towards their horses. The latter became frightened at the firinor and numbers of them broke away to the rear. A most ridiculous scene resulted ! There was a general stampede of frightened horses and panicky militia. In a moment the narrow lane was full of horseless riders, riderless horses, and mounted men, the latter shouting and calling, and each man and everything struggling to get to the rear out of the way of the pistol balls of the bushwhackers ! Some were crying " halt," but it was only after considerable distance had been placed between the battle field and the fugitives that the grreat mass halted and order was restored. The challenge of the Confederate and Federal soldiers was " Halt! " but that of the Missouri guerrillas was invariably "Who are you?" They never called out "Halt," unless purposely to deceive an enemy. But just about the time the stampede took place the fighting was terminated by a charge from the militia who remained at the front, and who plunged into the brush only to find it empty, and that while the greater portion of the Federals were running one way, rebels were running the other ! The brush was thoroughly scoured for a mile or so, but no enemy found, and no good evidences that a
single rebel had been killed. It became evident that only a handful of Thrailkill's command, placed to hold the rear so that the main command might escape, had caused all the trouble. They had fought on horseback, or with their horses near them, and when they concluded that their comrades were safe, galloped away themselves.

Of the militia forces, one man of the Stewartsville company was killed. Two men of the Daviess county militia were severely and some three or four slightly wounded. Maj. Cox had his horse shot. Of the Caldwell county men, Edward Johnson, of Capt. Noblett's company, was shot through the side of the neck; Capt. E. D. Johnson and Lieut. W. T. Filson each had a cheek grazed by a bullet; Hon. George Smith, then the Radical candidate for Lieutenant-Governor, was in the front of the tight when the stock of his gun was shivered by a bullet. He stood his ground, however, until the skirmish was over. Lieut. I. N. Hemry, who was at the head of the advance when it charged into the brush, was fired upon at close
range by three of the rebels, :ind narrowly escaped being killed. If a single rebel was killed or mortally wounded, it was not certainly known to the Federals.

After the fight was over, and the stragglers and panic stricken had been collected, Maj. Cox moved his force on to Camden Point and camped for the night. The next morning the pursuit was taken up by the 2d Colorado. Thrailkill got his men together again about three miles from the scene of the fight, and moving southeast crossed the Platte river at Skinner's mill ; two miles above he camped and disbanded his men for a time. Fletcli. Taylor with all or nearly all of his company had left at Gosneyville and gone down into the Fishing river country, in Clay county, to await the arrival of Bill Anderson, whom he had sent for, and to organize for a raid into Iowa. Leaving his company in charge of his first lieutenant, Frank James, who knew all the country well, Taylor crossed over into Jackson county to secure the cooperation of George Todd and his men in the proposed raid into Iowa.

When they were in Kingston Taylor's company seemed to number about 60 men, all splendidly mounted and well armed with revolvers, carbines, shot-guns, etc. According to written statements made to the writer by Capt. Taylor himself, Frank James, afterward the noted bandit, was first lieutenant of this company, John Hope, of Independence, Mo., orderly sergeant, while there was no second lieutenant, "for," says Capt. Taylor, *' we didn't believe in many officers." Jesse James was a member of the company, having joined it a few weeks previously, it being his first experience in the guerrilla service. Many of Taylor's men wore the Federal uniform, and there was a Federal flag in the company, which was used whenever occasion required it. Maj. Cox's command started back home on Saturday, July 23, and soon reached Caldwell, when the men from this county were given a hearty reception. Not far from Camden Point one of Thrailkill's men was taken prisoner.

He made a written confession or statement under oath, from which the following extracts are made: — "My name is Andrew E. Smith. I am 26 years old and live in Platte county, two miles west of Platte City. I was a member of Capt. Johnson's company of Paw-paw militia, and served about six months. I joined Thrailkill last Sunday, July 17, and was with him at Kingston, Mirabile and Plattsburg. Capt. Taylor took the goods which we stole at Mirabile and Kingston. After the tight yesterday I left Thrailkill. We had only 180 men. Out of our militia company of 30 men, 25 joined Thrailkill. Thrailkill promised to take us South as soon as possible. Five men have deserted from him since I was with him — Richard Lancaster, Stump Breckinridge, of Platte county, and three brothers, whose names I do not remember. We turned back in Carroll county, because we could not get south of the Missouri river. "

On his way back to his company, " Fletch " Taylor was ambushed one night by a party of Federals in Rush Bottom, Jackson county, and had his left arm shot away. Of this incident Capt. Taylor says :
" I had started back to cross the river with Thrailkill, Allen Palmer and others, when I run against a chain stretched across the road, and instantly the Federals opened tire on us. One pistol was shot from my side, another from my hand, my horse was mortally wounded, and my left arm shattered just above the elbow. My horse went fifty feet and fell. With the assistance of Allen Palmer I mounted behind Thrailkill just as he received a ball in the back of his neck. Three days afterward my arm was amputated by Dr. Radsden, of Wellington."

Thrailkill recrossed the river, reorganized his command, passed down the river with George Todd and Anderson, who had taken charge of Taylor's company was in the Centralia fight, crossed the river to
the south side, joined Gen. Price's invading army, was made major of a newly formed regiment in Shelby's brigade, went to Mexico at the close of the .war, and is yet there, a well known railroad contractor and superintendent.

After many narrow escapes Taylor survived the war, and is now one of the wealthiest and most respected citizens of Joplin, Mo., largely interested in banking and lead mining. .