10. Fighting Rebels in Arkansas
October to November 1862
It was now about the middle of October, 1862. During the balance of this year, Capt. Burch and I led many expeditions into various portions of Arkansas. On all of these expeditions, we were remarkably successful. Without losing any men at all ourselves, we killed a good many of the enemy, and brought in large numbers of prisoners, horses, arms, &c. We became the idols of the men, and won the emphatic praise of Major General S. R. Curtis, commanding our department, and of other officers of high rank.1 Of some of these expeditions I will give an account, though I am by no means sure that I shall give them all in the order in which they occurred.
One of these expeditions,—the first one, I think,—was into a portion of Arkansas which had not, as yet, been visited by Federal troops, and which, as we had learned, was held by two companies of rebel militia. These bodies of militia, being destitute of tents, and the weather being now inclement, were occupying various farm houses in the vicinity of each other. We hoped to surprise some of these houses and capture them, but we did not propose to throw away the lives of our men by openly attacking them.
Leaving Ozark late in the day, we marched, with one halt to feed, till the next morning. Then we sought the shelter of a forest and lay concealed all day. At dusk, we moved out and marched all night. When morning dawned, we were within a few miles of our point of destination. As yet, our approach had not been discovered. But we were nearly sure to be discovered before the coming on of another night. It would not do for us to wait. We sought the shelter of a forest only one mile distant from the nearest house.2 Here I dressed ten men like rebel bush-whackers, then taking four men in their proper uniforms, pretended that they were prisoners, the other ten men carrying their arms. Issuing from the forest, in which Burch remained with the balance of the men—about 50 in number—I boldly took the road to the nearest house. I was now playing the role of a rebel guerilla leader, Lieut. Russell. The four Federal prisoners were very obnoxious characters whom I proposed to hang on that day at two o’clock P. M.3
Without any incident worth mentioning, we reached the first house. Seeing us approach, some 8 or 10 men who were in the door-yard ran into the house and quickly appeared with their guns at the windows and the port-holes. We rode quietly up to the gate and called. A woman answered from one of the doors, and finally came out to the gate. I told her my story, and she being satisfied that we were all right, called out some of the men. To them I repeated my story, with which they, too, seemed satisfied. I told them—and this part of my story was true—that we had traveled all night, that we were very hungry, weary, and sleepy, and that we would like to stop with them till toward evening, to eat, rest, and sleep. Calling some of them aside, out of the hearing of the pretended prisoners, I told them also of the proposed hanging at two o’clock. They kindly gave us the use of the entire house, and the women[,] some of whom were good talkers, went to work with a will to get us some breakfast, their breakfast being already over. We entered at once, leaving the men to feed our horses.4 We were playing a critical game. What if myself or some of my men should be recognized? Once in the house, we were all right. We could now, in case of discovery, defend ourselves against any probable attack until Burch could come to our assistance. The house was built in the form of an ell and contained only two large rooms. In one of these rooms, the ell, I placed the four prisoners together with their four guards and the four extra guns. With the remaining six men, I took possession of the other room.
It was understood between myself and Burch that he was not to come until I sent for him, unless he heard firing. I had also explained to the men of my party what I proposed doing. I thought they all understood me. I was to send back a man every hour, professedly to stand guard on our trail, but really, of course, to keep Burch posted in regard to the progress of my undertaking.5 When I ordered the first man back, our new rebel friends told me that there was no need of such precaution, that no Federals were likely to ever venture in there, and that if they should do so, not one of them would ever get out alive. I replied—and truly, too,—that I never allowed a feeling of security to betray me into any neglect of precaution; and that, on this occasion, the Federals might pursue me in the hope of retaking the prisoners in my hands. Having sent back one guard, and made arrangements for an hourly relief, I ate my breakfast and then talked a long time with a pleasant and intelligent woman who was so enthusiastic a little rebel that she was eager to do a little fighting herself for the holy cause. At last, growing sleepy in spite of the musical clattering of this bright little rebeless’ tongue, I lay down upon a bed and fell asleep.
I knew that curiosity to see us and witness the hanging would bring out many of the men from the other houses which were so near that their inmates would be sure very soon to hear of our arrival. I meant to wait till some 50 were present, then send for Burch. I thought that we could manage that number very easily having them, as we would, between two fires, and we having in all 65 men. As I expected, the men were flocking in from the other houses. Over 30 were in when I fell asleep. I was to be waked in one hour. I was scarcely asleep, however, when I was suddenly aroused by the women who seemed greatly alarmed about something. Springing up and running to the door, I heard one or two shots fired, and saw our horses breaking loose and, in great fright, galloping about the yard. On the outside of the yard, dashing around it in two directions, and surrounding us as if by magic, I saw—as it just then appeared to me—a party of about 200 men, better handled than I had ever before seen men handled. “Caught in my own trap,” said I to myself. “These rebels have me hemmed in. Burch will come, but he will come to perish at the hands of this overwhelming force of wonderfully disciplined men.” I glanced at the rebels in the yard. I expected to see a look of triumph in their faces. I saw no such look. On the contrary, I saw a look of surprise and alarm. There was no understanding between these men and the new arrivals. Glancing again at the attacking party, I recognized Burch and his party. Two hundred men sunk to fifty. My new rebel friends were bravely forming a line in front of the house, not 30 yards from the enemy. They all seemed to look to me to lead them in the fight. I called out all my men, except two who remained with the prisoners, and formed them on the right of the rebel line. Then throwing up my hands, I called out, “We surrender! we surrender!” I ordered my men to lay down their arms, and this they promptly did. The rebels looked disappointed and displeased. They had not expected the brave Lieut. Russell to surrender to only slightly superior numbers without firing a gun. I ordered them to lay down their arms, and this they did in a very surly manner. Burch dismounted a number of men who took possession of these arms. The surrender being completed, and the prisoners placed under guard, we threw off our disguise and began to talk and jest with our pretended captors. Our poor betrayed rebel friends cast at us looks of inexpressible indignation. Replying to these looks, I said: “Well, boys, it was a mean trick: But it was far better to deceive you and take you alive than to be obliged to kill you all, as we would have been, had we not deceived you. Besides this, you are now, for the first time in your lives, in good company, and since there are enough of you to elect a Lieutenant, you may proceed to do so, if you wish, and enter our service.” Presently their anger subsided. They admitted that, in deceiving them as we had, we had done no more than they would have done to us. Won by our kind treatment of them, several of them did afterwards join our service.
But why had Burch come without being sent for? It seems that one of my men had either misunderstood my instructions or had become alarmed at my position. At any rate, when sent back as a guard, he urged Burch to hurry up as a large force of rebels were present, and that I was liable to be overpowered at any moment, should I chance to be recognized. Supposing that I had sent this word, Burch did hurry up with the result which I have already described.6
Being now encumbered with a large number of guns and with a considerable amount of plunder, and having half as many prisoners as we had men, Burch very correctly decided that it would not be wise for us to make any further aggressive movements. He determined, therefore, after giving the men and horses two hours in which to eat and rest, to start on our return march to Ozark. I asked permission, however, to cross White River with a small party, during these two hours, and attack the village of Dubuque at which one company of rebel militia were stationed.7 Burch replied that he could not order men to go upon an expedition so full of danger. He said, however, that, if my heart was set upon undertaking this fool-hardy enterprise, I might explain the matter to the men, letting them fully understand the danger, and then, if ten of them would volunteer to accompany me, I might take that number and go; “but,” added he, “be very cautious, for I can send no men to help you.” I explained the matter to the men, and every man wanted to be one of the ten. I then selected ten who were splendidly mounted, promising the others, that, on my next scout, I would take some of them.8
Dashing off at a gallop, we were soon at the river, and there, coming up the bank on our side, we met three rebel soldiers. The nature of the ground had kept us from seeing them, and them from seeing us, until the two parties were within a few rods of each other. When they perceived us, they whirled about and dashed down the bank and splashed through the water which was not very deep. We dashed after them at full speed. Two of them were splendidly mounted, and would give us a close race to the village, a mile away, over good road. The third man was poorly mounted. To him, escape was impossible. Darting past me on their magnificent chargers, Sergt. Smith and Sergt. Baxter,—two as brave men as ever fought upon earth—were soon raising a cloud of dust on the other side of the river.9 I was not far behind, the third in the race, old Hawk-eye doing some wonderfully good running. Leaving the hindmost man to me, Smith and Baxter pressed the other two. Leaving this man to someone behind me, I dashed onward. In like manner, this poor rebel was passed back from man to man till he reached my hindmost man, who took him prisoner. The two foremost rebels and Smith and Baxter were now entering the village. They were all hidden in one cloud of dust out of which came the quick reports of the deadly revolvers. The two rebels had made a desperate race for life, but they had lost it. They fell at the entrance to the village. The soldiers were nearly all scattered about among the houses eating their dinners. Many of them did not even have their guns with them. Their surprise was complete, their panic uncontrollable. Without attempting any resistance, they fled like frightened sheep in all directions. Dashing up the streets after them, we cut them down like mullion stalks in an old meadow. I got two for my share. Smith and Baxter did better. All did well. How many were killed in all, I do not know.10
The fight, or, rather, the slaughter being over, we burned their barracks, plundered their suttler store and their post-office, and then departed as we had come in a cloud of dust. Burch and the rest of our comrades were highly pleased with our report. We had oysters and other luxuries enough for the whole command. I afterward returned all the letters and other documents which we had taken from the post-office, except such as were of some military value.
While the men were plundering and burning the barracks, I searched the house of an officer whom I had slain at the edge of the village. I found nothing that I wanted. A beautiful young woman, a governess, I believe, in the family, begged me not to burn the house. I saw that she was very much frightened, as she well might be. I spoke kindly to her, assuring her that nothing except the barracks would be burned, and that nothing would be taken except arms and such other things as pertain to war. My words seemed to do her good. That night, however, as I learned afterwards, she died,—died of heart disease brought on by excessive fright. Before breathing her last, she told her friends that she remembered nothing distinctly except the kind words which an officer spoke to her after the battle was over. This was one of the saddest episodes of my wild military career. Oh! war! war! why shouldst thou ever exist?
About two o’clock, we began our march toward Ozark, taking an entirely different route from the one on which we had come. In coming, we had avoided the settlements as much as possible. For our return route, we selected the most thickly settled portions of the country. When about five miles from the place at which we had captured our prisoners, we met a party of half dozen or more rebel militiamen who had not yet heard of our approach. They fired upon us and then fled, through an open wood. Several of them were overtaken and slain. I got one more here, making three for me that day. A little farther on, we met another party, who exchanged shots with us, but they all escaped. Next day we captured a little party, mostly officers, and killed one man who, refusing to surrender, attempted to escape by running through a field of corn. This man had a brother in our party. Two of the captured officers were brothers by the name of Herd.11 They were thorough gentlemen, and I feel sure that, by our courteous treatment of them, Burch and I made them our warm personal friends.12
Source: Kelso, “Auto-Biography,” chap. 18, 780–84.
1. Maj. Gen. S. R. Curtis, in a letter to Maj. Gen. W. S. Rosecrans, Feb. 20, 1864, OR, ser. 1, vol. 34, part 2, 384, singled out Burch and Kelso as “good officers for the border service.”
2. According to Capt. Milton Burch’s report of Nov. 13, 1862, OR, ser. 1, vol. 13, 356–58, the command of eighty men left Ozark on Nov. 8 and at about 10:00 in the morning of Nov. 9 arrived at Lawrence Mills (Beaver Station) in Taney County, Mo., thirty-five miles south. Learning that there were rebels at Dubuque, thirty miles further south and just over the line into Arkansas, they marched at dusk on the evening of Nov. 10, “and during the greater part of the night traveled through the woods, sometimes on a dim road and sometimes without any road at all. Toward morning I ordered a halt, to rest and feed. At daylight the march was renewed, and about 10 a.m. on the 11th we arrived within three miles of Dubuque” (357).
3. Burch’s report, OR, ser. 1, vol. 13, 357: “Here I concealed my men in the woods, and sent Lieut. John R. Kelso, with 10 Enrolled Militia, to play the part of rebels. They were to take 4 men of the Second Battalion, Fourteenth Regiment of Missouri State Militia, and conduct them as Federal prisoners into the vicinity of Dubuque, and assemble a sufficient number of the rebel provost guards to take charge of the prisoners.”
4. Burch’s report, OR, ser. 1, vol. 13, 357: “Lieutenant Kelso proceeded to the house of a man named Yandle, who was very willing to aid in assembling the provost guards.” There were seven men named Yandle in the 19th Regt., Arkansas Infantry, CSA, none of them living in Carroll County at the time of the census two years earlier (NPS Soldiers’ Database; 1860 U.S. Census, Carroll County, Arkansas).
5. Burch’s report, OR, ser. 1, vol. 13, 357: “In the mean time I was to be kept informed of the progress of the affair by a messenger sent out on a pretense of standing picket at a distance from the house at which the party should stop. At the proper time I was to surround the house and make prisoners of all the rebels who had assembled.”
6. Burch’s report, OR, ser. 1, vol. 13, 357: “By a mistake on the part of the man who was to report to me, I marched too soon, and the result was that I took only 2 rebels, with their horses and arms.”
7. Larry Wood, “Ozarks History: Dubuque, Arkansas,” http://ozarks-history.blogspot.com: Dubuque “was located on the south bank of the White River just below the Missouri-Arkansas line. … During the first half of the nineteenth century, Dubuque was the northern-most point for steamboat travel on the White river, and the town was a receiving point for merchandise headed to Forsyth and other places upstream via the old Dubuque-Forsyth road and a shipping point for furs and other goods headed downstream. … During the Civil War, Dubuque was a Confederate stronghold and the site of a lead smelter that supplied bullets for rebel forces.” Today the site is under the waters of Bull Shoals Lake. See also Elmo Ingenthron, “The Dubuque-Forsyth Road,” White River Valley Historical Quarterly 1, no. 6 (Winter 1962): 10.
8. Burch’s report, OR, ser. 1, vol. 13, 357: “I remained a short time to feed and rest at Yandle’s, while Lieutenant Kelso, with 12 men, went to Dubuque, the headquarters of Capt. Hudson’s provost guards.” Perhaps the reference is to Capt. A. L. Hudson, 14th Regt., Arkansas Infantry.
9. Sgt. John T. Smith and Sgt. John M. Baxter would both be promoted to second lieutenants under Burch; Smith would be killed in battle on June 5, 1864, and Baxter would be killed in battle on Feb. 20, 1865 (“Soldiers’ Records,” MDH).
10. Burch’s report, OR, ser. 1, vol. 13, 357: “[Capt. Hudson’s] company, as we before learned, were not in camp. Three rebels only were found, all of whom fled on the approach of Lieutenant Kelso and party. They were all overtaken, however, and 2 killed and 1 taken prisoner.” Burch identified one of the killed men as “a surgeon in a rebel regiment” and the other as Dubuque’s postmaster. “They both had arms.”
11. 1st Lt. W. J. Herd and Capt. J. B. Herd, both in Co. A, 2nd Regt., Missouri State Guard (NPS Soldiers’ Database).
12. Burch’s report, OR, ser. 1, vol. 13, 357: “After the return of Lieutenant Kelso I proceeded up White River, marching so rapidly that no information of my approach preceded me. At almost every house I surprised and took some of the provost guards of Captain Hudson’s and Captain Crabtree’s companies.” This was probably Capt. Benjamin F. Crabtree, Co. F, 3rd Regt., Missouri Cavalry, CSA, which was “organized during the summer of 1862 with men from Springfield and Newtonia, and Polk County” (NPS Soldiers’ Database). Burch: “Most of them surrendered without resistance. Some ran, and these, when overtaken, were shot. At dusk we arrived at Captain Crabtree’s, who was at home but who escaped.” They feasted and rested at Crabtree’s until midnight, and then “marched to Clapp’s Mills, where we surprised and took several rebels, among them a captain, an adjutant, and a lieutenant, of Colonel Hawthorne’s regiment.” Hawthorne was likely Col. A. T. Hawthorne of Cocke’s Regt., Arkansas Infantry, also called the 39th Infantry, organized in the summer of 1862 (NPS Soldiers’ Database). Burch tallied four killed in the four-day campaign but mentioned an indeterminate number who fled and were shot down. He reported that they took twenty-five prisoners but, contrary to Kelso’s account, nearly all of these were taken in the houses they visited after Yandle’s. He concluded his report with praise for his officers and men: “I must speak a word of praise for the noble manner in which Lieutenants Day and Kelso aided me in all my undertakings. They are both brave men and good officers. The men also deserve the highest praise. They bore the fatigue of the long night marches without a murmur and faced every danger with the utmost coolness. With such officers and men I shall always consider victory certain, even against great superiority of numbers.”