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NOTICE: The following is an article copyrighted May 9, 2001, by Jack F. Mayes of Ironton, Mo. This history is being provided to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks for use on the Fort Davidson State Historic Site Web site. Data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of Jack F. Mayes.

The 68th Enrolled Missouri Militia
by Jack F. Mayes

On August 24, 1861, Missouri provisional governor, Hamilton R. Gamble issued a call for volunteers to serve in the state militia for six months. These were known as the "Six Months' Militia," They were operating under the administrative control of the state. When they were found ineffective against guerillas and jayhawkers the Six Months' Militia was disbanded on January 14,1862.

On February 13, 1862, Governor Gamble appealed to President Lincoln for help in controlling the chaotic conditions in Missouri. This resulted in the organization of the "Missouri State Militia," (M.S.M.), a joint effort by the state and federal government to bring order to the state. The M.S.M. were full time soldiers that served throughout the war. The 3rd M.S.M. Cavalry was headquartered at Pilot Knob with outpost locations at Centerville, Patterson and Fredericktown.

In July 1862, General John M. Schofield was authorized by provisional governor Gamble to order all able body men between the ages of 18 and 45 years to report at once to their nearest military post. With this order a new military structure was born, known as the "Enrolled Missouri Militia," (E.M.M.). There was no dodging this order. Men either enrolled or "went south," or headed to Illinois, or by entering the U.S. Service or the Missouri State Militia. Among this class of men, some were of the most intense loyalty to the union, and some were rather moderately loyal union men, while others were quietly supportive of Jeff Davis. There were men who hid out in the woods to avoid enrolling, they said they would lay out until moss grew on their backs, henceforth the term "moss backs" originated. These men were also called "lay outs," and were later hunted down by Captain Powers' Company K.

The 68th Enrolled Missouri Militia, (E.M.M.), was enrolled locally from Iron, Wayne, Madison, St. Francois Counties and possibly some from Bollinger County. The 32nd was organized in Washington County and the 78th in St. Genevieve County. The Enrolled Militia of that time was much like our National Guard today. They were called up when it was felt they were needed, otherwise they stayed home and tended their farms or other profession they followed.

The 68th was organized and commanded by Colonel James Lindsay of Ironton. Robert Lindsay was Major and Capt. C. R. Peck, both of Ironton, was Adjutant. Capt. Bob Adair of St. Francois County commanded company A; Capt. Belkin of Fredericktown commanded Company B; Capt. Morgan Mace commanded Company D; Capt. Henry Finley of Madison County commanded Company F; and Company K was commanded by Capt. P. L. Powers of Wayne County. These five companies were the only ones of the 68th that were ever called into active service, uniformed, armed and equipped. There were at least three other companies of the 68th E.M.M. that were organized but saw little or no active service. Their company commanders were: Capt. James E. Davis of Patterson, Capt. Wm. W. Bunyard of McKenzie Creek, both located in Wayne County, and Capt. Joseph Wilson of Madison County. The letters assigned to these three companies are not known at this time.

On July 28, 1862, Capt. Powers' Company K 68th rode down to Greenville to be mustered into the E.M.M. so they would be ready to answer any call or order into active service. Soon after this, Capt. Powers received an order from Col. Boyd to at once proceed to Greenville with all of his men that he could mount. Some "grape vine telegraph" scare was up. Capt. Powers with his Company K was ordered out on the old Military Road south of Greenville to perform outpost duty. The unarmed men of the company were equipped with old captured rifles and shot guns. The company remained there for a few days until the scare was over, and then was ordered in and turned in their borrowed guns and returned home.

In a very short time after this, Col. Boyd again requisitioned Capt. Powers and as many men as he could mount, to go immediately to Greenville and accompany a scout down to Doniphan and to Van Buren in Carter County. As soon as the scout completed its rounds, Capt. Powers and his men were again released and they returned to their homes.

Col. James Lindsay bought three small 2-inch Woodruff Guns and placed them in charge of a Lieutenant attached to Capt. Adair's Company A. They molded lead elongated conical projectiles with hollow bases for them. These projectiles were much like large Minie-balls as some of the Woodruff Guns, but not all, had rifled bores. The guns could also be used to fire canister, which consisted of a number of one-ounce lead balls having the effect of a large shotgun.

Capt. Powers had a signal system set up to call his company to assemble at a pre- designated location when the occasion required. The signal was the firing of "Anvil Guns." Firing two times was to call the company together. This "firing" was accomplished by placing a one hundred-pound anvil upside down on a flat surface of the ground. Into the hollow base of the anvil was poured one half pound of black powder. Then some sort of gasket or grease was placed on the rim of the anvil around the powder and a second one hundred pound anvil was placed base to the base of the upside down anvil. A fuse was inserted through a pre-drilled hole into the powder chamber between the two anvils and ignited. The fuse lighter had to move a safe distance away as the concussion of the explosion and report was tremendous and could be heard for miles. The top anvil was hurled some two hundred feet into the air and usually came down within a few feet of the first anvil if the anvils were level when fired.

On October 23, 1862, an unexpected heavy snowfall occurred. Capt. Powers knew this would drive the previous mentioned "lay outs" or "moss backs" into their homes for shelter and comfort. He planned to capture them but knew he could not use the anvil gun signal to call the company together as the "lay outs" would hear the signal and be warned. He sent runners out to call the company to assemble. Once gathered he divided his men into squads and sent them out to capture the "lay outs" at their homes. The house of William Miller was designated as a guard house, and by the end of the second day it was packed full of the "lay outs," and some Confederate soldiers that had come up from Bloomfield to visit their homes. The known Rebel Soldiers were turned over to Col. Boyd at Patterson and retained in prison. The "lay out mossbacks" were given the opportunity to enroll in the 68th E.M.M. and placed in the companies that were never mustered into active service as they were not trusted to be armed.

On December 1, 1862, Colonel Lindsay issued an order calling the five previous mentioned companies into service. Company K reached the rendezvous at Log Town, a short distance south of Arcadia, on December 9th. On December 15th the Regiment moved from Log Town to Bollinger's Mill, and were quartered in empty mill town houses. The Regiment performed constant scout duty, picking up quite a number of prisoners, some Confederate soldiers and guerrillas, and one or two citizens. By December 25th the command had quite a number of prisoners that were sent under guard to Pilot Knob.

Capt. Morgan Mace's Company D was called into active service and armed in December, 1862. Soon it was found that the orderly sergeant was planning a mutiny. He planned to seize the arms and ammunition of the company and go south with as many men as would desert with him. Capt. Mace discovered the plot, and in good time fell into weeding out the badly affected "secesh" element, including his orderly sergeant. They were at once mustered out without honors.

About January 1, 1863, Company K was ordered to join Company D at Patterson to replace the U.S. troops that had moved south to join Grant at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Companies D and K remained there until the later part of January, doing post duty and some scouting south of Patterson. About the last part of January some men of Company K took "French leave", (absent without leave), and went home on the east side of the St. Francois River. A detail from Company F was sent after them, and while over there the river took a sudden rise and was past fording for several days. With no ferries or bridges, the Confederates at Bloomfield realized they were safe from the forces at Patterson and came up on a scout on the east side of the river. They took all the men of Company K and F that they could catch prisoner and took all the horses, shoes and clothing from the citizens that they could carry away.

Word came into Patterson, and Lieutenant Wilkinson took twenty-five men of Company K and made haste to Head's Ford near the Madison County line. They arrived there after dark and found the river too swollen to cross at night, so they made their way to the old Head homestead and stayed over night. The next morning early, they were in the saddle. The river was still very full, but all crossed safely except for one whose horse fell in deep water and went under, but finally made it across. It was found that the Confederates had returned to Bloomfield with the prisoners, horses and plunder when they found out that militia forces of the 68th E.M.M. were on the way to cut them off and trap them. Lieutenant Wilkinson and the twenty-five men of Company K stayed there on Cedar Creek until January 18, 1863, when they were joined by the remainder of Company K. Col. James Lindsay came over from Patterson, having come down from Pilot Knob and brought two of the little Woodruff Guns with him. One day was spent drilling the men with the guns so the horses would become familiar with the firing of the guns.

Capt. Powers then selected about twenty-five picked men to accompany Col. Lindsay on his famous "Bloomfield Raid." On the morning of January 25, 1863, Col. Lindsay with about eighty-five picked men and his two little guns set out for Bloomfield with Capt. Powers and his twenty-five men leading the advance. The command rode away from Cedar Creek in a cold, slow January rain. The route traveled was through the unsettled country between Bear Creek and the Greenville and Fredericktown roads to the head of Lost Creek. Sometime after dark the command halted on the east bank of the St. Francois River and west of the Mingo Swamp. There was little sleeping among the men that night as they were wet and cold and were not permitted to build fires, as they could not risk being detected.

At dawn, Capt. Powers and Finley were ordered to proceed to the ferry on Mingo Creek, which was not fordable on horses. The ferry was small and could carry very few at a time but they all made it safely across. They then started for the crossroads on the hill ahead with a Mr. Ward for a guide. When the command came within a few miles of Bloomfield, they came upon a Confederate outpost doing picket duty. They were well armed, but Capt. Finley surprised them and captured six rebel soldiers without firing a shot. Nightfall found Company K three miles in advance of the main column; they were now within striking distance of Bloomfield and had not been detected. The men got a good rest that night and next morning early they pulled the old loads from their .69 caliber carbines and re-loading them with fresh powder and buck and ball loads so they would not misfire. Word was sent back to Col. Lindsay to come up quickly as the element of surprise must be kept at all cost. When Col. Lindsay arrived, a short conference was held. It was decided to turn left and take a ridge road leading into the Fredericktown road about two miles from town; thereby avoiding Lick Creek. As they reached the main road, it was only a short distance until they topped a hill and could look down into town. At this point they apprehended a citizen who informed them that there were about 150 Confederates in the town and they were not expecting an attack.

Col. Lindsay then ordered Capt. Powers and Capt. Finley to move forward with Company K and F and when they crossed the bridge at the edge of town the other three companies would deploy with the two guns in line of battle. As Company K and F made the turn up the lane they heard the "Boom! Boom!" of the two Woodruff Guns in the rear. This was the signal to charge through town, and charge they did up the sloping hill toward the center of town, all the while whooping like a gang of wild Indians. Company K was in the lead but Capt. Finley and his men were not to be out-done and pressed in until both companies were one surging mass of men on horses charging toward the center of town. As they neared the courthouse they began firing right, left and to the front at the badly surprised Confederate Soldiers. The courthouse square was soon reached and here Capt. Finley turned left and Capt. Powers to the right, toward a hotel on a street leading west. At this point several shots were fired at the fleeing enemy. One officer ran out the back of the hotel through the yard, but soon fell as a bullet passed through his pant leg about mid-way between his knee and ankle, slightly grazing his leg. He threw up his hands and surrendered. Several officers in the hotel were reluctant to come out, but soon decided that discretion indeed was the better part of valor and they surrendered peacefully.

At this point Col. Lindsay was forming the other three companies around the courthouse. The men heartily cheered as they fell in. Thirty minutes after they crossed the bridge and entered the north end of town, the fight was over and Bloomfield was captured. Not one Confederate had been killed and it would have been murder to have shot unarmed Confederate soldiers who had been cut off from their guns stacked in the corner of their commissary house.

After counting the spoils of war, it was found that there were 54 Confederate soldiers and 3 or 4 commissioned officers, taken prisoners. There were 75 horses and two wagonloads of arms of all descriptions, but mainly double barrel shotguns and rifles. There were some horse pistols of the old pattern, some U.S. Army guns and one or two Sharps Rifles. In the commissary where the guns were found was a large supply of freshly salted pork and a quantity of corn meal which was promptly destroyed after taking what they could carry away.

At nine o'clock P.M. the column moved out of town north on the Fredericktown road with Sergeant Greenwood's squad as rear guard. Ahead of him were the two wagons loaded with the captured arms. After traveling a short distance they reached a very short turn on an embankment in the road and the lead wagon turned over. When the other wagon made an attempt to get around the turned over wagon, it became hopelessly mired in the mud. Sergeant Greenwood dismounted, looked the situation over, and decided the wagons must be abandoned. He cut the horses loose from the disabled wagons, then selected a half dozen or so of the best guns from the wagons and passed them out to some of his squad. His men then piled fence rails on the wagons and set them on fire to destroy the captured arms. Some of the citizens living nearby hearing gunfire thought another skirmish was taking place as the hot gun barrels began to discharge their loads, as most of them were loaded when captured.

About 11:00 P.M., the rear guard came up to where the main column was making camp. The men were nearly frozen as it had turned bitter cold during the afternoon. They decided to make huge fires from the fence rails and destroyed a lot of good fence rows for the farmers in the neighborhood, also a lot of chickens disappeared for the soldiers did what ever necessary to keep warm and fed.

At daylight the next morning, it was learned that the creeks and sloughs ahead were fast filling with water and were not fordable leaving Lindsay's troops water bound. It was at this time that scouts from the rear guard rode in and informed Col. Lindsay that Col. Kitchens with about 600 men of the Confederate army had been camped south of Bloomfield. The fleeing men who escaped Bloomfield had informed him of the raid and Kitchens was now in pursuit.

There were only two things to do. They could make their way in all possible haste westward back to the ferry where they had crossed on the morning of the 26th, or stand and fight and probably be gobbled up. Col. Lindsay chose to make the ferry if possible, so off they marched with Capt. Powers and Company K in advance. They skirted the south side of a lake during the day and reached Mingo Creek that evening. The men were very hungry, as they had not had food since the previous evening; however, the hunger to put Mingo Creek between them and the enemy was predominant. The creek was fast overflowing its high banks with muddy water and a stiff current. No time was wasted, as the ferry was close by, just west of the piers of the old bridge that had been destroyed some time ago. The command began to cross with all possible haste and the crossing was completed well after sunset. Capt. Mace's Company followed by Sergeant Greenwood and his squad of the rear guard were the last to cross. All the men and horses, as well as the prisoners had crossed without accident, except for the horse of J. C. Belmar of Company D, who backed off the ferry and got a good dunking and came near drowning. By the skillful management of Capt. Mace and the boat crew the horse was saved, though he lay for sometime flat on his side after being pulled ashore on the Bloomfield side of the creek. This delayed the command somewhat, as the horse was very stubborn about getting on the ferry again, but was finally brought across safely. The men of the command now began to feel safe, but it was a close call, as Col. Kitchens and his 600 men drew up to the south side of Mingo Creek just as the last of the command rode out of sight. By this time the creek had overflowed its banks and made crossing for the Confederates too dangerous, so Col. Kitchens chose not to continue the pursuit.

Col. Lindsay's command still had a way to go before getting out of the turbid waters of the Mingo Swamp and sometime had to swim their horses. It was getting dark as they passed the widow Rubottom's farm where they had camped the night of the 25th on their way down. They kept moving and about midnight made camp at Uncle Billy Davis' on Lost Creek. Here they found the table set with good things cooked ready to eat, and had their first good meal in two days. The men then rested and next day headed for Bollinger's Mill. They moved up Lost Creek, then over to Bear Creek and up it, crossing over the head of Turkey Creek and across the ridge to Bollinger's Mill where the rest of Company K was camped.

Here, Col. Lindsay rested his men and horses as well as the prisoners before starting for Pilot Knob the next day. When he reached Fredericktown, he telegraphed the following message to General Grey at the post in Pilot Knob.

It will be noted that Col. Lindsay addressed Gen. Grey as Col. Perhaps it was a mistake by the telegraph operator, or possibly he did not know he was a Brig. Gen. However, when General Grey received Col. Lindsay's message he sent the following telegram to Lieut. Col. Lezear.

Apparently Col. Lindsay had put in a requisition for ammunition for the Woodruff Guns before leaving on the Bloomfield raid as Gen. Grey received the following telegram from the Ordnance Dept. on January 26th while he was away.

Col. Lindsay was obviously having trouble getting ammunition issued for the little Woodruff Guns.

While researching the Woodruff Gun for his article in the May 1973, issue of the Civil War Times Illustrated, Dr. John L. Margreiter could find no arsenal records that indicated that projectiles had been made by the government for these guns. Since only thirty-six of these guns had been made by James Woodruff in Quincy, Illinois, it is possible that no arsenal made the projectiles for them. One theory is that James Woodruff manufactured molds to make the elongated projectiles to be issued with each rifled gun. This would explain the statement earlier in this article that the men molded elongated projectiles for them. The smooth bore guns could use an iron grape shot from a twelve-pound gun, as the diameter would be correct.

After accompanying Col. Lindsay to Pilot Knob as guards for the prisoners, the detail of Company K men returned to their camp at Bollinger's Mill with supplies for the company. The men spent the next few days resting up from their recent raid on Bloomfield. On the night of February 4th, there was a light snow on the ground and the moon was bright. Shortly after midnight, Capt. Ellison and McGee with about one hundred men charged into camp and started firing into the tents of the Company K men. For the moment, all seemed to be lost, but as it happened, Lieut. Sutton and Wilkinson and some of their men were staying in a mill house about 75 yards away from the tents of Company K. As the Confederates closed in on the tents the men from the mill house charged them from behind and fired a volley into them. This surprised the Rebels and caused them to break for the timber. They had taken about three prisoners and were attempting to take them along on their retreat as Company K men fired at them. This friendly fire accidentally hit one of the prisoners, Thomas Stephens, and mortally wounded him. The Rebels succeeded in mortally wounding one man and severely wounding Lieut. Wilkinson and eight or ten others, besides Thomas Stephens. The Rebels left one dead in the camp and another body was found in the woods next morning. About three miles down the road were found five Rebels at a house that were too badly wounded to travel on. There were several trails of blood found in the snow next morning, leading south. Next day, companies from the 3rd Mo. State Militia Cavalry under command of Major Lazair surprised the company of Capt. McGee near Greenville and nearly wiped them out.

Company K soon moved to Gravelton and quartered in a large house. Then they moved to the church house on Cedar Creek and then to Arcadia where they were relieved from service and mustered out on March 26, 1863, the order being brought from Governor Gamble by Capt. Powers on his return from Jefferson City. Some of the Company K men were allowed to take the revolvers that had been issued to them home with them, as well as the long guns they had captured from Confederates.

In May of 1863, after Marmaduke's April raid, preparations were being made to organize the Provisional Enrolled Mo. Militia. Many of the men from the old 68th signed up to serve in this new outfit. Capt. Powers organized Company M, 8th Provisional Militia and took command of it. His Company was assigned to the 3rd Battalion commanded by Major Felix Layton of Perryville. Most of the men in this company were from the old K Company of the 68th. The 8th Regiment, made up of 3 Battalions was commanded by Col. Wm. McLean.

The 8th Provisional Militia saw little service during the remainder of 1863 and by the spring of 1864 most of the men were home planting corn and tobacco with promises of good crops. Capt. Powers had turned his attention to farming also, as no major military operations were expected at this time.

As the month of August 1864, soon came, there were rumors that the "Rebel Army" was going to invade Missouri. Capt. Powers went to St. Louis and returned about August 16th, with a commission to recruit, or enlist Company H 47th Mo. Inf. Volunteers. Most of the men from the old K Company 68th rushed to enlist in Company H with Capt. Powers, and he had about 25 men from Morgan Mace's old Company D sign up with the new company. Soon all the companies had been formed and the Regiment was full. As there were many more men wanting to sign up, Robert Lindsay, former Major of the 68th E.M.M. started organizing the 50th Mo. Inf. Volunteers, but had only company F signed up. Company F was not yet mustered in at the time of the Battle of Pilot Knob. Robert Lindsay served as Capt. of this company during the battle and on the retreat to Leasburg. Col. James Lindsay showed up at the time of the battle without a command and fought along side of the men in Fort Davidson. All the men of the former 68th E.M.M. served honorably with the 47th and 50th Mo. Inf. Volunteers until they mustered out at the end of the war. The 47th was mustered out of service March 28, 1865, and the 50th mustered out in August 1865. As far as the 68th E.M.M., their history as a Regiment must end when they were mustered out on March 26, 1863. A roster of all the men who served with K Company of the 68th Enrolled Missouri Militia during 1862 and 1863 is included at the end of this article.

As for the little Woodruff Guns that were furnished by Col. Lindsay with his own funds, and used by the 68th E.M.M. Although they were not used during the Battle of Pilot Knob, they were in Fort Davidson during the battle and were left behind when the Union forces evacuated the fort. General Price assigned the captured little guns to Fagan's men and took them away on his march through Missouri. The fate of these guns has not been recorded in any known account, however; recently a Woodruff Gun has surfaced near Springfield, Mo. It is on display at General Sweeney's Museum near the Wilson Creek Battlefield Park. It has a rifled bore and is thought to be one of the original Lindsay guns, probably lost or abandoned by Price's men in western Mo. The gun is owned by Charlie Berry of Elkland, Mo., who has it on loan to the museum. Mr. Berry also has one of the elongated hollow base projectiles for the gun that he obtained from a man who found it on Shepherd Mountain. In tracing the gun back, Mr. Berry has found that it was in the City Park at Turney, Mo. until World War 2 when it was turned in for scrap iron. It had been donated to the city around the turn of the century by a Mr. Henry Kennedy who worked for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and was staying in Turney. Mr. Berry has not been able to trace the gun beyond that time. The gun had been sold for scrap iron, but was rescued from melt down by some unknown person. Lovers of historic Civil War artifacts owe this unknown person a debt of gratitude.

In bringing this account of the 68th Enrolled Missouri Militia to a close, I will include the following roster of all known men who were members of Company K 68 E.M.M. during the winter months of 1862 and 1863.

Notes:

The Bollinger Mill, used as a camp by Company K, was a steam-powered grist, saw and flour mill owned by David Bollinger. It was located in the Northeast corner of Wayne County about one mile West of Castor River, and about three and a half miles Southwest of Gravelton. It should not be confused with Bollinger Mill State Historic Site located in Cape Girardeau County at Burfordville on the Whitewater River.

John B. Grey was appointed Colonel of the 1st Missouri State Militia Infantry in the spring of 1862. During September 1862, the 1st MSM Infantry was ordered to Pilot Knob, serving as garrison there. While at Pilot Knob, Colonel Grey served as Brigadier General of the Enrolled Missouri Militia within the 3rd District. This may explain why the telegram from Fredericktown addressed him as Colonel.

Compiled and written by Jack F. Mayes.

Sources:

The Greenville Sun, Nov. 19, 1899, Article by H. C. Wilkinson.

The Civil War Times, May 1963, The Woodruff Gun, by John L. Margreiter D.O.

The Peterson Papers, letter # 11, by H. C. Wilkinson, located in the Missouri State Historical Society.

Border Land Rebellion, by Elmo Ingenthron.

Information on his Woodruff Gun, furnished by Charlie Berry.

Telegrams found in the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, left there after the Civil War, copies of which are now in the library at the Fort Davidson State Historic Site.