The Kingsville Massacre
Johnson county, Missouri
A Civil War skirmish between 15 Federal Cavalrymen and about 40 Southern Guerrillas From The Records of The Provost Marshal
On 11 June, 1864, a detachment of Company M, First Missouri State Militia, left Holden, Missouri for a Scout in the Kingsville area. The detachment consisted of Corporal Joseph Parman and 14 enlisted men. They left at 9 A.M. and were to return the next day. They found nothing the first day and spent the night near the farm of Nancy Longacre. The Longacre family was a large one and nearly all of the men were either in the Confederate Army or with Quantrill's Guerrillas. Two of the Longacre men, a father and son, had been murdered by Kansas Troops.
They had just started out the next morning when they were overtaken by a large body of Guerrillas, led by Col. Richard Yeager and Capt. Bill Anderson. Twelve of the Federal Soldiers were killed. It appeared that at least four had surrendered, then were executed. One was scalped
The Federals arrested Nancy Longacre and her 14 year old daughter, Martha (Mattie) and accused them of giving the Guerrillas information on the location of the Federal Troops. They were imprisoned in St. Louis and specifically asked if they had given the Guerrillas information about Parman and his squad. Of course, they denied any contact with Guerrillas. and were eventually released.
For more Longacre information, see Lady Bushwackers of Johnson County and Charles A. Longacre.
The Report of Corporal Parman
HDQRS. Co. M, Detach. First Cav., Mo State Militia
Holden, Mo., June 14, 1864
Captain: I have the honor to report to you, in pursuance of your request, movements of the men belonging to Company M, which I had on the scout under my command on the 11th and 12th instant: I moved with my command from camp on Saturday, the 11th instant, at 9 a.m., and proceeded west on the north side of the railroad, travelling some 15 miles; thence turned in a southeast direction, and marched to a point near the railroad some three miles west of Kingsville. Most of the distance marched on this day was in the brush, and saw but little sign of bushwhackers, finding only one trail, which I followed for some distance until we lost it by the parties separating. We camped for a part of the night near a Mrs. Longacre's, about one-half mile north of the railroad. On the morning of the 12th instant I moved with my men in a northeast direction from which I had camped, and had proceeded but a short distance when I discovered a large body of cavalry in my rear some 50 or 75 yards, and on the discovery of the enemy I formed my men in line and challenged the advancing party, who only increased their speed, and at this instant I ordered my men to fire on the enemy, which was done in a very few seconds. By this time my little detachment was entirely surrounded - only a small space toward the brush. By this time the bullets from the enemy's lines were falling like hail among us, and several of my men were killed. I remained in front of my line until the enemy had passed me, even some of them between me and my own lines, at which time I moved with all possible speed to the left, engaged one of the enemy, firing at him twice, when he turned, and, as I was in a helpless condition, my men nearly all killed, I made for camp with all speed possible. I feel satisfied that the enemy had been informed of my position and strength, as he had flanked me on the right and left before he showed himself in my rear. The attacking party was not less than 40 strong, and from the best information I have I think the whole command of the enemy did not fall short of 80 men, and probably 100. The enemy were all dressed in full Federal uniform and had the regular badges worn by our men on their hats and caps; small part of them wearing Federal overcoats.
I learned that the party was commanded by Colonel Yeager, of the rebel army, assisted by Bill Anderson, who is a captain of a guerrilla band. Yeager informed the citizens that he asked no quarter and would give none. I lost in this unfortunate affair 12 of my command, only 2 escaping. The men, after being killed, were stripped of all their outer clothing and everything valuable was taken from their persons, and the enemy scalped 1 man after they had killed and stripped him. The enemy marched from the north during the night, returning toward the Sni Hills after the engagement.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Joseph V. Parman
Corporal, Company M, First Cavalry, Missouri State Militia
James R. Baker Jr. Geneaology
Place name: Bluff Spring
Description: In Kingsville Township; named for its location at the bottom of a big high bluff. (Ed. King; HIST. JOHNSON 1881, 512)
Source:
Johnson, Bernice E. "Place Names In Six Of The West Central Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1933.
Place name: Bluff Spring Knob
Description: A knoll in Kingsville Township; named for its location near Bluff Spring. (Ed. King; HIST. JOHNSON 1881, 512)
Source: Johnson, Bernice E. "Place Names In Six Of The West Central Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1933.
Place name:
Bluff Spring Post Office
Description: In Kingsville Township, established in 1827. Discontinued in 1856. Named for its location at Bluff Springs. (Ed. King; HIST. JOHNSON 1881, 514)
Source:
Johnson, Bernice E. "Place Names In Six Of The West Central Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1933.
Place name: Bluff Spring Settlement
Description: Now partly within the limits of Kingsville and Jackson Townships; named for Bluff Spring. (Ed. King; HIST. JOHNSON 1881, 214)
Source: Johnson, Bernice E. "Place Names In Six Of The West Central Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1933.
Place name: Pleasant Run Branch (later Duncan's Branch)
Description:
The earliest name of branch in Kingsville Township; a tributary of Lost Branch. Named by early settlers by the pleasant retreats and countryside through which it ran. (Ed. King; HIST. JOHNSON (1881), 513)
Johnson, Bernice E. "Place Names In Six Of The West Central Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia
Abner Ryan (b. 1794, d. May 07, 1865)
Abner Ryan (son of Harris Ryan) was born 1794, and died May 07, 1865 in Kingsville, Johnson County, MO. He married (1) Rebecca Brown on Abt. 1818. He married (2) Amy Paul on February 03, 1856.
Notes for Abner Ryan:
Born 1794 on Ten and Ga. border d May 7 1865 in Kingsville, Johnson County, Mo. murdered by Bushwackers at the age of 71.
Abner bought land in Johnson Count, Missouri early in 1851.
Abner later married Amy Paul 3 Feb 1856 He also served in the war of 1812 from Rhea co Tenn.
More About Abner Ryan and Rebecca Brown:
Marriage: Abt. 1818
More About Abner Ryan and Amy Paul:
Marriage: February 03, 1856
Children of Abner Ryan and Rebecca Brown are:
Elizabeth Ryan, b. 1817, Rhea County, Tennessee, d. date unknown.
James G Ryan, b. November 04, 1819, Rhea County, Tennessee, d. October 06, 1899, Green County, Missouri.
Thomas B Ryan, b. 1826, Rhea County, Tennessee, d. date unknown.
William G (Billy) Ryan, b. 1827, Rhea County, Tennessee, d. Abt. 1903, Garrett, KS.
Jeremiah Friendley Ryan, b. 1829, Rhea County, Tennessee, d. Aft. 1899, KS.
Abner Ryan Jr., b. 1832, Rhea County, Tennessee, d. date unknown.
Mariah Jane Ryan, b. 1835, Rhea County, Tennessee, d. date unknown.
Unica Margert Ryan, b. 1837, Rhea County, Tennessee, d. date unknown.
+Isaac Burton (Bart) Ryan, b. January 13, 1845, Rhea County, Tennessee or North Carolina, d. March 30, 1919, Kansas City, KS.
History of Johnson Co., MO 1881
THE JOHNSON COUNTY MASSACRES
Transcribed by James Baker
Page 533 (Kingsville)
Early in the late war, around this place, was a scene of considerable strife and hostile action by both parties. At first the people were principally on the side the south, and B. Hornsby was the only leader of the abolition party. In June 1861, the first secession flags were raised in the village. The unionists attempted to raise their flags on the same day, but failed for want of numbers, and the southern women took axes and cut the unionists' flagpoles to pieces. In October of the same year, Gen. "Jim" Lane, of Kansas notoriety,
dashed into the town and sacked all of the stores. During the following winter (1862) Maj. Herrick, under Col. Gennison, dashed down upon the place and drove out all the southerners, and burned their dwellings.
Near the village they took nine men prisoners, and on the following morning killed eight, and the ninth one they cut a swallowfork in his right ear, saying: "We'll know you when you are caught again", then set him at liberty. About this time, the Kansas clan of robbers set on fire a great number of the dwellings in the county. A person that was a witness says: "I counted one evening, while standing on Brushy Knob, one hundred sixty houses on fire". Slaves were ravished by these desperados in the presence of their master's family, and the women and children were driven out of their homes without a morsel of bread in the world, or money to buy food. On account of southern feeling, Mrs. Nancy Longacre and her daughter were taken prisoners, and sent to St. Louis. General Wm. King, the father of the King family, went south and did not return until the close of the war. To heap fuel upon the already kindled flames of the war, the unionists burned him, on the public streets, in effigy. When peace and quiet was being restored throughout the length and breadth of the land, and no one was dreaming of trouble, at the early dawn on May 7, 1865, about two hundred bushwackers under the daring leaders, Arch Clements, Dave Pool and Bill Anderson, swept down upon the quiet little village and commenced fire on the citizens that were just emerging from their night's repose. The citizens rallied for their lives with Capt. Leroy C. Duncan as their leader, but were so outnumbered that they could not withstand the assault of the raiders, who soon had possession of the town, which they left in ashes after robbing families of their money and clothing. On the evening previous to the massacre the vile murderers camped on Lause Run, a few miles away, in Cass county, and before they started for Kingsville, disposed of a prisoner by cutting his throat from ear to ear and leaving him on the spot. The following is a partial list of the dead and wounded: James Paul (M.), Abner Ryan, Walton Burris, W. H. Duncan, L. C. Duncan, S.
F. Duncan and Wm. Johnson. B. A. Crain, Wm. Dock and Hiram Rose were taken prisoners, but released. After this, soldiers were sent
by the Governor for the protection of the citizens, but the war caused no further trouble.
Source: http://www.rootsweb.com/~mojohnso/misc/MASSACRE.txt
Kansas City Historical Soc., Kansas City, MO
The following account is from the days of "Bloody" Bill Anderson and Quantrill's Raiders in Kansas & Missouri (1861 - 1865). I'm pretty sure that the James Paul mentioned as killed/captured was James M. Paul, son of James Alexander Paul & Ann Brown. James M. was born in 1829. It's an interesting piece of history from the Civil War era.
22nd Kansas’ Soldiers Accused of Grave Robbing
The most infamous charge of grave robbing was made against L. C. Duncan. He was charged with desecrating the graves of two Civil War Confederate soldiers. Virginia citizens were enraged, and a Fairfax county grand jury returned an indictment against Duncan. The sheriff demanded that Duncan be handed over to him. A General court-martial was soon convened. Charges were served on Duncan at 10:00 p.m. on Aug. 12, [1898] and the trial commenced the following day at 11:00 a.m.
One of Duncan's defense counsel was Maj. A. M. Harvey of the 22nd, who had been the lieutenant governor of Kansas until he joined the Volunteers. The trial lasted 14 days, but at the end Duncan was found not guilty of the grave robbing charges. However, he was found guilty of "conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline'' in failing to arrest enlisted men (not from the 22nd) who had committed the crime.
Duncan was sentenced to loss of rank for two months, to forfeit half his pay for the same period of time, and to be confined to the regimental camp. This sentence was set aside by the convening authority.
That was not the end of Duncan's legal troubles. Following his court-martial Duncan was arrested by the sheriff of Fairfax County, Va., handcuffed, and confined in the county jail until he could make bail of $1,100. According to Harvey the sentence was only a $100.00 fine.
This was not Duncan's first brush with charges involving grave robbing. In December 1895 he was a student at the Kansas Medical College in Topeka. Bodies taken from local cemeteries had ended up as cadavers at the medical school.
A public outpouring of anger at the college followed, and the Governor called out two National Guard companies as local authorities feared mob action. Arrests were made of college authorities. Relatives of the deceased threatened to file a suit, and many students, including Duncan, were identified as defendants to be named.
There is no evidence that Duncan had any involvement with the grave robbing or had knowledge that the bodies were stolen.(Reprinted from Benedict, Bryce D. "22nd Kansas’ Soldiers Accused of Grave Robbing," Plains Guardian, June 1998, p. 19.)
On October 16, 1861 General Jim Lane, of Kansas, sacked Kingsville, killed eight men, confiscated several horses and other property, and burned several houses of Southern sympathizers.
History of Johnson Co., Missouri 1881
Page 533 (Kingsville)
Transcribed for the WWW by James Baker©1999 jrbakerjr@prodigy.net
THE JOHNSON COUNTY MASSACRES Early in the late war, around this place, was a scene of considerable strife and hostile action by both parties. At first the people were principally on the side of the south, and B. Hornsby was the only leader of the abolition party. In June 1861, the first secession flags were raised in the village. The unionists attempted to raise their flags on the same day, but failed for want of numbers, and the southern women took axes and cut the unionists' flagpoles to pieces. In October of the same year, Gen. "Jim" Lane, of Kansas notoriety, dashed into the town and sacked all of the stores. During the following winter (1862) Maj. Herrick, under Col. Gennison, dashed down upon the place and drove out all the southerners, and burned their dwellings. Near the Village they took nine men prisoners, and on the following morning killed eight, and the ninth one they cut a swallowfork in his right ear, saying: "We'll know you when you are caught again", then set him at liberty. About this time, the Kansas clan of robbers set on fire a great number of the dwellings in the county. A person that was a witness says: "I counted one evening, while standing on Brushy Knob, one hundred and sixty houses on fire". Slaves were ravished by these desperadoes in the presence of their master's family, and the women and children were driven out of their homes without a morsel of bread in the world, or money to buy food. On account of southern feeling, Mrs. Nancy Longacre and her daughter were taken prisoners, and sent to St. Louis. Gen. Wm. King, the father of the King family, went south and did not return till the close of the war. To heap fuel upon the already kindled flames of the war, the unionists burned him, on the public streets, in effigy. When peace and quiet was being restored throughout the length and breadth of the land, and no one was dreaming of trouble, at the early dawn on May 7, 1865, about two hundred bushwackers under the daring leaders, Arch Clements, Dave Pool and Bill Anderson, swept down upon the quiet little village and commenced fire on the citizens that were just emerging from their night's repose. The citizens rallied for their lives with Capt. Leroy C. Duncan as their leader, but were so outnumbered that they could not withstand the assault of the raiders, who soon had possession of the town, which they left in ashes after robbing the families of their money and clothing. On the evening previous to the massacre the vile murderers camped on Lause Run, a few miles away, in Cass county, and before they started for Kingsville, disposed of a prisoner by cutting his throat from ear to ear and leaving him on the spot. The following is a partial list of the dead and the wounded: James Paul, Abner Ryan, Walton Burris, W. H. Duncan, L. C. Duncan, S. F. Duncan, Wm. Johnson. B. A. Crain, Wm. Dock, and Hiram Rose were taked prisoners, but released. After this, soldiers were sent here by the governor for the protection of the citizens, but the war caused no further trouble.
THE JOHNSON COUNTY MASSACRES Early in the late war, around this place, was a scene of considerable strife and hostile action by both parties. At first the people were principally on the side of the south, and B. Hornsby was the only leader of the abolition party. In June 1861, the first secession flags were raised in the village. The unionists attempted to raise their flags on the same day, but failed for want of numbers, and the southern women took axes and cut the unionists' flagpoles to pieces. In October of the same year, Gen. "Jim" Lane, of Kansas notoriety, dashed into the town and sacked all of the stores. During the following winter (1862) Maj. Herrick, under Col. Gennison, dashed down upon the place and drove out all the southerners, and burned their dwellings. Near the Village they took nine men prisoners, and on the following morning killed eight, and the ninth one they cut a swallowfork in his right ear, saying: "We'll know you when you are caught again", then set him at liberty. About this time, the Kansas clan of robbers set on fire a great number of the dwellings in the county. A person that was a witness says: "I counted one evening, while standing on Brushy Knob, one hundred and sixty houses on fire". Slaves were ravished by these desperadoes in the presence of their master's family, and the women and children were driven out of their homes without a morsel of bread in the world, or money to buy food. On account of southern feeling, Mrs. Nancy Longacre and her daughter were taken prisoners, and sent to St. Louis. Gen. Wm. King, the father of the King family, went south and did not return till the close of the war. To heap fuel upon the already kindled flames of the war, the unionists burned him, on the public streets, in effigy. When peace and quiet was being restored throughout the length and breadth of the land, and no one was dreaming of trouble, at the early dawn on May 7, 1865, about two hundred bushwackers under the daring leaders, Arch Clements, Dave Pool and Bill Anderson, swept down upon the quiet little village and commenced fire on the citizens that were just emerging from their night's repose. The citizens rallied for their lives with Capt. Leroy C. Duncan as their leader, but were so outnumbered that they could not withstand the assault of the raiders, who soon had possession of the town, which they left in ashes after robbing the families of their money and clothing. On the evening previous to the massacre the vile murderers camped on Lause Run, a few miles away, in Cass county, and before they started for Kingsville, disposed of a prisoner by cutting his throat from ear to ear and leaving him on the spot. The following is a partial list of the dead and the wounded: James Paul, Abner Ryan, Walton Burris, W. H. Duncan, L. C. Duncan, S. F. Duncan, Wm. Johnson. B. A. Crain, Wm. Dock, and Hiram Rose were taked prisoners, but released. After this, soldiers were sent here by the governor for the protection of the citizens, but the war caused no further trouble.
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