Before I go into the next action you requested, somebody emailed me to say about the earlier action that besides Teeters in the area, there were also Dieter families, too. Therefore, it is possible that the killed southern recruit could have been a Teeter or a Dieter.

There were two actions in north Howard County on September 10, both involving the Union, polyglot, thrown-together, counter-guerrilla task force commanded by Major Austin A. King formerly of the 6th Cavalry MSM, and then of the new 13th Missouri Cavalry Veteran. The basis for this task force was a nucleus of the new 13th Missouri Cavalry with as many as 250 troopers with add-ons from several 51st EMM from Ray and Clay Counties, some 13th Illinois Cavalry, some former members of the 4th Provisional EMM Regiment from 1863, and maybe even some proven civilians. All these 300-or-so riders had proven counter-guerrilla experience more-or-less and BG Clinton Fisk, the Union commander of the District of North Missouri ordered the task force assembled to counter the various guerrilla and Confederate recruiting commands across his district. Fisk specifically sent Major King's crazy outfit to Howard County to battle against Clifton Holtzclaw's, Tom Todd's, John Thrailkill's, and especially Bill Anderson's guerrilla bands, as well as Confederate Colonel Caleb Perkins very large Rebel recruiting command partially in Howard County. Basically, King's super guerrilla fighter outfit was a surprise to the southerners in Howard County. I have been researching these actions a few weeks back, so I am ready to go for you on these. The funny thing about King's polyglot outfit is that it actually worked killing guerrillas, despite other whacky Yankee ideas tried in Missouri earlier. The basis for Major King's outfit was a similar one put together by Major Samuel Cox to counter Confederate Lieutenant Colonel John C. "Coon" Thornton's very large recruiting band a few counties to the west during July and August which was short-lived, but had some success.

Major King's major logistical center for his task force was Glasgow, but he temporarily moved his headquarters to Roanoke for the actions beginning September 10. That is why you may see Frederick Dyer's "A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" entry for September 10 saying "Skirmish near Roanoke," but actually both of these actions took place closer to Fayette.

One acton involving King's wagon train returning from Glasgow to Roanoke. When the unidentified guerrillas attacked the wagon train, the escort of 25 cavalrymen chased them for a distance, capturing three horses. The Union military report says they also killed one guerrilla and wounded one guerrilla. I have nothing else on the location of this skirmish or how far the escort chased the guerrillas. Major Austin King also submitted a report from Fayette on September 14 about this in "O.R." series 1, vol. 41, part 3, p. 194, but he doesn't say any more about it than what I wrote above.

The second action evidently involved Clifton Holtzclaw's guerrilla band, and one location given was "ten miles from Glasgow." My sources for this fight include the newspaper article "Defeat of Bushwhackers at Glasgow" in the St. Louis "Daily Missouri Democrat" of 13 September 1864 and the first person account by John Henry Frick "Recollections of the Civil War," in the "Missouri Historical Review" vol. 19, of July 1925, pages 635-6. Frick was a new private in the 13th Missouri Veteran Cavalry and hailed from Clay County. Private Frick wrote that this fight took place "on a high woodland ridge, south of a stream, somewhere north of Fayette." If you put those two location descriptiongs together, maybe you can figure out where the fight took place.

Frick also said "...our spies located this camp. Major King sent Captain Turner with 60 men to attack the camp from the north side of the stream, while the main body marched on to get on the other side of them and intercept them as they retreated. Turner attacked, but instead of fleeing as usual, they made a stand and were strongly posted. A messenger from Turner overtook us, saying 'They don't drive worth a d__m. Captain Turner says, come and help him.' At once we countermarched and went to his assistance. As soon as the head of our column came in sight, Turner's men raised a yell and charged across the creek and up the steep ridge. The enemy opened fire and raised a yell as tho they were going to overwhelm us, but when they heard the yells of our reinforcements they sought safety in flight. Two of our men were wounded and Major King reported five bushwhackers killed. I saw only one, a negro, said to be the body-guard of Anderson, as I passed up the ridge. A number of horses with fine accountrements and a couple of Confederate uniforms were captured. After a few miles chase, the enemy began to scatter and we halted. That night we camped in Fayette."

The newspaper article said "..and about ten miles from Glasgow, "whipped Holtzclaw awfully, killing six and wounding a number, and capturing a number of fine horses, guns, and other plunder."

You may notice that I found three contradictory remarks in these two accounts that point to different southern commands involved, unless one or both of the sources made mistakes. You probably noticed that Frick mentioned the dead black men, "said to be the body-guard of Anderson," then the captured Confederate uniforms, and lastly the mention by the newspaper that this was Holtzclaw's band. The presence of southern uniforms to me tends to point toward a recruiting command rather than guerrillas, who had little use for Confederate uniforms. My research showed Bill Anderson to be located in the Rocheport area at this time, so I tend to believe this was Holtzclaw's band. Of course, the two captured Confederate uniforms tend to point to Confederate Colonel Caleb Perkins's recruiting command, too. Toss a coin, somebody.

That's what I have for 10 September 1864. I gave you all the clues I have for location, and I hope it helps you.

I will give you another one the next time.

Bruce Nichols

PS. I believe Private Frick mis-remembered the Captain Turner, as there was not one in either the 6th Cav MSM or the 13th MO Cav Vet, but there was a Captain James D. Turley.