OF

JOEL M. BOLTON

I left home the Night of the ninth of June about nine oclock to Join the confederate army Found it in full retreat from the Battle of Boonville which was fought the ninth day of June. Was Sworn in to the Service At Pommedetear Bridge Cant remember the date Started out with Washington and Benton Bell Joe Bolton and Ed Dixon But the Bell brothers turned back after traveling about 25 miles We over took Rev T F Lockett Amos Glover James Hurt and Benton Bolton at Versailles Morgan co So we Selected the Preacher for our leader So we Stoped at Warsaw Benton co got there with the army in the night and Slept in the [p. 2] gutter holding our horses in front of a Hotel filled up with Soldiers Pretty ruff introduction to Start with I will never forget what my Brother Charlie Said to my Mother the night I left home He asked her if She didnt hate to See me leave to Join the army She said no She wished She had one hundred Such to Send That inspired me with new hope To hear my Mother Say that When we were Sworn in to the Serivce there was Some men from Lin Creek Camden co Sworn in with us So we organized a Small Company of the too Squads by electing Rev T F Lockett Capt and Wm Roberts of Camden co Lieutenant [p. 3] So Shortly after Warwick Hough put us through a drilling of the manuel of Arms We crossed the Osage River at Warsaw Benton co and kept traveling South until we rreached a Place called Cow Sin Prairie in McDoland co extreme co in the State Borders on the Arks line Pineville is the co Site There we staid quite a while organizing and requiting or army and drilling us My first battle was in the Carthage fight in Jasper co We fought and defeated Federal Gen Frans Seigle who retreated back to Carthage and took refuge in the court House for a short while only When he Struck out through the open Prairie for Springfield [p. 4] We lost one our best Captains in that fight Capt Fountain McKenzie of Cole co He was an old Mexican Soldier and a Splendid officer Some of our men followed Seigle when he left Carthage till a little in the night When we fell back South from Springfield it was awful cold weather So much so while the Army was crossing a Stream called Flat Creek the water would freeze on the bank And there is where an accident happened me I never will forget The horse I was riding Sliped and fell knocking me back in the Creek I fell on my right knee on a big ruff Rock wich bursted the cap of my knee [p. 5] Which made me a cripple a bout Six months This was the Second time I was crippled and had to go around on crutches The first time at Pineville in McDoland co when I Stepped in a Pan of hot greese Which gave me an awful bad foot for quite a while got a Pass from Gen Price for Washington Bell and myself to go down in to Arks and try to get my foot cured So we found a place to Stop with a man named Vernon who lived near Fayetteville Mrs Vernon commenced right away to doctor my old burnt foot up So it Soon began to improve but very Slowly So we staid there until my foot got well enough to wear my Shoe on it again For it had been quite a while Since I had worn a Shoe [p. 6] on that foot So we concluded to make a Start for the Army which we found had fallen back to Springfield Found it awful bad weather So Dr Jim thought it best for me to be in a house instead of being in camp in a big Snow So he took my Shoe off And fixed my foot up with Bendages Said it was too tender yet to wear a Shoe then he went out to look for a place for me to Stay at He soon found a place with Mr Jno Miller a cousin of Thos Miller of Jeff city Mr Miller and his People proved to be very fine people So I Staid with them until the weather moderated after which I went back to camp Not long after that the Camp was moved out in the timber and called Round Trees that was surely a fine camp [p. 7] But after remaining there a while was ordered to get ready to move and Started South Through the Bitterest cold weather I ever moved Not having worn my Shoe on the crippled foot but little it got to Swelling So Marshal Dixon offered me his horse to writte And while crossing a Stream called Flat creek the army would leave water on the oposide Side which would freeze real quick into ice So the horse Sliped and fell with me on the ice and in Strugling trying to get up either kicked or Strucked me with his fore feet and knocked me back in the creek And I fell on a big rough rock on my right knee which bursted the cap of that knee So I was badly crippled then for the Second time which lasted for a long while [p. 8] Not long after that we were ordered to Des Ark on white River in Arks to take Shipping for Memphis tenn Gen Parsons and all of us left Des Ark on a new Steamer named the New Moon Next day I went out on deck Saw the capt Standing a little way off I asked him if I could go up to the Pilots house a whille he said are you a Pilot young man I told him no but had often wished I was He Said go up there and Stay just as long as you please So I went up and found the Pilot a tolerably old man He offered me a Seat He asked me if I was a Pilot I told him I was not but had often wished I was he Said take hold of that wheel and I will tell you what to do So I commenced [p. 9] to feel like I was about to be a Pilot and when he took hold of the wheel I asked him about how far we had ran he said five miles So when I quit he Said young man if you had a chance you would make a Pilot he said come up again But we were getting near Memphis I Staid below untill we marched out from the Boat and turned East to Some timber where we went in to camp and Staid there until ordered to move out to the Race tracks A Splendid place to camp And there is where my old leg got over its Stiff condition I Steped down in a Sunken place in the ground and when I Steped out I found my old crippled knee was all right agains and could walk with out hopping [p. 10] So we left the Race tracks headed for Corinth Miss Where a large force of the enemy had consentrated We also had a fort there in front of the enemy There was a lot of us detailed and Sent out in front of our fort to work at digging Rifle Pits for out Cannon We were So close to the enemy they would come out at times and fire on us and we would fall back out of their Sight for a little while We were not to return their fire for fear it might bring on a general engement for which we Supposed our army was not ready yet One of our men was wounded while working there We were out there Several day and nights So one night while John Basy and I were a Sleep the officer who had command of us woke us [p. 11] up and told us we were ordered back to camp And when we reached camp found our army in full retreat gong South to Tupelo Miss and while there Gen Parsons got permission to go back to Arks We crossed the Miss River between too Sons (in) a large cotton Boat landed at mouth of Cypres creek and later headed for Des Ark Arks Which we reached later on and rested there quite a while Before takeing up the line of march up toward Mo We Stoped at a little Place called Yelville about 20 miles from the Mo line From there we moved back South to a little Stream named White Oak During which time we had been paid off And we bought horses from Some new recruits and [p. 12] mounted our selves ready for Cavalry service It was here that Gen Parsons offered me commad of an Infantry co which I declined then he offered me command of his artillery which I also declined Then he asked me why I would not accept either place I told him we Bolton boys had been to gather So far during the War and I did not feel like breaking a way from them The boys All was real glad when I told them about it and Said I did just right Shortly after that company H Barry's co was attached to Col Dorseys co and the too was called Dorseys Squadron And real soon we were Sent away out in front and not far from the enemy on out post duty And we were All So glad to leave [p. 13] White Oak and go out to the front Not long after we fought the Peabody battle. Then the Frog Bayou Battle too different battles at Branchville and one at Pinebluff Was in that battle for Six hours But did not take the place But lost 40 men killed and wounded during the battle We lost a very fine officer as we fell back Maj Widemeyer I thing he was from Osceola St Clair co and I think a kinsman of Mrs Judge Gannts of Jeff city Mo So the Pine Bluff battle was a complete failure on our part There was lots of grumbling among the men after the fight For didnt thing it was managed right Our only thought was to capture the place but we (were) doomed to failure after Surprising them [p. 14] Now I will try and tell Something about different trips I made while in the Service Once I was placed in charge of too other men and go to Monroe city and Bear Strop La two towns on oposides of the Washita river to See what was going on down there Some of the enemy had been to Bear Strop but had left and gone up north Another time I was Sent from Col Dorsey to Gen Price with a dispatch Found Gen Price near Van Buren Arks falling back from the Pearidge or the Elk Horn fight I forget which I traveled all night on neutral ground 40 some odd miles [p. 15] and once was Sent in command of fifteen men with orders to go to Mennefees Mill on the Osage river a distance of fifteen miles from camp It was reported that the Kasas Jay Hawkes were coming to attack us But they didnt Show up Next morning the army came a long and relieved us I didnt go far before going into camp Which gave us a chance to get Something to eat after being our all night I was Sent on other trips which I will mention later on One of these was a trip to go near Pine Bluff with two other men during which we captured two Federal boys who claimed to be deserters from the Federal Army at Pine Bluff This happened five miles from Pine Bluff [p. 16] So when I returned from off this trip the Army was getting ready to make a rade into Mo under Gen Sterling Price This was the hardess Soldering I ever did It was fight almost every day Some where Our first fight was at Pilot Knob in Iron co We failed to capture place and in falling back from the Federal Fort Some fellow was a good enough marksman to hit me on my left foot with a Spent bullet At Union we captured 60 men mostly Germans Fought a little battle at Herman and at Glassco captured 600 men About 60 of them made their escape up the river Fought two battles in about Independence and one out South of Kans city after which we fell back South [p. 17] To Lisborn La Where we went into winter quarters for a Short while Only from there our Reg 10th Mo [Cavalry] was ordered to North La at Camp Fellow Ship Where we went into winter quarters And remained there until ordered to Shreveport to Surrender We surrendered to Gen E. S. B. Canby We gave up our Paroles After which we took a Steamer for home Now there might be Some other things that I might write about But think this will do

J. M. Bolton
435 Holland Ave
Los Angeles Cal

Western Historical Manuscript Collection, University of Missouri,Columbia, MO.