The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Robert Atkinson and Livingston

FWIW, Here are some old posts about this topic:

Looking for info on 1st Bat. Cherokee Spikes, commanded by T.R. Livingston, in Southwest Mo. during the civil war. He was killed in a raid on the court house in Stockton, Mo. What happened to his Battalon? And who were they?

Rick,
The best places to read about Livingston's aggressive guerrilla band are the old Jasper and Newton County histories in that area. There is also Schrantz' 1923-or-so "Civil War in Jasper County, Missouri." Wiley Britton's postwar "Civil War on the Border" two-volume set also has some about this unit and their operations.
After Livingston's July 1863 death, his brother-in-law, Parkinson, ran the outfit for a while. I don't see this band in the records much a few weeks after Livingston's death, so it appears it went to pieces or was absorbed into nearby irregular units like Colonel John Coffee's regiment.
The "Cherokee Spikes" was a southern guerrilla or bushwhacker band. This was a rough bunch. They had little similarity to Confederate regular units, although they operated with passing regular southern outfits on occasion. While Livingston was alive the Union units could not best the "Cherokee Spikes."
Why do you want to know this? Perhaps we can help you with more specific information.
Bruce Nichols

Date: Thursday, 24 June 2004, at 8:26 p.m.

In Response To: Re: Cherokee Spikes (Chris Tabor)
Here is some additional info that might help. It is from the following site: http://www.humber-genealogy.com/samuel/d16.html
Per the author the website, the following comes from an article in the History of Dallas County, Texas

In 1859 to 1860--he [Absolom Stonecipher HUMBARD] joined the minutemen in Jasper County, Missouri for the protection against the Kansas Jayhawkers. His regiment selected Judge John Shinault as their colonel. When the federals invaded Missouri, he joined the State 6 months Guards under General Rains and when the latter was about leaving the State and was at the State line, Ab told him that if he intended to leave the State he could do so, but as for he he would fight by his fireside. Returning to Spring river, he recruited and organized a squadron of 35 men and fought through that country until the following spring, when he and Major T.R. Livingston and Captains Rusk and Robertson consolidated their forces and placed Major Livingston in command. By the Federals this body of men was afterward called "Livingstons' Bloody Spikes." In the spring of 1863 Livingston was killed in a charge upon the Federals at Stockton, Vernon County, Missouri. The command then selected Captain Pickler for their leader, but he too was soon afterward killed in a hand to hand fight with a Federal soldier. Next they selected Captain Percy and he continued to be their leader until they disbanded at Fort Washita, near Bogy depot, Chickasaw nation. This command was first under General Claiborne Jackson and afterward under General Price. It was engaged in the battle of Pea Rige and many skirmishes in what was known as guerrilla warfare. In the original muster roll there were 115 men, but at the close of the war only 15 men remaining, 100 having been killed!

Also, found this at Worldcat:
Such a foe as Livingston : the campaign of confederate Major Thomas R. Livingston's First Missouri Cavalry Battalion of Southwest Missouri
Author: John C Livingston; Richard C Peterson; Confederate States of America. Army. Missouri Cavalry Battalion, 1st.

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Livingston rosters?
Re: Livingston rosters?
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Re: Robert Atkinson
Re: Robert Atkinson
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Re: Robert Atkinson
Re: Robert Atkinson and Livingston
Re: Robert Atkinson and Livingston
Re: Robert Atkinson and Livingston
Re: Joseph Atkinson
Re: Joseph Atkinson
Re: Joseph Atkinson
Re: Joseph Atkinson
Re: Joseph Atkinson
Re: Livingston rosters?
Re: Livingston rosters?
Re: Livingston rosters?