The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board

The Running Fight

I haven't come up with any White School or store, or any such thing, but, interestingly to your query, O.R. White helped build the coffins for the dead guerrillas.

One of my sources here is Hampton "Babe" Watts book, "Babe of the Company. Starting at page 15 he talks about Capt. Bissett and his men taking shelter from a storm in the barn at the Turner Farm. Watts then goes on to state that after the war he was chatting with Lieutenant Williams of the attacking force. Note I have identified the attacking force as being 160 troopers from the 9th MSM Cavalry, which was led by Major Reeves Leonard that day. "Lieutenant Williams" I have identified as being 2nd Lt. Job Williams, Company A, 9th MSM Cav.

Watts went on to quote Williams as follows: "As we rushed forward to surround the barn, two of the men emerged therefrom with a revolver in each hand, firing rapidly. One man, whom we thought at the time to be Bill Anderson, fell dead at the first volley from our guns, his body being literally riddled by musket balls. The second man was killed some thirty yards from the barn as he attempted to mount over a rail fence. The other four men had sprang into a field of standing corn on the south side of the barn and for a time they were hidden from our view. Three of them were soon discovered running southwest through the standing corn toward a brushy timber. Being afoot they could make much more rapid progress through the corn than their cavalry pursuers, though a fusillade was kept up by us in their direction. The three succeeded in getting a mile from the barn before being overtaken. They fought desperately before we succeeded in their killing. The fourth man, who had separated from his comrades, gained the timbered pasture one-half mile to the west, but was shot down, fighting to the last. It seemed a pity to kill such brave men, but it was war."

Watts then ends his quote from Lt. Williams and next resumes the narrative himself, stating "the three guerrillas pursued through the cornfield were killed on the farm of our esteemed friend, William H. Long. Rough coffins were made by O.R. White, Ira Darby, Sr., and W.H. Long; the bodies of the six brave men placed therein and interred in the Turner family burial ground near the residence.

Messages In This Thread

Scalping of Bloody Bill Anderson's Men
Where the Scalping Took Place
Re: Where the Scalping Took Place (Turner)
Re: Where the Scalping Took Place (Long)
Re: William Hocker Long
Re: Where the Scalping Took Place
Re: Where the Scalping Took Place
Re: Where the Scalping Took Place
The Running Fight
Re: The Running Fight
Re: The Running Fight 2
Re: The Running Fight musings
Locals Needed; The Seventh Man
Re: Locals Needed; The Seventh Man
Re: Locals Needed; The Seventh Man
Re: Locals Needed; The Seventh Man
Re: Locals Needed; The Seventh Man
Re: Locals Needed; The Seventh Man
Re: Locals Needed; The Seventh Man
Re: Locals Needed; The Seventh Man
Re: Locals Needed; The Seventh Man
Re: Locals Needed; The Seventh Man
Re: Where the Scalping Took Place
Re: Where the Scalping Took Place
The Notorious Captain Bissett From Platte County
Re: The Notorious Captain Bissett From Platte Coun
Re: Thomas Fulton From Platte County
Re: Thomas Fulton From Platte County
Re: John Wilson of Jackson County
Re: Sandy Mcmacane Louisianna?
Re: Harvey Brown From Platte County
Peyton Long/William H. Long
Re: Peyton Long/William H. Long
Re: Peyton Long/William H. Long
Re:William H. Long
Re: 1st Lt Wm McIlwrath