Civil War was crucial period in Daviess County

Editor’s Note: The following is reprinted from the centennial edition of the Gallatin North Missourian, “Civil War was Crucial Period in Daviess County,” v. 12 N 13, 1937.

Daviess County was a hot spot during the Civil War. The people were so evenly divided on the issues involved that the situation was very tense during the four years of fratricidal strife. Good neighbors became suspicious of each other and families divided into opposing camps.

Major J.H. McGee, a leader on the Union side, is quoted in John C. Leopard’s history of the county as saying there were plenty of Union men in the county, but in Gallatin there were only 20 men who in the fall of 1860 favored standing by the Union, and only eight would declare it openly. Judges S.S. Richardson, S.P. Cox, John Ballinger, Harfield Davis, Owen H. McGee, William V. McGee, Joseph H. McGee, James McFerran, counselor of the group, kept in the background.

The southeast corner of the square, occupied by Davis & Son, druggist, was known as “secession corner.” While Harfield Davis was a Union man, his father was a violent secessionist. Finally the firm dissolved. Baalis Davis went into the business in Chillicothe.

The activities of the opposing forces is thus given by Major McGee:

“Dr. C.C. Hogan, my old family physician, had raised a company for the rebel army, and had them camped on Grand River bottoms, about three miles from town. Rebel companies were now organizing and drilling all over the country. Many of them would come upon the platform in front of my office while Judge Richardson and I were there and talk so we could hear them. They would propose taking out what few Union men there were in Gallatin and hang them. They never did. This kind of life could not be borne always. We decided to put an end to it. Upon consulting Major Cox, Captain Ballinger, brother William, John Shriver and myself, we concluded to leave town in one or more companies, then come back, take possession of the place and keep it.

I had part of a company enlisted who were to meet us at Honey Creek. Dr. Folmsbee had enlisted a company on the east side of Grand River and met us at Cameron With additional recruits we were mustered into six months service under the call made by Gov. Gamble. As Dr. Folmsbee had his company first made up his was company A. Mine was Company B. Major Cox was mustered in as major over our two companies.

Service in six months militia being ended in January, 1862, plans were made to organize a regiment of calvary of the Missouri State Militia. In April the regiment was formed with James McFerran as colonel. Three of the companies were raised in Daviess County: Company A under Captain Joseph W.H. McGee, Company B under Captain W.H. Folmsbee, and Company C under Captain John Ballinger.

Only one engagement took place in Daviess County and it was only a slight skirmish — a sort of game of hide and seek. The engagement took place near Cravensville and it lasted about an hour and a half, resulting in the defeat of the rebel forces with six killed and 10 wounded. The Union forces had three severely wounded and two only slightly wounded.

It was estimated that some 300 from Daviess County served in the Confederate army, but the county was always under federal control.

And now after more than 70 years since that conflict, there is practically nothing of the Civil War bitterness among the people of Daviess County.