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Drumroll please… “Blood in the Ozarks: Expanded Second Edition” is now available at Barnes & Noble for $15.00 (paperback).
“A fascinating story of conflict played out in a country of great beauty but thin soil, heavy swamps, thick forest that almost nobody wanted, except the people who lived there.” – Paulette Jiles, author of “Enemy Women”, “News of the World” & “Simon the Fiddler”.
Foothills Media LLC is always looking for new market places and platforms in order to reach more potential customers and bring you more savings.
Recently I discovered Flip HTML 5, it is a platform that serves as an e-commerce site for authors and a marketplace for savvy ebook customers.
We’re proud to announce that we have uploaded “Blood in the Ozarks: Expanded Second Edition” to Flip HTML 5 for just $1.50! All payments safely and securely made through Paypal. Click Here to order and read the first 20 pages free.
The January 17 1924 issue of the Crane Chronicle [Stone County, Missouri] carries a shocking ( and dare I say fascinating) story of two Confederate veterans who got into an argument over a spittoon [which the article refers to as a cuspidor].
The two combatants were Mose Scott (age 86) and Jim Cummings (78). Cummings was the last surviving member of Quantrill’s Raiders and was said to have been well acquainted with the James Brothers (Frank & Jesse) as well as the Youngers and the Coles (which the paper refers to as “pioneer outlaws of the Ozarks.”
Apparently when Mose Scott accused Jim Cummings of stealing the spittoon, Cummings called Scott “A damn liar!”. Responding in a fit of rage, Scott then produced a knife cutting Cummings’ cheek and abdomen”
Scott was brought before the court at which time Judge Walker asked what defense he had to offer, Scott responded by exclaiming “He called me a damn liar!”
Not wanting to send an elderly veteran to jail Judge Walker ordered Mose Scott sent to the State Hospital in Fulton (Callaway County) until the feud cooled down and Cummings could recover.
Knife fight between elderly Confederate Veterans Thu, Jan 17, 1924 – 3 · The Crane Chronicle (Crane, Missouri) · SHSMO Digital Newspaper Project
This article is a continuation of an article that I co-authored with Joshua Heston for State of the Ozarks online magazine which was titled “Black Panthers’ Existence Denied” Which stated , in part:
“There are no black panthers in Missouri. It is a myth like Bigfoot.” — Michael Flaten
Years ago at my grandmother’s house, I discovered an old high school yearbook. Thumbing through the pages, I found my uncle’s senior photo with the usual details of titles, predictions and nicknames.
“Panther,” said the entry. Uncle Phil’s nickname was Panther.
“Your uncle once saw a black panther on your great-grandfather’s farm but nobody believed him,” explained my father when I asked him.
Uncle Phil’s panther sighting took place in Stoddard County, Missouri, in the 1960s. Back then his biggest skeptics were his peers. A brief internet search on the topic of black panther sightings in Missouri will turn up the occasional news story, blog post or photo of the elusive cat.
With today’s new technology, citizens are no longer dependent on the “gate keepers” of old media. Convincing one’s peers of a black panther sighting isn’t nearly as difficult as it was when Uncle Phil was in high school.
Today, if a resident spots a black panther, his biggest critic will be the Missouri Department of Conservation. Officially the MDC has this to say about black panthers in Missouri:
“Black panthers” are not native to North America, but they do exist as melanistic (black color) phases of the leopard (Panthera pardus) found in Africa and Asia and the jaguar (Panthera onca) of Mexico and Central and South America. Throughout its range, no melanistic (black) mountain lion has ever been documented by science….In 1996 MDC established a Mountain Lion Response Team (MLRT) with specially trained staff to investigate reports and evidence of mountain lions.
“The MLRT has investigated hundreds of mountain lion reports. Animals reported as mountain lions include house cats, bobcats, red foxes, coyotes, black and yellow Labrador retrievers, great Danes and white-tailed deer. Almost all reported tracks have been those of bobcats or large dogs.”
The article included other recent eyewitness reports and accounts I found in newspaper articles from the past. I thought I would revisit the archives blow the dust off some old papers (figuratively) and see what I could find.
I decided to explore the archives of Van Buren , Missouri’s Current Local newspaper, I found the following accounts:
From the Thursday February 4, 1926 issue of The Current Local. The headline reads: “Kills Large Panther.”
“A large panther was killed one day last week in the western part of Pemiscot county by Homer Weaver , according to the Dunklin County News. The hide of the animal measured a little over ten feet from tip to tip and is the first of its kind in that section for many years past . The hunter shot the big cat out of a tree from where it had taken refuge from a pack of dogs and when it hit the ground , though mortally wounded, it killed one of the dogs before expiring.”
“From the Thursday December 9, 1926 edition of The Current Local under the heading of “This Day in Missouri History:
“Late in 1816 there was approved an act to encourage the killing of wolves, panthers and wildcats. It authorized a payment of $2 for each wolf or panther and fifty cents for the scalp of each wildcat.”
From the Thursday July 17, 1930 Current Local under the headline “Hauled Freight to Pilot Knob with Oxen”:
This particular article featured a pioneer of Carter County, Missouri by the name of C.G. Bunn who moved to the area in 1866 and stated:
“When I first moved to Carter County, 14 votes would elect any county officer. Few people resided in the county. An old log shanty was used as the courthouse in Van Buren. There were all kinds of deer, panther, wild turkey and some bear in the Ozark region in my day. Once I thought I was going to get a panther but he saw me and ran just as I was getting ready to shoot.”
The January 8, 1953 edition of The Current Local contains an article bearing the title “Chilton Notes” by Lucile Masnor who writes:
“Well, ever since I saw that big cat-like animal run across the field and leap into the woods , I’ve been I’ve been scared to go very far from the house. If I should meet it face to face, even if I had Pa along, I’ll bet I’d be the last one in the kitchen door. The hunter in me declares that I didn’t see anything, but I still maintain it was a panther.”
My final example (for this article) comes from The Current Local dated March 1, 1973 which includes the article “The Current River Cat” written by Lucile Masnor:
“Some people say there is no such thing as a panther. But we Carter Countians call our big cat a panther.
The first I knew there was a panther in these hills was many years ago. I was preparing supper one evening. My step-father had walked up the valley road. Mother and I heard what sounded like a woman scream up the hill behind the house. My step-father heard it and came running to the house thinking we were in trouble and screaming for him. When it wasn’t us he decided it was a panther.
Later one bright summer morning I saw the big cat crossing the valley field. He was black, about the size of a young calf but longer and slimmer with shorter legs. He did not run but bounded along with cat-like leaps…”
Today’s Banner Press newspaper carried the story of Wayne Klinckhardt of Marble Hill , Missouri who spoke at the February 29, 2020 Stoddard Rangers Camp #2290 , Sons of Confederate Veterans as part of their Civil War in Missouri Lecture Series held at the historic Stars and Stripes Museum and Library in Bloomfield, Missouri.
The February 17, 1927 edition of the Greenville Sun newspaper carried the story of a fiddling contest that attracted more than 600 people to the Wayne County, Missouri community more than 200 people were turned away , failing to gain admission to the event.
According to the paper over 20 contestants entered the event, though a few failed to appear for various reasons. A couple of contestants competed with very old fiddles, one of which was found by the contestant’s father on a riderless horse during the Civil War.
Tunes that were played included “Little Brown Jug”, “Drunken Hiccoughs” and “Buffalo Girl”
After the ballots were counted Earnest Woods was declared the winner, Brian Bell was awarded second place and Abner Barrow third. Prizes for first , second and third place were $10, $5 and $2.50 respectively and paid in gold.
The Sun reported that the winner of this contest was supposed to compete in a larger event encompassing the Southeast Missouri area. I am posting the full article below
Greenville Missouri Fiddler’s Contest Thu, Feb 17, 1927 – 1 · Greenville Sun (Greenville, Missouri) · SHSMO Digital Newspaper Project
The Thursday September 28, 1905 edition of the Wayne County Journal (Greenville, Missouri) reported on the election of Missourian Harry B. Hawes to the position of Commander in Chief of the United Sons of Confederate Veterans and as the paper pointed out , his family tree made him well qualified for the position.
Wayne County Journal (Greenville, Missouri) September 28, 1905 Thu, Sep 28, 1905 – 1 · Wayne County Journal (Greenville, Missouri) · SHSMO Digital Newspaper Project
In addition to the information found in the Wayne County Journal , the Political Graveyard website states that Harry Hawes grandfather , Richard Hawes served as the Confederate Provisional Governor of Kentucky from 1862-1865.
Harry Hawes was a member of the Democratic Party and after an unsuccessful bid for the office of Governor of Missouri in 1904, He was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives and served from 1916-1917.
A brief history of Harry Hawes on the Wikipedia website states:
“Hawes’ next foray into elective politics was more successful, as in 1916 was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. While brief [Editor’s note: Hawes served from 1916-1917 before resigning to join the U.S. Army, due to World War I, where he was commissioned a captain] , his career in the House was eventful. Hawes authored bills that created the Missouri Highway Department and revised state traffic laws. He also served as chairman of the Good Roads committee and led the effort to pass a $60 million bond issue for creation of the states first highway system. Pertaining to river transportation and its importance to Missouri, Hawes was one of the chief organizers of the “Lakes to the Gulf Waterway Association”, whose goal was creating a series of locks & dams along the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers that would enable easier shipment of grain and other goods.”
Upon returning home from the war, Harry Hawes was elected as U.S. Representative for Missouri’s 11’th Congressional District and serving from 1920-1926.
In 1926 Hawes was elected to the U.S. Senate serving from 1926-1933 (he resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives to take his Senate seat early due to the death of Senator Selden Spencer.
During his time in the Senate Hawes continued his work of flood control, by advocating the building of dams and levees along the Mississippi River.
After leaving the U.S. Senate, Harry Hawes returned to practicing law , specializing in foreign relations. During World War II , Hawes served as legal council for the Philippine government in exile while the island nation was occupied by Japan.
Harry Hawes, the architect of Missouri highways and flood control efforts, died on July 31, 1947 in Washington , D.C. his remains were cremated and his ashes scattered along the Current River, near Doniphan, in Ripley County, Missouri. He was the product of Southern honor and ancestry, upholding his family’s long tradition of politics, patriotism and military service.
In my previous post “A Northern View on Race” I gave the example of an Indiana newspaper covering the story of whether or not a former slave was qualified to testify in a court of law. The article which was titled “A Henderson County Nigger On the Witness Stand” , was riddled with racial epitaphs and clearly did not consider newly freed slaves as citizens.
While exploring the archives of the Charleston Courier (Charleston, Mississippi County, Missouri) I found another example of Northern views regarding slavery and whether or not Union soldiers were fighting to abolish the institution.
The May 20th, 1864 edition of the paper carried the following news:
“A mob of soldiers, instigated by abolitionists, destroyed the office of a German democratic newspaper at Bellville, Ill., yesterday afternoon.”
I write and post a lot of historical articles mainly related to the Ozarks and the Civil War. Most of it is well received but every now and then and sometimes someone feels the need to dispute what I say. It’s only natural but most of the time when someone is triggered they make a counterpoint by grabbing the first headline that they feel makes their case.
Ironically I rarely discuss slavery because in the Ozarks, it really wasn’t an issue. Those that fought for the Confederacy in the area usually did so for one of two reasons:
1: Their view on patriotism was based on the fact that they believed in loyalty to the State in which they were living first.
2: Their first taste of war came at the hands of local Union militias looking for opportunities to benefit themselves at the expense of their victims.
On one forum someone posted a video from the Washington Post entitled: “How a propaganda campaign to minimize slavery’s role in the civil war became American history”
The obvious take away from the video is to place emphasis on slavery as being a cause of the war. Anyone who doesn’t believe this is accused of subscribing to a “Lost Cause” belief.
My response to these types of accusations is to take a look at how former slaves were treated in the post-war North. The May 18, 1866 edition of Charleston Courier (Mississippi County, Missouri) carries an article originally published in the Princeton (Indiana) Democrat newspaper, which carried the headline “A Henderson County Nigger on the Witness Stand” The article needs no explanation.
An article published in 1987 by the Missouri Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans newsletter , “The Missouri Partisan” carried the article of two Confederate soldiers killed near Norfolk, Missouri and that they were buried at Rush Ridge Cemetery near Wyatt in Mississippi County, Missouri.
“Killed near Norfolk, Miss. Co., Mo. Give me the
death of those who for their Country dies, be
mine like their repose when cold and low they lie.
Their loveliest Mother Earth enshrines the fallen
brave, in her sweet lap who gave thee birth they
find an honored grave. The love of liberty with
life is given and life itself the (inf) gift of Heaven.
(See also Strickland. These were two
Confederate soldiers found dead near Norfolk and
buried at Rush Ridge under a single stone.)“
I have yet to find exactly how these two soldiers died but I did find their names on the Rush Ridge Cemetery website, they are W.E. English and the other’s last name was Strickland but no first name is given.
Looking through the records I found something else very interesting. It appears that an entire family was wiped out during the course of the war and buried in Rush Ridge Cemetery:
Ema Heard was born in July 3, 1861 and died on December 16, 1861 she was the daughter of G.A. Heard and Rebecca Heard she was just over 6 months of age.
Her mother Rebecca Heard was born on March 21, 1840 and died on March 19, 1865 at the age of 25.
Emma’s brother M.J.T. Heard was born on January 8, 1862 and died on July 1, 1865 at the age of 3 1/2 years.
I have not been able to find the cause of death for the Heard family or what happened to the head of the family A.G. Heard. I did find that the April 10, 1865 edition of the Charleston Courier (Charleston, Mississippi County, Missouri) reported:
“Many of our citizens in the lower end of the County and also on Rush’s Ridge have been blockaded from our town on account of high water, and consequently, are not posted as to the arrangements being made to put down guerrilla warfare in our area for the next twelve months. Gen. Pope issued an order a short time ago for each County in the State to raise at least one company for the purpose of home protection and the carrying out of law and order in our courts throughout the State. In conformity with this order, Mississippi County has raised her Company, who will be mustered on Wednesday next.”
Since the Heard family did not all die at the same time I can only speculate what happened. Was it starvation? The flooding? Sickness? Or did a rogue element of militia from one side or the other take them out one by one? I’m not sure but it certainly seems systematic in nature and something I will continue to research.
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