Mexico weekly ledger., 1913-03-27


sented in the campaign. The Bell and
Everett voters and the Douglass vot-
ers maintained flags on a pole In
the Court House yard throughout
that campaign. In that election Lin
coin received one vote in the Coun-
ty. This County's Rep
resentative was a secessionist and
its Representative In the state Sen
ate was a union man. Early in the
spring of 1861 when the lines be
tween union and secession were be
ginning to be drawn, the people Of
the County were about equally di
vided, there being, however,
strong secession sentiment in and
around Mexico. The divided senti
ment is well illustrated by an ef
fort which was made to raise a Sc
cession flag in Mexico that spring
William o. Johnson, Green Bishop
James and Robert Carter and Joe
Inflow were the leaders Of the par
Elephants on the part OF secession
lists. On the other hand, were Geo
w. Fentem, Samuel Fentem, Henry
Estes and w. H. White, the leaders
of the opposition. 1t was undertake
on to put the flag on the Bell and
Everett pole of the fall campaign
still standing. This resulted in
general fight in which no one was
killed but several badly hurt. The
secessionists were compelled to re
tire without ever getting the flat
on the pole and the secession flai
never floated in Mexico
From the time of the Camp Jack
son affair at st. Louis in May, l
was the determination of the Fedora
forces to hold the Missouri Rive
through the entire state. Gen
l eral Lyon, after that affair, prompt
ly seized Jefferson City, and th'
contention was over the possession
Of the river west of there, culminat
ing in battles at Boonville and Lex
i ington. 1t was also the determine
ton of the Federal forces to kee
up a complete line of communicable
along the line Of the North Missoui
There east on the Hannibal & s.
/ Joe tor Hannibal. From the Ger
trail position of Mexico it was RI
garded as the military key to a
Northeastern Missouri and was occ'
/. pied by the Union troops early
: the war and held by them to the en-
: of the conflict.
e The first troops stationed
0 Mexico were in June or July, 1856
A portion of the 2nd and Sth Mi
e souri, Regiments, in all about 81
hundred men under the command OF
s Colonel Morgan l.. Smith and 1t. Co
+ G. A. Schaefer. Prior to the arri
al of these troops, efforts were mad
y in various parts of the county T
d ward raising companies OF th
+ State Guard, under the call OF Co
ernor Jackson for $4,000 men to d
J. fend the state against invasion. An
i while they were called State Guard
they in reality afterwards becan
IS the bulk of Prices army.
J. John C. Muldrow, strong S
e cessionist, got crowd of men al
L and boys together. which he callt
10 the "Audrain Rangers" but nev
perfected an organization of theI
When the first train load Of the
soldiers riding on flat cars, were a
}. preaching Mexico from the east,
took his men a mile or SO east
e Mexico and just east of the 81
in River bridge, hid in the corn a
y brush and fired on the Union 8
N diers,. killing some and wounding
r number of them. There is no aecou
IN of this affair in the Official Recor
of the War OF the Rebellion.
e, must have occurred the last h
~ of July. Immediately after the
r. fair, Muldrow's crowd dissolved, so
n hiding in the brush and somegoing
IN their homes and remaining hidd
W for number OF days. 1t v
h the first start of real disorder VIII
lg was constant in the County throu
ir, out the remainder of the war. 7
en- regiment Of Union soldiers was me
ly composed of undlsciplined G
st mans and they seemed to have
ne idea that the war was perso
at vidual secessionists as they ca
of into contact with them. M uldl
Ias matter between them and the 4
as yidual secessionists as they C
p, into contact with them. Muld
in was a brother-in-law of John
ars Clark, who was a very strong III
of man and it was doubtless through
for efforts that Muldrow was never
Mr.. accountable for this affair. John
uc- Muldrow being mistaken for the
hat Muldrow, was by the soldiers, on
ure ing met by them, shot down
ays killed, and by company of L
ply soldiers passing through the Il
about the same time, two other
'om zens, William Lockridge and Gar
mia Surber, were killed.
Gle, The first County Court was con
dur ed Of James Harrison, Jas. E.
ing, ton and Hezikiah | NJ. Doan, all
lust pointed by the Governor as Co
in Judges. James Jacsokn was
Lnge pointed sheriff by the Governor
eign declined to qualify.
loO The Court met on the sixth da
etn- February, 1887, as the record ha
war at the house of Edward Jenn
T. Doan not being president. Z
llua- without sheriff, William Lev
up was appointed elisor. Joel HI
was appointed clerk and gave b
in the sum of $5000,O0, with
B. Morris, George W. Turley
ange James Jackson as sureties Cou
journed on the sixth until the l
ahse ing of the seventh day of Feb
when Doan appeared, produced
IL 10 commission and was sworn in
D. the first official act OF the C,
, Court was an order granting to
h. Fenton, one of its members
panca fap saIlin,, nn5 ,oAntfta. ,