A History of Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas: Being an Account of the Early Settlements, the Civil War, the Ku-Klux, and Times of PeaceMonks, William
History
A History of Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas: Being an Account of the Early Settlements, the Civil War, the Ku-Klux, and Times of Peace
Monks, William
Arkansas -- History -- 19th century; Arkansas -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865; Guerrillas -- Ozark Mountains -- Biography; Missouri -- History -- 19th century; Missouri -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865; Monks, William, 1830-1913; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narr
county, about forty miles distant, and reported that the Union men had
had a fight with the rebels, and they were all captured or killed, with
the exception of himself, and he had made his escape after the fight.
Just before McBride broke camps to march west to join Gen. Price and
Gen. McCullough, he made a general order that they arrest and seize
every Union man possible, and after he left the country, that the
committee who had been organized to take charge of the county, would
at once exterminate every Union man who had failed to take the oath
or to join the Confederate army, giving them full power as to what
disposition they would make of them.
Rebels Capture Col. Monks.
On the 7th of July, 1861, one of my neighbors came to me and informed
me that the time had come that every Union man had to show his colors
and unless they reported and took the oath or joined the Confederate
army, they would hang as high as Haman. While the Union men were on
their guard and watching their movements, once in a while they would
slip in home to see how the family was getting along. My family at that
time consisted of a wife and four children, three girls and one boy. My
wife had never been accustomed to staying alone and I came in home late
on the evening of the 7th, thinking that I would leave the next morning
before daylight. Sometime after the family had retired, not far from 11
o'clock in the night, I was awakened by a rapping on the door. My wife,
suspecting who the parties were, answered them, and demanded to know
what was wanted; one of them, who claimed to be an orderly sergeant,
remarked that he wanted to know if Monks was at home. She replied that
he was not. A man by the name of William Biffle, whom the author had
been acquainted with for years, replied, "He is here, I know, for I
coursed him into this house late yesterday evening." The author at once
arose to his feet and remarked, "I am here, what is wanted?" A man by
the name of Garrett Weaver, who claimed to be an orderly sergeant and
in charge of the squad, also a neighbor to the author said, "I have
been ordered by Gen. McBride to arrest you, bring you in and make you
take the oath." I owned at that time a first-class rifle and there was
also another rifle gun in the house. I took my gun into my hands and
my wife took hold of the other gun. I told them that a general order
had gone forth, so I was informed, that they wanted to hang all the
leading Union men and "if that is your intention I will die before I
surrender." Weaver replied they were not going to hang me, but they
were just going to take me to McBride to take the oath and I should be
protected. Upon those terms I agreed to surrender, made a light in the
house and found that the house was surrounded by a posse of twenty-five
rebels. As soon as the light was made, a part of them rushed into the
house, took my gun and jerked the one my wife had in her hand out of
her possession, almost throwing her to the floor, began a general
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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