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Archiver > KYHARRIS > 1999-08 > 0935271765


From: "Philip A. Naff" <>
Subject: [KYHARRIS-L] The Civil War in Claysville & Oddville.
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 1999 16:42:45 -0500


Hi, again,

First, let me correct a mistake regarding the citation of the last
article I posted. It should have a date of June 12, instead of June 2.

Here is the text of the article which appeared the following week, which
starts off being a little "disjointed" but continues on to give some
details of Civil War life around Oddville and Claysville. If you don't
get anything else out of it, you will at least learn to use the words
"agone," "reminiscental," and "engloomed" in the proper context!

The surnames are: HODSON, DOUGLAS, CLOUGH, SMALLEY, WHITEKER, KENNARD,
AMMERMAN, GULICK, TAYLOR, MULLEN, PARKER, GARNETT, HAYS, BRANNOCK,
TAYLOR, GARNETT, KING, REES, SIPPLE, BATSON, KENDALL, DAVID, WHITE,
WHEELER, DESHA, WARD, CURRAN, JACKSON, KINNEY, DURBIN, CUMMINS, MCCLAIN,
OGLE, WHITE, CUNNINGHAM, GILES, HENDERSON, YOUNG, MULLIN, & ROGERS.

NOTE: Two columns of this three column article were “cut-off” at the
top of the page in the microfilmed edition of this issue. At least two
lines, of perhaps five words each, are missing from the top of the 2nd
and 3rd colums, but it doesn’t appear to be any more than that. A “***”
in brackets has been placed in the text of this article to denote those
missing lines.

The Cynthiana Democrat, Thursday, June 19, 1919, Page 3, Cols. 1-3:

REMINISCENCES
----------
E.B.L. Writes Entertainingly of
Early Civil War Times
----------
In years agone a fellow “taking his pen in hand”--another old-time
phrase--to write such as this would have indulged in poetic quotation
galore and even Shakespeare might have been drawn on. But this is an age
of fast doing things, fast thought, writing, reading and “get there Eli”
as quick as possible. Hence rhythm and flowers are omitted in these
scraps reminiscental.
Inadvertently the names of Jimmie Douglas, Jimmie Hodson, Hiram Clough
and sister, now Mrs. Smalley, Billie Monroe Whiteker and perhaps others
were omitted from the names of pupils in the ‘60-’61 term of Oddville
school. No better school, nor more apt scholars in leering then existed
in old Harrison.
Wm. G. Kennard was the Mt. Zion teacher, two miles distant. Mrs.
Isabelle Gulick, afterwards Mrs. Philip Ammerman, who is now a resident
of Cynthiana, also taught that school for a term or so. Both were fine
teachers.
The first time I can recall seeing our mutual friend, J.J. Whiteker was
early one Sunday morning as he passed by, riding his favorite young
mare, en route to Neville’s Run on a personal mission in which he seemed
to be putting much earnest and ardent effort. Our French cousins would
term it an “affair d’amour.” That he succeeded was soon attested by his
union with one of the finest girls in the county--Miss Arbell Taylor,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Taylor. Now in the declining years of
long and useful lives, they serenely and confidently await the call of
the Captain for the Crossing of the Bar.
The first funeral I attended was that of Brazzilla Mullen, an aged
citizen, the next the father of Joe A. Whiteker, a resident now of
Belmont. Both were good men. The leading families were: H. Mc. Parker,
Asa, F., Archibald, Monroe D., Robt. T. and Joseph A. Whiteker, Edward
Garnett, John R. and Paul Douglas, Thos. G. Hays, William Brannock,
Duncan Taylor, William Garnett, Col. Paul King, Richard Rees, J.M.
Sipple, Rev. J.C. Crow, Dr. J.D. Batson, James T. Kendall, J. Mat David,
and William White, Henry, Wm. F. and George Wheeler, etc. Many of their
children or descendants are still among us and rank as among our best
people.
In the early spring of 1861, Gen. Lucius Desha and Hon. Harry Ward,
opposing candidates for the legislature, spoke in the Temperance Hall,
Oddville. Portentous clouds threatening Civil War engloomed the
country. Of opposite types, both speakers were unusually serious and
spoke under evident strain. Both were guarded and free from the extreme
utterance that characterized the dis[***] tried men’s soles as never
before in the nation’s history.
Ward, strongly pro-”Union,” was lacking in the scintillations of wit,
humor and anecdote that always made him an interesting and popular
speaker. Desha was practical and profound. He, naturally, inclined to
the conservative southern view, and was no extremist. Desha won in the
ensuing election.
State Guard, Home Guard and Independent military companies sprang up
all over the State. Harrison county soon had her quota--and more. Down
at Claysville, Dr. W.H. Curran as Capt.; Alonzo Jackson, Winder Kinney
and J.J. Curran as Lieutenants, drilled a good sized company of
“Unionists.’[‘] Near by a company was formed and captained by Col. Pole
Durbin. John Cummins and R.A. McClain were Lieutenants. Henry C. Ogle,
still living, now of Paris, was Orderly Sergeant. Rated as
pro-Southern, it really was conservative and neutral. So close were the
drilling grounds of the two companies it was said the stentorian
commands of one of the lieutenants and the “hep, hep” of the Claysville
Co. could be heard by Durbin’s company. Fears were entertained that
there would be trouble between them but it never came.
Arrangements were made for a meeting of Capt. Durbin’s Co.[,] Capt.
William White’s Co., which met for drill at Stony Point on Beaver, and
the Cynthiana Guards for an all-day meeting on Col. Paul King’s blue
grass woodland pasture. A misunderstanding of some kind as to date
caused the non-presence of any but the Durbin company and a portion of
White’s. Likewise, the “eats” and ice water were “non-est.” Soon,
however, the
old Col. hurried his ox team up with a barrel of spring water for the
thirsty crowd and alter on something stronger was found, and Wash
Cunningham and Harve Giles, under the influence, renewed their feud as
to which was the best man by having their customary fight when they
met. The soldier boys behaved nicely, drilled and marched in formation,
interestingly and reflected credit on their companies.
War’s “rude alarms” and mobilization of combating forces came all to
soon. Capt. Joe Desha’s company soon embarked for a train journey
southward. I saw them gather in the court house where Rev. Howard
Henderson addressed them. The roll was called, they soon formed in line
on the street in front and marched away to entrain. Oddville vicinity
sent Thomas and Tapley Taylor (the latter never returned), Robt. J.
Brannock, Wm. H. Young, John C. Mullin, D.N. Rees and John Rees. The
latter died in the service.
They made good soldiers and all except Mullen, disabled from a wounded
hip, re-enlisted joining John Morgan’s famous command. Other companies
soon followed and more went out.
Curran’s Claysville Co. almost to [***] Capt. Cornelius McLeod soon
succeeded Curran, who resigned to become surgeon, and served as Co. I,
20th K. Inft. until mustered out.
George Mullen, of this city, is one of the few surviving members. His
brother, deceased recently, was also a member.
Just before the first Morgan fight and capture of Cynthiana, a squad of
infantry, commanded by Capt. Rogers, a Nicholas county man, with an army
wagon, marched out to and into Oddville one Sunday, armed and heeled for
combat, on a gun taking expedition. Evidently they had posted as to
whose guns to take. Sufficient that not even the minister’s house
escaped and my small one-barreled shot gun, with hardly enough force to
bring down a squirrel, was seized, captured and carried off as a trophy
of war. It, with a big pile of other guns, thus taken, was destroyed on
Court house square on the morning following the fight. W.H. Young, now
living in this city, was one of the Morgan men assisting in the work.
The foolish and unnecessary taking of that little gun almost turned me
“rebel,” and when I learned Rogers, so pompous and harsh, received a
shot in the heel I regretted it wasn’t in closer proximity to his
saddle.
Soon followed similar raids--horses and wagons mostly. H. Mc. Whiteker
had two good four-horse teams “pressed” into Government service at one
time. It was simply forcible seizure and unjustifiable. To this day
the Government has failed to reimburse the loss. E.B.L.

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