Jackson County Military Records

JACKSON COUNTY AND THE MEXICAN WAR

The Mexican War took place from 1846-1848, and it was logical that men of Jackson County, at the beginning of the Santa Fe Trail, should feel the need of being a part of this patriotic effort. According to THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI, by W. L. Webb (copyright 1928 by the author), men from Independence were the first to reach Leavenworth, where the troops of the Missouri Volunteers were going to gather. So the Independence men became Company A, with Dr. David Waldo chosen Captain. Men from Lexington formed Company B and Company C was made up of men from Liberty. Alexander William Doniphan of Liberty was elected as Colonel, but the Missouri men didn't want to be subjected to his strict West Point-style of discipline, so they gave him the lower rank of Major, in order to have his West Point training in military strategy tactics available if needed.

Other Missourians fought under Sterling Price, who became famous in the Civil War. He went into the Mexican War as A Colonel and came out a Brigadier General.

Emerging victorious in battles that included the Battle of Sacramento, an outpost of Chihuahua, Mexico, the Missouri Volunteers and their leader, Col. Doniphan, returned from the war as heroes. They were honored at a barbecue in Independence. There, Mrs. Gertrude Buchanan, an Independence school teacher, gave a flowery tribute to Col. Doniphan and asked him to kneel while she placed a laurel wreath on his head. He didn't kneel as she suggested, so she placed the wreath on his head as he sat, and proceeded with her speech, while he removed the wreath from his head.

The war and the Missouri participants and Mrs. Buchanan's speech were all remembered during a reunion of Mexican War Veterans in Independence in September 1901. The first reunion of the group was held in 1878, and by 1901 as stated in an article in the INDEPENDENCE SENTINEL newspaper, only 30 or 40 "old Mexican veterans" were expected. But 57 came. Those listed as present were:

Thos. D. Hoy, age 78, Sedalia
W. Boone Major, 75, Odessa
James Martin, 75, Marshall
R. J. William, Swanwick
S. C. Snowden, Omaha
R. C. Evans, 73, Kansas City
L. G. Jebbins, 79, Madison
Jas D. Chinn, 76, Lexington
Thos. J. R. Grant, Salina, Kansas
J. S. Story, 75, Liberty<
J. W. Shouse, 76, Kearney
W. H. Pence, 76, Kearney
G. A. Marshall, 72, Missouri City
R. M. Scott, 75, Keytesville
Jos. Bunberry, 76, Marshall
V. S. P. Collier, 73, Marshall
J. A. Smith, 75, and wife, Lawson
J. M. Liddil, 75, Nevada
H. H. Richardson, 77, Salisbury
Wm. Embree, Cairo
R. T. Stephenson, 76, Liberty
Stephen Galloway, 77, New Franklin
J. S. Miller, 75, Napoleon
Ellis Ellis, 78, Independence
A. Everett, Pleasant Hill
J. R. Mccormick, 78, Sheffield
Royal Dunham, 86, Blue Springs
L. W. Clark, 74, Kansas City
John Hitchins, 74, Kansas City
A. K. McClintock, 80, Kansas City
Daniel Parrott, 77, Kansas City
David Powell, 96, Maryville
Thos M. Jackobs(sic), 81, Kistiville
W. P. Robinson, 75, Bethany
Wiley Akin, 78, Independence
Marvin Scudder, 79, Kansas City
R. B.? (R.?) Walburn, Crutcher, Missouri
J. R. Winger, 77, Coboll (Cobool?)
J. T. Wilson, 73, Eudora, Kansas
M. D. Gow, 69, Holt, Missouri
W. F. Cloud, 76, Kansas City
Morgan DeLacy, 76, Holt, Missouri
Thos H. Calvert, 73, Belton
Paul R. Baker, 78, Westport
Josiah Curtis, 71, Independence
W. B. Hale, 79, Lexington
B. F. Spurry, 77, Bethany
John Wall, 82, Molton, Missouri
Thomas Howser, 80, Tuscumbia
John H. Slaughter, 71, Slater
Jas. Peacocok, Independence (no age given)
Isaac George, 79, LaTrobe, Penn
M. P. Leitz, 85, Fulton
Jas Bowlin, 80, Hiler
David Bessall? Begsall?, 69, Independence
M. M. Bosye? Boeye?, 76, Myers, Missouri
David Lanter, 76, Farley

Only one larger reunion had been held previous to the 1901 event. The reunion began at the courthouse, with a lunch prepared by women of Independence. A group picture followed, and a parade around the courthouse square, led by a fife and drum corps. 

Then Judge Teasdale adjourned the court session being held in the circuit court room so the veterans could gather there.Mayor Woodson of Independence welcomed them, and Mayor Thos. D. Hoy of Sedalia, the president of the group, responded. Then Miss Elizabeth Henley recreated the 1848 welcome home address of Mrs. Buchanan, reading it in its entirety. (Ed.'s note: To read the entire speech, see the INDEPENDENCE SENTINEL, Sept. 13, 1901, available on microfilm at the Genealogy Branch, mid-continent Public Library, Independence or on interlibrary loan from the State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia.)

Mayor Reed of Kansas City addressed the group that evening. The next morning, the veternas gathered again in the court house rooms, and reelected the old officers by unanimous vote. They were: President, Thos. P. Hoy of Sedalia; Vice President, William Boone Major, Odessa; and Secretary, Rev. James Martin of Marshall. The next gathering was set for the second Thursday and Friday in September 1902 in Columbia.

Several resolutions were passed by the group, including one noting the assassination attempt on the life of President William McKinley, and another asking Congress to increase the amount of the Mexican War's veterans from $8 a month to $1 a day.

According to a September 20, 1901 article in the INDEPENDENCE SENTINEL, several veterans related "interesting reminiscences" L. D. Jeffers of Kansas City "fought to establish the Republic of Texas, and afterward returned to St. Louis. When the Mexican War broke out he again took up arms against Mexico.

R. B. Walborn of Saline County had formerly lived near Independence and fought in the 1862 Battle of Independence during the Civil War. B. T. Spurryof Bethany, Missouri, fought in Mexico under Price, but later, during the Civil War, he fought against Price. The article notes that Spurry had a brother who fought in the Civil War and had not been heard from since the war.

M. P. Leitz, of Fulton was 85 years old and stayed with J. P. Jackson while in Independence. He stated that in 1861, Missouri's Governor Jackson had offered colonel Doniphan the post of Major General of the Missouri State troops Leitz said Doniphan declined, and the commission later went to General Sterling Price. Marvin Scudder read a paper to the group.

According to the article, a grand total of 105,000 enlisted men in the Mexican War. By June 1901, only 7,568 of them were living. Widows numbered 8,900. 16 of the Missouri veterans groups had died during the past year. The majority of the Missouri veterans who attended were from Doniphan's command, but "nearly every division of the several armies which marched into Mexico was represented."

The same SENTINEL article notes that "In saying farewell the old soldiers said they would probably never hold another reunion here as they expected to answer to taps before it would come Independence's turn to entertain them again. They were each and all delighted with their treatment here.