jrbakerjr  Genealogy   
 
 
Some Guerrillas in Southeast Missouri
The Reeves and Cunningham Bands
 
 
Source: Provost Marshal Records
 
 
None of the within prisoners should be treated as prisoners of war - they comprise the meanest men that can ever lived in our country.
If you will talk to Co. C, they can tell you what they would have done with me and my Co. if they could have got us in their possession. Look at the men -
no men who look as they do should be allowed to live.
They in general are a curse to the country when times were peaceable.
 
W. T. Leeper
Capt. Comdg. Post
 
--------------------------
 
Members of Reeves Co. captured by Major Wilson in Ripley County, Mo.
on the 25th day of Dec. 1863.
 

Decalb  White          

1st  Serg. -   Guerrilla - Stole  McCumber's mule - Jayhawked for Waggon and Stain         Witnesses: A. Dunkin & McCumber of Wayne Co.          

A. J. McCullough

Guerrilla -  bad                                                                                                                                                 

Andrew Martin

do not know  

S. W. Catton

Guerrilla -  very bad man                         Witnesses: William Copeland - Barnesville, Mo. - Warren Roberts- Co. D., 3rd Cav. M. S. M.

Benj. Lewis

lives on Big Creek, Iron Co., Mo.

Charles Huffington

do not know

Jesse Gabbard

Guerrilla -  bad man 

Marion Keses

Guerrilla - horse thief -  bad man 

A. T. Lindsey

do not know

E. J. Bunyard

Guerrilla - thief - very bad man

Ennis Hooper

Guerrilla - thief - outlaw                           Witnesses: W. T. Leeper, Warren Roberts, F. W. Paul

Henry Green

Guerrilla - thief

George W. Tucker

Guerrilla -  bad man 

H. H. Toler

Guerrilla - thief

Robt. Tindle

Guerrilla - thief

George Oliver

Guerrilla - thief & violation of oath

Elijah Forrester

Guerrilla - thief

Jake Foster

Guerrilla - thief

Henry Webb

Guerrilla - thief - robber - very bad

W. M. Ross

Violator of oath & bond - Guerrilla - thief

Thomas Wall

Guerrilla - thief

Thomas Powell

Guerrilla - thief

A. G. Joplin

Guerrilla - thief - violator of oath - all things bad

John C. Lawson

Guerrilla - thief & murderer -  very bad

W. Williamson

Guerrilla - thief

Joshua Epps

Guerrilla - thief

Henry Burnett

Guerrilla - thief

J. C. Turner

Guerrilla - thief

Jake Caughran

Guerrilla - thief

John Walton

Guerrilla - thief

John Roberts

Guerrilla - thief

N. H. Wisscarver

Deserted Reeves about Aug. 1863 & married about 20 Nov. 1863 & was captured and taken back to Reeves Command about 27 Nov. 1863 & is said to have been under guard untill captured about Dec. 25, 1863.

.

.

W. T. Leeper, Capt.

.

----------------
 
Cunningham's Company

C. C. Cunningham

Captain

B. E. Hughs

1st Lt. - Guerrilla - violation of oath & many bad acts

Henry Stephenson

3rd Lt. - violation of oath & many bad acts

A. S. D. Anthony

Serg. - violation of oath & many bad acts

W. Grifface

Violator of oath - guerrilla

A. L. Hart

Guerrilla

James Camp

Guerrilla

George Copeland

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

Wiley Johnson

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

Charles Johnson

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

John McGunnigal

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

Miles W. Beys

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

John Griffis

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

Wm. E. Chetword

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

Asbury Smith

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

A. B. Bolton

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

James Baze

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

Ichabod Sligton

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

Carroll Langby

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

James Allen

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

S. Y. York

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

Theodore Bennett

Bushwacker - guerrilla - thief

Wm. Lathen

Bad man - look at him good

Jessee Snodgrass

Bad thief - guerrilla

Taylor Hensly

Bad thief - guerrilla

Philip Tyler

Very bad man - guerrilla - thief

 

In fact all the Jayhawkers in the county are in the Co. of Reeves and Cunningham - many of them are not comprised in this list - some being killed and others absent - They should not be treated as soldiers but as thieves and highwaymen - several of them are guilty of murder and perhaps guilty of theft. I do not know the men composing the Co.'s of Capt. Harden and Israel - they are from Arkansas. If you could send Reeves and Cunningham Co.'s back to me I would like to try them, condemn them and execute them.
W. T. Leeper
 
------------------------------
 
HEADQUARTERS POST
Pilot Knob, Mo. Jan. 1st, 1864
Gen. C. B. Fisk
Cmdg. St. Louis, Mo.
Sir:
I will enclose Capt. Leeper's comments on some of the prisoners sent up, for your information, and will also have Lt. Macklind send on why of the same to the Prov. Mar. Genl. for such action as you and he think necessary.
I prefer sending them to St. Louis to keeping them here, for further inquiry, for several reasons. 1st, as they know every foot of ground from here to central Arkansas, escape would be much easier from this point, 2nd My guard house is so open and facilities for warming it so poor, I can't keep them here during such severe weather without extreme suffering, 3rd Possibly Capt. L. carries his personal feelings of animosity towards his potential enemies too far, but still as he has personal knowledge of nearly all these men, I think his information is entitled to considerable weight.
You will find his comments confined to two Companies, that of Reeves and Cunningham, who are mostly Missourians, the others, from Arkansas, Israel's and Hardin's, he says he knows little about. Some others have violated their oaths and several were wearing Federal uniforms.
Most Respectfully,
R. G. Woodson
Col. 3 Cav. M.S.M.
Cmdg. Post
 

 

James R. Baker Jr.

 

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