CIVIL WAR LETTERS TELL OF WAR IN MISSOURI; JACKSON ENGAGEMENTS DETAILED AS WELL

These reenactors fire a cannon at a local reenactment.

The St. Louis Iron Mountain Steam train participates in a reenactment each year.

Civil War letters can give certain details that are missed in history books. Bernard Schaper, historian, has five letters detailing Civil War actions within Missouri. One letter tells of engagements in Jackson during April 1863. It was written by a Confederate officer as a report to another officer. The other letters detail Union officers on patrol in southern Missouri.

Schaper obtained these typed copies from the estate of Raymond McNeeley. State Representative Lewis Simpson of Oregon County sent these to McNeeley in the 1960s. These were Simpson's notes from research he did of archives in Jefferson City. This first edition comes from War of the Rebellion, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies Series 1, Vol. XXII, Part 1, pages 296-298.

The next few weeks the Jackson USA Signal will run the other letters as a special Civil War in Missouri series.

The letter that follows was written 135 years ago on May 11.

"Confederate Brigade Headquarters

Camp at Burden's Mill, May 11, 1863

Major: In obedience to General Orders, division headquarters, I herewith submit the following report of the part my brigade bore in the late expedition into Missouri.

On April 14, orders were received to immediately prepare my command for active service. I obeyed this order by sending train, baggage, etc., to the rear, and providing each of my companies, in addition to the regimental train allowed, with one pack mule, for the purpose of conveying such cooking utensils as could be conveniently transported.

On Friday morning, the 17th, I moved, marching 25 miles in a northerly direction, and camping on a small creek in Oregon County, Missouri.

The next morning I resumed the march, expecting to form a junction with Colonel (Joseph O.) Shelby, to whom I had been ordered to report, at Williams' Creek. Owing, however, to the scarcity of forage, Colonel Shelby had already started, leaving me to march in his rear through a country known as the Wilderness. After marching 28 miles, I was compelled to halt and encamp without obtaining a particle of forage for my horses.

The next day I crossed Current River at Van Buren, camping 22 miles south of Patterson, which place I reached the next evening, learning, however, that the garrison occupying the place had retreated, burning their quartermaster's and commissary stores. Lieutenant - Colonel (William J.) Preston, with three companies of my regiment, was here ordered to report to Colonel (George W.) Carter, commanding Texas brigade of cavalry, he having been sent to attack Brigadier-General (John) McNeil's forces at Bloomfield, Mo. This part of my command did not report to me again until our forces fell back from Cape Girardeau.

I again resumed the march from Patterson, moving in the direction of Fredericktown, and encamped within 12 miles of that place, and entered the town next day at 12 o'clock, but found no enemy.

On the evening of the 25th, I received orders to move on the Cape Girardeau road, which I obeyed, passing through Jackson about daylight. At 10 o'clock we reached the city and made preparations to attack it. By Colonel Shelby's order I formed my brigade in line of battle upon his right, occupying a position that completely protected my men from the artillery of the enemy, and at the same time placing me in supporting distance from his battery. An artillery duel of an hour and a half duration was here kept up on either side, the enemy showering their shot and shell upon us, but doing little execution on account of our protected position. My loss here was only 7 wounded, 2 dangerously. Lieut. G.R. Gilmore, of Company D, and acting adjutant of Lieutenant-Colonel Preston's regiment, was slightly wounded in the ankle.

About 12 o'clock I received an order from Colonel Shelby to withdraw my force, it being Brigadier-General Marmaduke's intention to make only a demonstration, and not to assault the place. I then moved my command upon the Jackson Road, and encamped about dark 4 miles beyond that place, upon the road leading to Dallas. Before I could post my pickets, and, in fact, before I had fairly encamped, a company belonging to Colonel (R.C.) Newton's regiment, which had unaccountably encamped some 300 yards from the regiment, was attacked by the enemy and scattered.

This company lost 6 men killed, wounded and missing, and almost the whole of their horses. I immediately formed the brigade on foot, and awaited the approach of the enemy, whom I rightly conjectured to be in force, sending the train to Jackson.

Colonel Preston was here ordered to dislodge a small force of the enemy posted on the road between my camp and Jackson, which was done without loss. Not being sufficiently acquainted with the country to attempt an advance upon the enemy, whose strength and locality I was totally ignorant of, I ordered Colonel Newton to retire with his regiment toward Jackson, and form his line 1 mile west of town, and Colonel Preston was ordered to form his line of battle near the junction of the Dallas and Fredericktown roads, and to resist any movement of the enemy from that quarter.

At 3 o'clock the next morning an order was received from Brigadier-General Marmaduke to withdraw my command to Jackson. I immediately did so, leaving, however, a picket force to cover my rear, which an hour after I had left was attacked and driven into town.

The march southward from Jackson for several days, as far as my command is concerned, presents nothing worthy of consideration. The enemy, however, were pressing our rear, and frequent skirmishes were engaged in, which, owing to the position the brigade occupied, were more frequently heard than engaged in.

Once, however, the rear guard gave warning of the approach of the enemy. This for a time threw my brigade into disorder, but the men were promptly rallied by their officers, and formed in line ready to resist the approach of the enemy. The enemy was, however, gallantly repulsed by the Texans, under command of Colonel Carter.

After my brigade had passed Bloomfield, I received orders to march back to town and form upon the right of Colonel Shelby, and to resist the farther advance of the enemy.

A heavy skirmishing was soon begun in front, and kept up till dark. No firing was heard during the night, though my scouts reported to me continually that the enemy was making a flank movement upon my right, which would have given him possession of a hill that commanded our whole position.

I was ordered next morning to move in the direction of Chalk Bluff. When within 2 miles of that point, I received orders to dismount my men, and to send horses and train across the river, and to march the infantry thus dismounted back a short distance to a position that had been selected for fighting. The position assigned me was on the left of Colonel Shelby's brigade, my left resting on an open field.

Not willing to expose the men any more than necessary, I ordered temporary breastworks to be made, which would have effectually protected them from the musketry of the enemy. The enemy soon commenced a vigorous shelling, remarkable for its accuracy, the shells passing directly over the lines, within two feet of the ground.

At 2 o'clock at night I received orders to withdraw my forces with the utmost secrecy and dispatch, and to leave my skirmishers in front to resist any night advance of the enemy.

The brigade was safely crossed to the south side of the Saint Francis River, and occupied a position above the bluff on the bank of the river, which completely commanded the road leading to the bridge. I here received orders to march the brigade upon the Gainesville road and encamp until further orders, leaving, however, my sharpshooters upon the river, subject to Brigadier-General Marmaduke's order.

Subsequent events be but a detailed list of short rations, hard marches through swamps, etc., in no way worthy of mention, save, for the cheerfulness with which the men under me endured those hardships.

In conclusion, major, I would return my sincere thanks to both officers and men of this command for the bravery which, with but a few exceptions, they have displayed upon the battlefield, and for the unflinching fortitude with which they endured every hardship.

I would take this occasion to acknowledge my obligations to Colonels Newton and Preston for the cooperation and assistance they gave me in carrying out all orders received.

I am, Major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNO. Q. Burbridge,

Colonel, Commanding

Maj. Henry Ewing,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Jacksonport, Ark.