A History of Izard County: Civil-War (Follow-Up)

When dealing with Izard County's Civil-War history in the book, A History of Izard County, one message resounds: People from bygone eras were captives of the customs of their environment and period in which they lived. The author's admonition is clear: People from bygone eras should be forgiven for evils done out of the pervading ignorance of their time. Perhaps this is so. Those evils done, however, should not be forgotten. History, however damning it may be to a people, is still vital in teaching lessons that ultimately lead to progress.

Last week, I suggested that Mr. Shannon's lack of detailed coverage of the evil and hardships of the Civil War in Izard County was likely due to the sensitivities among Izard County residents in the time of his writing. Though over 80 years since the war had ended, there were still deep scars left among the citizens and even among families. Because he knew his audience would be people with connections to Izard County and its families, Karr likely smoothed over the rough edges. In many cases...the very rough edges. It's very likely also that Shannon knew the history was available and being preserved and would be available for future historians to share with the Izard County public once the deep grudges and resentments had faded.

Despite writing an unusually lengthy post on Karr Shannon's take on the Civil War in Izard County last week, there are some things that were left unsaid. While pondering Karr's writing and giving thought to the post, there were a couple of important items I had in mind to share but failed to include in the article. A friend e-mailed to remind me of those items and included some information from his own outstanding research that I will share below.

Roger Harvell, like Karr Shannon himself, was raised in Lunenburg and continues working on his long career in journalism as an editorial cartoonist. Roger is also an relentless student of his own family history as well as Izard County's Civil-War history...especially that of the Skirmish at Lunenburg in January of 1864. In the first e-mail he sent me on the subject of last weeks post, Roger reminded me of the  items I had failed to include:

 "Note Karr referred to the "northern soldier" killed at Lunenburg. The northern soldier was from Van Buren County, Arkansas.

"The story of the Sipe brothers killed in November and December of 1864 was not mentioned. These boys were members of Company D of the 4th Arkansas Mounted Infantry (Company A of the 4th attacked Lunenburg.) The eldest son, Marcus Philo, was killed 18 Nov 1864, his brothers William Sidney and Jacob Pickney were killed on the 18th of December."

The "Northern" soldier was not a "yankee" at all. He was a born and bred Arkansas boy!

The Sipes brothers didn't die in battle, either. They were brutally murdered because of their service with the Union. William and Jacob Sipe were awoken at night and slain in their home in Lafferty...likely by people who knew their family well.

Roger explains the Sipe Brothers' connection with the Union Army in a further e-mail that includes the wonderful research on many of the men who participated in the Skirmish at Lunenburg:

"Denny, while on the subject of the action at Lunenburg on 20 Jan 1864 let me tell you what I have learned of the participants.
Company F, Freeman's Regiment, commanded by Captain Christopher Columbus Cook.
Anderson, James R., PVT: born circa 1847, James' mother-in-law was Susan Fulbright Dobbs, daughter of my uncle Theodore Fulbright's great-grandfather.".

"Arnold, William J., PVT: born circa 1834, son of Elisha & Mary Kirwin Arnold.  Married Rebecca Landers, sister of Elijah Gilliam Landers who married William A Hinkle's sister, Martha.Arnold,

 "William O., PVT: born circa 1847, married Charity Gray granddaughter of my 2nd great-grandparents John Thomas Gray and and Elizabeth Chism.

"Beaver, Jesse R., PVT: born 24 May 1820, Harold Blevins' 2nd great-grandfather.  Lived on Weakley Creek in Giles County, TN, with my Harvells before moving to Izard County. 

"Bishop, Asa, PVT: born circa 1836, brother of John and Zachariah below. 

"Bishop, John H., PVT: born circa 1834, brother of Asa and Zachariah. 

"Bishop, Zachariah T., PVT: born circa 1844, Zachariah's invalid pension application contained a"n affidivit from grandfather Walker.  Zachariah's daughter married John Henry Harvell.  This John Henry was the son of great-grandfather Harvell's brother George and his wife Mary Jane Reeves. 

"Byler, John A., PVT: born 26 Feb 1828, my 2nd great-granduncle, brother of Joseph Love Byler. 

"Byler, Joseph L., PVT: born 1 Oct 1834, my 2nd great-grandfather. 

"Cook, Christopher C., CPT: the town of Cooks Station, Missouri, was named for him.  

"Cook, J.L., 1LT: John Lafayette Cook, the captain's younger brother. 

"Cornelius, George W., PVT: born circa 1841, Buried in Lunenburg Cemetery.  George married Rebecca Landers.  He was present at the duel between Confederate Generals Marmaduke and Walker.  The last recorded duel in Arkansas (Walker was killed.) 

"Cypert, Thomas P., PVT: born 1 Mar 1820.  This is our late English teacher, Mrs Vera Cypert Jacobs' grandfather. 

"Hinkle, Ballis D., 1SGT:  I believe this should read Baltis Hinkle.  Unsure of the relationship to William A. Hinkle. 

"Hinkle, William A., PVT: We cannot find William listed on Freeman's rosters.  The only roster I have found was from Price's army which was after William's death at Lunenburg. 

"Landers, Elijah G., PVT: born 7 May 1846, married Martha Hinkle, William's half-sister.  One of Elijah Gilliam Lander's granddaughters married the late congressman Wilbur D. Mills.  Our Jean Blair Blankenship, wife of Newt, is a great-granddaughter. 

"Lawrence, William, 1SGT: born circa 1821.  William was the great-grandfather of the late Malcolm Lawrence. 

"Love, Joseph B., LtCOL: Captain Cook's boss, commander of Company F. 

"Marchant, W.B., PVT: born circa 1830, Nora Marchant Miller's great-grandfather, 4th great-grandfather of my brother Wayne's kids.  2nd great-grandfather of former senator Paul Gray Miller. 

"Richardson, Simeon, PVT: born 3 Jun 1835, my great-granduncle, the husband of Sarah Serina Harvell. 

"Smith, Solomon R., PVT: born 13 Aug 1834, my granduncle, married grandfather Walker's sister, Jane.  Lost a leg at the Little Blue River. Grandfather said he was standing next to him. Mountain Howitzers with the 11th Kansas did the deed. Rutch was captured there on 21 Oct 1864. 

"Walker, Christopher G., PVT: born 14 Nov 1846, grandfather Christopher Greenleaf Titsworth Walker. 

"Walker, Hartwell B., PVT: born 5 Jan 1825, grandfather Walker's cousin. 

"Walker, John A., PVT: born circa 1837, granduncle. 

"Walker, Robert F., PVT: born circa 1832, granduncle captured in Mound City, Kansas, 24 Oct 1864 while on Price's Raid. 

"Walker, William M., PVT: born circa 1832, granduncle.

Macy Williams Brother of Asa

"As you know, Company A of the 4th Arkansas Mounted Infantry under Captain Taylor A. Baxter attacked the Confederates at Lunenburg. Asa Anderson Williams, the Union soldier killed was from Van Buren County, Arkansas.  

"I haven't looked closely at other members of Company F, but Company D of the 4th has some very interesting connections to the community. The commander of Company D was Moses Ford.  Moses Ford's brother was Lt.COL Barney Ford of Freeman's Regiment!!  Moses Ford's grandson married Julia Ann Harvell, my great-grandfather James Henry Clay Harvell's niece. Most of the men of Company D were from the Lafferty community. 

"Sergeant Henry A. Miller of Company D married Susan Sipe.  They were the grandparents of Nora Miller who married Jeff Copeland and Irene who married Leslie Harvell.  In other words, he was Donnie and Paul Gulley's 3rd great-grandfather. 

"Marcus Philo Sipe, also a sergeant in Company D was Henry Miller's brother-in-law.  He was killed on 18 Nov 1864. 

"John T. Bramblett who's daughter married Doplh Moser.  John was the maternal grandfather of Velma, Bud, and Zelma Brooks. 

"Henry C. Clark a brother of Lonnie Clark's maternal grandfather, Silas M. Clark.  Lonnie was a Free Will Baptist preacher who used to preach at the old Bethel Church near Lunenburg. 

"David H. Grimes was Frank Grimes' grandfather.  Great-grandfather of Emmett, Richard and Nana Mae Grimes.  Nana Mae married 2nd to our cousin Ira Harvell. 

"Elisha Bell Johnson, Connie Johnson and Vohn Weaver's great-grandfather.  Elisha's brother John L. and William D. were also in Company D. 

"Burrel A. Moser and John "Professor Jake" Moser, sons of Barnett Moser were in Company D.  Burrel was married to Catherine Celia Sipe, a sister to Henry Miller's wife and the Sipe brothers. 

"John Painter, the family for whom Painter's Bluff is named.  John's sister was married to Jeremiah Clark.  They were Lonnie Clark's grandparents. 

"The other sipe brothers were William Sidney, Jacob Pinkney, Franklin and Rufus.  William Sidney and Jacob Pinkney were killed on 18 Dec 1864 a month to the day that their brother Marcus was killed. 

"Many of the members of the 4th Arkansas Mounted Infantry were former Confederates.  
From the roster of the 27th Arkansas Infantry (CSA)... 

"SIPE, M P Sergeant—Enlisted in Independence county, Arkansas, July 22, 1862; age 29; absent sick in hospital at Monroe, Louisiana, since August 1, 1863.  

"SIPE, RUFUS M (Rufus Monroe Sipe) Private—Enlisted in Independence county, Arkansas, August 11, 1862; age 25; deserted, September 10, 1863.  

"Both Marcus Philo and Rufus Monroe joined Company D of Elisha Baxter's 4th Arkansas Mounted Infantry (Union) on January 1, 1864. is somewhat ironic that Rufus Sipe has a CSA headstone at his grave in Texas that reads Company B of the 27th Arkansas." 

One cannot read Roger's excellent research and not come away with the strong impression that the evils of war affected not just a few...but was pervasive among most if not all of Izard County's families.

Jackie Blue/Moser Cabin

Roger's initial e-mail to me on the subject also reminded me of another incident which occurred during the conflict within a mile of the Sipe brothers' home. At that time, a family of Mosers lived in what we know now as the Jackie Blue Cabin which still stands today along East Lafferty Creek. One morning, the woman of the home heard shots fired in the field where her husband was working and soon a pair of bushwhackers came to the home and demanded to be shown where the family's valuables were hidden. When the Moser woman would not tell them, one of the assailants took her 18-month old baby to the rooftop of the house and dangled the terrified child above the smoking chimney while his companion stayed with the mother. The two demanded she reveal the hiding place of the family's precious items or they would drop the child into the fire below. It so angered the mother that she grabbed a nearby ax and began attacking the brigand who had stayed below with her. This so surprised the pair that they fled the scene leaving child and mother unharmed. The father, it is told, was killed in the field where he was working.

The Civil-War was a brutal affair in many places. And despite Karr Shannon's assurances, history testifies that the brutality was common in Izard County even between folk who had been peaceful neighbors before the Confederacy declared its independence from the Union.

A question arises from many of the dates of the worst brutality against Union Sympathizers in the year 1864. The evil acts and harassment towards those who had rejected the confederacy seems to have escalated during that year. Perhaps it was because the rebels had realized they were defeated and took out their frustrations on the most vulnerable enemy they could find. Or...very likely as well...many Izard County confederates held deep resentment after the Skirmish at Lunenburg left one of their young men from a prominent family, William A. Hinkle dead at only 19-years old. Perhaps in some way that incident inspired neighbors to either run their Union enemies next door from the county or to kill them at work or in sleep.

Special thanks to Roger Harvell for allowing me to include his own hard work in a post on this blog. We in Izard County are lucky to have him as a fellow citizen...one who understands the importance of the lessons of history!