Williams marker helps honor the Civil War 14th Missouri State Militia <o:p></o:p>

By: Paul Campbell <o:p></o:p>

05/25/2005<o:p></o:p>

Private James Williams, of Louisburg, was one of the men who comprised the 14th Missouri State Militia Volunteer Cavalry during the Civil War. Thanks to a family member from Texas, his grave now has a new marker at the New Hope Cemetery near Louisburg. <o:p></o:p>

Williams was a part of Company B, a group of 99 men, 42 of whom were from Dallas County. Most of the others were from Springfield and Camden County, but some were from as far away as St. Louis.<o:p></o:p>

Jerry Williams, of Henrietta, Tex., recently came to Dallas County to purchase and install an attractive new marker for his great, great, great grandfather's grave. <o:p></o:p>

He communicated with Leni Howe and Ralph Tucker of the Dallas County Historical Society, and with Wayne Holt at Holt Monument Co. Howe explored a lot of probate records for Williams, and Tucker helped Williams go through the museum at the Buffalo Head Historical Park to find plat records. Holt gave Williams valuable information about cemeteries in the county.<o:p></o:p>

The 14th Militia fought for the Union throughout southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas from early 1862 until it was disbanded on March 3, 1863. The militia fought in a major battle in the defense of Springfield, but otherwise took part in smaller skirmishes at places such as Neosho, Ozark, Cassville and Keetsville in Missouri and Yellville and Van Buren in Arkansas. <o:p></o:p>

It was the militia's job to go from town to town and keep order, "to make sure everybody stayed in line," according to Jerry Williams. This was a tough and dangerous job in Missouri, which was bitterly divided between those with union and southern loyalties.<o:p></o:p>

Of the 42 Dallas Countians in Company B, all were privates, but this may have been by design.<o:p></o:p>

"They probably wanted to be privates," Jerry Williams said. "If you were a private, once you finished your stint in the army, you were done. But if you were an officer, you could be recalled to duty at any time."<o:p></o:p>

Following the disbandment, the companies of the 14th were transferred to the 4th and 8th Missouri State Militia cavalry units. <o:p></o:p>

Company B, commanded by Captain Francis L. Withaup, of Springfield, was transferred to the 4th MSM Cavalry. Most went to Company A.<o:p></o:p>

Coming from Tennessee<o:p></o:p>

James Williams was born in Tennessee on Oct. 16, 1825. He and his wife, the former Martha Dotson, moved to Dallas County from Tennessee via wagon train in 1857, and Jerry Williams said he may have moved north because he didn't like some of the things that were happening in Tennessee. For one thing, the Cherokee Indians were in a land dispute with the federal government, and this proved to be a dangerous situation.<o:p></o:p>

Five families traveled together in the wagon train, a total of 25 or 30 people. The families were very close and intermarried. For example, Roderick Waller, a member of the wagon train who later was a member of Company B, married Martha Dotson's sister.<o:p></o:p>

Most members of the wagon train, like James Williams, were Baptists, but the Dotsons were Methodists. In fact, one of the Dotsons was a Methodist minister.<o:p></o:p>

Williams remarries<o:p></o:p>

After the war was over, James Williams returned to farming on 80 acres of land that is now on Rt. U, about halfway between Urbana and Louisburg, and he and Martha ultimately had 11 children. Martha died in 1875, and Williams later married Mary Adams, the widow of James Adams, who had been a corporal in Company B.<o:p></o:p>

"It was very common in those days to marry the widow of a fellow soldier or friend," Jerry Williams said. "This was encouraged by most churches so that widows would have a place to live. People didn't always marry for love."<o:p></o:p>

Continued on Page 2A<o:p></o:p>

James Williams died on Nov. 22, 1900 at the age of 75. Jerry Williams has never seen a photograph of his great, great, great grandfather.<o:p></o:p>

"I thought I had a picture of him once," Jerry said, "but I couldn't prove it."<o:p></o:p>

He also thinks it is possible that James Williams was the nephew of William Williams, one of the men who built Buffalo, but he has not been able to make the connection. According to Jerry, William Williams and Joseph Miles built the first building in the Buffalo area in 1838.<o:p></o:p>

"It's difficult to find out for sure because so many people in those days had the same name," Williams said. "The churches believed that you should name a child after either the husband's or wife's father, to carry on the name."<o:p></o:p>

James Williams' original grave, which still stands in the New Hope Cemetery, features the words from Matthew 24:44, "Be ye so ready such as an hour as you think not the Son of Man cometh."<o:p></o:p>

Long military tradition<o:p></o:p>

The Williams family has a long military tradition - James Williams' great, great, great grandfather, Shadrack Williams, fought in the Revolutionary War. Shadrack was from east Tennessee and enlisted in Virginia. <o:p></o:p>

Jerry Williams has been all over Tennessee and this part of Missouri tracking down his ancestry. <o:p></o:p>

"Genealogy is very important," he said. "It's our country's history." He rushed to talk to many elderly members of the family "because I was afraid that if they died, a lot of family knowledge and history would be lost forever."<o:p></o:p>

It's been less than two years since he found out the location of James Williams' grave. One of James' sons married a Barnhart, and Jerry attended the Barnhart Reunion in Dallas County in August of 2003. There he met Ralph Tucker, who also is related to the Barnharts.<o:p></o:p>

Jerry Williams works full-time as an insurance adjuster and part-time as a minister at the Heritage Church.<o:p></o:p>

Company B listed<o:p></o:p>

Following is a list of the 99 members of Company B and their place of enlistment. All were privates unless otherwise noted:<o:p></o:p>

Cpl. James R. Adams, St. Louis; Bazel Airheart, St. Louis; Henry Amis, Dallas County; 1st Sgt. Archibald Annett, Camden County; Jacob Arnott, Springfield; Daniel N. Barley, Springfield; William F. Barclay, Springfield; David Bell, Camden County; Alexander Brannan, unknown;<o:p></o:p>

Andrew A. Bullen, Dallas County; Jasper Callison, St. Louis; Jesse Callison, Dallas County; James Chamberlin, Springfield; John Coatney, Camden County; Solomon Coffee, Springfield;<o:p></o:p>

George Cole, Dallas County; John L. Cook, Dallas County; William B. Coon, Dallas County; Marion Davis, Dallas County; Andrew Debold, St. Louis; Andrew S. Dotson, Dallas County; Elias W. Edwards, Dallas County; James W. Fowler, Dallas County; Abraham Marion Freeman, Camden County; <o:p></o:p>

William C. Friend, Springfield; George P. Gammon, Dallas County; John H. Gammon, Dallas County; Dennis Gangham, Forest City; Richard Gott, Springfield; John Guinn, St. Louis; Thomas Hall, Dallas County; Jacob E. Harmon, Dallas County; James R. Harmon, Dallas County; Samuel R. Harmon, Dallas County;<o:p></o:p>

Alexander B. Hatfield, Dallas County; Alfred Hatfield, Dallas County; Lavender C. Hendrix, Dallas County; Jerome Herrell, Dallas County; John T. Hodshier, Dallas County; Sgt. Robert H. Hodshire, Dallas County; Joseph Hogg, Springfield; Thomas P. Hurst, Dallas County; William Jackson, Springfield;<o:p></o:p>

Adam James, Camden County; Josiah James, Camden County; David C. Jobe, Dallas County; George A. Jones, Dallas County; James K. Jones, Dallas County; 2nd Lt. George W. Kelly, Polk County; Sgt. Jonathan S. Lankford, Camden County; Patrick McDowell, Dallas County; John R. McMaster, Dallas County; Charles McPheeters, Dallas County; John L. McPheeters, Dallas County;<o:p></o:p>

William Martin, Dallas County; John Wesley Minor, Springfield; Jonathan Morrison, Dallas County; John Nickols, Gallitin; James R. North, Dallas County; Hardin L. Paine, Springfield; William W. Palmer, Springfield; Andrew J. Penrod, Springfield; Jonathan Penrod, Dallas County; John R. Peringer, unknown; Richard L. Phillips, Camden County; William C. Phillips, Camden County; Charles Prator, Camden County; <o:p></o:p>

Jesse Preston, Dallas County; James C. Rhodes, unknown; Benjamin T. Rimbey, Dallas County; Sgt. John Roth, Camden County; William Roth, Camden County; Henry Schleter, Camden County; Elisha Scott, Camden County; James H. Scott, Springfield; John P. Scott, Springfield; QM Sgt. Guatavis F. Shepherd, Camden County; Vincent Shookley, Springfield;<o:p></o:p>

Cpl. Jeremiah Simpson, Springfield; Thomas P. Simpson, Springfield; John B. Southard, Dallas County; James Stark, Springfield; Calvin Stidham, Dallas County; Charles C. Tharp, Dallas County; Andrew J. Thompson, Camden County; Cpl. Isaac Tracy, Camden County; John H. Trent, Camden County; Benton G. Votaw, Camden County; 1st Lt. James H. Waldren, Camden County; <o:p></o:p>

Roderick P. Waller, Dallas County; Pleasant Watson, Dallas County; James M. Whitney, Dallas County; Jasper Whitworth, Dallas County; James A. Williams, Dallas County; James W. Wilson, Dallas County; Cpl. Benjamin E. Winfrey, Camden County; Capt. Francis L. Withaup, Springfield.<o:p></o:p>

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