Took fifteen men. Captured three Federals. Hung one. Captured
a squad of Federals. Reception of “Uncle Bill.” Hung all the
prisoners. Captured five more, and hung one.
After spending the winter very agreeably, on the 10th day of March,
1864, I concluded to make a raid to the vicinity of Jackson, Cape
Girardeau county, Missouri, with fifteen men, several of whom were from
that county, and knew the people and country well.
It was to remunerate these men for the invaluable services they had
rendered me on several of my trips that I consented to go with them.
We passed through Butler county into Stoddard, leaving Bloomfield to
the south a few miles, crossed the southeast corner of Bollinger and
into Cape Girardeau.
Having traveled very slowly, and altogether in the night, we had
created no disturbance on our way, nor interfered with any one, for it
was our custom to make no demonstrations until we were ready to return.
In the latter part of the night we arrived in the vicinity of Jackson,
selected a good place and camped for the day, during which time some
of the boys visited their friends. One of my men who was an entire
stranger in that part of the country, went into the town to get
whisky, and to see what was going on.
On returning late in the evening he told me that there were three
Federals in town who seemed to be well acquainted with the people, and
that they were behaving very well. He wanted to take some of the boys
and go back after them, to which I consented. They started off in eager
haste, but soon returned with the three prisoners, having met them in
the road some distance from town. Not knowing them I retained them
as prisoners until the boys came in who knew them. Being governed by
their statements, I released two of the Federals and kept the other as
a prisoner, and took him with us when we started that night for White
Water, but we did not take him far before we tied him to a limb.
On White Water we remained inactive several days, receiving the kindest
treatment from our Southern friends, which enabled some of my men to
visit their friends and relatives.
About sunset one evening a citizen came to us and stated that about an
hour before nine Federals had passed the road, and the probabilities
were that they would stop for the night at the first house.
The night was now growing very dark, and we were soon under full
pursuit of them. On nearing the house, however, we rode very slowly,
and tied our horses in the thicket at some distance, and approached the
premises very cautiously. It was a double hewed log house, with an open
hall between them, with a small cooking apartment forming an ell to
the main building, but separated from it by a narrow hall also.
After forming my men in a line around the house I crept to the windows
and peeped into both rooms, only one of which, however, was lighted,
and in it I could see no one except a very old lady, who might have
been a grandmother, and some little children who were grouped around
the old lady, and who seemed to be holding a very earnest conversation
with her in a very low tone. I went around to the kitchen window, and
upon looking in to my great joy I saw the Federals eating their supper.
The position I occupied was a very easy one, and their conversation was
so peculiarly interesting that I could not refrain from listening. They
were using very vulgar and indecent language to the lady, who, with all
the kindness and amiability characteristic of her sex, was waiting upon
the ruffians, while the old gentleman was seated on a box in a corner
of the room exposed to the most outrageous insults, accompanied with
threats of the most heinous character; but in silent fear the old man
bore their criminal epithets and bitter curses without returning a word.
By this time I had heard all that my weak humanity could bear. I
retreated from my position, passed around the circle, and collected my
men at the entrance to the kitchen into the open hall, this being their
only place of egress, and placed an equal number of my men on each
side. I now stepped into the door and demanded a surrender, at which
my men became impatient and rushed for the door, but I prevented them
from entering. Each of the Federals pushed back his chair, at which I
told them that I would shoot any man who should attempt to arise from
the table with his arms, admitting my men at the same time. At this the
Federals placed their revolvers on the table and retired according to
my command to the fartherest end of the room and formed in a line.
By this time our little disturbance had aroused the old grandmother
and the little children in the other house, who came to the scene, the
children screaming in a terrible manner, and clinging to the old lady‘s
dress for protection. On reaching the kitchen, however, the scene was
quite different from what they had expected. They halted a moment at
the door in dreadful suspense, then suddenly the oldest girl, who was
about eight years of age, sprang suddenly into the room, exclaiming
“Well, grandma! if here ain‘t Uncle Bill!” then seizing one of my men
by the hand she sobbed aloud, “Oh Uncle Bill! don‘t let the soldiers
kill pa!” at which the whole household greeted “Uncle Bill.” The old
gentleman last of all approached my man who had been recognized and
greeted with so many smiles and such marked distinction, giving his
hand slowly while the tears trickled down his weather-beaten cheek, and
only said: “Bill, I‘m glad to see you,” my comrade receiving his hand
and retaining it for perhaps half a minute, said nothing, but turned
and introduced me as Major Hildebrand to his relative, and to the
household. As I stepped forward to receive the salutation of the old
gentleman of whom I had heard so much, and knew so little, I heard one
of the prisoners remark, “a hell of a Major,” and upon casting my eyes
around I found them ready to burst into a derisive laughter, which I
must confess took me a little back.
At this I ordered one of the rooms forming the main building lighted,
and stationing my men properly, I marched my prisoners out of the
kitchen through the little hall into the room of the main building,
put a guard over them and pickets around the house, I returned to the
kitchen with my man now known as “Uncle Bill,” to have a talk with
the old gentleman while his wife was hastily preparing a nice little
supper for us all. The old man again took me by the hand, thanking me
for my coincidental visit, stated that the Federals had made several
trips into the neighborhood after him, but having been told of their
threats, he had always heretofore succeeded in eluding their search. He
also stated that the only charge they had against him was for feeding
bushwhackers, and that when the soldiers came up to his house on the
present occasion, just after dark, they were in the hall before he saw
them, and he had no possible way of escape except through them.
Considering his escape so very uncertain, he resolved to submit to his
fate, and that when we made our timely appearance he was a prisoner,
sentenced to be executed as soon as they were done supper. He wound
up his statement by saying: “Well, Major Hildebrand, I must confess I
am very agreeably disappointed in your general appearance; I have long
been anxious to see you, and am surprised that you never called on me
before, but if you had done so I should never have taken you for Sam
Hildebrand. I was led to believe, by hearing of your exploits, that
you certainly was a rough looking customer, a perfect “raw-head and
bloody-bones;” and that Beelzebub himself would have been daunted by
your ferocious appearance.”
Supper being announced eight men were left to guard the prisoners
while the others were eating, until all had partaken of the sumptuous
repast. We were now ready for business, we marched our prisoners out
to the fence in front of the house, tied their hands securely behind
them, placed them on their own horses and tied their feet together
underneath. Then mounting we started south, leading the horses on which
the prisoners rode. Having traveled very fast we reached a part of the
country as day began to approach in which we felt perfectly safe.
Leaving the road we went into a deep ravine about fifteen miles
northeast from Bloomfield, covered with thick undergrowth and sheltered
by heavy timber. Here we hung our prisoners. They were really brave
fellows, and submitted to their fate without a murmur, and during our
march that night they showed not the least sign of being conquered,
but said they were McNeal‘s men, and that when they went into the army
it was for the purpose of killing Rebels, and that some of the worst
Rebels they had killed were men who were staying at home, and the most
of them professing to be “loyal.”
After disposing of our prisoners, we secreted our horses in a dense
thicket, and ten of us took our stations on a road leading from Benton,
Scott county, Missouri, to watch for Federals. We remained here nearly
all day without seeing any, and were thinking about giving it up as a
bad job and returning to our camps; but when the sun was about an hour
high, in the evening, we discovered five Federals wending their way
slowly toward Bloomfield.
My men were divided into two parties, and were stationed about one
hundred yards apart. We allowed them to get nearly opposite the second
squad of which I was one, then we stepped suddenly into the road before
them and demanded a surrender, to which they submitted, but seemed
very much alarmed. On calling up my men who had been stationed farther
down the road, and who stood at this time behind the prisoners. They
seemed somewhat relieved as they recognized one of them as being an old
acquaintance, who extended his hand cordially to all of them but one,
remarking to him that he would not shake hands with him “until he met
him in h—ll.”
They now dismounted and surrendered up their arms and their horses. I
then marched them out of the road to a safe distance into the woods
and inquired of my man who had recognized them, concerning their
character. He reported that all of them were his acquaintances of long
standing; that four of them were very clever fellows, these I released
immediately; but the fifth one we hung after investigating his case.
When night came we mounted our horses, and taking our booty with us,
started back to Arkansas.