And when the people of the city learned that my command had been
ordered to leave the city they at once presented the writer with a
new suit of clothes. And on the arrival of the boat and while we were
loading our camp equipage, arms and amunition, about three or four
hundred persons composed of men, women, and children assembled on
the bank of the river to bid us good-bye. And as the boat moved out
they waved their handkerchiefs and hats and gave three cheers for the
soldier boys and their commanders.
On our arrival at Marion we turned over our guns, amunition and camp
equipage and were ordered by the adjutant general to proceed to
Jacksonport for further orders and on our arrival at Jacksonport the
writer was ordered to leave his command at Jacksonport and to report
in person to the governor at Little Rock. On my arrival at Little
Rock I was informed by the adjutant general that the governor was
dangerously sick and confined to his room. The legislature of the state
being in session I was invited by both houses to deliver an address to
the legislature. Both bodies met in the lower house. The writer was
introduced by the speaker. Spoke as follows:
"Mr. President of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas,
it affords me great pleasure to have the honor of addressing this
august body of men assembled in this hall. Men who have been elected
by the people of the whole state. Men who have the interest of the
people at heart. Men who have the confidence of the people. Men who
are intelligent and know what kind of laws the people need. Men who
are determined to do your whole duty; men who have the courage,
patriotism and love of country at heart, who have stood by your post
while one of the most secret organizations, known as Kuklux, bound by
one of the most desperate oaths to overturn your state government by
intimidation and murder of all the civil officers of the state and
to kill and murder the loyal citizens of your state. The intention
of said organization was to overturn the legally constituted laws of
the state, but through the untiring effort of your governor and his
subordinate officers and the loyal people of your state and the valor
and patriotism of your soldiers, this organization has been completely
routed and broken up and the civil law is again declared to be enforced
in your state. Now may your wisdom as legislators guide you and your
successors in all duties that you may be called upon to perform in
the legislative capacity. And may you always have the interest of the
whole people at heart. And may all the laws that may be enacted by this
legislature or your successors be in the interest of the whole people.
And may patriotism and the love of both state and nation grow in the
hearts of your people and may they become so united that nothing can
sever that cord of love for their state and nation. May God's blessing
guide and direct every one of your public acts, and go with you to your
homes and families and now that your state is once more at peace and
the civil law is being enforced, and your people are secure both in
person and property, I therefore will return to Missouri to the bosom
of my family. I bid you all good bye."
The whole house rose to its feet and gave three cheers and pressed
forward to give the writer a good, parting handshake.
The governor continued to grow worse. The doctors would not admit any
person to his sick room. The adjutant general informed me that the
governor wanted to see me in person. That I had come to the rescue of
the people with men and arms, when the loyal people were completely
overpowered and saved the northern part of the state from the control
of the Kuklux. He said the governor was well pleased with my services
while in the State; that even the rebels spoke in the highest terms
in regard to the discipline that I enforced over my men; that I had
protected the person and property of both Union and rebel, and that
I had given general satisfaction to all classes of persons that were
favorable to the enforcement of the civil law and that it was the
desire of the governor to promote me to a brigadier-general for the
valuable services that I had rendered in the state, and place me in
command of the northern district. I said "You can tell the governor
when he gets well that I was very sorry to find him sick, that it
would have been a pleasure to me to have met him in person. And the
offer that he has made to me to promote me to brigadier-general for
the meritorious services that I have rendered to the state places me
under many obligations to his honor for the high esteem and confidence
he imposes in me, as touching my military service, and as a private
citizen while in this state. And while I thank him for his offer to
promote me to the rank of brigadier-general and place me in command of
the northern district of Arkansas, I must decline the offer and return
to Missouri for I love the people of my state, I love my home and my
desire is to become a private citizen. The only thing that impelled me
to come into your state was to aid the state in enforcing the civil law
and protect your people from assassination and murder and to do all in
my power to aid in bringing violaters of law to justice. This being
accomplished and civil law again being enforced in every part of the
state, my services as a soldier and an officer not being needed any
longer I will ask you again to give my respects to the governor and
will ever hold his memory sacred, and may God's blessing rest upon
the people of your state and your chief executive. So I will bid you
good-bye."
I returned to Jacksonport and rejoined my command and marched directly
to West Plains. There my men bid each other good-bye and returned to
their homes, hoping that this thing of war would be over forever.
On my arrival home I found, to my great surprise, a new political
organization, composed of men who styled themselves Liberal
Republicans, and democrats and rebels; and through some of the most
vicious and unprincipled rebels, they charged me with being a thief
and a murderer. My friends came to me and requested that I at once
institute suits of slander against them, for they knew that it was
false from beginning to end. During the intervening time they had
called an indignation meeting and publicly denounced me as a thief and
murderer. I instituted a civil suit for slander against all persons who
took part in said indignation meeting. I also instituted suit against
one other man on the same charge. The county of Howell at that time,
especially the judicial circuit, was presided over by a judge, who was
an extreme democrat. The defence made application to the judge for
a change of venue from this judicial circuit; he ordered the change
sent to Laclede county, to the city of Lebanon, before Judge Fian.
The defence then set about taking depositions. I was notified to
meet them in Sharp county at Evening Shade for the purpose of taking
depositions. When we met at Evening Shade they commenced hunting around
for witnesses to prove their charges, but failed to find a single
one. But every person they interviewed touching the charges declared
that they were false and that Colonel Monks enforced discipline over
his men while he was in their state and protected every one in
person and property and that all classes of persons regarded him as
being perfectly honest and a good military officer; they failed to
procure a single witness at that place. I next was notified to meet
them in Oregon county, at the court house, for the purpose of taking
depositions. I accordingly armed myself with two good navy revolvers
and went to Alton, the county seat of Oregon county; the circuit court
being in session at that time, on my arrival I put up at a boarding
house conducted by Alfred Harris, who still resides in that county.
Circuit court being in session I went into the court room and remained
until recess. Just after recess the judge came and told me that he had
been informed that a mob then had the court house surrounded and was
going to mob me whenever I entered the square, and to remain in the
court room for a few minutes and he would try and have the mob removed;
in eight or ten minutes the deputy sheriff returned and informed me
that the mob had been removed, and that I could go down and go to my
hotel. As I passed down I saw about fifty or sixty men in front of the
saloons, swearing at the top of their voices "He fought us during the
civil war and he shall not be allowed to come into this county and
live." After reaching the hotel, Mr. Harris with several other friends
urged me not to meet the parties, who were going to take depositions in
one of the rooms of the court house, for they believed the mob would
kill me. I laughed and told them that I reckoned not and that I thought
the war was over and that they couldn't play that game on me, to notify
me to meet them to take the depositions and then prepare a mob to
prevent me from appearing, so that they would be able to manufacture
evidence in the case. And I would either be present at one o'clock,
the time I was notified to meet them, or I would die in the attempt.
So I appeared promptly at one o'clock, the time set, but not one of
the opposite party, either attorney or client put in an appearance.
I remained there until four o'clock and still no appearance had been
entered by the defendants or their attorneys, and I again returned to
my hotel, after circuit court had adjourned for the day.
While we were seated at the table eating supper, a man rapped at the
hotel door and called to Mr. Harris, the landlord, that he wanted to
see him privately for a few moments. Mr. Harris soon returned and
remarked to the writer that he had been ordered to deliver a message;
that he had just been informed that a mob of about one hundred men then
had the hotel surrounded and they would give me ten minutes to get out
of town or I would be shot to death. I replied to Mr. Harris, "In the
first place, I am too old to run; and in the second place, if these
bushwhackers have not shed enough innocent blood, they will have the
best opportunity now that they will ever get; tell them that I don't
intend to leave or run." Mr. Harris said that he would deliver the
message to the bearer.
There were two Confederates seated at the table, eating. They said,
"What does this mean? We thought the war was over." They got up and
left the table. After the writer finished his supper, he retired to
the sitting room, which adjoined Mr. Harris' library. Mr. Harris
immediately came in and offered to barricade the doors and windows.
I objected. He then remarked that the mob would shoot in through the
windows, that he would blind the windows. I consented to his putting
blinds on the windows, but that the doors shouldn't be interfered
with. There was but one door entering the sitting room except the door
that came through the library. I took my seat on a bench where I could
reach the knob of the door with my left hand and hold my revolver in
my right hand. Mr. Harris proposed to blow out the lights, to which
I objected. I told him that if the mob came I wanted the light so
that I could see how to shoot. He then took his seat and entered into
conversation. In a few moments some person took hold of the knob of
the door. I rose to my feet with my revolver cocked, in my right hand
and let the door open just so that one man could enter at a time. Mr.
Maxey, of Howell county, an attorney-at-law, had come in to get a
book out of the library, not knowing that there was any trouble up.
As he came inside of the room I had my pistol cocked and presented on
his left breast. When I recognized Mr. Maxey I lowered my pistol and
remarked to him, "Your face has saved your life." Mr. Maxey became very
much excited, walked across the floor once or twice, and inquired what
was up. I informed him of the notice of the mob and the time that I had
been given to leave the hotel and that the time had then expired, and
that when I heard him take hold of the door, I supposed the mob was
coming. Mr. Maxey remarked that "This thing will never do, I'm going
to see if it can't be stopped." I requested him to say to every person
that might be disposed to come into the house to make themselves known
outside of the door before entering the house.
In a short time the circuit judge and deputy sheriff, with two or
three others, came to the door and made themselves known and came in.
The circuit judge said: "Colonel, I have been informed that you have
been notified by a mob to leave the town in ten minutes or you would
be shot to death, and I have come to see if you wanted a guard." I
replied that I didn't. "If these God damn bushwhackers haven't shed
enough innocent blood and are still bloodthirsty, they will never have
a better opportunity; so just let them come." The judge and sheriff and
those who came with them left the room. I remained in the room until
the usual bedtime. I heard them cursing outside and declare that they
would take me out before daylight. I thought of my horse that was in
the stable, a few yards away. I remarked to Mr. Harris that I was going
to the stable to look at my horse. He begged me not to go out, that I
would be shot down. I said to him that it was a game that two or more
could work at.
[Illustration: LOYAL WOMEN OF HOWELL COUNTY.]
On reaching the stable, I heard the men quarreling on the public
square. A man by the name of Jones, who had been a Confederate and
then was prosecuting attorney of the county, and another citizen, who
appeared to be leading the mob, were having an altercation. Jones
remarked to the other man that he had never met Col. Monks until to-day
and that he appeared to be a perfect gentleman, that the war was over,
and that he had the same right to come here and transact business as
any other man; to which the other declared, with an oath, that a man
who had fought them through the war shouldn't come there, and they
intended to take him out and shoot him before daylight; and further
charged that Jones was not a good Confederate. Jones then gave him
the lie. The two appeared to be about to come together, but others
interfered to keep them separated. I returned to the hotel and said to
Mr. Harris that the seat of war had moved up onto the square.
Mr. Maxey informed me that just outside of the door of the hotel he met
the mob, and they declared that they intended to take Monks out and
shoot him before daylight. He replied to them that they might do it,
but they had better take their stretchers along, for some other persons
would have to bring some of them out; that he had just been in the
house and in a moment he was confronted by Col. Monks with a revolver
presented at his left breast and the very devil was in his eye, and if
they entered the room he would shoot as long as he could move a finger.
When bedtime came, I was placed in an upper room and locked the door,
expecting that if they located my room they would shoot through the
windows. I could still hear them cursing and threatening to take me out
until late in the night. The next morning everything was quiet. I went
to the stable and took my horse down to the spring to water; a number
of men were standing at the side of the street, and one said: "Where do
you suppose the captain and his men are?" I remarked to them that they
were just like a pack of wolves; they were in the brush this morning,
waiting for night to again renew their howling. There was one, Capt.
Wagoner, who resided in town, who remarked to me the next morning that
he never was as proud of anything in his life; that if they could have
scared me and I had attempted to leave town in the night, they intended
to murder me.
After circuit court convened, I went into court, and at noon of that
day the court adjourned. And I, with a number of others, went to
Thomasville, put up at the hotel, had my horse fed and took supper.
While on the road, the man that led the mob passed me on his way to
Thomasville, where he resided. The defendants and their attorneys
failed to produce a single witness to testify in the case. I returned
home to West Plains.
I was notified to meet them at other places in the country, to take
depositions in said cause. The political feeling was strong then
between the parties, and they sent the suits to a county over a hundred
miles distant from where the suits were instituted; this county, at
that time, was completely controlled by the democratic party.
When the suits came up to be tried, over half of the jury had been late
rebels, yet they failed to introduce a single witness to support their
charges, and I recovered a verdict in each case. Judge Fian, who tried
the case, said that he was never so surprised in his life; that he
opened up the floodgates and let them bring in all their evidence from
the beginning of the war up to the time of the trial. Judge Fian had
been a colonel on the Federal side in the Civil war.
On the account of failure to get any proof the juries were compelled to
give a verdict in both cases for Col. Monks, although it was against
the will and feeling of them. It cost the defendants between five and
seven hundred dollars. After the trials, all parties returned to Howell
county. The defendants, after they had procured a change of venue to
Laclede county, boasted openly before trials, that they were going
to beat both cases, that they had got them into a democratic county.
The defendants being beaten at all points, returned, but not being
satisfied, and being backed by the late bushwhackers and Kuklux (the
most desperate set of men that ever lived,) at the next term of the
Howell county circuit court they procured the appointment of a special
prosecution attorney, who had been a late rebel and selected a jury of
men composed of liberal Republicans and so-called democrats, with the
express purpose of indicting the writer for killing one of the most
desperate bushwhackers and rebel desperadoes that ever was in South
Missouri. The men who composed the jury knew well that he was killed
in an open hand to hand fight during the Civil war. The writer soon
found out that they were trying to get a bill of indictment against the
writer, so the writer watched the proceedings of the grand jury. On
Saturday the grand jury came into court and turned in their indictments
and reported to the court that they had no more business. The court
discharged them.
At the same moment the writer asked the court if there was any bill
of indictment preferred against him. He ran over the indictments and
informed the writer that there was an indictment against him, for
murder in the first degree. The Judge said that he was sorry that I
had called it out for he wanted to go home until Monday. I told him
"Just adjourn your court and go home. The sheriff is here." I remarked
to the jury that they needn't have put the county to any cost hunting
witnesses; if they had come to me, I could have told them that I killed
him and the only thing that I was sorry for, was that I hadn't killed
a lot more of the bushwhackers. I would love to ask this jury if they
have indicted any of the bushwhackers and rebels who have hung and
murdered Union men all over Howell county, irrespective of age; the
most of those men were killed at their homes or taken from their homes
and afterwards killed. A part of the men who did these things are still
living in Howell county and that jury knows it.
The sheriff and the judge stepped out of the court house and in a few
minutes returned, and the judge remarked "I will turn you over to the
sheriff." He then ordered the sheriff to adjourn the court until the
next Monday. The sheriff remarked to the writer "You can go where you
please and report to the court at ten o'clock next Monday." The writer
remarked, in the presence of the judge and sheriff, "I did not know
that a man indicted for murder in the first degree could be paroled."
The sheriff adjourned the court and he and the judge left the court
house together. When I met a number of my friends (as there was a
political meeting going on that day) and informed them that I had been
indicted and paroled until next Monday, I couldn't make some of them
believe it.
[Illustration: CAPT. WILL H. D. GREEN, GRANDSON.