Salem Holland Ford
In 1909, 74-year-old Salem Holland Ford chose to write down his recollections of service to the South during the Civil War. Ford was living in Missouri at the time that he joined in the fight for the Confederacy in 1861. He participated in much of the engagements occurring in the state, according to his recollections. Ford served in Company “F,” 2nd Regiment of General Joseph O. Shelby’s Brigade of Missouri Confederate Cavalry. These troops were part of Sterling Price’s movement of Confederate strength in the state.
Below is a substantial excerpt from Ford’s efforts. The entire primary source can be found at the State Historical Society of Missouri Civil War Collection, http://sospublic10/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=/shscivilwar.
Early in May, 1861, I left my home in in Parkville, Platte County, Missouri, for Lexington, Missouri, the place of rendezvous for that part of the State for those who wanted to join the Confederate Army. We found there about two thousand men ready to buckle on their armor in defense of the South. Some were armed with shotguns,
Squirrel rifles, and the majority of them were unarmed. We organized an infantry and made Col. John T. Hughes commander of the regiment. I was appointed orderly sergeant of the Company by Capt. H. Woodsmall, I only knew three or four men in the Company.
We then were mustered into the service as Missouri State troops for a period of nine months, thinking and hoping the trouble would be over by that time, but the sequel proved our hopes to be in vain. After instruction in camp duty and company drill about a week, we broke camp and took up our line of march southward, gathering some unarmed recruits on the way, followed by Gen. Lyon's Federal Army at a distance, as we were never disturbed by him in our march southward.
When about ten miles from Carthage, Missouri, we were met by Gen. Sigel, Federal, with his army of about 3,000 well drilled and equipped regular soldiers, who attacked us on the open prairie, with Spring River, a small stream, between the two hostile armies. When they came up in column of companies, I thought I had never seen so many men in one body, they being well drilled and armed, I must confess I felt a little shaky, it being our first encounter with the enemy. I could not help admiring them for their beautiful movements in their formation of line of battle.
On our side it was quite the reverse. We did not have an officer with us--Col. Price had not joined us at that time--who knew how to form a line of battle. We got together as best we could in double-rank close order, with infantry and artillery. Our cavalry, with untrained horses, were out of the way of stray bullets. Being the orderly sergeant of our Company, as did all the other officers, I took position in front of the lines. The men were all lying down so close to the ground that they seemed flattened out. Well, I expected our side to be victorious, and we were, and thought this battle would end the war in our favor. As Gen. Sigel came up in column of companies, our artillery, commanded by Capt. Hiram Bledso--one of the best officers we had--loaded with any kind of old iron or rocks that we could get, opened on him before he had time to form his lines, making an opening through his entire column.
For a time they seemed demoralized, but soon rallied and formed in line of battle in good and quick order, when we had an artillery duel for a short time. At this point I want you to advise your men folks, should they ever engage in a war, never to attempt to stop a cannonball while in motion for its force is very deceptive. I came near trying it during this battle and if I had I would not now be writing this. While standing in front of our company, I saw a ball coming in a direct line towards me, bouncing on the ground from point to point, reminding me of the speed of a baseball. My first thought was to catch it, but my better judgment told me to let it pass, which I did. It struck in our lines, passing between Boe Roberts' left arm and his body. He was lying down immediately behind me. This disabled him for six months. That ball went about one-half mile beyond our lines. That was a lesson to me to never
fool with a cannonball while in motion. That shot is what is called a ricochet shot. When you cannot reach your objective point by a direct shot, then you make the bouncing shot that you may succeed.
After a few rounds, Gen. Sigel, without firing but a few volleys with his small arms, began his retreat to my great delight and comfort. In following him we had to wade Spring River, with the water about to our waist, and drove him through Carthage and about 10 miles beyond, capturing and killing a good many of the enemy, also a large lot of supplies, and routed Gen. Smith, who was coming to Sigel's support, and ate his already cooked breakfast.
My company captured a wagon guarded by a company of Federal soldiers and loaded with stolen household goods, such as women and children's clothing, silverware, clocks, and one 10-gal, keg of Blackberry Cordial, which was fine. The arms we captured came in good time for our unarmed boys. We captured one jolly Dutchman, who laughingly said, "Vat kind guns you shoot mit? You aim at one man before and kill tree behint." That was our shotguns. Gen. Sigel, in his report of that battle, I am told, said "that if he had such men in his command as he fought that day, he would not be afraid to charge Hell and capture the Devil." Our school history, especially Barnes, claims this as a great victory for the Federals.
From Carthage we continued our march south, halting at Cow Skin prairie to rest after our fatiguing march. While there we did some drilling and fasting, living frequently on a few ears of horse corn that was daily issued to us. Here we formed a junction with Gen. Price, Gov. Jackson, and Gen. McCulloch. The army was then put in motion in three sections to attack Gen, Lyon at Wilson's Creek on August 17, 1861.
After a desperate battle we drove the enemy back towards Springfield, Missouri. In this fight we had companies entirely unarmed that marched boldly to the front and stood to be shot at, until the Federal forces were driven back, and obtained the guns from the dead, wounded and prisoners. Those men were devoid of fear. Some were barefooted, ragged, and all were hungry. In this fight Gen. Lyon, and near him Capt. Cary Gratz (Federals)--the latter a relative of our Gen. Shelby--were killed. This battle lasted six hours.
In three days we were in Springfield, where we stayed about three weeks. While here we sent spies to St. Louis to get gun caps. They brought out about 100,000 and had them placed in some flower pots, with a nice flower planted in each pot, and sent them to Gen. John Morgan, who was at that time in Kentucky.
After leaving Springfield we moved north, fighting almost every day. We captured Col. Mulligan and his command, who was strongly fortified, at Lexington, Missouri, our starting place. We used bales of hemp to protect us as we rolled them before us up the hill in approaching their breastworks, as did Gen. Jackson with cotton bales at his battle at New Orleans, with splendid results.
The news of our success brought us a great many Sunday recruits, but when we were ready to move to other battlefields the most of them had some very important business to call them home.
We again moved on Springfield, driving the enemy out the second time. We stayed there during most of that winter. In fact, this was the only camp we had during the war that we had tents or shelter of any kind, or cooking utensils.
Below is a substantial excerpt from Ford’s efforts. The entire primary source can be found at the State Historical Society of Missouri Civil War Collection, http://sospublic10/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=/shscivilwar.
Early in May, 1861, I left my home in in Parkville, Platte County, Missouri, for Lexington, Missouri, the place of rendezvous for that part of the State for those who wanted to join the Confederate Army. We found there about two thousand men ready to buckle on their armor in defense of the South. Some were armed with shotguns,
Squirrel rifles, and the majority of them were unarmed. We organized an infantry and made Col. John T. Hughes commander of the regiment. I was appointed orderly sergeant of the Company by Capt. H. Woodsmall, I only knew three or four men in the Company.
We then were mustered into the service as Missouri State troops for a period of nine months, thinking and hoping the trouble would be over by that time, but the sequel proved our hopes to be in vain. After instruction in camp duty and company drill about a week, we broke camp and took up our line of march southward, gathering some unarmed recruits on the way, followed by Gen. Lyon's Federal Army at a distance, as we were never disturbed by him in our march southward.
When about ten miles from Carthage, Missouri, we were met by Gen. Sigel, Federal, with his army of about 3,000 well drilled and equipped regular soldiers, who attacked us on the open prairie, with Spring River, a small stream, between the two hostile armies. When they came up in column of companies, I thought I had never seen so many men in one body, they being well drilled and armed, I must confess I felt a little shaky, it being our first encounter with the enemy. I could not help admiring them for their beautiful movements in their formation of line of battle.
On our side it was quite the reverse. We did not have an officer with us--Col. Price had not joined us at that time--who knew how to form a line of battle. We got together as best we could in double-rank close order, with infantry and artillery. Our cavalry, with untrained horses, were out of the way of stray bullets. Being the orderly sergeant of our Company, as did all the other officers, I took position in front of the lines. The men were all lying down so close to the ground that they seemed flattened out. Well, I expected our side to be victorious, and we were, and thought this battle would end the war in our favor. As Gen. Sigel came up in column of companies, our artillery, commanded by Capt. Hiram Bledso--one of the best officers we had--loaded with any kind of old iron or rocks that we could get, opened on him before he had time to form his lines, making an opening through his entire column.
For a time they seemed demoralized, but soon rallied and formed in line of battle in good and quick order, when we had an artillery duel for a short time. At this point I want you to advise your men folks, should they ever engage in a war, never to attempt to stop a cannonball while in motion for its force is very deceptive. I came near trying it during this battle and if I had I would not now be writing this. While standing in front of our company, I saw a ball coming in a direct line towards me, bouncing on the ground from point to point, reminding me of the speed of a baseball. My first thought was to catch it, but my better judgment told me to let it pass, which I did. It struck in our lines, passing between Boe Roberts' left arm and his body. He was lying down immediately behind me. This disabled him for six months. That ball went about one-half mile beyond our lines. That was a lesson to me to never
fool with a cannonball while in motion. That shot is what is called a ricochet shot. When you cannot reach your objective point by a direct shot, then you make the bouncing shot that you may succeed.
After a few rounds, Gen. Sigel, without firing but a few volleys with his small arms, began his retreat to my great delight and comfort. In following him we had to wade Spring River, with the water about to our waist, and drove him through Carthage and about 10 miles beyond, capturing and killing a good many of the enemy, also a large lot of supplies, and routed Gen. Smith, who was coming to Sigel's support, and ate his already cooked breakfast.
My company captured a wagon guarded by a company of Federal soldiers and loaded with stolen household goods, such as women and children's clothing, silverware, clocks, and one 10-gal, keg of Blackberry Cordial, which was fine. The arms we captured came in good time for our unarmed boys. We captured one jolly Dutchman, who laughingly said, "Vat kind guns you shoot mit? You aim at one man before and kill tree behint." That was our shotguns. Gen. Sigel, in his report of that battle, I am told, said "that if he had such men in his command as he fought that day, he would not be afraid to charge Hell and capture the Devil." Our school history, especially Barnes, claims this as a great victory for the Federals.
From Carthage we continued our march south, halting at Cow Skin prairie to rest after our fatiguing march. While there we did some drilling and fasting, living frequently on a few ears of horse corn that was daily issued to us. Here we formed a junction with Gen. Price, Gov. Jackson, and Gen. McCulloch. The army was then put in motion in three sections to attack Gen, Lyon at Wilson's Creek on August 17, 1861.
After a desperate battle we drove the enemy back towards Springfield, Missouri. In this fight we had companies entirely unarmed that marched boldly to the front and stood to be shot at, until the Federal forces were driven back, and obtained the guns from the dead, wounded and prisoners. Those men were devoid of fear. Some were barefooted, ragged, and all were hungry. In this fight Gen. Lyon, and near him Capt. Cary Gratz (Federals)--the latter a relative of our Gen. Shelby--were killed. This battle lasted six hours.
In three days we were in Springfield, where we stayed about three weeks. While here we sent spies to St. Louis to get gun caps. They brought out about 100,000 and had them placed in some flower pots, with a nice flower planted in each pot, and sent them to Gen. John Morgan, who was at that time in Kentucky.
After leaving Springfield we moved north, fighting almost every day. We captured Col. Mulligan and his command, who was strongly fortified, at Lexington, Missouri, our starting place. We used bales of hemp to protect us as we rolled them before us up the hill in approaching their breastworks, as did Gen. Jackson with cotton bales at his battle at New Orleans, with splendid results.
The news of our success brought us a great many Sunday recruits, but when we were ready to move to other battlefields the most of them had some very important business to call them home.
We again moved on Springfield, driving the enemy out the second time. We stayed there during most of that winter. In fact, this was the only camp we had during the war that we had tents or shelter of any kind, or cooking utensils.