When St. Joseph Went to War: The Forgotten Story of the Paw Paw Rebellion
By Leyton Furlong
It's 10 PM on July 13th, 1864. A young rebel militiaman rests by a campfire near the town of Sparta. Just a few days ago, he and his platoon defected from the 82nd enrolled Missouri Militia Regiment to join a Confederate guerrilla warfare detachment led by Col. John C. Thornton. It's been a long journey northward, fighting through both the elements and isolated Union troops. But now, after a long day of marching, he and his men can enjoy a brief respite, enjoying a nice barbecue meal by the fire and laughing and singing. But the young man isn't in the mood for any festivities. He knows what is to be expected of them. At any moment, Col. Thornton could arrive to give the order to advance towards St. Joseph to face an organized fighting force. As he ponders the uncertainty of their situation, he is startled by a volley of musket fire. “Enemy contact!” Shouts the sentry. As he clambers for his rifle, he looks up to see two mounted Union scouts running off into the distance. The rebels had been found.
The Paw Paws
By 1863, much of the instability and chaos that prevailed in Northwest Missouri during the early days of the Civil War had given way to an uneasy order enforced by Union troops and the state militia. With the original federal forces tasked with occupying St. Joseph gone by 1862, much of the defense of Northwest Missouri was left to the 81st and 82nd regiments of the Enrolled Missouri Militia, or as they were often referred to, the Paw Paw Militia.
No one can say with certainty the reason these men were called Paw Paws (which is a native fruit to Missouri). One story goes that the men hid out in Paw Paw groves along the Missouri; another story suggests that the name came about when a civilian asked a militiaman (who was doing rifle exercises with a broomstick) what he was doing. The militiaman allegedly responded, “What do you think we are doing, picking up paw paws?”
Regardless of why they were called the Paw Paws, one thing that is certain is that most of these men were far from loyal to the Union. Many of those who enlisted with the Paw Paw Militia were Confederate sympathizers otherwise exempt from military service. Some even had previously served with the Confederate Army. These men were tasked with maintaining the fragile peace in the region and fighting off roaming bandits, Red Legs, Jayhawkers, and guerrilla bushwhackers. Being a militia, their equipment often consisted of captured enemy rifles, hunting muskets, and whatever supplies they foraged for on their own. Although disloyal, the Paw Paws were still widely regarded as a reliable tool to suppress lawlessness.
With a headquarters in both St. Joseph and Parkville, the Paw Paws were first commanded by Brigadier General Odon Guitar. Although he was a southern slave owner who had remained loyal, many suspected him to be a rebel sympathizer. In early 1863, Guitar came under scrutiny after he ordered the arrest and disarmament of Pro-Union militiamen in St. Joseph. All the while, rebel sympathizers increasingly were enlisted into the militia.
The Guerrillas
Once a local lawyer, Colonel John Calhoun “Coon” Thornton had left Northwest Missouri in 1861 with a band of recruits to fight for the Southern cause. In 1863, he and a cohort of Confederate officers had returned to unite the unorganized bands of rebel bushwhackers into a proper fighting force that would eventually regroup with Confederate forces. From late 1863 to early 1864, Thornton’s men roamed the countryside plundering farms and attacking small groups of federal soldiers. Even before the mass defection that occurred in July of 1864, some Paw Paws began to desert their posts and join the ranks of Col. Thornton's band.
In the spring of 1864, rumors began to circulate that Confederate Forces under the command of General Sterling Price were preparing for a full-scale invasion of Missouri that would threaten to cut into Iowa. For Col. Thornton, this was a signal to intensify his campaign and secure the recruits he needed to link up with Price's men, should they be needed.
The campaign begins
By June of 1864, Guerrilla Bushwhacker activity across Northwest Missouri had reached a fever pitch. With assassinations in Holt and DeKalb County, a battle in New Market, and sporadic attacks across the county, the uneasy peace was shattered. District commander General Clinton Fisk ordered federal troops and the Paw Paw militia to suppress the insurgency. While many loyal Paw Paws and militiamen fought and even died in their fight against the Bushwhackers, many were eagerly ready to jump ship. On July 7th, Col. Thornton and his men (Including Jesse and Frank James) rode into Parkville, encircling Paw Paws. After a quick fight, the Paw Paws laid down their arms, and most joined Thornton's men. The Paw Paw rebellion had begun, and the Union had been caught entirely off guard.
St. Joseph besieged
By July 10th, Thornton and his men were on the move. The men arrived in Platte City and were welcomed by the populace. The local Paw Paw Militia immediately defected to Thornton's army. Charles Fletcher Taylor's 40 or so men, which included Jesse and Frank James, marched through Buchanan County, plundering the towns of Taos and Agency Ford. One horrific event reported during this time was the murder of Rev. Charles Morris. Taylor's men set his house ablaze, gouged out his eyes, and shot him in the head along with an unnamed black boy. As the rebels drew closer and closer to St. Joseph, panic ensued. Refugees from the countryside arrived in the city, and many civilians took refuge in the I.O.O.F. hall downtown, and the city rushed to organize the militia.
By July 13th, Taylor's men were camped out near the town of Sparta, just a few miles south of St. Joseph. The men awaited orders from Col. Thornton. However, after a short skirmish with mounted Union scouts, Taylor's men were thought to have withdrawn shortly thereafter. Col. Thornton did not intend on any long-term occupation of the area (that was theoretically going to be General Price's job). As Union reinforcements poured in from Ft. Leavenworth and St. Joseph's loyal E.M.M. had reorganized, Thornton thus likely had no real plans for such a costly attack. Thornton himself was busy being ambushed by Union troops in Camden Point on that same day.
Col. Thornton and his men were enjoying a picnic with the population when the 2nd Colorado Cavalry and the 15th Kansas Cavalry caught the men off guard. After a brief but bloody battle, 4 Union troops and 6 Confederates (4 of whom were executed after their capture) were dead. The Union burned the towns of Camden Point and Platte City to the ground in retaliation.
End of the Line
Camden Point was a turning point in the rebellion. Loyal Paw Paws, the Militia, and Federal troops hounded Thornton and his men day and night. Thornton's men fought eastward, in Arnoldsville, Fredericksburg, Kingstown, and Mirabile. By July 21st, Thornton and his beleaguered men reached the town of Plattsburg and demanded the surrender of the town. The town, under the protection of the 89th regiment of the Enrolled Missouri Militia, refused to surrender. Under the command of Maj. John Thrailkill, the rebels advanced towards Plattsburg. However, a scouting party of 18 men led by Union Captain John Turney was well underway to intercept their rear guard. Thrailkill, upon being halted, asked, “Who goes there?” Cpt. Turney responded. “A friend.” “A friend of who?” Cpt. Turney drew his pistol and said, “A friend of the Union!”
An intense gun battle ensued. Thrailkill and his men were now suddenly scattered and disoriented. Thrailkill's rear guard was ultimately pushed back, and the scouts tactically retreated back to Plattsburg, where a civilian militia and the rest of the 89th Regiment were defending the town. Two Union men were killed, including Captain Turney. Confederate casualties are unknown.
Thornton and Thrailkill ultimately decided not to pursue the capture of Plattsburg and withdrew. The men retreated through Mandeville and Kidder. By July 26th, the 300 or so survivors reached the Missouri River. With the Union closing in and a full river crossing impossible, Col. Thornton made the difficult decision to disband the unit and scatter. However, 150 of the men refused to disband and instead selected Maj. Thrailkill to be their new leader, leaving Northwest Missouri and venturing out east and continuing their campaign.
From late July to early September, small pockets of Thornton's stranded men surrendered themselves to Federal forces. While a handful of men were executed, the vast majority of them were released from prison in early 1865 by order of General Fisk. Some were never caught. Many continued to fight on in isolated pockets for the rest of the war. A handful even linked up with General Price's army when they did eventually invade Missouri. Others, war-weary and homesick, simply returned home to Northwest Missouri undetected.
A Forgotten Legacy
Today, the Paw Paw Rebellion is largely a forgotten footnote in local history. Largely overshadowed by the war elsewhere in the country. However, the Paw Paw Rebellion is unique in that it shows a forgotten side of an already overlooked theatre of the Civil War. The Paw Paw Rebellion was, in many ways, a type of guerrilla war that would have been more befitting of modern warfare. An irregular war of marauding bandits hiding out in trees and waiting to strike at their enemies.
Many of those involved in the rebellion or in its suppression went on to be notable figures in local and national history. From notorious outlaw Jesse James to failed presidential candidate Gen. Clinton Fisk, the Paw Paw Rebellion touched the lives of just about everyone in the area and paved the way for the careers of many important men. Entire towns had been destroyed and rebuilt, and terror was the law of the land. In a way, it was a type of irregular warfare you would likely have found only this side of the Mississippi.
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