Battlefield Dispatches No. 196: 'Winter Killings'

Normally, during the severe winter months of January, February & early March, the large Union & Confederate Armies went into "Winter Quarters" & the major campaigns & fighting were not resumed until the spring. However, the "Guerrilla War" in Missouri often went on unabated and the following incident of "Winter Killings" is described on Pages 17 & 18 in Series L Vol. 48. Part I of the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion.

"Headquarters Detachment Fifth Cavalry,

Salem, Missouri. Jan. 8, 1865.

Captain. I returned yesterday evening from a scout in

Shannon County, Mo. I left here Monday with 45 men of companies C, D, M, 5th Mo. State Militia Cavalry. I had information that there was a camp of some 80 BUSHWHACKERS on Jack's fork which was false; they camped in small squads, from 5 to 15 in a squad. I scouted out Jack's fork Hills & found their camp; were but two men in camp. We killed one and got both of their horses. On Birch Prairie we found another squad. There we killed another. I then divided my men in 3 squads & scouted the whole county & the head of Jack's Fork. I came across a squad of 8 or 10; we fired on them. They returned fire & wounded one of my men severely, but I think he will recover. There we killed 4 & wounded 2, who made their escape. We captured 6 horses & rig [wagon]. I captured in all 9 horses & KILLED 6 BUSHWHACKERS. I found several camps in those hills. I destroyed them & burned several harboring places. We found several pens of corn out in those hills, 5 miles from any farm. I think the county is scouted out more thoroughly than it ever was sine the war [began]. I was down as far as 8 miles of Thomasville, Freeman [Confederate Guerrilla] has disbanded his men till spring & they scattered all over the country in small squads. Texas County is full. There have been several squads of 8 or 10 men who went up in the neighborhood ofRolla, Mo. a few days ago. These fellows come in & ROB the citizens of all their horses & bed clothing, meat, etc. while I was gone down in Shannon County they were in this county & robbed several families of everything they had, did not leave them anything in the world, clothing or anything to eat. I will send Captain Benz with a squad of men into Texas County tomorrow morning to rout those fellows that are in that vicinity. There is no large force this side of Batesville. If there was a scout [patrol] of 200 or 300 men sent down on the spring river in Arkansas it would pay, as there is where they take all their stolen property. Some of these fellows have moved their families back to Texas & Shannon Counties. There is plenty of corn in Shannon & down in that county to feed a scout of 300 or 400 men by camping in different places & this county will be visited by those fellows as long as they are allowed to remain in that country. I will endeavor to keep them out of this County as well as I can.

I am. Captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

LEVI E. WHYBARK

Captain, Commanding Post Detachment."

Guerrilla warfare may have slowed down a bit in the time of cold, ice & snow, but the Winter was still a time of killing and of course the War Went On!