Battlefield Dispatches 197: 'More winter killings'

During the Civil War, the cold months of Winter, didn't stop the "Union" pursuit & killing of their worst enemy in Missouri, the "Confederate" Guerrillas / Bushwhackers! The following reports describe a successful "killing" patrol by a Union detachment in southwest Missouri that was conducted during very harsh winter weather. It is located on Pages 19 & 20 in Series I, vol. 48, Part I of the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion.

To: Col. J. B. Rogers,

Cape Girardeau.

Sir: I arrived here at 1'o'clock today with the command. Had to swim the St. Francis River. Capt. Cochran did not join me at Popular Bluff, as you directed, but afterward formed junction with me in Cherokee. We KILLED 19 GUERRILLAS & TOOK 5 PRISONERS. Lost our ambulance & wagon in the swamp between the current & Black rivers. Have about 50 contraband horses & mules. It is impossible to remain here longer than one night; our stock cannot be foraged. [Note: not enough hay, grain or corn for the horses could be found] I will march for the Cape tomorrow unless you direct otherwise. I had 1 man killed out of my command & Captain Cochran had 1 wounded.

Lieutenant Rinne's detailed report of this expedition is as follows:

To: Col. J. B. Rogers,

Sir: the command sent out under Major Robbins, consisting of detachments of Companies A, I, & M, 2nd Cavalry Missouri State Militia, numbering 45 men, 25 men of the 2nd Mo. Artillery & 20 men of the 79th regiment of enrolled Missouri Militia, was turned over to me on January 4, 1865, at Bloomfield, Mo. by Major Robbins, as you directed & I proceeded to Popular bluff as ordered. Captain Cochran did not join me there as you directed in your instructions to me, the distance he had to march being to great for the short time given him to march it in. I waited for him 36 hours and then marched without him for Cherokee Bay. Finding the swamps impassable for teams I left my team and ambulance at Popular Bluff with a guard to protect them till Captain Cochran could come up, when he could move by another route into the head of Cherokee Bay & by a better road & bring the teams, if he desired to do so & where I could join him. The command I took with me numbered 70 men. I crossed the swamp between Cane Creek & the Current River and then divided my small force into two parties. I directed one party to strike the bay near the lower end at the Rebel Colonel Reves, while the other party I struck it at the upper end, directing the party I sent in the lower end of the bay to join me at Paterson's on the bay. By these directions I succeeded in SURPRISING the Rebels, killing 19, wounding 3 severely & capturing 5. I had 1 man killed & no other casualty to any of my men of my command during the expedition. Among the Rebels killed were 3 Officers, Lieut. Copeland, Lieut. Sooter & Lieut. Moore. The two latter belonged to the NOTORIOUS Capt. Bowles' Company. The killed & prisoners all belonged to Reves' command. We found no considerable force together. They were scattered over the country in small bands from 5 to 10, not expecting a Federal force so near at hand.

Capt. Cochran joined me on the bay, bringing up my team & ambulance. I reported to him for orders, when he instructed me, after having done all I could in the Bay, to return with my command to the Cape by the same route in which I had entered the bay, while he would take a different route, this being necessary, as forage could not be procured for the whole command at any one place. In crossing from the bay to Popular Bluff I lost my wagon & ambulance, drowned 2 mules & 5 horses. It was impossible to get the wagon or ambulance out of the swamp. Cane Creek was very high, overflowing its banks & covering the whole face of the country for 8 miles with water from two to three feet deep, through which the command had to march & break their road through ice from one and a half to two inches thick. Out next trouble was in crossing the Saint Francis River, which we had to swim, but which was effected without loss or accident. From there to the Cape we had an uninterrupted march, where I arrived with the command on the 16th instant, having marched about 300 miles through swamps, ice & water. The result of the expedition was 19 REBELS KILLED, 3 severely wounded & 5 captured; 50 horses & mules were captured, 35 of which have been turned over to the provost-marshal at Cape Girardeau, Mo.; 5 head drowned in the swamp, 4 head claimed by citizens & given up & 6 head stolen from the corral at Bloomfield, Mo.

With much respect, I am Colonel, your obedient servant,

1st Lieutenant, 2nd Missouri Artillery, Comdg. Detachment."

Now that must have been one miserable expedition through the cold, ice, frigid water & swamps of southeast Missouri and of course the War Went On!