Battlefield Dispatches No. 199: Assasinations, Robberies and Murders

By January 1863, the Civil War was almost two years old and the "Union" command in Missouri was still trying to figure out a way to neutralize the Confederate guerrillas and "Bushwhackers." In fact this was to be a never ending problem throughout the balance of the war that was never solved.

However, the following General Order issued at Jefferson City which was the headquarters of the Union's Central District of Missouri illustrates the extreme measures that the "Blue Belly Billy Yanks" used unsuccessfully to eradicate the enemy guerrillas and bushwhackers. This General Order is located on

Pages 64 and 65 in Series I, Vol. 22, Part II Correspondence in the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion.

"Hdqrs. Central District of Missouri, Jefferson City, Mo. January 20, 1863.

General Orders No. 3:

The armies of the enemy have been driven beyond the borders of this state. For more than a year past he has been unable to maintain any regular force within them. Yet in violation of all known rules of warfare, civilized or savage, the rebels are in the habit of sending their emissaries within the State for the purpose of recruiting & for other hostile purposes. Now, in view of the recent ASSASSINATIONS, ROBBERIES & MURDERS committed in this military district by armed bands, who in so doing assume to be acting under authority derived from rebel sources & who are instigated thereto by the emissaries sent here by our enemies to incite their adherents to the commission of the MOST DIABOLICAL CRIMES, attended in some instances with acts of SAVAGE CRUELTY & FIENDISH ATROCITY that history of the world can furnish no parallel for them (the bodies of their victims are horribly mutilated; the bleeding, quivering flesh is torn from the cheeks, as the face is stamped with the boot-heels of the murder; their ears are cut off; [gun]powder is poured into their ears & exploded & untold horrors fail to satiate the malice of those who cause the FIENDS in hell to shudder by the enormity of their crimes), it becomes imperative duty to provide at once adequate means to SUPPRESS these outrages & furnish full & ample protection to loyal citizens against their recurrence. To these ends it is ordered:

1st. That any person found within this military district attempting to recruit or organize any force to act against the Federal government, or the government of this State, or against the peaceable inhabitants of either, or who holds any commission or other paper, purporting to be a commission or other authority from those in rebellion or otherwise opposing Federal authority, to recruit, organize or otherwise collect or assemble any force to act in opposition to the Federal authority, SHALL BE PROMPTLY EXECUTED by the first commissioned officer to whom he may be delivered or under whose control he may be placed!

2nd: That all persons who shall knowingly harbor, conceal, aid or abet, by furnishing food, clothing, information, protection or any assistance whatever to any such EMMISSARY, CONFEDERATE OFFICER or SOLDIER, PARTISAN RNAGER, BUSHWHACKER, ROBBER or THIEF SHALL BE PROMPTLY EXECUTED by the first commissioned officer into whose hands he or they may be delivered or under whose control he or they may be placed. The houses at which such persons receive food, protection or assistance in any way shall be DESTROYED & the personal property found at such places or on the farms belonging thereto shall be SEIZED and applied to the indemnification of the "Union" citizens for the losses sustained by them in consequence of the wrongful acts of these bands.

3rd. That any officer in this military district who shall fail to execute promptly the foregoing provisions of this order will be tried by a court martial for disobedience of orders.

By order of Brigadier General Loan.

J. RAINSFORD,

Assistant Adjutant General."

Now then, did these General Orders cause the "Confederate Partisan Rangers (Guerrillas) and Bushwhackers to cease & desist in conducting their type of warfare? Of course not, they continued to attack and kill the Blue Bellied Billy Yanks from Missouri and Missourians who were loyal to the "Union" with an unbridled FEROCITY and VENGEANCE and of course the WAR WENT ON!