An Unpleasant Scene ... Vanceburg in the Fall of 1861

Vanceburg, ca. 1912

Late summer and early fall of 1861 was a time of great struggle and turmoil for Kentuckians. The Civil War left the state divided in sentiment. Although sympathetic to the South, Kentucky was traditionally loyal to the Union. Her citizens showed strong patriotism and were reluctant to abandon the old flag and the Union their grandfathers had fought and died for. On the other hand, there was resentment over coercion of the seceded States by the federal government. The issues of states' rights and slavery helped drive the wedge even deeper.

Families, friends and neighbors found themselves on opposite sides, but holding firmly to their viewpoints. Sometimes, the feeling of animosity was bitter and manifested itself in unpleasant scenes.

One such incident took place in Vanceburg, Lewis County, Kentucky. Situated on the Ohio River 20 miles above Maysville, at the junction of Salt Creek, Vanceburg was a town of roughly 200 inhabitants. It had a  post office, four hotels, several stores and a salt-works nearby. Over the past 13 years the population had quadrupled, mostly due to the influx of new settlers from Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts  who came down the Ohio River and settled here. Among the inhabitants  were a number of lumber merchants and sawyers, a land agent, steamboat  pilot and flatboat man, physicians, lawyers, blacksmiths, carpenters, a  saddler and miller, brick makers and layers, teamsters and seamstresses. By all appearances, Vanceburg was an up and coming town at the beginning of the Civil War.

One of the more recent arrivals was 30 year old Francis L. Shaw and his family. Francis occupied a home next to the residences of his brother William Y. Shaw and his brother-in-law Killian K. Mann. A near neighbor was Hiram T. Rowley, a merchant who operated a store on Second Street in Vanceburg. As far as current political issues were concerned, Shaw and his family strongly supported the Union cause.

On the evening of September 1, 1861, at 7 p.m., Shaw was sitting in his house with his wife Mahala, and the couple's two young children, eight year  old Oliver and four year old Mary. Also present were Shaw's younger brother Lorenzo and one of his wife's sisters. Suddenly, they heard the foot steps of men walking up the sidewalk in the direction of their  house. When in front of their house, a man by the name of Henry Pell  called to Shaw, and told him that, "Mr. Rice" wanted to see him down town immediately. Mr. Rice in this case may have been Francis H. Rice, a 42  year old land agent from Massachusetts who was boarding at police judge William S. Parker's house, six households from the Shaw residence. The men then turned and walked directly across the Street as Shaw was able to determine by the sound of their feet.

Francis L. Shaw was reluctant to leave the house as he believed from the indications that Pell and the men with him "designed some evil" toward him. An hour later a small stone was thrown against the house. For the next three hours all was quiet again until about 11 o'clock when Mahala went into the backroom where the children were sleeping and  moved the curtain at the window. She quickly stepped back and remarked that she heard men running and just at that instance, "the report of a gun and the crashing of the window and the lumbering of stones on the floor filled the house."

Shaw stated that, "My family were so much alarmed as to cry out which together with the report of the gun alarmed many of the citizens who were yet not retired to bed and within Five minutes a number of citizens were at my house, when we proceeded to examine the affect of the assault, and found two stones in the room one weighing about Four and a half lbs; the other about Three lbs. One of the stones had struck the far side of the room cutting through the ceiling; the other had struck the floor cutting quite a gash in it. The charge in the gun being shot, had taken effect in the wall and in the head board of the Bedsted near the head of one of my children who was sleeping there. Another stone had struck the meeting Rail of the Window Sash, when it broke and scattered over the room. The glass was nearly all broken out of the window."

While Shaw and some of his neighbors were examining the damage in the house, others proceeded to scout in different directions in search of  the mob, and in a few minutes one of the scouts came upon three men sitting by the road side about Two Hundred yards from Shaw's house - one of them being Henry Pell. One of the scouts asked him if he knew anything of the disturbance to which he replied he had not heard of any disturbance.

Shaw immediately procured a writ and charged Pell and his companions with assault on his home and shooting into the house with intent to kill. Consequently, Pell's two companions were arrested, as well as a  third man who had been seen running away from Shaw's house immediately after the firing was heard. Pell, however, was not taken. A court of inquiry was called immediately and proceeded to try the men arrested.

One of the men turned States evidence and testified that Pell induced him and the other two men referred to, to go with him to try and lure Shaw out of the house for the purpose of robbing him. After failing in any way to get him out they went and made the assault, thinking that Shaw was at the window, as they had seen the curtains moved by some one.

Shaw stated in regard to Pell that, "I have no knowledge of any insult of any kind that could have actuated him, only as I was told that he said I was a damned Lincolnite and a damned Abolishionist."

Soon after the incident, Francis L. Shaw moved with his family to Fleming County. He enlisted in November 1861 in the 24th KY Infantry and thus had no further chance to prosecute the case.

Pell remained at large but was eventually arrested within two months after the incident. Police judge William S. Parker investigated and tried the case "according to law" but amazingly, cleared Pell of any wrong doing. Parker reasoned that, "there was no evidence implicating  him in said charges and I found there was no course for sending him on for trial in the Circuit Court."  Clearly, Parker ignored the fact that Pell had been named as the main instigator by one of his companions.  Furthermore, Parker called none of the witnesses in the case, namely Socrates Holbrook, County Attorney of Lewis County and Dr. Robert G. Barber, one of the physicians in Vanceburg, nor Francis L. Shaw's  brother Lorenzo Dow Shaw or William Schiffbower who was rooming at one of the hotels in town at the time of the incident.

After the proceedings, police judge Parker enlisted in the 16th KY Infantry and left the docket and papers in his bureau drawer. By 1864, when called  upon, all pertinent documents had been conveniently lost or misplaced. Clearly, for unknown reasons, justice had not been served. Nevertheless, although the law failed to prosecute him for his misdeeds in the fall of 1861, Pell eventually ran into trouble a few short years later ... which will be the subject of another article.

  ~ To Be Continued ~

Among the Guerrillas - Adventures of Alfred Harrison, Lewis County Surveyor

The following statement by the Surveyor of Lewis County, Ky., will be of interest, as the locality and party are well known to many of our readers. As an expose of the condition of affairs on the border it derives its chief interest. He says:

“I will say that I am the Surveyor of Lewis county, and while I was discharging my official duties as Surveyor in the eastern end of my county, in company with six other gentlemen, we called at the house of a gentleman named Bloomfield, who lives on the Laurel Fork of the Kinnekinick (Kinniconick), for the purpose of lodging with him for the night – About dark the house was suddenly surrounded by about thirty men who soon robbed us of what money we had and other valuables. I lost about eight or ten dollars in money; a mare that I had been offered one hundred and fifty dollars for, and also a saddle and bridle, worth about fifteen or twenty dollars. A man that was with me lost, as he said, over one hundred dollars in money, and also a valuable watch. Another one of our company lost some money and a watch, and also his hat. Others lost money and clothing. In short, all that we had that was valuable they took.

They also robbed the house of Bloomfield of everything that they could find that was desirable, even taking and eating the victuals that were being cooked for our supper. And all this we had to bear as best as we could, as they were armed with rifle muskets, shotguns and pistols and greatly outnumbered us, while we had nothing with which to defend ourselves.

This gang of rebel ruffians had the audacity to tell us that they were men who had been drafted in Lawrence county for Government service, and were on their way to report.

And after they had robbed us and left the premises a short time, they returned and inquired for the Surveyor. I immediately walked to the door and reported to which they replied they wanted me to point them to Greenupsburg. I told them I could not do it, as it was very dark, and did not know the way. They said I knew more about it than they did and I should go with them – So I concluded that “prudence was the better part of valor.” I put on my hat and mounted a horse that they had taken from Bloomfield, and hitched at the fence for me to ride, and off we went. I and a man they called Capt. Fults, rode in front. After we had traveled a short distance, he asked me if I could take them to Vanceburg. I told him I could. He then said I might take them to Vanceburg, and there would take passage on a boat to Greenupsburg.

Map of Vanceburg, 1877
David Rumsey Historical Map Collection

On the way he inquired of me particularly who had good horses in that section of the county, and who kept shoes, boots and ready-made clothing in Vanceburg for sale, and whether there were any soldiers quartered there. - They also inquired if George M. Thomas, an elector for Lincoln and Johnson, lived in Vanceburg, and if there was a flouring mill in Vanceburg, that made flour for the Government. As we traveled on our way, some one would frequently call the Captain towards the rear as I supposed, to hold a consultation with him, and the another man would ride up by my side. I would then seize the opportunity to ask him some questions. On one of those occasions a young lad rode up by me, and I,” When did you leave Lawrence county?” “Last Monday,” said he. Said I, “This is Friday night; where have you been all this time?” “We have been out on a scout,” said he. “Last Wednesday we were in Flemingsburg, and we lost four of our men there.” “How did that happen?” said I. “Why,” said he, “we went in there in the night, and either the citizens or Yankee soldiers shot at us from the houses and killed two of our men and mortally wounded two more of them.”

On our way, the Captain and some others called at the house of a man named Blankenship, and took from him two coats, and a gun. A little further on they all stopped to feed their horses with some corn and fodder, which they took from the field of a Mrs. Cooper, and while their horses were eating they robbed several other houses. We then mounted our horses and rode to within about three miles of Vanceburg, but we had advanced but a short distance until we were met by Col. Clark and five other men on horseback, all citizens of Vanceburg. “Halt,” said the gallant Colonel. We halted. “Who are you?” said he. “We are conscripts from Lawrence county,” responded the rebel captain. “We are going to Greenupsburg to report. “Advance, one in number,” said the Colonel. “Who are you,” said the rebel Captain. “We are citizens,” was the prompt reply of the Colonel. Receiving this answer, the Captain then ordered his men to fire. – It was done. The Colonel and his men returned the fire and then retreated. The rebels pursued, but soon received a volley from some noble Union citizens who were waiting in ambush to receive them. The rebels then retreated a short distance and held a council. Some were in favor of making another effort to go into town. Others opposed it, saying that the road was lined with bushwackers. The Captain asked me if there were not Yankee soldiers in town. I told him I did not know. “But,” said I, “I do know there are a great many home guards there, and I have no doubt but they will give you a warm reception if you go in.” They then retreated in haste.

Time and space will not allow me to give particulars, but suffice it to say that they robbed every man they met on the road, taking their money and stripping off their clothes, boots, shoes and hats, and carrying them off. They also robbed almost every house on the way, searching the stables and took every good horse they could find. They even carried off in triumph, every good horse that they met on the way, either under saddle or in the harnesses. Such are the acts of a set of scoundrels, with whom many of the men living in the Loyal States, and pretending to be good citizens sympathize. But these are nothing more or less than fair specimens of the great masses of the people who are seeking to overthrow this Government. And, now, I will close this sketch by saying, that those who read this may hear from me at some other time.

Alfred Harrison
Lewis county, Jan. 2 (1865)

Notes
Alfred Harrison, found in the 1860 Lewis Co. KY Census, HH# 241/241. At the time of the incident he was about 42 years old.

Alfred Harrison mentioned a gentleman by the name of Boomfield but it is unclear if it was John, James or Reuben Bloomfield's house where he and his party planned to spend the night.

George M. Thomas, 1860 Lewis Co. KY Census, HH# 821/821. In 1864, he was 36 years old. George M. Thomas was born on November 23, 1828, on Salt Lick Creek, near the valley in Lewis County, educated in the common schools in the county — taught school, read law, and was admitted to the bar in 1851. Elected school commissioner in 1850, and served nine years. Elected county attorney in 1854, and served four years. Elected a member of the Kentucky Legislature in 1859, and re-elected in 1861. In 1862 elected Commonwealth attorney in the Tenth Judicial District, and served six years.

William Blankenship, 1860 Lewis Co. KY Census, HH# 1369/1369. At the time of the robbery on his farm, Blankenship was abt. 53 years old.

Several Coopers lived in William Blankenship's neighborhood. Mrs. Cooper was most likely the wife of Hiram B. Cooper who owned a farm next door to Blankenship. 1860 Lewis Co. KY Census, HH# 1370/1370. Hiram B. Cooper was away from home at the time of the robbery, serving in the Union Army in Co. K, 16th KY Infantry. He would not return home before summer 1865, leaving it up to his wife Catharina to run the farm and deal with situations like guerrilla raids.

Captain Fults' identity remains unknown. Harrison indicated that Fults was of Confederate persuasion which seems unusual since all Fults/Fultz men who ever served in the military in Kentucky during the Civil War were in the Union Army. Further research is needed.

Source: Ironton (OH) Register, January 19, 1865
Transcribed and annotated by Marlitta H. Perkins. Copyright © 2012. All Rights Reserved.

Links of Interest
Kinniconick Creek: A natural and historic treasure of Lewis County, by Dr. William M. Talley