Obsession would be an appropriate label to describe my interest in Island Mound between 1996 and 2001.
I had recently left the Marines after 10 years of service
and with support of my wife and family I returned to college to complete my
undergraduate degree and to undertake a graduate degree. My return to college
honed my critical thinking abilities and armed me with an arsenal of research
tools and techniques that I applied with vigor in my effort to learn all that I
could about this forgotten event – an event that from my perspective was
seminal in the history of our nation.
With confirmation that black troops did fight and win at a
place called Island Mound so early in the war I started off with a series of
research questions:
- Was this the first battle fought by black troops during the war?
- Where was Island Mound located?
- Who were the men that fought there, on both sides, and how many?
- What actually happened at Island Mound?
On my journey to discover Island Mound archives, libraries and old/historical maps were my tools. Archivists,
librarians and fellow historians were my friends that provided leads to the answers to the initial research questions above. However, every path that led to an
answer spawned many more questions not just about Island Mound but about a
myriad of other items that would result in a Venn diagram on steroids - if ever
I graphically plotted out all the tendrils of my research.
I poured over the Official Records of the War of the
Rebellion (O.R.), the publications of both the Kansas and Missouri Historical
Societies at the university library – all of which were helpful, but the real progress came when I dug
into the treasure trove of microfilmed historical newspapers held by the Kansas
Historical Society.
I was searching for contemporary accounts of the fight at
Island Mound and through hard work and a bit of luck, I was able to find several first hand accounts of the engagement. Through these accounts I was eventually able to establish
a full picture of what happened at Island Mound. I will expand further on these accounts in subsequent posts.
Now to locate Island Mound…
[Note: Unlike today, when I began my research the amount of information available on the web was infinitesimal. Where applicable, I have provided links to modern references to material that is now online that back then was not.]
[Note: Unlike today, when I began my research the amount of information available on the web was infinitesimal. Where applicable, I have provided links to modern references to material that is now online that back then was not.]
Pouring over old maps of Bates County I could find no physical
feature named “Island Mound,” but from the contemporary accounts I had the following key pieces of information to help me in finding the exact location of the fight:
- The 1st KCV spent their first night on the march from Fort Lincoln, Kansas at a place called Fort Defiance.
- The regiment crossed the Marais des Cygnes at a place called Dickey's Ford (sometimes referred to as Dickey's Crossing).
- The regiment then proceeded to the farm of Enoch Toothman where they commandeered the house and erected hasty barricades and defenses.
- The pro-southern forces had a base of operations located on an island in the river.
- The fight took place near the Marais des Cygnes River (pronounced as "meer de seen").
- The climactic portion of the fight took place on mounds near that river.
I can not say enough how important the old/historical maps were to my
efforts and fortunately, I was able to find quite a few maps that were critical to my research.
I knew the location of Fort Lincoln... so, if I could locate Fort Defiance and the Toothman farm I could establish the regiment's route of march. I could then reference this with the oldest map (from the 1874) of Bates County that I was able to find that showed transportation routes.
Not surprisingly, the historical transportation routes portrayed on the map all converged on the the town of Butler, the County Seat, with two of the routes leading to Kansas; One to the northwest through the then town of West Point and another to the southwest. I focused my attention on the route to the southwest as it crossed the Marais des Cygnes River and as Fort Lincoln was located to the southwest - that would have been the direction the regiment would have come from.
I subsequently learned that in Kansas this route was known as the Butler Road, and in Missouri it was called the Fort Scott Road. Today remnants of this road can be found in the town of Butler as Fort Scott Street. In Kansas, the road terminated on the Old Military Road near the town of Potosi, Kansas.
I knew the location of Fort Lincoln... so, if I could locate Fort Defiance and the Toothman farm I could establish the regiment's route of march. I could then reference this with the oldest map (from the 1874) of Bates County that I was able to find that showed transportation routes.
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| 1874 Campbell Atlas |
I subsequently learned that in Kansas this route was known as the Butler Road, and in Missouri it was called the Fort Scott Road. Today remnants of this road can be found in the town of Butler as Fort Scott Street. In Kansas, the road terminated on the Old Military Road near the town of Potosi, Kansas.
Fort Lincoln was established by Senator Jim Lane (driving force behind formation of the 1st KCV) in 1861, in response to a threatened invasion of Kansas and possible attack upon Fort Scott, Kansas by Confederate forces under Sterling "Pap" Price (former Governor of Missouri and head of the Missouri State Guard). Lane believed Fort Scott was not defensible and ordered the construction of Fort Lincoln on the north bank of the Little Osage River near the present day hamlet of Fulton, Kansas, approximately 15 miles north of Fort Scott.
Fort Defiance (Camp Defiance) was initially a defensive position used by Free-State Kansans to protect against incursions from Pro-slavery Missourians into that portion of Linn County, Kansas during the days of the Border War that preceded the Civil War. With the onset (continuance) of hostilities during the Civil War the Free-State Kansans (now Union soldiers) established a camp at Defiance the winter of 1861-1862 as part of the winter quarters of a portion Lane's Brigade (Senator Jim Lane). The Fort/Camp was located right on the border between Kansas and Missouri, approximately 5 miles to the north and east of the then town of Potosi.
Dickey's Ford (sometimes referred to as Dickey's Crossing) was the point at which the Fort Scott Road crossed the Marais Des Cygnes River and figured prominently in the history of that portion of Bates County. The ford/crossing is also referenced in several accounts of both Union and Confederate activity during the Civil War. The ford/crossing was likely operated by Jameson D. Dickey, the first postmaster at the town of Marvel, and/or his son Melvin W. Dickey, who succeeded his father as the postmaster at Marvel. Both are buried in the Woodfin Cemetery, in Walnut Township, near the town of Foster.
Again, I turned to the maps and was able to locate an Atlas of Cass and Bates Counties dated 1877. Focusing on the Walnut Township portion of the map I found Dickey's Ford! Rather than being located above the town of Marvel, as indicated on the 1874 Campbell map, it was in fact located below the town at a bend in the river.
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Dickey's Ford (sometimes referred to as Dickey's Crossing) was the point at which the Fort Scott Road crossed the Marais Des Cygnes River and figured prominently in the history of that portion of Bates County. The ford/crossing is also referenced in several accounts of both Union and Confederate activity during the Civil War. The ford/crossing was likely operated by Jameson D. Dickey, the first postmaster at the town of Marvel, and/or his son Melvin W. Dickey, who succeeded his father as the postmaster at Marvel. Both are buried in the Woodfin Cemetery, in Walnut Township, near the town of Foster.
Again, I turned to the maps and was able to locate an Atlas of Cass and Bates Counties dated 1877. Focusing on the Walnut Township portion of the map I found Dickey's Ford! Rather than being located above the town of Marvel, as indicated on the 1874 Campbell map, it was in fact located below the town at a bend in the river.
The Toothman farm: I was sure that the farm was located somewhere along the Fort Scott Road, but needed to find the deed or other record that provided the exact location. I visited the Bates County Recorder's office, in the Bates County Courthouse, and searched through the Index to the deed records showed no entry for Toothman. Perhaps those records had been destroyed during the Civil War (elements of Lane's Kansas Brigade burned the County Courthouse and a large portion of the town of Butler in 1861) or were otherwise lost to time. In discussing this with the staff at the Recorder's Office, being very familiar with the records they kindly told me that the land records survived the war and dated back to 1840, but that the Index was rife with errors. If I wanted to try and find any record to the Toothman farm I was going to have to go through the records, page by page.
I'm sure glad that I did as I found it! On page, 332 of Book F, of the Bates County Recorder, the transaction of the purchase of 80 acres by the Toothmans' from James S. Robinson and his wife was recorded. The legal description of the Toothman farm was, "The West half (1/2) of the North West quarter (1/4) of Section thirtyfive (35) Township (40) Range, Thirty two (32)." (Of interest is the fact that the land was purchased in the name of Enoch's wife, Christiana, verses his name.)
We now knew where the Toothman farm was - the destination of the regiment and a vital reference point to the actions and fighting at Island Mound.
Now to find the Island...
Hog Island, The Island, Osage Island - were all names I had run across describing the rendezvous used by the pro-southern partisans/bushwhackers in Bates County. [Based on my research, Hog Island, appears to be the most common name for the island and is the name that I will use as part of this blog.]
I'm sure glad that I did as I found it! On page, 332 of Book F, of the Bates County Recorder, the transaction of the purchase of 80 acres by the Toothmans' from James S. Robinson and his wife was recorded. The legal description of the Toothman farm was, "The West half (1/2) of the North West quarter (1/4) of Section thirtyfive (35) Township (40) Range, Thirty two (32)." (Of interest is the fact that the land was purchased in the name of Enoch's wife, Christiana, verses his name.)
We now knew where the Toothman farm was - the destination of the regiment and a vital reference point to the actions and fighting at Island Mound.
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| The location of the Toothman farm is indicated on the map by the rectangle outlined in black. |
Now to find the Island...
Hog Island, The Island, Osage Island - were all names I had run across describing the rendezvous used by the pro-southern partisans/bushwhackers in Bates County. [Based on my research, Hog Island, appears to be the most common name for the island and is the name that I will use as part of this blog.]
Pouring over old maps, early topographic maps and even aerial photographs, that I had ordered, revealed no evidence of any island in the river. In fact the Marais des Cygnes was more a stream or a creek other than when flooded. I was sure that the passage of time, seasonal flooding and the construction of the Bates County Drainage Ditch (see the paragraph that starts with "Prior to 1911...") had obliterated any trace of an island.
However, I remembered two accounts of an ambush staged by Bates County bushwhackers on the 1st Iowa Cavalry in the spring of 1862. The accounts of the ambush were of interest to me as two of the participants were also referenced in the accounts of Island Mound.
Per the accounts two of the bushwhackers were John Toothman (a son of Enoch and Christiana Toothman) and Bill Turman, who figures prominently in the Island Mound accounts. Recalling these accounts, I remembered that they referenced an island in the Marais des Cygnes being used by the bushwhackers as a hideout and rendezvous. Both accounts are are in agreement in describing the island as being,
"...in the Marias [sic] des Cygnes River, about eight or nine miles from the town of Butler. The island is about 3 miles long, and from one to a half mile wide. On the north side runs the river, and on the south side is bounded by an impassable, deep, muddy slough. The interior is composed of impenetrable thickets and swamps, and in every way adapted to shield and protect desperadoes."
The article goes on to say,
"The main force [of bushwhackers in Bates County], headed by one Bill Turman, a cunning, crafty man, who by his intimate knowledge of the country... formed a kind of headquarters on the island..."
Further, on page 890 of the same book, there is a reference to a water feature called "Island Slough" located in New Home Township.
Also, from the accounts related to Island Mound, the island was said to be near to and below Dickey's Ford (which we now knew the location of) on the river
Armed with this additional information to assist my efforts to locate the island, I redoubled my study of the maps and aerial photographs in my possession. Focusing on the New Home Township map from the 1877 Atlas of Cass and Bates Counties... the island that had eluded all my previous efforts to locate had been right in front of me the entire time! The Island Slough is easily identified on the map and the island itself dominates the map of the township.
It was not an island in the Marais des Cygnes - rather it was an island that had been formed by the Marais des Cygnes!
Like may rivers in the mid-west, the Marais des Cygnes has a very wide flood plain and would change her channel in response to flooding events, over time. The island had been formed by one of these events when the river abandoned her southern channel and carved out a northern channel, leaving her previous course to become a muddy slough.
I now knew the location of nearly all the major geographic features mentioned in the accounts of Island Mound: Fort Lincoln, Camp Defiance, Dickey's Ford, the Toothman Farm and Hog Island.
However, I remembered two accounts of an ambush staged by Bates County bushwhackers on the 1st Iowa Cavalry in the spring of 1862. The accounts of the ambush were of interest to me as two of the participants were also referenced in the accounts of Island Mound.
Per the accounts two of the bushwhackers were John Toothman (a son of Enoch and Christiana Toothman) and Bill Turman, who figures prominently in the Island Mound accounts. Recalling these accounts, I remembered that they referenced an island in the Marais des Cygnes being used by the bushwhackers as a hideout and rendezvous. Both accounts are are in agreement in describing the island as being,
"...in the Marias [sic] des Cygnes River, about eight or nine miles from the town of Butler. The island is about 3 miles long, and from one to a half mile wide. On the north side runs the river, and on the south side is bounded by an impassable, deep, muddy slough. The interior is composed of impenetrable thickets and swamps, and in every way adapted to shield and protect desperadoes."
The article goes on to say,
"The main force [of bushwhackers in Bates County], headed by one Bill Turman, a cunning, crafty man, who by his intimate knowledge of the country... formed a kind of headquarters on the island..."
Further, on page 890 of the same book, there is a reference to a water feature called "Island Slough" located in New Home Township.
Also, from the accounts related to Island Mound, the island was said to be near to and below Dickey's Ford (which we now knew the location of) on the river
Armed with this additional information to assist my efforts to locate the island, I redoubled my study of the maps and aerial photographs in my possession. Focusing on the New Home Township map from the 1877 Atlas of Cass and Bates Counties... the island that had eluded all my previous efforts to locate had been right in front of me the entire time! The Island Slough is easily identified on the map and the island itself dominates the map of the township.
It was not an island in the Marais des Cygnes - rather it was an island that had been formed by the Marais des Cygnes!
Like may rivers in the mid-west, the Marais des Cygnes has a very wide flood plain and would change her channel in response to flooding events, over time. The island had been formed by one of these events when the river abandoned her southern channel and carved out a northern channel, leaving her previous course to become a muddy slough.
I now knew the location of nearly all the major geographic features mentioned in the accounts of Island Mound: Fort Lincoln, Camp Defiance, Dickey's Ford, the Toothman Farm and Hog Island.
However, I still needed to find the location of the climactic action of Island Mound, and the exact location of the Toothman home, which the 1st KCV commandeered and dubbed "Fort Africa." and as always, additional research questions presented themselves...
Why did the 1st KCV march to the Toothman Farm?
What actually happened over those 3 days in late October 1862, in Bates County, Missouri?
Who were these men, on both sides, that fought at Island Mound?
What happened to them after Island Mound?
What were the implications of Island Mound?
Why did the 1st KCV march to the Toothman Farm?
What actually happened over those 3 days in late October 1862, in Bates County, Missouri?
Who were these men, on both sides, that fought at Island Mound?
What happened to them after Island Mound?
What were the implications of Island Mound?
