Sitton, John James, 1842?1915. Civil War memoir, n.d. (R0377)

              CC_jsitton_01p01_11

Page 1  After dividing the State of Missouri in Seven Military Districts and appointing a Brigadier General to command each and Governor C. [Claiborne] F. Jackson had issued a call for 50,000 volunteers to be enlisted as a Missouri State Guard and had appointed Sterling Price as Major General to commence the military force of Missouri, both the Federal and Confederate sides were rapidly organized.  The Federal forces for invasion, the Southern for defense of their homes and firesides.  It was then that the farmers and best citizens of Oregon County began to see that Civil War had actually begun.  Prior to this they had been peacefully cultivating their farms.  At this time the negroes, the great bone of contention, were owned by very few persons in Oregon County.  But the very best people of Oregon County, as well as in all parts of the South took sides with the Southern Confederacy.  Gen. J. [James] H. McBride of Houston, Missouri had been appointed to command the 7th Division of the Missouri State Guard, that was to become a part of Gen. Price�s army of Oregon County was included in this Division.  And Citizens rallying to the call for volunteers met at the John W. Hall Spring on Section 16 Township 22 Range 3 in Oregon County on July 4th, 1861 to organize a Company of Infantry for State Guard duty which they met on that day and elected Capt. R.O. Tribble, a farmer and Baptist minister as Captain and other officers as follows, 1st Lieut. Willis M. Campbell, 2nd Lieut. King S, Crass, 3rd Lieut. J. J. Bennett, Orderly Seargeant, Absolum Tribble.  The names of the other Non Commissioned Officers I am unable to give.  The men composing this Company at that time lived in the South part of Oregon County.  They had left their homes hurriedly, many of them with but one or two hours notice, grabbing their old rifles and shot guns such as they had usually used in hunting.  Many of them expecting to be able to return home in a day or two left with but few clothing and some without even a change of clothing, part maybe with one blanket and part without blankets.  The Company on the 9th of July met Gen. McBride at Camp Jackson, with several Companies from Texas, Dent, Phelps and Shannon Counties, With one Regiment, Col. E. [Edmund] T. Wingo, organizer, this was given a Number as the First Regiment 7th Division, Missouri State Guard.  Several other Companies from Oregon County, among them Capt. J.P. Woodside Company, Capt. P. R. Simpson�s Company, Capt. Dossey�s Company all of Oregon County and other Companies from further North.  Camp Jackson was situated on the Frank Childers farm in Oregon County on Bay Creek.  And here the 2nd Regiment Infantry of the 7th Division was hastily organized.  Judge Humphrey informs me the organization was effected in the night.  Capt. Tribble�s Company became a member of this Regiment.  Foster was elected Colonel, Forbes Lt. Col. and D.F. Martin Major.  The organization of the 2nd Reg. 7th Division Missouri State Guard appears to have been made in the night between the 9th and 10th of July 1861.