Thorntons in the Civil War

When slave holding Missourians petitioned for statehood in 1818, their request jeopardized the delicate balance of 11 free states and 11 slave states. After a volatile debate in the US Congress they adopted the Missouri Compromise in 1820 that allowed Missouri to come in as a slave state at the same time Maine was admitted as a free state. Unfortunately, the compromise also established slavery for the first time in a state beyond the Mississippi River. Soon after the compromise, Missouri adopted a state constitution that excluded free African-Americans from entering the new state. Northerners were furious and attempted to block its statehood. The attempt failed and Missouri became a slave state in 1821—an event that would fuel the intense debate between those who favored and those who opposed slavery.

In 1847 Missouri passed a law forbidding anyone from teaching slaves how to read or write. The punishment was a fine of not less than $500 and 6 months in jail. It was believed that literacy of slaves led to rebellion. Fearing any assembly of slaves could lead to problems the law also disallowed any black religious services unless some “sheriff, constable, marshal, police officer, or justice of the peace was present during all the time of such meeting or assemblage in order to prevent all seditious speeches and disorderly and unlawful conduct.”

By 1850, Missouri’s population listed about 12% slaves with the clear majority living in counties along the Missouri River; the location of rich farm land.  At that time, top male slaves could be purchased for $1,300 and female slave went for $1,000. Most were employed as a handy man, field hands, servants, maids, nurses, and cooks. In the 1850 census of Slave Owners in DeKalb County there were 22 owners and 67 slaves listed. Their ages ranged from one month to 40 years old. Willi Thornton is listed with two slaves; a 27 year old female and a 7 year old male. The census did not list their names. Jesse Todd, Willi’s neighbor, brother-in-law and the local Baptist preacher, also was listed with two slaves; two females under 10, both listed as “mulattos.”

When Willi died in 1858, his slaves were part of his property that was willed to his wife, Sally. Two years later, Sally sold one of the slaves. Tommy Thornton has the receipt: “Received of Sally Thornton fifty dollars as the proceeds of the sales of a certain Negro by name Robert which said servant boy was willed and bequeath unto the said Sally Thornton by the Last Will and Testament of the late William Thornton deceased of the County of DeKalb and state of Missouri as my equal share of the distribution made by the said Sally Thornton out of said money as one of the heirs of said William Thornton, deceased, given under our hand this the 9th of July, 1860.” Signed “Jeremiah T. Thornton.” It is not recorded what happened to the older female slave.

In early April 1861 fighting between the Union and Confederate began in the eastern part of the US. Soon, President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 men to be placed in the Union Militia for three months. A few months later the call would be increased for 83,000 men to serve three years. The Confederate Army was also recruiting men to support the cause. Missouri’s governor, Claiborne T. Jackson, a strict secessionist, gathered support for some in the state to join the Confederacy. He initiated some skirmishes in St. Louis, Jefferson City, and Booneville. His action was not receiving support from many of Missouri’s political leaders and he was ousted as governor; so he set up his office in Little Rock, Arkansas. Before he left he issued a proclamation in June calling for 50,000 militia into active service in the Confederate Army and appointed Sterling Price as General. Sterling “Pap” Price had considerable respect by many in the state from his past service as governor of Missouri from 1853 to 1857 and became one of the important Confederate generals in the war.

As a border state when the War Between the States erupted in April 1861, Missouri families held divided loyalties. Since the Thornton family previously lived in Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky, the Southern sentiments were historically defined in favor of the Confederacy.

Jeremiah (Jerry) Thornton, our direct descendent, was the first Thornton to leave for the War within months after it started. In March 1861 he married Martha Emerline McConnell and, a few months later, he joined the Confederate Army as a member of the Missouri State Guard, 4th Division. His battle experience was within weeks of his enlistment when he was part of the skirmish at Blue Mills Landing near Kansas City, Missouri on September 17, 1861.

A few days earlier there were slight skirmishes in Liberty, Missouri. Lt. Colonel John Scott for the Union Army was bivouacked on a hill overlooking Liberty. They were met by Confederates lead by General David Rice Atkinson, former U.S. senator and pro-Confederate leader. Atchison’s group was joined by a unit of Missouri State Guard, including Jerry Thornton, who had passed through Liberty two days previous and were heading for Blue Mills Landing. The busy ferry landing area was on a bend of the Missouri River a few miles south of Liberty where the Confederates were reported to have four pieces of artillery.

Lt. Col. Scott in the Union Army moved his command of 300 of the Third Iowa, a squad of German artillerists and 70 Home Guards, to confront the enemy. He had recently lost four of his scouts. Scott and his men found the Confederates concealed on both side of the road and occupying a dry bed of a slough. The Confederates opened fire and made repeated attacks on the frontal position of the Union forces. They took out all the Union’s artillery and forced them into retreat. The Union lost 11 men and 56 wounded. Ten of the Confederates were killed and 70 wounded. Jerry Thornton was one of the wounded, with a bullet in the left shoulder that left him a stiff arm for the rest of his life.

Because of his war wound, he received an honorable discharge and was sent home. It is not recorded if he arrived back in DeKalb County in time for the birth of his first child, William Alexander, born in late December 1861. As the Union forces took over DeKalb County those who served in the Confederate Army were required to sign “The Oath to Protect and Serve the United States.” Jeremiah was required to sign the oath on July 22, 1862. During the war years he was also required to sign an oath that would exempt him from duty in the military service. These were signed April 11, 1864 and December 22, 1866. Actually Jeremiah did not sign his name but, showing his allegiance to the Confederacy, he defiantly marked it with an “X.” Tommy Thornton has the original papers.

The two Thorntons, Hines, and Dalton participated at the Battle of Pea Ridge on March 6 through 8, 1862; what was called the fiercest battle west of the Mississippi. It occurred in northwest Arkansas near the Elkhorn Tavern where General Curtis’ Union soldiers fought against Van Dorn’s Confederate troops. The Federals were able to drive 14,000 Confederates from Pea Ridge in a battle that was the last major offensive in the South until 1864. Six hundred Confederates were killed or wounded. The battle resulted in the permanent loss of Missouri for the Southern cause.

After the battle, Thomas Riley Thornton returned to Rolla to surrender to a Federal Provost Marshal and was paroled to his home in DeKalb County. Charles A. Hines was captured and paroled to his home. Later, he named one of his sons after another Confederate general, “Stonewall Jackson” Hines. Apparently Luke Thornton and Joseph Dalton were not wounded nor captured.

One of William Todd Thornton’s sons, James “Shim,” had a different perspective on the war. He joined the Union forces and served 164 days as a private in Captain Kendall’s Company B, DeKalb County, Missouri Battery.

After the War

Following the Civil War, life in DeKalb County settled back to normal. Willi’s children were married and had families of their own. Here is an inventory of those who remained in Missouri:

William Todd Thornton continued to farm. After the death of his wife Hannah, in 1881, he sold his farm in 1901 and he moved in with his son Thomas and his wife Miriam. William Todd lived there until his death in 1906. All of his family members are buried in the Thornton Cemetery.

John Thornton and his young wife Sally homesteaded 40 acres of land purchased from the government. They built a log home from timber on the land and all the furniture was hand made. Later they bought 160 additional acres of land. He took his turn along with his five brothers in operating the Thornton Saw Mill and Grist Mill erected on the home place of William Todd and Sally Thornton, later Jerry Thornton’s home. He died at 48 while Sally lived an additional 30 years and died at 77 years old.

After the War, Thomas Riley Thornton returned to his wife Emerine and his farm to raise their 5 children. Thomas died a young 44. Charles Hines also continued farming with his wife Sally Ann Thornton. She lived to be 81.

Luke Thornton became the Mayor of Clarksdale for 8 years. He also served as Justice of the Peace and President of the Washington Township Board. He and his son, Wm. Jesse had a store in Clarksdale for a short time. After his wife Cyrenia died in 1900 he made his home with his daughter and son-in-law and lived to be 81.

Sallie Thornton, the mother of the 9 children, out lived four of them and reached 98 years old when she died September 14, 1891. A photo that was taken a few years before she died shows a frail woman that belies her strength needed to withstand frontier life in three states and many months of migration. [Right photo of Sallie.]

When Jerry Thornton returned to Clarksdale, Missouri, after being wounded in the Civil War, he had been married less than a year. His new wife Martha was the sixth child of Alexander McConnell and Sarah Ann Graves. There is little written early history on the McConnell family but research has found clues that provide some speculation.

Next Page: The McConnell Family & Jeremiah Todd Thornton and Martha McConnell