On April 13, 1865, Higdon R. Jarrett filed suit against Joseph T. Morton for failing to fulfill a contract made in 1862, regarding the exchange of two slaves. In an effort to keep two slave families close together, Jarrett and Morton had entered into an agreement to swap their male slaves so that they could remain close to their wives. The fact that the slaves in question received their emancipation on January 1, 1863, by virtue of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation proved to have minimal influence on this case. To further complicate the case, Morton’s son, John A. Morton, re-exchanged the slaves with Jarrett without his father’s permission. After numerous depositions Jarrett and Morton settled out of court. Jarrett did not drop the suit however, even though Morton paid him the court ordered amount. Disputes over slave contracts and trades were common. They increased after the slaves were freed because many owners faced a significant loss in equity. Also, Confederate money was the only tender in circulation during this period and held little value, so neither man wanted to make an exchange using that as currency. The Jarrett Case represents the complexity of slave trading and the complications emancipation posed for slave holders’ post-1863.

Evaline Roberts was born in Arkansas in 1843 and lived with her family in White River in Barry County, Missouri in 1860. Roberts was accused of working as a school teacher without taking the Oath of Loyalty. The 1865 Missouri Constitution required citizens to take an oath of loyalty. The oath required individuals to attest to his/her innocence of eighty-six acts of disloyalty against the state of Missouri and the Union. Failing to take this oath would prevent one from voting, holding a public office, and from holding professional licenses such as lawyers, teachers, clergy, and other influential positions.

Elam Gott was an acting Sheriff in Dade County, MO who was charged with aiding and abetting the escape of prisoner, Robert Freedle. Freedle, a soldier in Company D, 9th Missouri Cavalry, was in custody for having committed an assault with intent to kill. Gott faced serious consequences if he was found guilty, including up to five years imprisonment and a hundred dollar fine.

In September 1863, William Gray claimed his life was threatened by William F. Steele a local neighbor along Wilson Creek in Greene County, Missouri. The dispute over a past business transaction, escalated into a violent conflict, which ended with William Gray’s wife being threatened at gun point by Steele and the Gray’s daughter being wounded by a misfired bullet. The Grays filed a complaint with Chesley Cannefax, a Justice of the Peace, for Greene County and Steele was imprisoned; although he was later released from jail on the grounds that the “evidence showed no legal and sufficient cause for the commitment.” This court case embodies the struggles among communities during the War and the polarizing effect the two parties had on individuals’ personal relationships. While the primary issue related to the case was a compromised business deal, the fact that William Gray was a Confederate supporter and William F. Steele a loyal Unionist, added further tension and hostility to the proceeding conflict. It is unknown which events in this case are true and which are exaggerations, but we know similar events occurred in communities throughout the Ozarks.

On September 15, 1865 Amanda Ireland filed a law suit in Jasper County against a group of men for the wrongful death of her husband Austin Ireland in 1861. Amanda sued for five thousand dollars in damages. The Ireland proceedings expose the deadly and dire consequences of guerrilla tactics used during the War and also how individuals used the circumstances of the War to seek monetary wealth and revenge.

On August 13, 1866 Joseph B. Munsey filed a claim against William L. Kelly for stealing his horses and destruction of property. Kelly was arrested and found guilty of the crimes. This court cases embodies the violence and depredations taking places throughout the Ozarks, and documents how the Civil War turned acquaintances against one another.

Benjamin Gratz Brown was born in Lexington, Kentucky, May 28, 1826 and moved to Missouri in 1849. Brown was a lawyer, state representative, U.S. senator, and governor of Missouri. His collection contains documents relating to his political career in state. The letters in this portion of the collection are specifically related to the Civil War period.

In March 1866, Elisha Estes and John Kelly filed a lawsuit against James Hamilton for theft of $467.50 worth of personal property during in 1863. The final verdict of the case is unknown, case represents the various types of depredation committed throughout the region and how civilians were left to recover their losses in the post-war time period.

Stephen Julian sued the estate of Leonidas Campbell on October 11, 1865 for ten thousand dollars. Julian claimed Campbell illegally and wrongfully imprisoned him in a cell on November 25, 1861. Julian further stated Campbell threatened his life and placed the bodies of dead men in his cell to terrorize him. Leonidas was dead by the time the case was brought to court, so his widow, Elizabeth Campbell, the administrator of his estate, was brought to court. Elizabeth remarried before the case concluded, and thus was removed from being the administrator of Leonidas’ estate.

In November 1866, Mary Rush filed a lawsuit against 21 men for the murder of her husband, John Rush. March claimed the men killed her husband without provocation, and asked for $5,000 in damages. The defendants denied involvement in Rush’s death. The final verdict of the case is unknown, but it represents the vicious nature of warfare that continued after the war in Missouri.

John Henry filed a lawsuit against 26 men after the war, claiming they imprisoned him for a month in October 1862. The men held him against his will for his loyalties to the Union. Eventually Henry was able to escape from the men, and he asked for $20,000 in damages. The defendants denied having taken part in the Henry’s imprisonment and harassment. The final verdict of the case is unknown, but it represents the vicious nature of guerrilla warfare in Missouri.

Charles Wadlow was involved in a legal case against Benjamin Perryman in May of 1858. The dispute was over the condition of a female slave Perryman sold to Wadlow. The Probate court did not allow some evidence to be heard in the case and therefore ruled in favor of Mr. Perryman. Wadlow took his appeal all the way to the State Supreme Court, where the judges found that the lower courts had erred and overturned the decision. Slaves were only deemed valuable if they were healthy and able to work for their owners. Therefore, if an individual sold a slave knowing that they were not healthy and did not divulge that information to the buyer, it was considered a breech of contract.

On November 17, 1864 Alvis Sheppard filed a law suit against George W. Messick and Harvey T. McCune for false imprisonment and abuse. Sheppard asked for five thousand dollars in damages for his pain and suffering. Messick and McCune were very familiar with the judicial system as multiple lawsuits were filed against them during the War. With widespread guerrilla warfare across the country there was a surge in the number of law suits brought against individuals and groups for radical criminal acts. The Sheppard case demonstrates how courts tried to maintain justice, during a time of turmoil and conflict.

On May 25, 1865 Joseph Degraftenried filed suit against Harvey T. McCune, George W. Messick, John Hagler, John Conley, Linsey Conley, and Gransom Holden for wrongful imprisonment and theft of a gun in August 1861. Degraftenried sought five thousand dollars in damages for the alleged transgression against him by the defendants. This was one of several law suits brought against McCune and Messick for crimes they allegedly committed during the Civil War. All of the cases involving McCune and Messick included imprisonment, destruction of property, false accusations of treason, theft, and abuse. McCune and Messick were Southern supporters and likely participated in guerilla warfare during the Civil War.

In this court case Elizabeth F. Cope sued Col. Benjamin Crabb for enlisting her minor son, William H.H. Williams, into the 19th Iowa Infantry without her consent. The petition was served to Col. Benjamin Crabb, who denied that he deprived Williams of his liberty, stated that on Aug. 14, 1862, the day of Williams’ enlistment, he was a captain in the 7th Iowa Infantry and was never a mustering officer of the 19th Iowa Infantry.

In 1847, Drew, a slave belonging to Edward Thomson, poisoned a fellow slaved named Lige. The exact details of the murder may never be known, but the court records include depositions of several slaves, two physicians and a grocery store owner who provide their perspective of the events that unfolded. These depositions offer valuable insight into the lives and living conditions of slaves in Greene County, Missouri.

In 1855, Louisa T. Campbell sued Samuel Sproul for damages and custody of a mulatto girl named Margaret. Louisa claimed her husband, John Polk Campbell, left her as the rightful owner of Margaret. She asked the court for $1,000 in damages sustained by the wrongfully and unjustly detainment of the girl.

The Springfield physicians’ fee bill is a detailed listing of fees and services offered by physicians in Greene County, Missouri. The bill documents the types of treatments offered by physicians in 1860, and perhaps through pricing, the complexity or rarity of that type of service. The physicians’ bill provides interesting details about the medical profession before the Civil War, and at the same time warrants future research on the topic.

The Freedom Papers comprise of a series of court documents regarding a petition for freedom filed on October 30th, 1843, in Greene County, Missouri, by a female African American slave named Mary. This twelve page collection is a classic example of the personal strive and injustices African Americans were forced to endure before emancipation. Mary filed a petition in Greene County, Missouri for her freedom, and for that of: Jefferson, Mariah, and Jerry, her three minor children. Mary claimed that she had been freed in the will of her former owner, Matthew McClain, Sr. in the County of Henderson in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Mary claimed that McClain Sr. “forever freed” her upon his death. However, the Administrator of the estate, ignored the wishes of McClain Sr. as stipulated in his will, and sold her to William B. Edwards. Edwards later brought her to Missouri. In Missouri, Edwards sold Mary and her children again, this time to William T. Buffard, of Niangua County.

The Cass Township Slave schedule cites the number of slaves and slave owners residing in the Greene County Township in 1863. This unique record provides a census of slavery in the middle of the Civil War. A Federal slave schedule was completed in 1860, providing a census of slaves and slave owners before the War. The emancipation of slaves prevented a post-war slave schedule from being completed. The historic value of this document resides in its comparison with the 1860 schedule and other slavery documents from Greene County. Through this comparison, researchers may draw conclusions about the impact the war, the Emancipation Proclamation and other events possibly had on number of slave owners and slaves in Greene County, Missouri.

Rector v. Danforth is a complicated probate case involving a dispute over property. Celia Jane Rector’s claims to be the daughter, and only living heir, of James Danforth. John V. Danforth, James’ brother, was the administrator of James Estate. Celia’s mother, Eliza Hacking, was, as best we can ascertain, a slave once belonging to James. […]

The Bowers Mill Collections include two court cases brought by George, John and William Bowers after the burning of their grist mill in October 1863. Bowers Mill was located on the Spring River in the Oregon settlement of Lawrence County. The Bowers operated the grist mill and wool carding machinery, and maintained a storage facility for flour, wheat, corn, wool and assorted dry goods.

The civil suits stemmed from the destruction of the mill, machinery, stored goods, and the three homes owned by the Bowers. The importance of regional grist mills to rural Ozarks communities cannot be overstated. Mills served myriad functions to the regional economy, and their preservation and continued operation was important to maintain a sense of hopefulness and security in the Ozarks during the War.

In the summer of 1865, Davis K. Tutt, a former Confederate soldier, and William Butler Hickok, a former Union Scout and Spy, were friends and noted gamblers. On July 20, 1865, the pair fell out over a game of cards, which left Hickok in debt to Tutt who took his prized Waltham watch as security for payment. According to stories circulated later, Tutt taunted Hickok with the notion of flaunting his watch on the Springfield Public Square the following afternoon. Hickok warned that if he did it would become a shooting matter.

At 6 p.m. on the 21st, Tutt appeared with the watch and Hickok advised him not to cross the square. Dave’s response was to draw his pistol and open fire. Wild Bill drew and shot Tutt through the heart. Arrested and charged with manslaughter, Hickok was put on trial and found not guilty on his plea of self-defense.