Civil War Memories

 

Memories Of Frightening Visits During The Civil War

More happened in Crittenden County during the Civil War than can now be recalled or documented. Much has been simply forgotten. A Crittenden Press article in 1893 noted “There were not any battles fought on the soil of Crittenden County, but the county was over run by the troops of both armies, who often plundered the citizens of anything necessary for their comfort. Horses were stolen, houses ram sacked for all the food, and whatever the soldiers wanted to take.

Some history of this turbulent times in our county has been preserved through stories handed down through the generations, such is the following story, told by Harriet Cassandra Belt to her great granddaughter, Mary Evangelina Hosick.

Harriet Cassandra Belt, was born December 28, 1843 to Jonathan and Mary (Wilson) Belt. When she was 2 weeks old, they left their home about 10 miles NW of Cave-In-Rock and moved to a farm just this side of Marion, near Freedom Church and Cemetery. And thus began a life that spanned over one half of the 19^th century and more than one third of the 20^th century, from December 28, 1843 to July 28, 1935.

Harriet lived through the Civil War, Spanish American and World War I. She often said she hoped she would not have to live through another war. Her wish was granted, she died July 28, 1935, 4 yeas before the beginning of World War II.

Ma was married on March 14, 1860 to John Marion Gregory, who lived on a neighboring farm in the Freedom community. He, her father, her brother's, that were old enough, uncles and other family members, served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Her father, Jonathan Belt, was Captain of Company C, Fifteenth KY Volunteer Calvary, her husband, John Gregory, was 1^st Lt. Co. A. 48^th, KY Inf., and her uncle Logan Belt was 2^nd Lt. of the company, all Union men.

Some of her most vivid memories were of the Civil War period. She would tell of the times their home (her parents home), as she lived there after her husband went away to war, was raided by the Confederates and sometimes by the bushwackers. She was under arrest on 4 different occasions. They would force her, a girl of about 20 at that time to go before them and carry a candle, it was always night when they came. They would search the house from attic to cellar, slashing open feather beds, and messing things up generally. They would even go to the barn and search looking in stalls and breaking open bales of hay.

However, they never found anything, as their silverware and anything else of value, was hidden in an underground hide-a-way, dug in the Freedom cemetery, located only a few yards from the house. The hide-a-way was large enough so that the men could hide there also, as they did on several occasions. When they would be home for a few days rest, and the raiders would come, somehow, they always seemed to know when the men were home.

On one of these occasions, the men were upstairs sleeping and the women downstairs keeping watch, when they heard the Confederates coming. They ran upstairs and woke the men. The father told the boys “go out the back way to the hideout”, which they did, while the father knelt at an upstairs window with his musket. When the Lt. in charge of the detail rode through the yard gate, he, Jonathan, shot him off his horse, killing him. Jonathan escaped during the ensuing confusion and made it to the hide-out in the cemetery.

The soldiers searched everything, even the haystacks in the fields, but they did not find the men. So when daylight came, they ordered the women to load the body of the shot Lt. on their farm wagon and drive it into Marion to their Headquarters.

Shortly after this incident Jonathan got word of a scheme to kidnap his younger son, Claiborne “Cub”, they knew that would bring him out where they would have a chance to kill him. But hearing of this plan, Jonathan crossed the river to Illinois, where he bought a farm and soon after moved the family across the river when he felt they would be safe.

(added note by BU. After reading Harriett's story of the visit to their home in the Freedom community, I found some additional information about this event. The information was found in an article by James E. Jacobsen while researching the “Civil War In Crittenden County.” He sates that one Union refugee from the county was Jonathan Belt. Confederate Col. Nathan Bedford Forrest raided through the river counties in November and December 1861 and carried with him a “Hit list” of Union guerrilla commanders who were to be arrested or otherwise eliminated. Belt's name was on that list and he was visited in the night by armed men. Belt shot one of the men and fled out the back way. Interesting to find out that it was Col. Forrest at the Belt's house that night.) 

 Harriett Cassendra Wilson Belt, passed away Dec. 28, 1935 and is buried in the Gregory family plot in the Old Methodist Cemetery in the center of Cave-In-Rock, only a couple of blocks from her home. And so passed, not only a remarkable life, but an era.