HEADQUARTERS POST,
Cassville, June 26, 1864.

GENERAL:  I have the honor to send herewith report of James L. Powell, captain Company F, Second Arkansas Cavalry, and the following report:  On the evening of the 23d, I was informed by citizens that the Todd family was making a demonstration in the neighborhood below, near the edge of Stone County, on Flat Creek.  I sent with the citizens 4 enlisted men of Company I, Second Arkansas Cavalry (Benjamin F. Lee, John B. Jones, Alexander L. Harris, and Andrew J. Chanceller), with instructions to take the Todds, it being represented that there were only 2 of them, deserters from the First Arkansas Cavalry.  My men arrived some time before daylight, June 24, and waited for the Todds to come to their breakfast, concealing themselves in the brush near the house.  The Todds came and gained the house before my boys could arrest them.  They, however, divided into two squads, 4 soldiers in one and 1 soldier and 8 citizens in the other, the entire force being made up of 4 of the Second Arkansas Cavalry, 1 of the First Arkansas Cavalry, and 8 citizens, and moved up on different sides of the house.  My men were refused admittance and fired upon from the house.  They returned the fire promptly through the cracks.  Result:  Killed, Alexander L. Harris, private Company I, Second Arkansas Cavalry, and wounded, the 3 Todds, father and 2 sons.  The case was promptly reported, and I sent an ambulance after the dead and wounded, with proper escort.  In the mean time Lieutenant Garner, Company B, Second Arkansas Cavalry, returning from Cassville to Forsyth with some 12 or 16 men, went by, entered the house, and killed the 3 wounded Todds.  My escort returned, reporting these facts and bringing the body of Harris.  The citizens in the vicinity had taken it in hand to bury the Todds.

I have the honor to be, general, most respectfully, your obedient servant,

HUGH CAMERON,
Lieutenant-Colonel Second Arkansas Cav., Comdg. Post

SOURCE:  OR, Series I, Volume 34 (Part I), Pages 1040-41.

NOTE

Goodspeed's 1888 History of Barry County, page 75, says of this event:  "Owen Todd, a Union man, was killed by Federal troops while defending his relatives, whom the troops were trying to arrest.  The First Arkansas Cavalry were the actors in this affair, and of this regiment the relatives were members, one of whom was killed.  This affair took place in June, 1862 (sic)."

An online roster shows Owen Todd, age 25, enlisted in Company M of the 1st Arkansas Cavalry on September 10, 1862, in Washington County, Arkansas, and deserted April 11, 1863.  Elijah S. Todd enlisted the same day in Barry County and deserted March 10, 1864.  The roster says Elijah received a general court martial and was sentenced to one year hard labor.  The roster is here:  Roster, Company M, 1st Arkansas Cavalry.

CASSVILLE, Mo., June 25, 1864.

COLONEL:  In pursuance to Orders, No. 13, dated June 20, 1864, headquarters Post Cassville, Cassville, Mo., I proceeded with the men under my command as far as 4 miles beyond Sugar Creek, where I found a guard of 8 rebels.  I proceeded on to Cross Hollow, where I discovered a trail of the rebels, supposed to be about 30 strong.  I thought it best to go on to Fayetteville, Ark., on account of safety for the train, then taking my squad of cavalry and marching in direction of Bentonville, Ark., 12 miles.  During the night I learned that the rebel Captain Ingraham had been waylaying the road for the train that had passed the day before, aiming to take it, but found them too strong for him; he reported them 100 strong and the telegraph repairer along with the train.

The morning of the 23d, I went to try to catch Charles Nail, a deserter from my company, who was started through with a dispatch for Major Hackett, but carried it to Major Brown, of the rebel army, in Benton County, Ark.  I saw his wife.  She did not deny his going to Brown.  Then perusing the country through the woods, I found a camp of 3 or 4 rebels; killed 1 of them.  Then turning toward the train on the Wire road, finding more or less signs on the roads and through the woods at Dickens’ Mill, on Osage Creek, I took 1 prisoner.  On arriving near Walnut Springs, seeing a great deal of sign of rebels, on making inquiry of the prisoner I learned there was to be a collection of Brown’s men there that day.  I dismounted my men and attacked them (though they would not fight us), wounding 2 or 3 and 2 or 3 horses, and taking 2 horses, 1 gun, some Federal overcoats and blankets, and their provisions.  Then I marched in direction of Little Sugar Creek, on the Wire road, by the way of Osage Springs, near Bentonville, where I learned that Captain Ingraham was watching all the trains that passed the road, and says he intends to take one of those trains.  Then I made my way to the train where it was camped.  There I remained until morning without any interruption.  I then moved out with the train to Cassville, finding the telegraph wire cut near Elk Horn.  Arrived at Cassville on the evening of the 24th June, 1864.

JAMES L. POWELL.
Captain, Commanding Scout

SOURCE:  OR, Series I, Volume 34 (Part I), Page 1041.

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