In 1862, at a time when the Confederates held Cassville, a Federal force of about 150 men entered town at a gallop, driving the pickets before them.  The Confederates fled to the houses, and the battle was continued from house to house.  The skirmish ended in the half log, half frame house, just south of the kitchen of the present Pharis House.  One Federal was killed and one wounded, and one Confederate was killed.  Forsythe, of Washburn, was one of the Confederates present.  Dr. Clements came on the same day and rendered aid to the wounded.  The Federal force retreated as Confederates poured into town from the east and west.

SOURCE:  Goodspeed's 1888 History of Barry County, Missouri (reprint), page 85.

In September, while the rebels were in possession of Cassville, and Capt. Gilstrap, of the First Arkansas Cavalry, was stationed with his company at Crane Creek, to watch them, Galloway and Worthington, with a detachment of one hundred men, were ordered to cooperate with him in a descent on the town.  Early on the morning of the 21st the dash was made.  It was a complete surprise and resulted in some excellent "skedaddling".  (From the Greek EXODUS - to scatter.)  The notorious Hawthorne was among the first to leave.  Others were not so fortunate, though they seemed to prefer flight to powder and ball.  Several were killed, and more were taken prisoners, who, with a number of horses, were sent to Springfield.

The occupation then of Cassville by the rebel forces, shortly after the Federal troops retired, was to Arkansians and the loyal Missourians of the Southwest an eye-sore of the worst description.  On the other hand military circles were not long disturbed, and a force was sent to Crane Creek with directions to keep out scouts below.  Their intelligence was reliable that Cassville was held by a small detachment only, and it was, therefore, determined to make a descent upon the town.  Leaving Springfield on the 19th of September with one hundred men, of the First Arkansas Cavalry, and obtaining at Crane Creek a reinforcement of seventy-five, under Captain Jesse M. Gilstrap, of the same regiment, Captain Galloway passed the Federal pickets and struck over the hills for Cassville.  All regularity of movement was now disregarded, and dividing his men into two parties he approached the town from opposite directions.  Lying in the adjacent woods during the latter part of the night of the 20th, early on the morning of the 21st he dashed into town from a southerly direction, Captain Worthington accompanying him, and leading a portion of the men, while Captain Gilstrap simultaneously hurried forward from the North.  Between one hundred and fifty and two hundred rebels, reposing in confident security, were holding the town.  They were the advance of a much larger force a few miles away to the South-West, and having their pickets out on the usual approaches, were unprepared for a sudden attack.  Had a meteor fallen in their midst, it could not more thoroughly have startled them.  Some, hastily mounting their horses, made all speed for a safer portion of "Dixie ;" others trusting to the agility of the natural man, clambered up a convenient hill-side, while still others commenced an annoying fire from houses, the only display made of even the lowest type of courage.

Meanwhile Captain Galloway was hurrying his men into town.  Tactics were " thrown to the winds," and above all the noise and confusion rose his shrill and peculiar voice --

" Charge 'em, boys, G-d d--n 'em, charge 'em !"

Language, we admit, more forcible than moral; but the boys "charged," gathering some of the escaping, hurrying others up the hill-side with accelerated speed, and driving the remainder from their shelter, killing fifteen and capturing twenty.  Captain Gilstrap co-operated well, and the victory was complete.  Fugitives had now carried the news below, and an immediate retreat was necessary.  Retiring over the hills, the next day Captain Galloway arrived at Springfield. Cassville was speedily filled with rebels, but they found nothing to fight.

SOURCE:  A. W. Bishop, Loyalty on the Frontier or Sketches of Union Men of the South-West with Incidents and Adventures in Rebellion on the Border (1863), pages 26-27, 81-83.

NOTE

There were two Captain Gilstraps in the 1st Arkansas Cavalry, Jesse M. Gilstrap of Company D and Benjamin Gilstrap of Company K.  Charles Galloway was Captain of Company E, later promoted to Major.

John I. Worthington was the Captain of Company H, also later promoted to Major.  He was a lawyer in Cassville in the mid-1850s and prosecuted Samuel Lee for the murder of Resley, mentioned in Goodspeed's at page 71.  When the Granby mining stampede occurred about 1855, he moved to Newton County, where he was an important figure before the war.  Bishop's book has a lengthy profile of him.

The 1st Arkansas Cavalry was an important unit at Cassville from mid-1862 onwards.  For more information on it, including rosters, visit this link.

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