Capt. William Ray's company of State Militia was organized at Cassville in 1862, with Amos N. Kelly, first, and D. P. Pharis, second lieutenant.  The force was ninety-two men, armed with Sharp's and other rifles, and clothed in regular uniform.  Among the members were George McComas and K. Higgs.  Jacob Hollis, a member of this company, returned to his home in the fall of 1862, and shortly after was called to his door and killed (p. 81).

. . . . Elias Ferguson was strung up by Capt. Ray's company, to extract a confession, but escaped death. . . . John S. Bowen, of Shoal Creek, was accused of harboring bush-whackers, and hanged up until almost at the point of death, for the purpose of extracting from him some statement relating to the rebels.  Captain William Ray's State Militia were the actors in this grim joke . . . . (p. 76).

SOURCE:  Goodspeed's 1888 History of Barry County (reprint), pages 76, 81.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE ON CAPTAIN RAY

William Ray was the captain of three different Union companies:  Company L, 76th Enrolled Missouri Militia; Company G, 7th Provisional Enrolled Missouri Miltia; and Company G, 15th Missouri Cavalry.  The links lead to rosters and histories.

In the 1860 census of Barry County, Missouri, he was shown as a farmer in Capps Creek Township, 25 years old, born in Tennessee.  He was living with his wife Harriett (22 TN) and three children, Daniel J. Ray (4 TN), Martha L. Ray (2 MO) and Mary L. Ray (5 months MO).  Also in the household were three Ray girls age 14 to 18, apparently William's sisters.

According to the descriptive roll of the 15th MO Cavalry, Ray was born in Granger County, Tennessee.  He was 29 years old in July, 1864, and entered the service from Flat Creek Township in Barry County.  He was 5' 7" tall with blue eyes, dark hair and a fair complexion.

According to Goodspeed's (p. 52), he was appointed sheriff of Barry County on February 16, 1863.  Miscellaneous court documents show that he continued in this role through 1864, at the same time as he commanded his company in the 76th EMM, the 7th PEMM and the 15th Missouri Cavalry.  In November, 1864, he was elected state representative from Barry County.  1864 Election Returns for Barry County.  He was again elected state representative in 1870 and 1872 and ran for state senator in 1874.  He also served the county in other capacities after the war, including an inspector of livestock suspected of having Texas fever, a director of the Cassville schools and a backer of the Advocate, a Republican newspaper in Cassville (Goodspeed's, pages 53, 97, 119).

Captain Ray is mentioned in the OR several times, the earliest mention being April 10, 1864.  In April and May, 1864, he was commanding a company of troops stationed at Gadfly and led a scout to Bentonville, Arkansas, and Pineville, Missouri.  (OR, Series I, Volume 34 (Part III), Pages 122, 328, 444 and 641.)  By September 23, 1864, he was commanding the garrison at Newtonia.  (OR, Series I, Volume 41 (Part III), Pages 328-329.)  By the end of November, 1864, his Company G was stationed at Cassville.  (OR, Series I, Volume 41 (Part IV). Page 621.)  On March 8, 1865, he was designated to form a company of militia for Barry and McDonald County.  (OR, Series I, Volume 48 (Part I), Page 1127.)  On May 4, 1865, he was instructed at Cassville to seek out Confederate officers in the area who could arrange surrenders.  (OR, Series I, Volume 48 (Part II), Page 315.)

In the 1870 census of Barry County, Ray was shown as a cattle broker in Cassville Township, age 37.  His wife was now Theresa (27 MO), but the children were the same, except Daniel was shown as born in Missouri.  Also in the household were 5 unrelated males listed as teamsters and farm laborers.  A contemporary newspaper made a passing reference to Captain Ray's hotel in Cassville, so these men were probably boarders.  In the 1880 census, William and Theresa Ray were found in Jasper County, with William listed as a lead miner.  None of the children were still living at home.

Captain Ray died at age 53 in Moulton, Iowa, on March 31, 1887, where he was buried in the Oakland Cemetery.  Courthouse death records show his occupation as "butcher" and list his cause of death as cancer.  Information on William in Iowa was provided by John Laursen, a descendant.

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