Cave's parents came to Missouri in 1814 and lived in St. Charles until 1818, then relocated to Boone county. His father built a fine home on his farm closeby what is now Old US 63 in Columbia. His slaves made the 16" bricks that were used in construction. This house became the residence of William Sallee Cave who, on 4 Sept 1864 was executed there without trial upon the order of an officer of the US Army. He was marched behind his barn and shot in the head.
Terror was upon the land in central Missouri in 1864. For three years the area, known as Little Dixie, had been besieged by bushwhackers and guerillas who stole guns & ammunition, horses, mules, foodstuffs and clothing from innocent citizens. It was not uncommon for these rebels to murder those who chose to argue. The plunder was rushed to Arkansas and given to the Confederate Army. In the summer of 1864 Lincoln's advisors from Missouri warned that, without intervention, there was danger these men could crush the citizens. The federal command decided to remove them from the land.
This said, many citizens were deeply troubled by the execution of one of their fellow citizens. Cave was said to be a quiet citizen with no taste for public life. But 16 of Cave's horses were found in service of bushwhackers. Cave denied knowing about this. Col. Lewis Merrill, U.S. Arrmy, had occupied Columbia since January 3, 1862. He was much respected and very well liked. He was under orders to execute traitors on the spot. A man whose name was respected was shot dead.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
On Sept 4, 1864 just before noon, the look-out posted in the cupola of the Boone county courthouse had Cave's neighborhood under surveillance. He saw a number of known rebels ride up to the Cave home, dismount and enter the house. They remained about an hour, then left. The activity was reported and a squad from Capt. Carey's Enlisted Missouri Militia, under orders, rode to the Cave home and shot him. It was made known that Cave had been under surveillance for some time.
Today Cave's death is meaningful in that it illustrates how, in Missouri in the Civil War, right and wrong were blurred to the extent they were sometimes meaningless. Violent men operated outside the law and no one stopped them. The truth was doubted and lies became truth. No one could be sure of anything. It was a severe lesson. For several decades after the war in Little Dixie, life was lived in the abstract.
The son of William S. Cave, THOMAS HENRY CAVE participated in the Battle of New Market 15 May 1864, a battle in which cadets from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) fought alongside the Confederate Army under Gen. John C. Breckenridge & forced US Army Gen. Franz Sigel from the Shenandoah Valley. Prior to this, Thomas Cave operated in Boone county as a guerilla. He was arrested and wounded on 6 Feb 1863. His comrade, Benjamin Batterton was shot in a mob scene in Columbia that evening.
In addition to children linked below, William & Margaret Cave had
JAMES CAVE: 1855 - 24 Jan 1861
Terror was upon the land in central Missouri in 1864. For three years the area, known as Little Dixie, had been besieged by bushwhackers and guerillas who stole guns & ammunition, horses, mules, foodstuffs and clothing from innocent citizens. It was not uncommon for these rebels to murder those who chose to argue. The plunder was rushed to Arkansas and given to the Confederate Army. In the summer of 1864 Lincoln's advisors from Missouri warned that, without intervention, there was danger these men could crush the citizens. The federal command decided to remove them from the land.
This said, many citizens were deeply troubled by the execution of one of their fellow citizens. Cave was said to be a quiet citizen with no taste for public life. But 16 of Cave's horses were found in service of bushwhackers. Cave denied knowing about this. Col. Lewis Merrill, U.S. Arrmy, had occupied Columbia since January 3, 1862. He was much respected and very well liked. He was under orders to execute traitors on the spot. A man whose name was respected was shot dead.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
On Sept 4, 1864 just before noon, the look-out posted in the cupola of the Boone county courthouse had Cave's neighborhood under surveillance. He saw a number of known rebels ride up to the Cave home, dismount and enter the house. They remained about an hour, then left. The activity was reported and a squad from Capt. Carey's Enlisted Missouri Militia, under orders, rode to the Cave home and shot him. It was made known that Cave had been under surveillance for some time.
Today Cave's death is meaningful in that it illustrates how, in Missouri in the Civil War, right and wrong were blurred to the extent they were sometimes meaningless. Violent men operated outside the law and no one stopped them. The truth was doubted and lies became truth. No one could be sure of anything. It was a severe lesson. For several decades after the war in Little Dixie, life was lived in the abstract.
The son of William S. Cave, THOMAS HENRY CAVE participated in the Battle of New Market 15 May 1864, a battle in which cadets from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) fought alongside the Confederate Army under Gen. John C. Breckenridge & forced US Army Gen. Franz Sigel from the Shenandoah Valley. Prior to this, Thomas Cave operated in Boone county as a guerilla. He was arrested and wounded on 6 Feb 1863. His comrade, Benjamin Batterton was shot in a mob scene in Columbia that evening.
In addition to children linked below, William & Margaret Cave had
JAMES CAVE: 1855 - 24 Jan 1861
Cave's parents came to Missouri in 1814 and lived in St. Charles until 1818, then relocated to Boone county. His father built a fine home on his farm closeby what is now Old US 63 in Columbia. His slaves made the 16" bricks that were used in construction. This house became the residence of William Sallee Cave who, on 4 Sept 1864 was executed there without trial upon the order of an officer of the US Army. He was marched behind his barn and shot in the head.
Terror was upon the land in central Missouri in 1864. For three years the area, known as Little Dixie, had been besieged by bushwhackers and guerillas who stole guns & ammunition, horses, mules, foodstuffs and clothing from innocent citizens. It was not uncommon for these rebels to murder those who chose to argue. The plunder was rushed to Arkansas and given to the Confederate Army. In the summer of 1864 Lincoln's advisors from Missouri warned that, without intervention, there was danger these men could crush the citizens. The federal command decided to remove them from the land.
This said, many citizens were deeply troubled by the execution of one of their fellow citizens. Cave was said to be a quiet citizen with no taste for public life. But 16 of Cave's horses were found in service of bushwhackers. Cave denied knowing about this. Col. Lewis Merrill, U.S. Arrmy, had occupied Columbia since January 3, 1862. He was much respected and very well liked. He was under orders to execute traitors on the spot. A man whose name was respected was shot dead.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
On Sept 4, 1864 just before noon, the look-out posted in the cupola of the Boone county courthouse had Cave's neighborhood under surveillance. He saw a number of known rebels ride up to the Cave home, dismount and enter the house. They remained about an hour, then left. The activity was reported and a squad from Capt. Carey's Enlisted Missouri Militia, under orders, rode to the Cave home and shot him. It was made known that Cave had been under surveillance for some time.
Today Cave's death is meaningful in that it illustrates how, in Missouri in the Civil War, right and wrong were blurred to the extent they were sometimes meaningless. Violent men operated outside the law and no one stopped them. The truth was doubted and lies became truth. No one could be sure of anything. It was a severe lesson. For several decades after the war in Little Dixie, life was lived in the abstract.
The son of William S. Cave, THOMAS HENRY CAVE participated in the Battle of New Market 15 May 1864, a battle in which cadets from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) fought alongside the Confederate Army under Gen. John C. Breckenridge & forced US Army Gen. Franz Sigel from the Shenandoah Valley. Prior to this, Thomas Cave operated in Boone county as a guerilla. He was arrested and wounded on 6 Feb 1863. His comrade, Benjamin Batterton was shot in a mob scene in Columbia that evening.
In addition to children linked below, William & Margaret Cave had
JAMES CAVE: 1855 - 24 Jan 1861
Terror was upon the land in central Missouri in 1864. For three years the area, known as Little Dixie, had been besieged by bushwhackers and guerillas who stole guns & ammunition, horses, mules, foodstuffs and clothing from innocent citizens. It was not uncommon for these rebels to murder those who chose to argue. The plunder was rushed to Arkansas and given to the Confederate Army. In the summer of 1864 Lincoln's advisors from Missouri warned that, without intervention, there was danger these men could crush the citizens. The federal command decided to remove them from the land.
This said, many citizens were deeply troubled by the execution of one of their fellow citizens. Cave was said to be a quiet citizen with no taste for public life. But 16 of Cave's horses were found in service of bushwhackers. Cave denied knowing about this. Col. Lewis Merrill, U.S. Arrmy, had occupied Columbia since January 3, 1862. He was much respected and very well liked. He was under orders to execute traitors on the spot. A man whose name was respected was shot dead.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
On Sept 4, 1864 just before noon, the look-out posted in the cupola of the Boone county courthouse had Cave's neighborhood under surveillance. He saw a number of known rebels ride up to the Cave home, dismount and enter the house. They remained about an hour, then left. The activity was reported and a squad from Capt. Carey's Enlisted Missouri Militia, under orders, rode to the Cave home and shot him. It was made known that Cave had been under surveillance for some time.
Today Cave's death is meaningful in that it illustrates how, in Missouri in the Civil War, right and wrong were blurred to the extent they were sometimes meaningless. Violent men operated outside the law and no one stopped them. The truth was doubted and lies became truth. No one could be sure of anything. It was a severe lesson. For several decades after the war in Little Dixie, life was lived in the abstract.
The son of William S. Cave, THOMAS HENRY CAVE participated in the Battle of New Market 15 May 1864, a battle in which cadets from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) fought alongside the Confederate Army under Gen. John C. Breckenridge & forced US Army Gen. Franz Sigel from the Shenandoah Valley. Prior to this, Thomas Cave operated in Boone county as a guerilla. He was arrested and wounded on 6 Feb 1863. His comrade, Benjamin Batterton was shot in a mob scene in Columbia that evening.
In addition to children linked below, William & Margaret Cave had
JAMES CAVE: 1855 - 24 Jan 1861
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