LETTER TO SHELBINA TORCHLIGHT

22 November 1901

Clarence, Mo.

Editors Shelbina TORCHLIGHT

Gentlemen:

In the early settlement of the little village of Walkersville, a dam was built across Salt River and a mill erected, the first and only water mill on Salt River in Shelby county (and to my knowledge the only water mill in the county.) This mill consisted of a set of corn and wheat burrs and wool carding machinery and a muley saw. A man by the name of Thomas Swearingen owned and operated this mill for many years. He also owned the fine farm west of the village, now owned by the county, known as the county poor farm.

Mr. Swearingen sometime in the seventies settled in Clarence and operated a flouring mill for several years, he then retired to a farm near Shelbina.

Mr. Mike Heckart lived in Walkersville in an early day. He was a miller and carpenter by trade. Mr. Flory Heckart (brother of the above named) was a citizen of the village and a carpenter and wheelwright by profession. These gentlemen were from Pennsylvania and were of German stock.

Another gentleman from Pennsylvania by the name of Carnahan, settled in Walkersville in an early day. Mr. Carnahan lived in the west part of the village on the road leading west. Being a man of strong conviction and of southern proclivities, when the war cloud hovered over this country and men began to take sides, he enlisted in the Confederate cause. Before his company left for the south it became involved in a fight with a company of state militia, which were stationed at Shelbyville, on Salt River between Shelbina and Shelbyville. Mr. Carnahan, being cut off from his company was overtaken by the militia when he surrendered. He was not treated as a prisoner, or even as a fellow-being. He was shot to death on the spot. Knowing the man and where he lived they came by Walkersville and went to Mr. Carnahan’s home and drove his wife and children out, set fire to the house and guarded it until it burned down; not even the little dog, the pet of the children was allowed to escape their fury, it was kept in the house and burned up. This was the first sacrifice of life and property in the neighborhood during the war. John Carnahan, now a worthy citizen of Shelbina, is the son of the above named gentleman and grew to manhood in Walkersville. John has lived in Shelbina for many years and is now City Collector. John is perhaps a member of more secret societies than any man in Shelby county. He is a prominent Mason and if you want to know anything of the unwritten work of Masonry just ask John Carnahan. John made a creditable race for County Clerk some years ago and is well qualified for many of the offices of the county and we expect to know of him filling some of them in the near future.

Mr. Cobe Wood was another old settler of Walkersville. He was also a Confederate soldier and was with Mr. Carnahan, but made his escape. His house met the same fate as did Mr. Carnahan’s. Mr. Wood was a genial, good natured man, and well liked by his acquaintances. He was a prisoner for sometime in Shelbyville and amused the soldiers by his jokes and witty sayings, even Col. John F. Benjamin was a victim of his tricks. Mr. Wood lived to a good old age and died on a farm near Lakenan, several years ago.

Old Dr Edmonds was an old settler and lived on the farm just across the road south of the church. The land is now owned by Mr. Henry Eaton. The doctor was a member of Bacon Chapel church, an honorable Christian gentleman. He practiced medicine in his younger days, but in middle life became afflicted with rheumatism and was forced to give up his practice. He lived out his three score and ten years and was laid to rest in the city of the dead but a few rods from his house.

E. J. Edmonds, son of Dr. J. Edmonds grew to manhood on the above named farm. Elias, as we called him was in the Confederate army during a portion of the war. He followed farming until a few years ago, when he took charge of the County Poor farm. He went from this farm to Shelbyville where he ran a hotel for some time and then traded the hotel for a farm near Duncan’s Chapel where he now lives.

Mr. Edmonds professed religion in early life and joined the Bacon Chapel church and has lived a consistent Christian ever since. He has been a member of the order of A. O. U. W. (Ancient Order of United Workmen) for a number of years. He is a gentleman worthy the esteem of his many acquaintances.

A. J. Edmonds was a nephew of Dr. Edmonds. Early in the beginning of the war he enlisted in the Confederate army and was elected to the office of Lieutenant in his company. After he came home he followed his trade, which was painting, a few years; he then read law and followed his profession for sometime when he moved south of the Missouri river. He now lives in Lexington, Mo., a wealthy real estate owner and dealer.

Robert Edmonds, brother of A. J. Edmonds, enlisted in the Confederate army in ’61 and went south where he remained until the war closed, being in some of the noted battles of the war. After the surrender he came home and canvassed and sold the first history of the war, written by Edward A. Pollard, of Richmond, Va., editor of the Richmond Examiner. Mr. Edmonds followed farming as an avocation. He moved and settled in Lafayette County in the latter part of the sixties where he has ever been highly respected as a brave soldier of the lost cause, and a gentleman worthy of the respect of his fellow men.

J. H. Pollard