History of Johnson Co., Missouri 1881
Page 533 (Kingsville)
Transcribed for the WWW by James Baker©1999 jrbakerjr@prodigy.net

THE JOHNSON COUNTY MASSACRES
   
     Early in the late war, around this place, was a scene of considerable strife and 
hostile action by both parties. At first the people were principally on the side of the 
south, and B. Hornsby was the only leader of the abolition party. In June 1861, the first 
secession flags were raised in the village. The unionists attempted to raise their flags 
on the same day, but failed for want of numbers, and the southern women took axes and cut 
the unionists' flagpoles to pieces. In October of the same year, Gen. "Jim" Lane, of Kansas 
notoriety, dashed into the town and sacked all of the stores. During the following winter 
(1862) Maj. Herrick, under Col. Gennison, dashed down upon the place and drove out all the 
southerners, and burned their dwellings. Near the Village they took nine men prisoners, 
and on the following morning killed eight, and the ninth one they cut a swallowfork in 
his right ear, saying: "We'll know you when you are caught again", then set him at liberty. 
About this time, the Kansas clan of robbers set on fire a great number of the dwellings in 
the county. A person that was a witness says: "I counted one evening, while standing on 
Brushy Knob, one hundred and sixty houses on fire".  Slaves were ravished by these 
desperadoes in the presence of their master's family, and the women and children were 
driven out of their homes without a morsel of bread in the world, or money to buy food. 
On account of southern feeling, Mrs. Nancy Longacre and her daughter were taken prisoners, 
and sent to St. Louis. Gen. Wm. King, the father of the King family, went south and did not 
return till the close of the war. To heap fuel upon the already kindled flames of the war, 
the unionists burned him, on the public streets, in effigy. 
     When peace and quiet was being restored throughout the length and breadth of the land, 
and no one was dreaming of trouble, at the early dawn on May 7, 1865, about two hundred 
bushwackers under the daring leaders, Arch Clements, Dave Pool and Bill Anderson, swept 
down upon the quiet little village and commenced fire on the citizens that were just 
emerging from their night's repose. The citizens rallied for their lives with Capt. Leroy C. 
Duncan as their leader, but were so outnumbered that they could not withstand the assault of 
the raiders, who soon had possession of the town, which they left in ashes after robbing the 
families of their money and clothing. On the evening previous to the massacre the vile 
murderers camped on Lause Run, a few miles away, in Cass county, and before they started 
for Kingsville, disposed of a prisoner by cutting his throat from ear to ear and leaving 
him on the spot. The following is a partial list of the dead and the wounded: James Paul, 
Abner Ryan, Walton Burris, W. H. Duncan, L. C. Duncan, S. F. Duncan, Wm. Johnson.
     B. A. Crain, Wm. Dock, and Hiram Rose were taked prisoners, but released. After this, 
soldiers were sent here by the governor for the protection of the citizens, but the war 
caused no further trouble.