Perhaps the greatest financial loss in this County during the
Civil War was
the burning of the courthouse in Livingston, which occured in
April 1865,
near the close of the war, and which deed apparently accomplished
no purpose
toward the winning of the war of bringing peace to a war torn
County. This
building was burned by Capt. John Francis and a small band of
confederate
guerillas, who came down from Kentucky on a raid.
Almost all of the public records made from the beginning of the
County (est.
1806) were destroyed except the deed books in the office of the
County
register, which had been hid in a cellar under the house of James
Richardson
who was the County register when the war started. Richardson
lived at the
time on the lot on the north east corner of the Public Square,
near where
Lester Holman now lives. A few record books in the offices of
the County
Clerk, the circuit Court Clerk and the clerk and master were also
saved