Editor's Note: Many thanks to James Gray, SCV compatriot from Queensland, Australia who wrote this shocking but true essay about James Latimer an early member of the Missouri Home Guard. Like all Southern states Missouri divided its feelings between love for the First Republic and the reality that the beloved Federal Union had been captured by the radicals and destroyed. Missouri was overwhelmingly Southern in sympathy but being a front-line state she was surrounded by the enemy. This made her easy prey for thieves, looters, invading troops, and military gangs from Union states. She sent scores of thousands to Confederate service and unknown thousands stayed in Missouri as soldiers to counter the invasion but as in other Southern states some men joined up with Union forces. Typical of the Missouri Unionists was James Latimer part of a shadowy government militia whose job was terrorizing the population using the authority of the Lincoln administration and the junta behind it. Establishment historians and other officials parrot figures claming vast numbers of Missourians fought for the Union. Through the illegal Enrolled Missouri Militia Act and similar devices most were dragooned into the Union Army. A few like Mr. Latimer joined and did the bidding of the occupiers; many did the minimum, while others simply went missing and joined the Confederates. Numerous harsh decrees were handed down by the un-elected marshal law legislature unlawfully seated in Jefferson City by Gen. Nathanial Lyon, illegal militias, and Marxists ‘48’s commanded by Franz Sigel. Little known today this draconian legacy continued even after the War ended. (Editor) see the post-War Drake Constitution loyalty oath.

James Latimer was born on December 2, 1829 at Closagh Rock, Covey, Ireland. Very little is know regarding the life of James Latimer, nor do we know the exact date of Latimer’s enlistment; but we do know he enlisted not in the regularly sanctioned army, but in Company I, Enrolled 36th Regiment Missouri Militia; an irregular regiment of volunteers, on August 3, 1862, at Nodaway County, Maryville, Missouri; and was ordered to active duty the same date by General Benjamin Loan.  The Nodaway County Regiment Home Guard, consisting of seven companies, was organized by Colonel William J.W. Bickett from July through October 20th; having been a Doctor of Medicine before becoming commander of the Nodaway County Regiment and Company I was commanded by Lieutenant Moorehouse. The compliment of 36th Missouri Militia was originally organized in Carroll County and was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Hoover.

The Home Guard was closely related to and sometimes considered a part of the U.S. Reserve Corps, and was a major component of the Federal forces fighting in Missouri. Despite the role it played, records relating to its service are sparse. Names of large numbers of units have been lost to history, many from a lack of knowledgeable record keeping; some, like the 36th, because if records had been kept they would have revealed the atrocities committed by Missouri raiders operating under the umbrella of governmental legitimacy. Missouri and Kansas was renowned for what came to be called "Jayhawkers" and "Redlegs"; murdering bands of irregular militia's that often operated well outside accepted standards of warfare. It was Union units of that caliber; making war on civilians and non-combatants, that resulted in the retaliatory raid on Lawrence, Kansas by Confederate Partisan Rangers. Latimer's unit, the 36th Missouri Militia was a 'Redleg' unit and Latimer in applying for a Pension after arriving in Australia, openly admitted to murdering without reason "30 Confederate soldiers, General Robert E. Lee's brother and his two young sons"; after his unit captured them. Though he applied for a pension, it's doubtful he ever received one. The only problem with Latimer's story of killing 30 Confederate soldiers and General Robert Edward Lee's brother who was a doctor, and his two sons, is; General Robert Edward Lee of Virginia never had a brother who was a doctor. Lee's brothers included his half-brother Phillip, half-brother Henry, Charles Carter and Sydney Smith Lee. This has been verified by the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia and others. It appears Latimer often embellished his wartime experiences as a soldier with exaggerated claims; this time in an attempt to acquire a pension.

The 36th Missouri Militia was never mustered into U.S. service, but instead operated as a so-called state military unit. Enlisted by General Tuttill of the regular U.S. Army, the first thing the Militia did was to arrest and place in confinement all of the Nodaway County Officers, without charges being filed and without due process of law. They were in turn released by General Tuttil, but only after each had provided a personal bond and security, insuring their good behavior and loyalty to the Union during the war.

The Regiment was then ordered to the southern part of Missouri where they were involved in pursuing Confederate Partisan Rangers operating in Missouri; capturing on one occasion the brother of General Robert E. Lee, who was well known simply as Dr. Lee, his two sons and some thirty other Confederate Rangers, whom they referred to as “raiders”. Unfortunately the 36th Militia did not conduct itself according to accepted norms of military law, but more aggressively and brutal than any of the Confederate Ranger or Guerilla groups; and they took no prisoners. They simply shot and murdered all those who were captured, as they did Dr. Lee, his two sons and some 30 unarmed Confederate prisoners they had just captured; as testified to by James Latimer in a sworn affidavit when he unsuccessfully applied for a pension.

Being in reality one of a number of Union “Jayhawker” guerilla units operating in Missouri, under the guise of being an official unit, records relating to the 36th and other irregular “units” are simply non-existent. Either they weren’t kept according to military regulations or they were destroyed at some later date. Most of what is known comes from the “oral history” of those who served under its banner. Latimer was released from active duty on April 2, 1863.

Latimer survived the war, leaving before the war was concluded, as did many Union guerilla’s and returned to his Irish homeland in 1863. In 1864 a committee of the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second General Assembly of the State of Missouri was appointed to investigate the conduct, or misconduct and mismanagement of the Missouri Militia units; an indication of the seriousness and severity of their actions and atrocities during the war. In the same year, 1864, Latimer migrated to Australia. Latimer then made his home in Queensland and had a wife named Nancy Jane, who bore him two children; Margaret Louise born on January 15, 1867 and James Fremont born on November 2, 1869. James Latimer died on August 12, 1919 and was buried in the Pimpama Cemetery in Ormeau, Queensland, Australia; Identification number 575, section M01, grave number 229, his grave has a double concrete surround with pillars on each corner and a tall monumental headstone.

Sources:

• “A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion”, Frederick H. Dyer, 1908




• Annual Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Missouri for the Year 1863, St. Louis, Missouri., 1864




• Annual Report of the Adjutant General of Missouri for the Year Ending December 31, 1865, Jefferson City, Missouri., 1866




• Birth, Marriage and Death Records, Queensland




• Jim McGhee, Missouri




• National Archives of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland




• “Organization and Status of Missouri Troops in Service During the Civil War”, Washington, Government Printing Office 1902




• Pimpama Cemetery Records, Queensland




• Records of the Missouri Adjutant General




• The Missouri Commandery of Mollus; Union, Missouri




• U.S. Pension Records

© James Gray 2005
Published on the J. T. Coffee Camp website with permission from the author