Soon after leaving Ballwin we overtook three covered wagons, and as soon as Father had an opportunity, on inquiry he ascertained that they were all enroute to Southwest Missouri and we were all very glad we had fallen in company with them. Later in the day we found that the occupant of one of the wagons was Mr. James Marlin, a former neighbor of ours, whose farm was near Father’s farm in Webster County. He was a large dark complected, clean shaven man and resembled Father’s cousin, Dr. Jack Slavens of Portland Mills very much. The occupants of one of the other wagons were two brothers, James and Earl Mayfield and Mr. Sloan. Mr. David Simmons and his daughter Mary, a large, dark haired, black eyed, rosy checked young lady about eighteen years old occupied the third wagon. We camped together that night and learned that our fellow travelers were all very friendly genial people and considered ourselves fortunate to have them with us on our journey. They were all from the vicinity of Springfield except Mr. Marlin. We further ascertained that the men were all well armed and hence might be of great protection to us as some of the almost totally uninhabited country through which we would pass was said to be infested with highway robbers. After continuing our journey three or four days we arrived at the town of Rolla, the terminus at that time of the Frisco Railway, and where there was a large body of Federal soldiers. I think from Rolla on toward Springfield for some distance was regarded as the most dangerous part of the country traversed by the public road between the named cities. We found there were some public and private houses situated on part of the route where we could get entertainment over night, but there was some of the country devoid of such accommodations for a long distance, where we had to camp outdoors at night, but the weather was fine and we all enjoyed camp life. After we had gone about two days travel since we left Rolla, some federal soldiers overtook us and traveled with us until we had passed Waynesville, the county seat of Pulaski County. We had then passed through the uninhabited and most dangerous part of the journey. I do not know whether the soldiers just happened to come along at the critical time and on the dreaded portion of the road when they overtook us, but I suspect they were sent by the commander of the federal troops stationed at Rolla, whom Father had interviewed before leaving there, to guard us on this part of our trip. As soon after we passed Waynesville, the soldiers turned back on the road toward Rolla.

When we camped out at night we enjoyed the campfire cooking and this occurred a good many nights, and I will always remember the suppers and breakfasts on these occasions cooked over a roaring campfire. On the few nights we ate and some of us slept in houses, Father and the other men slept in their wagons. Of course when the soldiers were not with us, and especially on part of the road before they overtook us and for some distance after they left, us we were uneasy all of the time and especially at night. I am sure the men were well prepared as well as possible to repel an attack by bandits and were careful to take the precaution of some of them remaining awake as a guard during the night. Fortunately we were not molested and saw none who we suspicioned of being the dreadful highway robbers.

A few miles from Waynesville toward Springfield we stopped and stayed two nights and a day, which was Sunday, at the home of a farmer whose name was Story. I remember on Saturday afternoon, Mr. Story desired the assistance of some of the men who were traveling with us to kill a beef. I think he had the steer to be killed in a small lot, and just before one of them was getting ready to shoot it with a rifle gun, the animal became frightened, jumped out of the pen and ran speedily toward the far end of the large field. The men with some dogs pursued it, and ran it back and forth the length of the field attempting to get it back in the lot again. Failing to do so, one of the men who had the gun, as the steer passed not less than fifty yards from him shot the animal in the head I think and it ran a short distance and fell dead. It was quite an exciting incident. We had splendid beef to eat while we were guests of Mr. Story and family.

The last town of any size I remember that we passed through was Lebanon, the county seat of Laclede County which adjoins the county of Webster, and then we realized that we were nearly home.

At night during our journey after we met up with our fellow travelers, whether we were guests at some hotel or some private domicile or were camping out, we invariably had some singing. The Hayfield brothers, Jim and Earl, Miss Simmons and Irene were all good singers, and after supper every evening, they would sing a number of the war time popular songs such as "Just Before the Battle Mother," "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The Star Spangled Banner" and then a number of old camp meeting melodies. The four singers carried all parts of the music--soprano, alto, tenor and bass--and they furnished a musical entertainment not excelled by many professional troupes. I enjoyed the singing very much and when they sang songs that I knew, I would join in the singing which pleased the Hayfield brothers and Miss Simmons and they always encouraged me to assist with the singing. I will remember those nightly singings as long as I live.

The next day after we passed through Lebanon we came to "The parting of the ways". Late that afternoon we arrived at the place where we were to leave the public road which was about a mile from our home, and there we had to bid these kind people, who had done so much to make our journey so pleasant, a sad farewell realizing that we probably might never see some of them again. We never did see Jim and Earl Mayfield and Mr. Sloan after parting with them but we did see Mr. Simmons and his daughter Miss Mary years later and the latter became related to me by marriage.. We saw Mr. Marlin, our neighbor, on one occasion late that winter after leaving our fellow travelers who had not only been agreeable road companions to us but I am sure had made our trip much safer.

We arrived at our old Webster County home in a short time, and. we were all truly glad, and after more than two years experience as refugees, we sincerely appreciated being again in our own dear home. We found that our house was ready for our occupancy; all of our furniture, cook stove and other household goods that we had left in our Buffalo home in August 1861 were in their usual places in this home. I do not know now just how or when they were brought from Buffalo, but I suppose Brother Joe had it done when he learned that we were coming home. He and Sister were there to welcome us hone and they were surely glad that we could be together once more.

Soon after our arrival in Webster County, Father took Irene and her children, Alice and Tom, to Buffalo where they spent several months with her mother Mrs. Stanley and other relatives. Her father, Mr. Horace Stanley died; I think not very long after the Civil War began. Irene and her children returned to Portland Mills, Indiana early the next spring. Brother Dolph was discharged from the Federal Army on account of disability, resulting from a serious attack of fever contracted from exposure in the military service. He decided to locate there and as soon as he was physically abler engaged in the practice of medicine. He sent for his family to go by train to him.

When we came back to Missouri from Indiana, Sister was still living with her mother-in-law, Mrs. Hollis and her two small daughters, Jane and Margaret, who were approximately of my age, though Jane was probably about two years older than I. Brother Joe’s wife and child, a little boy about two years old, lived on Joe's ‘s farm about a mile from our house where Joe and Sarah resided when they went to keeping house after their marriage. Brother Joe was with a detachment of his regiment, consisting of several companies, which was stationed at Warden’s Station, a post office about three miles from Joe’s house and I think he was at home usually at night. I think Joe was at Warden’s Station most of the time during 1863 and 1864 and probably until the close of the war, though he may have been transferred to Marshfield during the latter part of 1864 or early in 1865. Not long after we came back to our Webster County home, Father took his wagon and team to Springfield and sold them to the federal authorities there. The team of horses was a good one and Father thought it best to sell, as good horses were in demand. But we regretted very much to part with old Mose and the bay mare whose name, Mr. Ball said, was Nellie, and we had become attached to her as well as to Mose. Father purchased a cheaper riding horse for use in the practice of medicine which he began soon after we came home.

Copyright ©2004 Larry Slavens. All rights reserved.