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On the Little Black River near the Ripley County and Butler County border was the site of one of the skirmishes that took place in Ripley County. On September 19, 1864 as Confederate troops moved up from Pocahontas, Arkansas a company of soldiers with the 3rd Missouri State Militia under the command of Lt. Pape set fire to the town of Doniphan. Leaving the home of widow Lowe and the Methodist Church untouched. They traveled East to Martinsburg (Oxly) where they got on the Military Road and proceeded North and camped at Ponder's Mill.
Brig. Gen. J.O. Shelby commanding the right column of Price's Army of Missouri, crossed Current River, where he described the town of Doniphan as "the helpless and ill-fated town". He arrived in Doniphan on September 19th, 1864 and set up camp. He then dispatched 150 men under Lt. Col. Johnson to pursue the vandals. They came upon them early the next morning, attacked, scattered and killed many of them.
HEADQUARTERS SHELBY'S DIVISION,
December-, 1864.
COLONEL: I have the honor to make the following report, embracing a detailed account of my operations in Missouri during the recent expedition of General Price:
On the 12th of September I moved camp from Sulphur Rock, Ark., toward Pocahontas in anticipation of the arrival of the army, and on the 19th, after having received my instructions, started for Missouri, and encamped in Doniphan. Before arriving there, however, couriers from Lieutenant-Colonel Johnson, of Marmaduke's command, brought information that 100 Federals were in the town and pressing him back. I immediately started forward sufficient re-enforcements, but the enemy fled before reaching them, burning the helpless and ill-fated town. That night I dispatched 150th men under Lieutenant-Colonel Johnson to pursue the vandals. They came upon them early the next morning [20th], attacked, scattered, and killed many of them. I pushed on then rapidly for Patterson, destroying on the way the bloody rendezvous of the notorious Leeper, and on the morning of the 22nd I surrounded and charged in upon the town. Its garrison, hearing of my advance, retreated hastily, but not before many were captured and killed, and some supplies taken. All the Government portion of Patterson was destroyed, together with its strong and ugly fort. (FORT BENTON) etc...
I am, colonel, very respectfully,
JO. O. SHELBY,
Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.
Lieutenant Colonel L. A. MACLEAN,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Army of Missouri.
Owing to the unfortunate accident of having all my books and papers destroyed of this expedition, there may be inaccuracies in the names of places and the dates of events, but in the whole is generally correct.
"War of the Rebellion: Serial 083 Page 0649 Chapter LIII. PRICE'S MISSOURI EXPEDITION.”
Numbers 59. Reports of Major James Wilson, Third Missouri State Militia Cavalry.
PILOT KNOB, MO., September 20, 1864.
The scout sent out according to your order, about eighty in number, were surrounded at Ponder's Mill, on Little Black River, and all but ten were either captured or killed. They report the rebels in large force, and say that Price was reported to be at Pocahontas.
JAMES WILSON,
Major, Commanding.
General EWING,
Commanding District.
“War of the Rebellion: Serial 083 Page 0454 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LIII.”
One of the most interesting first person interpretations of the battle of Ponder's Mill is in the letter written by Sgt. Simon U. Branstetter of Company I, 3rd Missouri State Militia Union. He fails to mention the burning of Doniphan but goes into great detail about the skirmish at Ponder's Mill and how he survived.
His letter is as follows:
Extract from Diary of Simon U. Branstetter, Sergeant Co. I, 3rd M.S.M. Cavalry
At the approach of the Price raid in Missouri in September, 1864, my company was stationed at Pilot Knob, Mo., with several other companies of the regiment under command of Maj. James Wilson, and on Saturday, Sept. 17th, Lieut. Eric Pape, in command of Co K of our regiment, was ordered with his company to go on a scout as far south as Doniphan, Mo., or until Price’s forces were met and definitely located. Lieut. Wm. Brawner of Co K was the only other commissioned officer with the scout, and twenty men of my company (I) were detailed to go along with the scout, I being in command of this detail. We left Pilot Knob that day and arrived at Patterson, Wayne Co., late in the evening, where we camped over night. Capt. Robert McElroy with his company (D) of our regiment was stationed at Patterson, and also a few of the 47th Mo. Inft.
Early on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 18th, we left Patterson for Doniphan, sixty miles away, with some additions to our numbers from Capt. McElroy’s company and the 47th Mo. Inft., who were mounted, and marched about 45 miles and camped.
On Monday, Sept. 19th, we started soon after midnight and marched to Doniphan, surprised and captured some of the Rebel pickets and drove a command of Rebels out of Doniphan about sun-up. As they fled across the Current River on their retreat south they partially destroyed the brige over which they passed so that we could not follow them in their retreat, but, marching up the river a couple of miles, we started to cross at a ford and found our passage impeded by the Rebels in position on the bluffs on the south side of the river. We exchanged a number of shots with them driving them away, and then, crossing the ford, pursued them several miles south, passing through their main camp, where a command of several hundred had been lodged over night, but they took flight on our approach and we had no engagement with them. We then turned back north, passing through Doniphan about the noon hour, and went into camp at Vandiver’s near Ponder’s Mill on Black River about sun down. Lieut. Pape only put out a camp guard and I took the liberty to go to him and urge that pickets be thrown out to some distance from our camp, for I was sure that we were right in the face of Price’s army and feared that we would be surrounded, surprised and captured by daylight next morning or before if such precaution was not taken. Lieut. Pape, however, declined to take my suggestion and assumed that we were perfectly safe in the condition in which we were encamped.
On Tuesday morning, Sept. 20th, 1864, at sun rise or a little before, just as we were saddling our horses and preparing to mount and march away toward Patterson, we found we were surrounded by about three hundred Rebels and an engagement opened at once by our little body of about eighty men attempting to charge through their lines and make our escape. My horse was shot down under me and, before I had proceeded many yards on foot trying to break through their lines, I found myself surrounded and ordered to surrender, which I did. Upon being ordered to give up my arms I handed up my pistol to the nearest man to me, this being the only firearm I had. Immediately upon surrendering my pistol one of the Rebels, not more than four or five feet from me, shot me through my right breast, the ball coming out just below my shoulder blade, which knocked me down and stunned me into insensibility. When I recovered consciousness I found a large stream of blood squirting from my mouth with every breath and a circle of Rebels around me. Observing that I had gained consciousness, one of them immediately ordered me to take off my spur, which I attempted to do, but found my right arm was paralyzed by the shot through the right side of my chest and was unable to comply with his request. With oaths and all kinds of abuse and threats to give me another shot and kill me, this man took my spur off, and then others in the band in turn began stripping me of my clothing, each threatening to finish my existence with a shot and heaping upon me all kinds of profane abuse. One took my jacket, another my shoes and socks, another my trousers and still another my under-drawers. This left nothing upon my person but a calico shirt, which was well saturated with blood by this time from the steam flowing out of my mouth and from the wounds in the front and back of my chest. One of the Rebels started to take this off of my person, but desisted when abusively argued with on the part of his confederates that It was too bloody for anyone to wear. I was then very weak from loss of blood from the shot and to all appearance I presume I looked more the part of a dead man than one that could possible live. I did not know what had become of my command and had no clear idea as to whether I would live only a few minutes or if my life would be prolonged if I should be spared by the murderous Rebels around me. They left me lying on the ground just as I was with nothing on but a calico shirt, well saturated with my own blood, while they fed their horses and had their breakfast. They had withdrawn some little distance from me while they were feeding and eating, and during this interval I contrived to crawl a few rods away and stretch myself alongside of a log, which I thought would afford me partial protection from their horses if they should ride in any numbers over the spot where I was lying or in that vicinity. When they had finished their breakfast I head a command given to turn out a grave digging squad and dig one grave for one of their men that was killed and a grave “for one dead Fed.” They came near to where I was lying and dug a shallow grave for my body where I could hear every stroke of the pick and shovel and all their remarks. When the grave had been finished four of their number came to pick me up and carry me to the grave, when one remarked: “Why, that d---d Fed. Ain’t dead enough yet to bury.” Another remarked: “Give him another shot to finish him, but still another, more humanely inclined, argued that I could not live but a few minutes and it would only be proper to let my life pass away from the shot that I had received, and not to heap upon me the additional brutality of another shot. They went away and in a few minutes this squad, or another, came back to put me in the grave, when the same line of remarks and arguments were again indulged in, and I was spared a few minutes more in which I was to be permitted to die. A third time they came to place my body in the shallow grave which they had prepared, and one of them insisted on dispatching me with another shot, but he was prevented by the oldest man of the party, who was dressed in a brown suit of clothes, broad brimmed slouch hat and had long whiskers flowing over his breast. This man, who was the oldest one of the party, ordered the others to assist him in covering my body up with fence rails so that I might be left alone to the remaining few minutes or hours which they thought it would take to finish me. They laid a rail with one end resting on the log and one on the ground near my head, and one near my fee, which acted the part of slopping sills to hold up other rails above my body, and then made a slight covering of rails over me laid on these two. I was lying on my back with my eyes nearly closed watching this operation and took in all their remarks without giving any sign of consciousness until they finished the job and left me. A quantity of dirt fell from the rails and covered my face so that I had to close my eyes tightly after they began covering me up, but I made no sign of being aware of their presence or what they were doing. The greatest tax that I felt on my mental powers while this was being done was the efforts which I had to put forth to prevent my body from shivering from the cold air, as it was a crisp September morning and in addition to the great loss of blood which I had suffered I had been deprived of all my clothing, as before stated, except the bloody shirt, which afforded only a partial covering. I felt sure that if I should give way to the inclination of nature and permit a tremor to pass over me from the cold which I was suffering that some one of them would immediately dispatch me with a shot, and by most trying efforts I succeeded in preventing myself from shivering from the exposure. I heard every word of command given while they were mounting and forming in line and then column and march away. Gradually the hoof beats of their horses and the jangling of their sabers died down in the distance and all was still as death around me except the rustling of the breeze and the leaves above me and the singing of birds above in the branches. This brought to me a renewed hope that I might yet escape and live, and after lying perfectly still for perhaps an hour I ventured to take my left hand (the only one I could use) and brush the dirt from my face and eyes, then removed some of the rails above me slightly and, raising myself up, peered out above the covering and found that there was no person in sight. Several of their wounded men, and perhaps Lieut. Brawner of our own command, who had been mortally wounded in the fight, had been taken to Vandiver’s house, which was in sight of the place where I was lying, but all persons about the house were apparently inside, so I seized the favorable opportunity when there was no one watching me and, crawling out from under the rails, I staggered away into the forest. I walked about a mile over hills and ravines in the dense woods, by which time I found that my feet were so cut from the sharp flints on the ground that I could not proceed no farther without some protection to my feet. I sat down on a log, and, taking off my shirt with the aid of my left hand, and placing it under my foot, I tore it in two and then wrapping one half about one foot and the other half around the other, tying them on as best I could with only one hand to use in the operation, I got up and staggered away to the wooded hills. Whenever I crossed a branch or rivulet I stopped and drank water out of the palm of my left hand and bathed the wound on my breast. The wrappings about my feet continued to come off from time to time as I could not tie them on securely, but I put them on again to the best of my ability each time they came off, and in this manner walked through the woods stark naked except for the coverings on my feet until about three o’clock in the afternoon. The idea then occurred to me that I must seek shelter in some hours over night or I would surely perish, and at once looked for a cow path, which I knew I might find running down some ravine into the valley lands where the farms were located below the ridges on which I was travelling. I found a cow path and followed it down until I came in sight of a farm, and then concealed myself until about sun down or a little later, when I saw the woman of the house go out to milk a cow. I then stole around to the rear of the house and concealed my person as best I could behind a fence, calling to the house. A little girl came out into the back yard of the house and I spoke to her from the fence, telling her that I wished to see her father. She did not notice my condition or lack of clothes at all, but at once began making the usual excuses given by women and children in that part of the country when anyone called for the man of the house. She said: “Oh, my papa has never been away from home at all. He had staid right here all the time.” I informed her that that was all right and that I only wanted to speak to her father and to ask him to please come out. She returned into the house and immediately a man came out, and walking up to the fence where I stood, he observed my desperate condition, and, expressing great surprise, inquired what was my trouble. I told him I had been in a little fight a few miles away from there early that morning, of which he had no doubt heard; that I was a Federal soldier, had been shot, stripped and left on the ground for dead, but that I had recovered sufficient strength to walk that far, and begged him to let me come into his house where I might have a pallet to lie by the fire with the hope that I might eventually recover. He at once took me into his house and made a pallet by the fire and covered me up before his wife returned from her task of milking the cow. Later in the evening he sent his son, a boy of 12 or 14 years. To a nearby farm house, where he obtained for me the gift of an old worn out shirt almost in tatters, which was placed on my body and then I was put in bed, where I lay during the night. The small boy was dispatched about half a mile in another direction for a doctor, who lived about that distance away, but on learning who I was he declined to come to see me, he being a strong Rebel sympathizer. I then had my host and a relative of his, who was visiting with him, place a wet cloth over the wound on my breast and they sat up with me nearly the whole night, not retiring until four o’clock next morning, and they continued to bathe the wound on my breast, frequently wetting it with cold water. I learned during the night that the good samaratin who was kindly taking the first steps toward saving my life was Judge Scott, a county judge of Butler County, Mo.
On Wednesday morning, Sept. 21st, I ate a little breakfast, which was the first nourishment I had taken since I was shot and left for dead. Soon after the doctor came up to see me, and observing that the wound on the front of my body as being kept cool and cleansed with a wet colh, he merely looked at me and remarked that he could do nothing more, and suggested that I keep up this manner of treatment; that it was probably all that was necessary and then went on his way. Early in the day Price’s army (Fagan’s Division) began passing the house where I was lying along the old Military road, and I immediately heard the cry started down the column: “There is a wounded Fed. In this house.” Judge Scott had given them this information for his own protection, and immediately the Rebel soldiers began dismounting and running into the house to see me. By collusion with Judge Scott, who was very kindly and humanely disposed toward me, though he was a Southern sympathizer, I was placed on a pallet on the floor so as to make my condition appear as deplorable as possible, and he furthermore instructed me to appear just as nearly dead as I could in order that some sympathy might be excited in the minds or hearts of Rebels who would necessarily view me during the day. This programme was carried out and all through the day there was a stream of over curious Rebels rushing into the house taking a look at me and then returning to their column. Many of them cursed me and abused me vilely, and some of them suggested to Judge Scott that he carry me outside and let them shoot me and finish the job, but he declined to do this, saying that I might lie in his house and die where I was. I asked Judge Scott to kindly serve me to the extent of inviting General Price’s attention to me when he passed by and to request of him that he give me a parole in order that I might have some protection among such of his followers who might come in to look at me. This was done and Gen. Price sent in his chief of staff, Col McLean, who questioned me closely as to who I was, what was my rank where I was shot, etc., and then, after roundly abusing me, said he would give me a parole but, having no printed blanks where he could easily reach them, he gave me a written parole as a prisoner of war, which I kept some days for my protection. There were said to be 6,000 men in Fagan’s Division, and they camped on the farms along the old Military road in the vicinity of Judge Scott’s place. Price made his headquarters during the night only a short distance away from the house, and the whole arm, being mounted, they gathered and fed to their horses the whole of Judge Scott’s corn crop.
On Sept. 22nd and 23rd the straggling remnants of Fangan’s division were still passing by the house where I lay, and after that the road was comparatively clear.
I thus remained a forced guest on Judge Scott’s hospitality until Sept. 29th, during which period I had obtained from him as a gift a pair of brown jeans trousers, a pair of socks and a pair of shoes. On the evening of this last date I felt that I was able to walk, and, getting up, paced the floor and tried my limbs until I found that I could probably make some headway at traveling. The Rebel sympathizing doctor, who lived only half a mile away, had called to see me several times during the week and I had obtained from him the promise of the gift of a hat if I would come to his house and get it, so in the evening of the 29th I bade the Scott family good-bye, with many thanks for their kindness and charity, and walked bareheaded over to where the doctor lived to get the hat. I had to wade a stream of considerable depth in gong to the doctor’s and took off my shoes and socks to save them in making this passage through the water. When I arrived at the doctor’s he sent a negro for the old hat, which was a few sizes too large for me, but I nevertheless accepted it with thanks, I then asked him if I could remain over night with him, but he declined to entertain me and I turned back to Judge Scott’s place and again imposed upon him for another night’s lodging, which was freely granted.
On the morning of Sept. 30th Mrs. Scott baked me some corn bread in order that I might have something to eat in my proposed walk across the country, and I again took my departure, returning only thanks and the benediction of my best wishes to Judge Scott and his family. I traveled in the direction of Patterson, MO., until about eleven o’clock when I stopped at a log cabin by the road side, where I found a genuine old Irish farmer and his wife. That old woman at once asked me if I would like some buttermilk and cornbread to eat, which invitation I readily grasped and she sat before me a liberal portion of probably all that she had to spare. While I was eating my meal of corn bread and buttermilk I asked the old woman if they had a coat about the house which they could spare, as the upper portion of my body was only covered by the tatted shirt which I had obtained on the evening of Sept. 20th. She spoke to her husband in Irish and he responded in the same language, whereupon she went to a bed and turned up the mattress or bed tick drew out an old worn coat and gave it to me. I thanked her and, being then equipped in such clothes that I looked just as one of Price’s stragglers might appear if dismounted, I continued on my way, playing the part of a Rebel soldier who had been sick and left behind. I stopped over night with a man named Tom Scaggs, who I leaned was a Union man but had escaped the Rebel army passing through by lying out in the woods.
On Oct. 1st I learned that Pilot Knob had fallen into Price’s hands, and I then turned my course eastward toward Cape Girardeau. I continued this direction on Oct. 1st and 2nd, passing through the little hamlet of Hog Eye in Wayne County and Dallas, (Marble Hill) the county seat of Bollinger County.
On Oct. 3rd I arrived at Jackson, Mo., about 10:00 A.M., where I found the Federal militia in charge of the town under command of Lieut. Shaeffer. Here I met on the street a Union scout, a guide who had on a former occasion piloted me on an eight days scout through Southeast Missouri, but he failed to recognize me in my enfeebled condition and tattered garb. We called him ”Billy” but I do not remember his last name. I informed him who I was and then he recognized me at once, procured a mule for me to ride and a citizen to act as guide and to bring the mule back to Jackson and sent me away to Cape Girardeau, where I designed entering the post hospital. On the way the mule fell down, pitching me over his head and for a shot time I thought I would die from the pain in my wounds, which were not yet healed, but I regained sufficient strength in a short while to remount the mule and made my way to the hospital at Cape Girardeau, which I entered. It was three o’clock P.M. when I arrived at the hospital, and I had some difficulty in convincing the authorities there that I was a Federal soldier and entitled to admission, but after I had been there about an hour I saw a baker passing through the corridor with a quantity of bread and recognized him as one of the former post bakers who had baked for our regiment. I introduced myself to him and he at once remembered and vouched for me, when I was promptly admitted into a ward in the hospital. After receiving a bath and a clean suit of hospital clothes and being put in bed in a clean cot and my wounds dressed by a surgeon, I had the first assurance that I was in the hands of friends and that my chances were probably good for a final recovery. The change was so great from what I had endured for the past two weeks that I felt as though I had been admitted within the gates of paradise.
I remained in this hospital until Oct. the 11th and during this time, on Oct. 6th, 7th and 8th, I could see from my window Mower’s division embarking for St. Louis on twenty-four transport boats which had been sent down after this command.
On Oct. 12th I was sent on boat to St. Louis along with other convalescents who had arrived from Pilot Knob.
On Oct. 13th I arrived at St. Louis and was placed in the Soldiers Home, and in this place and post hospital at Benton barracks, I remained until in November, in convalescent wards. I was then permitted to go home to Pike County, Mo., on a convalescent leave of absence, where I remained one month, during which period I was married, and in December was returned to my company at St. Joseph, MO., for duty.
S. U. Branstetter,
Vandalia, Mo.,
Nov. 10th, 1903
Letter is on file at the Missouri Historical Society