List of Killed of Thirty-ninth Missouri Infantry, (Union)
at Battle of Centralia, Mo.,
September 27, 1864.

 



Excerpted from The History of Boone County Missouri by W.F. Switzler originally published in 1882, page 462.

On September 24, 1864, the 39th Missouri Infantry (union) was ambushed by Bloody Bill Anderson's Guerillas. Seventy-nine were evidently executed with gunshots to the head as evidenced by the 79 skulls found when the bodies were disinterred.

The seventy-nine bodies buried at Centralia were disinterred December 17, 1873, under direction of Capt. Nelson, and forwarded to Jefferson City, and reinterred in the national cemetery at that place. James A. Harris had the contract for taking them up, for which he received $150. A monument which had been placed over the grave was removed by C.A. Brown for $30. About fifty-six bodies were taken up the first day. The bones, clothing, cartridge boxes, belts, etc., were well preserved. The skeletons were small, indicating they were of young men. Those who buried them say they were young men, in most cases, with smooth faces and without even mustaches. Seventy-nine skulls were taken out of this grave, each with a bullet hole in it.

The exact number of Federals killed, it is believed, has been correctly ascertained, together with their names. J.A. Waddell, Adjutant General of the State, furnishes from the muster rolls of the companies of the Thirty-ninth Missouri, on file in his office, the name of every man reported killed at Centralia, as follows:

Field officers:

    Major A.V.E. Johnson

COMPANY A

Line officers:

    Capt. J.A. Smith

Non-commissioned officers:

    Sergt. Wm. G. Elliott
    Sergt. J.S. Nesbit
    Sergt. M.B. Long
    Sergt. J.C. Reynolds
    Corp. A.W. Walters
    Corp. Jasper May
    Corp. Canada Keller
    Corp. Elijah Eitel

Privates:

    Josiah Adams
    Geo. W. Bragg
    O.C. Byrd
    Wm. H. Braden
    John N. Braden
    Wm. H. Corbin
    A.J. Capps
    J.L. Canada
    Geo. W. Cook
    Porter Cunningham
    A.J. Denton
    David R. Graves
    John B.W. Graves
    Alfred B. Hayward
    Valentine Hine
    Benj. Hargrove
    John Hanlin
    Granville Hanlin
    Wm. H. Jeffers
    Henry Keller
    Daniel Lorton
    James Morrow
    Joseph Morrow
    F. McClanahan
    E.T. Miles
    Mark S. Musick
    Jas. K.P. Mock
    Wm. Norton
    Eli F. Osborn
    A.B. Polly
    Alfred S. Parsons
    Jacob Reed
    John S. Spicer
    Issac Slaughter
    James C. Stuteville
    Emmet H. Selby
    Wm. Shoemaker
    Daniel A. Simler
    Chas. Wilbaum
    Jas H.B. Waddell
    David Wilbaum
    J.R. Williams
    Thos. Waugh
    Jas. Willis
    John R. Wood
    C.C. Wise
    Alfred Zimmerman

total count, company A: 56

COMPANY G

Non-commissioned officers:

    Sergt. David N. Dunn
    Sergt. Jno. Donahoo
    Sergt. Wm. Lair
    Sergt Geo. W. Miller
    Corp. Leander P. Bart
    Corp. Jas. S. Gunby
    Corp. Wm. Loar
    Corp. David Riggs
    Corp. L.D. Sherwood
    Corp. Jacob R. Wexler

Privates:

    Geo. W. Adams
    Charles Bishop
    Samuel Bell
    Philip Christman
    Wm. Christman
    Oscar Collier
    John J. Cirstein
    Homer M. Dunbar
    Wm. Drennan
    Sylvester H. Deen
    James S. Edwards
    Eleazer Evans
    Robt. R. Elston
    Wm. G. Floor
    James Forsythe
    Robt. Greenfield
    Wm. P. Golay
    Henry T. Gooch
    Joseph S. Glahn
    John W. Hardin
    Elijah Hall
    Chas. M. Jenkins
    Wm. Knipper
    Anthony Labas
    Louis F. Marquette
    Chas. Matterson
    John Moore
    Jno. C. Montgomery
    Wm. A. Ross
    Robt. E. Spires
    J.G. Sellers
    Edward Strachan
    James Stalcup
    Wm. T. Smith
    Peter Sunnoner
    J.W. Traswell
    Geo. W. Van Osdale
    J.N. Vaden
    A.M. Vandiver
    Jonathan Wobdell
    Wm. T. Whitelock

total count, company G: 51

COMPANY H

Non-commissioned officers:

    Sergt. Henry F. Porter

Privates:

    Patrick Ballager
    Samuel L. Dingle
    Wm. Dingle
    Wm. Dexhimer
    Wm. A. Denny
    James M. Henry
    Chas. Kline
    Frederic Miller
    Robt. E. Montgomery
    Conrad Pilgram
    Chas. E. Rendlen
    Winfield Shuler
    Benj. Stephenson
    Bennett Ford

total count, company H: 15

Recapitulation
Field officers 1
Line officers 1
Non-commissioned officers
and privates		 Company A 55
Company G 51
Company H 15
Total 123

The following are the names of some of Capt. Theiss's company (H.), who escaped:

    Capt. Adam Theiss
    Lieut. John E. Stafford
    Corp. John R. Sublett
    Isaac (?) Howard, color-bearer
    Louis Taylor
    John Cummings
    Ephriam J. Folen
    Jack Calvert
    Enoch Hunt
    Frank Barns, wounded
    Wm. Parker

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