Rootsweb gang
As you know some of us are related to the Ladds.
Henry Cato married Polly Ladd 1810 in Ky and in1811
Henry's younger sister Tabitha Married Francis Ladd.
Both of these families along with other Cato's and Ladd's
moved to Missouri. Here is a story that I want to share
with you.
Major James Wilson a heartless Union officer with a take
no prisoner policy rode into Pulliams farm in Ripley County
at Christmas dinner 1863 and killed 35 soldiers and 62
civilians, some as young as 12 months old while they were
eating Christmas dinner.
When Confederate Colonel Timothy Reeves (Baptist
minister) learned of this, he and other confederate troops
finally tracked down Major James Wilson at Pilot Knob, Mo.
On 9-27-1864 Major James Wilson and six enlisted men
were captured and killed before a firing squad on this date.
Upon learning of Wilson's capture and the fate of the six
enlisted, Union General Rosecrans in St. Louis ordered that
a captured Confederate Major and six enlisted be randomly
selected and held in solitary confinement until further orders.
There were no Majors in captivity so six enlisted were detained.
From the 3rd Mo. Cavaly Reg. CSA ASA V. LADD from
Stoddard Co Mo was one of the six selected.
On the afternoon of 10-29-1864 the six enlisted were taken
from solitary confinement at Gratiot Prison to Fort #4 near
Lafayette Park. Each was tied to an upright Pole and informed
of their fate. In front of 3000 spectators the six were shot in
murder by a firing squad of 54 Union soldiers around 3 o'clock.
Asa Valentine Ladd was a son of Ransom Ladd and is
buried at Jefferson Barracks National cemetary grave #4608.
More later on Asa Ladd's last letter home!!
Adruain