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Contributed by: Kimberly Lynch Blair McGee, Daniel McGee, and Hugh McGee were confederates, and brothers-in-law to Richard Dickey Cowan Jr., whom is listed on the veterans page. Richard Dickey Cowan, Jr. was married to their sister Nellie. I also have another confederate ancestor, W.C. Jarrett from Doniphan. I have pictures of W.C. Jarrett and Blair, but no picture of Hugh McGee. His story is particularly tragic. Daniel McGee Daniel McGee was born December 13th 1828 in Jefferson Township, Wayne County Missouri. He was the eldest son of Thomas and Tabitha Cato McGee. Prior to the war, the McGee family was mostly prosperous in farming, especially black angus cattle. They owned thousands of acres of land and many slaves. The family also had dealings in railroads and rental property. In 1860, 18 of the 23 slaves recorded in the Wayne County census belonged to the McGee family. When the war for Southern Independence reared its head in Missouri, Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson sided with the South. He and his cabinet were overrun by a provisional government selected by President Lincoln. This forced every Missourian to choose a side; there was no neutral ground, especially in the Western and Southern parts of the state. Daniel immediately took arms with the Missouri State Guard along with his brother Blair. This unit only existed a few short months and was disbanded after Missouri was officially recognized as a Confederate State by the CSA. The 2nd Missouri Cavalry was immediately formed and Daniel was voted in as a Lieutenant in company C. Daniel fought his entire military career in Southeast Missouri, refusing to cross the Mississippi River, as did many locals, because the Yankee invaders had made it impossible for not only southern sympathizers, but even the general public to survive. Daniel had graduated to the title of Captain, and with this, recruited a very proficient group of men. Several successful raids were made upon Union camps, and efficient spy activity assisted commanders like Jeff “the Swamp Fox” Thompson, Timothy Reeves, and even General Sterling Price. This made the “McGee Band” a certain target for Union Commanders Major Reeder and Colonel Lazaer of the 12th Missouri Militia. Taken from the Official Record, On February 2nd, 1863, Major Reeder reported that he and his men arrived in Dallas (present day Marble Hill, Missouri) for the purpose of killing, capturing and dispersing such bands of outlaws and rebels as infest the vicinity of Dallas and Mingo Swamp. It should be noted that especially in Missouri, the Union Army refused to consider southern partisans as soldiers and that an “outlaw” was anyone who didn’t fight for the Union. Reeder was looking for one southerner in particular and that was Captain Daniel McGee. Scouts had reported to Reeder that Captain McGee was in the area. McGee had been a particular thorn in the side of Major Reeder. Reeder decided to rest his men in Dallas and resume his pursuit of McGee and his men the next day. On February 4, 1863, Major Reeder had learned an approximate location of Captain McGee and his men, and against the advice of residents, made a mad dash through the swamps in search of him. With 40 of his best horses and men, Reeder made a “sharp trot” of 10 miles eventually arriving at the farm of Simeon Cato, a man Reeder accused of harboring “outlaws”. Simeon was Daniel’s 64 year old uncle. It was here that Major Reeder discovered and startled Captain McGee and his men. Reeder stated in his official report that “We took no prisoners amongst them, as I had previously been given orders not to do so.” Reeder’s report also stated that within 15 minutes, the whole band was exterminated. Nine were killed instantly, including Simeon Cato and Daniel, and 20 more fell mortally wounded. From partial family accounts and the story from notorious Missouri Bushwacker Samuel Hildebrand who was harboured at Thomas McGee's homestead on several occasions, Daniel and his men were unarmed, feeding their horses and resting from the previous day’s raid at Bollinger Mill, where at least one Yankee was killed and another captured. That would explain being unarmed and surprised at the early morning attack. Further family legend says that after Daniel was killed, Yankees stood over his body and continued firing shots until his entire midriff was cut through. He was stripped of his Confederate Uniform, which hung as a “trophy” at the courthouse in Fredericktown, or perhaps as a warning to other southern sympathizers. Daniel McGee is my great- great-great uncle by blood. In 2005, a roadside marker was established by descendants of Daniel McGee and Simeon Cato at the precise location the Mingo Swamp Massacre occurred. In 2006, a graveside marker was established by the same descendants where most of the men murdered that day lay in shallow graves. The only picture known to exist of Daniel McGee is below, scanned from the book written about the McGee family, "Lost Family, Lost Cause", by Ivan N. McKee, published in 1978, Pine Hill Press. |
