Cote Sans Dessein Township

Robert C. Boyce, of Lincoln county, Kentucky, settled in Callaway county in 1828. He married Ann Murphy, by whom he had Charion C., Greenberry D., Harrison A., Charles L., John B., Wharton B., Ann M., Eliza, Susan and Sarah.

Frank Bush, of Clark county, Kentucky, married Lucy Davis, by whom he had William, Polly, Nancy, Elizabeth, Mary and Fanny. Mr. Bush was married the second time to Rachel Martin, by whom he had Fielding, Jordan, Lucy and Sally. Fanny married Thomas Bradley, who settled in Callaway county in 1828. Elizabeth married Daniel Oliver, who settled in that county in 1833. Jordan married Sally Stewart, and settled in Callaway county in 1829.

John Ferguson, of Virginia, whose father was a sea captain, married Frances Lucas, and settled in Callaway county in 1820. They had Moses, Ann, John, Sarah, Nancy, Swan, Napoleon and Mary. Moses married Jane Pew, and settled in Callaway county in 1824. Ann married Arthur Neal, who settled in that county in 1820. John married Peggy Pew, and settled in Callaway county in 1820. Sarah married Braddock Beasley, who settled in Callaway county in 1833. Nancy married Henry Neal, who settled in Callaway county in 1820. Major Swan Ferguson was born in Virginia in 1796. He married Jane Holloway, and settled in Cote Sans Dessein, Callaway county, in 1820. He purchased a farm and lived upon it forty-six years, and raised and educated seven children, six of whom are living. On a certain occasion, as he was returning from Santa Fe, New Mexico, he was surrounded by Indians, but cut his was through them and escaped in the midst of a shower of arrows. Major Ferguson is dead. Napoleon Ferguson married Elizabeth Allen, and settled in Callaway county in 1820. Mary married Milton Cleveland, who settled in Callaway county in 1820.

Daniel Stokes, a German, who lived in Halifax county, Virginia, married a Miss Dupley, by whom he had Thomas, Josiah, William, Young, Bartlett, Henry and Polly. Thomas married Polly Wade, and they had Henry W. and Thomas, Jr. He was married the second time to a Mrs. Mundy, and they had Singleton, Hamilton, Mumford, Armon and Sarah. Henry W. Stokes settled in Callaway county in 1835. He married Polly Tatum, and they had nine children. He was married the second time to Eliza A. Bartley, by whom he had nineteen children. By his two wives he had twenty-eight children, fourteen sons and fourteen daughters.

Thomas Whittington, of London, England, came to America when he was twelve years of age, with his uncle, who was a sea captain. He settled in Virginia, and after he was grown, married Elizabeth brown, by whom he had William, Thomas, Jr., James, Stark D., John, Edmund, Judith, Rhoda, Patsey and Nancy. Stark D. married Elizabeth Loudon, and they had James, Eliza, Martha, Emily, Anderson, George, Reuben, Frances and Elmira. James married Harriet Gregory, and settled in Callaway county in 1841. He was married the second time to Lucy Burch. Reuben Whittington also settled in Callaway county.

Joseph Crow, of Nelson county, Kentucky, married Sarah Humphreys, and settled in Callaway county in 1819. His children were John H., Polly H., Joseph R., Mary, Elizabeth, Nancy and Sarah A.

Benjamin Childs, of Halifax county, Virginia, married Elizabeth Falkner, by whom he had John H., William F., Henry, Samuel, Keziah, Nancy and Mary. John H. married Mary Boyster and settled in Callaway county in 1835. His children are William H., John D., Benjamin F., Samuel J., Henry C., Walter S., Nathaniel R., Elizabeth, Frances, Ann and Saladay.

Edward Eley, of Culpepper county, Virginia, had a son named Henry, who married Mary James, by whom he had Mary, Catharine, Benjamin F., George, James, Harriet and Sallie. He was married the second time to the widow Simms, who also died, and he was married the third time to Sallie Fitzhugh. Mr. Eley settled in Callaway county in 1835.

William Williams was a native of England, and was a soldier in the British army during the American Revolution. He became so well pleased with the Americans and their country from what he saw of them during his soldier days, that when the war was over, he remained and settled in Virginia, where he soon after married Sally Martin. Their children were William, Asa T., Peyton, Robert, Richard, John, Joseph, Polly, Lucy, Sally and Elizabeth, all of whom settled in Callaway county, Missouri, from 1814 to 1824. Asa T. settled at Cote Sans Dessein in the spring of 1815, and was the first American settler in that part of the county. He afterward married Elizabeth Langley, and they had John, Isaac, Henry B., Peyton T., Robert B., James N., Asa T., Jr. and William G., Sally, Mary, Elizabeth J., Mordecai A., Matilda, and several others who died in childhood. William, brother of Asa T., Sr., married Elizabeth May, of Virginia, and settled in Callaway county in 1822. Peyton married Polly Langley and settled in Callaway county in 1820. Robert married Frankie May and settled in Callaway county the same year. John married Elizabeth Johnson, of Tennessee, and settled in Callaway county n 1824. Joseph settled in that county in 1817, and married Elizabeth Langley.

Leonard Burch, of Maryland, was married twice—first, to a Miss Webster, by whom he had James, Thomas, John and Nancy; and second to a Miss Crow, by whom he had Stiman, Stephen, Sally, Susan and Catherine. James, the eldest son by his first wife, was married in 1806 to Mary Padgett, of Virginia, by whom he had Lucy, Thomas, Nelson, Joseph and Nancy. He died in 1816, and in 1841, his widow and two of her daughters settled in Callaway county, Missouri, where the former died in 1853. Thomas, son of Leonard Burch, married the widow of Thomas Hall, whose maiden name was Susan S. Clarby, of Amherst county, Virginia. He settled in Callaway county in 1830. Joseph, son of James Burch, married Elizabeth Chaney, of Boone county, Missouri, and settled in Callaway in 1831. Lucy, his sister, married James L. Whittington, of Callaway county. Nancy never married, and died in Bates county, Missouri.

John Bartley was a native of Scotland; his wife was born in Turkey. They came to America a number of years before the Revolution, and when the war began, their son Joshua, who was only eighteen years of age, enlisted in the American army. He soon manifested great gallantry and fine soldierly qualities, for which he was promoted to the rank of captain, a position which he held during the remainder of the war. Soon after peace was declared he married Elizabeth Allen, who was a niece of General Nathaniel Greene, and they had Allen, John, James, William, George, Polly, Nancy and Elizabeth. Mr. Bartley settled in Kentucky, and his sons Allen, John and James became volunteers from that State in the War of 1812. John married Winifred Bagby, of Virginia, and settled in Callaway county, Missouri, in 1829, where he died in 1849. His children were George G., John J., William W., Joshua W., Joseph D., Daniel M., Andrew J., Sarah E. and Susan A. George, the youngest son of Joshua Bartley, Sr., was educated by his brother John, and in 1820 he came to Missouri and settled in Callaway county, where he married Elizabeth Moore, and raised a large family, most of whom still live in that county. He was appointed deputy county and circuit clerk at an early date, and was afterward elected circuit clerk, which position he held for eighteen consecutive years. He also served as judge of the county court for three terms. During his residence in Missouri, he made several trips to Santa Fe, New Mexico, on trading expeditions.

Charles Hopkins was an Episcopal minister of England, but came to America and settled in Goochland county, Virginia. He was married twice, and had nineteen sons and two daughters. One of his sons, named John, married Mary Luck, of Virginia, by whom he had George B., William L., Nancy, Adelia, Lucy, Polly and Sarah. George B. married Ann Withens, of Virginia, and settled in Callaway county, Missouri, in 1831. He served as judge of the county court for twenty years. In 1835 he was elected colonel of militia, and served until 1845. His children were James A., Anna E., Marion L., John A and Edward W. Mrs. Hopkins died in 1852, and he afterwards married Mrs. Ann Gray, who died in 1873.

William Hornbuckle, of Virginia, married Jane Harding, and settled in North Carolina, from whence he removed to Kentucky, and settled in Callawy county, Missouri. His children were Thomas, Richard, Harding, Alfred, Rufus, Nancy, Dubby, Rebecca, Peggy, Susan and Sally, all of whom settled in Callaway county.
Killes Horde, of Culpepper county, Virginia, had Alexander, Daniel, Lewis, Edwin, Catharine and Minnie. Alexander married Agnes Jones, and settled in Callaway county in 1837.

Moses Langley, of Georgia, settled in Callaway county in 1817. His children were Moses, Isaac, Jane, Carter, John, Collett, Agnes, Uley, Sallie, Polly and Elizabeth. James married Matilda Haynes; John married Lucy Boyd; Collett married Theresa Evans; Uley married Collett Haynes; Sallie married William Langley.

COTE SANS DESSEIN.

The above words signify “a hill without design,” and were the name of an ancient French village. This place has its name from an isolated hill that is standing, as if by accident, on the river bank, in an extensive bottom. It appears that some convulsion of nature may have cut it off from the hills at the mouth of the Osage, on the opposite bank of the Missouri, and given passage to this last mentioned river, between it and the base of its kindred hills. The village of Cote Sans Dessein was settled probably about the year 1800, and was once a populous place. The old inhabitants have generally removed across the Missouri, and settled there. This ancient village had its share in the Indian wars, incident to the settlement of the country, and furnishes an instance of gallantry in the defence of the place, equal to any recorded in the history of manly firmness.

The principal actor in this achievement was a Frenchman, whose name was Baptiste Louis Roi. He chanced to be in the block-house, with only two men and as many women, when the attack commenced. With this small command, he made a successful defence against a numerous and very determined band of Indians. One of the men, observing the great disparity of force, was panic stricken, and rendered no assistance in the conflict. He devoted himself to prayer and very humble penitence throughout the siege. The women, the wife and sister-in-law of the gallant Roi, lent efficient and indispensable aid to the two soldiers, their husbands. The defenders of the block-house had not been sufficiently provident in their supply of ammunition, so as to have a sufficient quantity of balls on hand at the beginning of the attack.

While the men were firing, the women made it their business to cast balls and cut patches, so as to keep up the defence in a steady and uninterrupted manner. The consequence was that these two riflemen numbered fourteen Indians in their report of killed, without being able to form any correct account of the wounded. But they had the satisfaction to continue the fight until the balance of their foes were among the missing. After the extreme suffering which the assailants endured, they became desperate in their determination to take or destroy the block-house. They made several bold attempts to storm, but were always driven back with reduced numbers. This taught them circumspection, and to effect this in security, they fastened combustible matter to their arrows, and having lighted this their missives were shot into the roof of the block-house. As often as this occurred, the women made it a business to extinguish the blaze by the application of the little water they had within the building. The place of defence was near the river bank, but the garrison was too weak to justify a sally for additional supplies. It was with appalling interest that the little band observed the rapid expenditure of their small stock as the incendiaries repeated their experiments. Their torches were sent up with fearful accuracy form the shelter of a ravine, and each new blaze was accompanied with the demoniac yells of the assailants. The women continued to apply the water, with parsimonious regard to economy—not a drop was wasted. The fiery arrows were still showered upon the devoted house, and at each discharge the warwhoop was redoubled. At last the water was exhausted; the last bucket was drained of the last drop! Another discharge succeeded. The roof was blazing over their heads; and when despair was settling on the hitherto buoyant spirits of the little band, one of the females produced a gallon of milk. This was sufficient to protract destruction, but no security against a recurrence of imminent peril. There was a pause after the last blaze had been extinguished. The defenders were watching with acute sensibility every movement of the enemy, hoping that their fruitless efforts had discouraged them, and that in this, they would find immunity. But when they began to respire freely, with hope of safety, another discharge broke on their view; the fiery arrows hurled in the air, and the roof blazed again fearful clearness! A mighty shout arose from a hundred wild and startling voices. Even Baptiste Roi himself, whose visage was the mirror of a hero’s soul, looked aghast on the companions of his peril. His wife, with an angel’s smile on her face, produced, from the urinal just then replenished, the fluid that proved the salvation of the garrison. The fire was again extinguished. Then it was that the elastic spirits of the little party sent forth an answering shout of joy, and another of defiance, hurled with spirit in the face of savage exultation. Thrice did these women supply from the same fountain a fluid for the extinguishment of wicked hope when at last the baffled bloodhounds ran off, screaming a bitter howl of mingled resentment and despair. When the achievement above described was talked over, long after the war, some of the young gentlemen in St. Louis united in the expense of a rifle, of fine finish, to present to Monsieur Baptiste Louis Roi, for his Spartan gallantry in the defence of Cote Sans Dessien. [sic] He was flattered with the compliments intended, when it had been intimated that he was to receive this as soon as the gun was completed. No expense was spared to render the transaction agreeable to the soldier, and the present suitable to the character and liberal sentiments of the donors. During the time employed in manufacturing the rifle, and in some of the conversations that the interesting subject produced, it was playfully suggested that the ladies deserved a present for the spirited share they had taken in the conflict, and some thoughtless young man remarked, that a silver urinal should by presented to Madame Roi. This unfortunate remark was reported to her husband. When, therefore, the committee waited on him with a complimentary communication, and requested that he would accept an expensive rifle, one of Cramer’s best, he explained his views something to the following effect: --
“GENTLEMAN—It is a fuzee of beautiful proportions—containing very much gold in de pan, and silver on his breeches; he is a very gentleman gun for kill de game. I tank you. I shall not take him. Some gentleman have consider to give ma chere ami one urinal silvare! I tell you, sare, I take care of dem tings myself—go to h—ll avec votre dam long gun! I shall not take him!! Go to h—ll, any body, by d—n sight!!!”
And with this expression of resentment for the freedom the young man had unwittingly taken in the discussion of the affair, he departed with manly indignation, in perfect keeping with his admirable character.

The first settlers in the county pitched their tents in Cote Sans Dessein township, and were it possible to penetrate the gloom that has enveloped the facts and incidents which were doubtless familiar to the pioneers of Cote Sans Dessein at the beginning of the present century, we might be able to present to our readers much that would be of far more interest concerning the early settlement of the township.

BARKERSVILLE.

This village was settled in 1867. It is located on the northeast quarter of section 23, township 44, range 10, and contains a population of seventy-five. Mail, semi-weekly. It is on the Missouri river, opposite to Osage City, twenty-three miles south of Fulton, and nine miles east of Jefferson City; it has a steam saw and grist mill, a Methodist church and district school.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

C. W. Babb, portable saw-mill; E. M. Bryan, physician; Peter Cristy, carpenter;
R. H. Crow & Co., general store; H. Fuls & Son, saw and grist mill; Miss Kate Fuls, milliner; C. H. Harlan, farmer and live stock; Stewart & Hart, general store; R. H. Vaughlees, teacher; A. H. White, druggist.

HORD

is a post-office twenty miles south of Fulton, located on the Missouri river, near Cote Sans Dessein, and named after Richard Hord.

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