The first armed force that appeared in Carroll County was that of Brig. Gen. McBride, Confederate, en route from Batesville to Elm Springs, Benton County, with his command, numbering 4,000 or 5,000 men. Passing through in June, 1861, they encamped for the night at Green Forest. Their progress was not marked by any violence. After the battle of Wilson's Creek numerous small bodies passed through the county frequently.

A strong Federal force was thrown into Southwestern Missouri in the spring of 1862, and, aware that a decisive battle was approaching, an effort was made to prevent the enemy from concentrating his forces, and to divert his attention from the actual point of attack. A movement of this character, executed by Col. C. A. Ellis, is thus described by him in reporting to his superior officer:

     HEADQUARTERS FIRST MISSOURI CAVALRY. ttt 
     Camp on Sugar Creek, Ark., March 9th, 1862 

General: In obedience to your order of the 2^nd instant, to proceed to Keetsville and send forward a commissary train reported to be there, and then to make a reconnaissance of the country east of the position occupied by our forces, I marched with 140 men on the morning of the 3^rd, accompanied by Col. Pease, of your staff, to Keetsville, and forwarded the train as directed. I then proceeded east to the Roaring River, and north eight miles northeast of Cassville, Mo., and finding no appearance of the enemy, bivouacked for the night. At daylight of the morning of the 4^th I again moved forward in the direction of Morris' Mill, on the White River, where a camp of the rebels was reported to be in that vicinity. I reached the mills about 4 P. M. Finding no enemy there, I at once moved forward in the direction of Berryville, over the most broken country it is possible to conceive, crossing the White River six times in traveling eight miles. At 10 P. M., having found forage for our horses, I camped for the night, and again, at daylight of the 5^th, moved forward on the road to Berryville. When about two miles, I arrested two men of suspicious appearance, and from them obtained information that a company was organizing at Berryville to leave on the following morning.

Moving forward as rapidly as the nature of the ground would admit, I soon came to the suburbs of the town, and observed a body of horsemen moving north on the road leading in that direction. Taking two companies, I went in pursuit; Col. Pease, with the balance of the command, in the meantime surrounded the town, taking some fifty prisoners, twenty-two horses and fifty stand of arms.

My horses being much worn, I was unable to undertake those that had left, and after destroying three wagons partially loaded with stores belonging to the enemy, I returned to King's River and bivouacked.

At early dawn the next morning the command was ordered to saddle, and, as men and horses were exhausted, and a snow storm prevailing, I concluded on returning to camp, which I reached at 2 A. M. on the morning of the 7^th. I found forage exceedingly scarce, failing to secure sufficient over the whole region I scoured in that direction to supply the immediate wants of my command.

     C. A. ELLIS, Colonel, Commanding First Missouri Cavalry. 
     BRIG. GEN. JEFF. C. DAVIS, Commanding Third Division. 

E. B. Brown, brigadier general commanding Southwestern division of Missouri (Federals), states in his dispatches that six squadrons of cavalry left Cassville June 12^th, 1862, to break up a camp of 400 near Berryville. It is extremely improbable that there was any such camp there at the time. The result of the expedition is not known.

Gen. Herron, with his command, numbering about 20,000 men, marched through the county in December, 1863, after the battle of Prairie Grove, en route for Forsythe, Mo. This army encamped at Carrollton about a week. Gen. Blount, in command of 3,000 Kansas troops, encamped there the previous spring. It cannot be said that this visitation is remembered with gratitude by the people of the vicinity.

The only skirmish in which any considerable body of men was involved occurred April 16^th, 1863, on a farm now owned by Martin Trantham, a quarter of a mile from Yokum Creek. Companies G and K, First Arkansas Cavalry (Federal), under Capts. Roan Mack and Theodore Youngblood, with a number of noncombatants whom they were conducting from the State into Missouri, with personal property of some value, were pursued by about 700 Confederates under Capts. Bailey, Dillon and others. Seven of the latter were killed, including the gallant Capt. Dillon. The Federal loss was one killed and nine wounded, of whom seven died. The advantage was with the Confederates.

In April, 1864, Capt. George E. Gaddy, Federal, encountered Capt. McFarland on Race Track hollow. Lieut. Jesse Patty, Federal, was killed.

A skirmish occurred at Carrollton August 14^th, 1864, in which several were killed.

It would be futile to attempt an enumeration of all the various encounters that occurred throughout the war. Warfare became predatory. Armed bands of robbers infested the country, the terror of those they pretended to befriend no less than those they openly attacked.

The following hitherto unpublished account of the manner in which a company of guerrillas was disposed, is presented through the courtesy of A. H. Foote, Esq.; it was prepared by S. C. Mills, Esq.:

In the early part of the winter of 1863, while the First Regiment of Arkansas Cavalry was quartered at Lebanon, Mo., word was brought to headquarters that a band of bushwhackers were robbing the Union people in Stone County, Mo., and all along the Missouri line in that vicinity. Company F, Second Arkansas Cavalry, having been recruited in Stone County, Mo., and Carroll County, Ark., was selected to drive out Capt. Railey and his band of thirty-five bushwhackers. After reaching Stone County, Company F, Captain Berry in command, was not long in finding out where Capt. Railey and his band were, and were soon in hot pursuit. Railey, finding himself pursued, started for Leatherwood ford, on White River, at the mouth of Leatherwood Creek. Upon his arrival at the river, he found it rising rapidly, and crossed with his command and their plunder as rapidly as possible, starting up Leatherwood Creek to find shelter for the night. Thinking that the river would be impassable by the time his pursuers reached the ford, he had no further fears of pursuit. They went about three miles up the creek to Skelton farm, and went into quarters for the night, occupying the two farm houses. When Company F reached the ford it was found that Railey and his band had crossed, and that the river was past fording. Night coming on, the commanding officer did not think it safe to attempt to cross that night. First Lieut. John Williams, with Privates Samuel Gaskins and James Hobbs, were detailed to cross the river and keep the trail, these three men having been brought up on the creek, and get all the information possible. Swimming their horses across the river above the ford they followed the trail. Before reaching the Skelton farm they found that Railey and his band had taken possession of the houses and were then eating supper. It was nearly dark and they had not been discovered. They concluded to charge Railey and his men at once, which was done in splendid style. With a revolver in each hand, firing as they came, they completely surprised Railey and his men, who jumped out of the windows and took to the brush, bare headed and unarmed. Railey and four of his men were wounded and one killed. This was doubtless one of the boldest and most successful charges against the greatest odds during the war. The next morning, while in pursuit of Railey and his scattered band, they overtook the notorious guerrilla, Calvin Dunaway, killing him in a hand-to-hand fight, and shooting him eighteen times before he gave up; he lived but a few minutes after doing so. His wildcat fur cap was sent to headquarters at Lebanon, Mo. After the death of Dunaway Railey discharged his men, and all was quiet in this vicinity during the remainder of the winter.

Col. John E. Phelps, of the First Arkansas Cavalry (Federal), occupied Berryville with his regiment in 186_. Companies A, E and G, Second Arkansas Cavalry (Federal), under the command of Capt. A. Roberts, took possession of Berryville in February, 1864. Capt. George E. Gaddy was organizing a company of home guards on Long Creek at this time; it was mustered in at Fayetteville, February 28^th, 1864. A similar company, recruited by Capt. Joseph G. Walker, was attached to the Federal force at Berryville. In April, 1864, Company G was ordered to Easley's Ferry on the White River. June 8, 1864, Capt. Gaddy reported at Berryville with his company; Capt. Walker's company disbanded and re-enlisted in Companies A, E and G, and Capt. Gaddy's; June 10^th, 1864, Companies A and E, and Capt. Gaddy's company, evacuated Berryville, the former to proceed to Cassville, the latter to re-enforce Company G at Easley's Ferry, and thus ended the Federal occupation of Carroll County.

The population of the county in 1860 was about 10,000, of whom it is reasonable to suppose that 3,000 were capable of bearing arms. Few able bodied men remained at home. Such as were not received as regular soldiers, from old age or other causes, followed the different armies as sutlers, commissaries, etc. The exact number of men furnished each side cannot be definitely ascertained, but the general impression seems to be that the total number of soldiers furnished during the war from what is now Carroll County was about 2,000.