Joseph Joe Marion Scott

SCOTT, Joe M. - In 1897 Leader Press in Mulberry, Arkansas printed a rare manuscript by Joe M. Scott entitled “Four Years Service in the Southern Army.” This was a fast moving account of Mr. Scott’s military service from Dug Springs, Missouri in 1861 to Little River, Arkansas in 1865 where he witnessed the reunion of the Russell, Buchanan and McCulloch families. The Washington County Historical Society reprinted 100 copies some years ago from an original in the possession of R.M. Buchanan. They published the following quotes taken from this account in Volume IX, No. 1 of their Flashback publication. The quotes are as follows:

At Dug Springs, Mo.) “He fell before me, the first dead man I ever saw in battle’

“We were carried from Memphis to Corinth in box cars, pressed in so closely that we were forced to stand erect all night.”

“There were at least ten acres of land (at Corinth, Miss.) occupied by sick and dead men.”

“Gen. Braxton Bragg was riding the finest horse and had the finest rig that I saw during the war.”

“General Price (Old Pap) drove up and stepped out of his buggy and mounted his calico horse and went charging to the front.”

“But four of my company were left to tell the story” (of Hatchie Bridge)

“At Grenada, President Davis visited the army. He spoke of our equipment being of the best character, the most of which had been captured from the Federals.”

“We would agree to an armistice of 30 minutes and were close enough to their lines to talk to each other. Then we would hear some fellow say, ‘Time is up’, and every fellow would get his gun and the battle would be renewed.”

“When I met my mother, she looked ten years older than when the war began.”

“The Pin Indians killed William White, my cousin, four miles west of Boonsboro and cut his throat from ear to ear.”

“Just a short time before General Price reached Boonsboro, Buck Brown and Colonel Brooks had a plan laid out to capture Fayetteville.”

“While we were riding one evening, we came up with some refugees trying to get south. It was the families of Dr. McCulloch, Uncle Jim Russell and the Rev. J.T. Buchanan of Boonsboro - eighteen in the crowd, all women and children. They had two wagons, four oxen to one and three to the other.”

“The 22nd of July 1865, I landed home, accepting the results of my four years’ service as a Confederate soldier, conquered but not convinced.” [WCHS Flashback Vol. 9, No. 1]

Joseph Marion Scott of Mulberry, Arkansas was born April 27, 1843 in Washington, Arkansas, the son of Joseph Scott of Virginia, who lived in Illinois and Crawford County, Arkansas. Maiden name of subject’s mother was Mary Laramore, daughter of James Laramore of Kentucky and Sebastian County, Arkansas. “Grandfather Laramore came from Ireland and was a Baptist preacher.” Subject was educated in Washington County, Arkansas by teachers James Mitchell and Ira Ferguson. He was a farmer, Assessor of Franklin County, Arkansas 1902-1905, was a Democrat, Presbyterian (Elder) and Mason, filled all the offices. Under books written -“Four Years Service in the Confederate Army”-contains eighty pages. He enlisted in Franklin County, Arkansas May 1861, served until the close of the war in Co. E, 6th Texas Cavalry. On May 11, 1873 he married Freedonia M. Morrow, daughter of Robert B. and Caroline (Mullins) Morrow. Their children were: Earnest G. Scott, married Margaret White, Dustin, Oklahoma; Atha Scott (deceased); Port M. Scott, Dustin, Oklahoma; Bertie Scott married John Catron (dead); Raphael W. Scott, Mulberry, Arkansas; Sammie Scott married Crockett Bledsoe, Van Buren, Arkansas; Reba Scott (deceased); Douglas Scott, Mulberry, Arkansas and Walter Ewell Scott, Mulberry, Arkansas. [1911 Arkansas Confederate Census]

Mr. Joe M. Scott of Fort Smith, a gallant Confederate soldier who was born and reared on Cove Creek, this county, attended the funeral of Mrs. W.N. Scott here Thursday. He is a brother of the late W.N. Scott. [Prairie Grove Herald 8/18/1921]