Erazo Surname
The Lone Jack Massacre
Biography of Benjamin Potter
Exile of Nancy Cave
Order No. 11
Letter of Clark to Ewing
Larry Gene Sullivan, R.I.P.

The Exile of Nancy Cave

This is an article written by Larry Sullivan, family member and publisher of the newsletter for the Sneed/Findley/Reid/Cave/Ewing clan. It details a little of what he learned about the remarkable struggle of a family of nine, led by a pregnant, newly-widowed grandmother, to survive after being forcibly exiled from their farm during the Civil War. Were it not for the incredible strength, determination, and courage of Nancy Jean Hunter Cave, hundreds of her descendants would not be here today to tell her story.

Nancy Cave's struggle began tragically with the massacre of her husband, two brothers, nephew, cousin, and a neighbor by Union troops on a farm in Lone Jack, Jackson County, Missouri. The seven men summarily executed by a unit of a the Ninth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment (known as "Redlegs") under the suspicion of aiding a band of guerrillas led by William C. Quantrill, an outlaw ruffian who had raided and burned Lawrence, Kansas three weeks earlier, killing over 150 male civilians and Union army recruits. The skirmishes and retaliatory cross-border raids between the Jayhawkers and Missouri Bushwhackers would impact the lives of all the border residents, and this is the story of one family and our direct ancestors.

Order No. 11 was issued by the Union Army after the Lawrence Massacre. Intended to neutralize local support of Quantrill’s Bushwhackers, the order specified the forcible exile of all residents of Jackson County. More details on Order No. 11 and the Lone Jack Massacre are found on the Lone Jack Massacre page.

We have read of the imposition of Order No. 11 on the people of Jackson County, and the hardships and suffering that it brought about. We have also read a little about the evacuation and exile of Nancy Cave, the widow of John S. Cave.

One can only imagine her state of mind on that fateful Sunday, the 6th day of September in 1863. Her husband had just been executed by Union troops on the Roupe farm; it was the day of their 27th wedding anniversary; she was under military orders to evacuate her family and abandon her home, property, crops, and livestock; she was a 44-year old grandmother of two who was seven months pregnant with her ninth child; and she had five daughters and a five-year-old son at home to care for and lead to safety. One must ask: "How much tragedy, heartache, and hardship can the human spirit endure at one time?"

In view of this drastic and terrible situation, several questions can be asked: What was the exile like for Nancy and her children? Who went? How did they travel? What did they take with them? How did they survive?

While many small details were not documented in the excerpts, there are many aspects of her trial that we can now piece together based on clues from several sources.

First of all, who went with Nancy? All the children of John S. Cave and Nancy are shown below with their names, dates of birth, and ages at the time of the evacuation:

Eliza, the eldest, married Jacob Bennett in 1857 and she had two young sons, George age 5, and Price age 2, and a household of her own to look after on this date. Her home was near Nancy and they were required to move out too. It is known that Jacob was in Ohio with his relatives at this time to avoid being drafted by either side and being forced to fight in a war he opposed. Since he was away, Eliza and her children joined Nancy for a time as noted by Martin Rice. Eliza later joined Jacob in Ohio, and from there they went to Wisconsin where they spent their time in exile. Their third child, Ella Weiser Bennett, was born on 4 Sept 1864 in Lone Jack. She must have been conceived early in Dec 1863, during the early part of their exile while still in Wisconsin. This little girl was to die a tragic death of her own ten years later, very close to the death date of her Mother.

Gaius was in the Confederate army in Arkansas on this date and, therefore, was not home to go with his family or help protect them. He would not learn of the tragic events until months later.

Willie, of course, was not even born until two months later. The other six children listed above, five daughters and one son, were still in the household and are often mentioned in the stories about the exile.

So, we have the family group of Nancy; Eliza and her two sons, George and Price; Jane, 23, who was still at home and did not marry until 1876; Susan, 17; Ally, 15; Matilda, 13; Berilla, 7; and Bart, 5. A pregnant mother, six daughters, a young son, and two young grandsons; A very vulnerable group indeed!

There is one other possible member that has never been mentioned in any of the accounts: the 1860 U.S. Census lists one slave in the Cave household. This young man would have been about 24 at the time. It is not known if he was still a slave in 1863 or if he had been freed. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was issued in January of 1863, and may have applied to him. If still a slave, though, he may have made the trip with the family.

Nancy and her children were accompanied and protected to some degree by other close family and relatives for at least a part of the journey:

Her father John Hunter, 75; her mother Elizabeth Jeans Hunter, 71; and her maiden sister Berilla, 34.

Her brother John David Hunter's wife, widowed that morning: Julia Potter Hunter, 25, and daughter Mollie, 5.

Her brother William J. Hunter's wife, also widowed that morning: Maria Hunter, and sons Francis, 15; John, about 11; Jacob, about 8; and daughter Clementina, 14. Her two older sons, Archibald, 19 and Robert Hill, 17, were away serving in the Confederate Army.

Her sister Matilda Hunter Owsley, 39, mother of 17-year-old Andrew Owsley slain that morning, and her five remaining children; John, 15; Malkidge, 10; Nancy, 8; Robert, 6; and David, 1. Her husband, David Owsley, was away serving in the Confederate army in Arkansas.

Even a quick look at the lineup above shows that except for 75-year-old John Hunter, no able-bodied adult male was available in this family group for protection and assistance while traveling through the dangerous war zone.

Martin Rice also tells of a handful of neighbors that left with the group, but later separated and went their own way:

The daughter of Benjamin Potter, another of the men slain that morning: Martha (Patsy) Potter, 34.

Three of Benjamin Potter's orphaned grandchildren whom he was raising: Amanda Missouri Potter, 18 (who later married Gaius Cave); Marion, 16; and Thomas, 12.

Martin Rice, 50, his aged mother Mary Rice, 71, and his six motherless children.

Martin Rice's daughter, widow of William Calvin Tate who was slain that morning: Martha Rice Tate, 25, and her three children; Rosalie, 11; John, 5; and Mary Matilda, 4.

The caravan that left late in the afternoon of 6 September may have consisted of the two adult men, 12 women, and 28 children loaded on about nine wagons, a total of at least 42 people.

So it fell to this saddened entourage of mostly women and children to endure the hazards of travel into the unknown; to abandon their homes quickly and go wherever they could find any kind of haven.

We know from the accounts that the family was either totally packed for the evacuation, or nearly so, on the day of the executions. So, one or more wagons at the Cave farm were nearly ready to depart. We also know from Martin Rice that several of the men, including John S. Cave, had the foresight to move some goods about 15 miles into Lafayette County near Odessa (then called Mount Hope) in the preceding weeks. There they stored the items with friends or relatives to be picked up later during the period of exile.

We know that there were few horses to be found in the area; they had mostly been stolen by the Jayhawkers, given to the Bushwhackers, or confiscated by the Federals. Therefore, the wagons had to be drawn by teams of oxen, a slow and tedious process at best, much less preferred than good teams of horses.

It is known, however, that Mary Jane Cave owned a saddle horse. In the accounts of the executions, she and Amanda Potter went to the Federal camp looking for the horse that had been taken from her that morning by the troops. That was when the bodies of the men were first discovered. It is not stated in the articles whether she regained the horse, but family legend says that she was able to steal him back at some point. If so, she may have had one of the very few horses in the area.

What kinds of things did they pack for the journey? Since there was a definite limitation of space and weight, only those items required for basic survival could be considered. No bulky furniture could be carried or other things not directly usable for day-to-day existence; they had to be left behind, abandoned to the whim of the elements and the mood of the Union troops. One concession to the weight and space limits may have been a small cookstove though. It would surely be needed. So with these limitations in mind, the first priorities had to be food and clothing.

Since the Caves operated a prosperous farm, food was always abundant. By September, all of the garden crops that were routinely preserved for the winter were laid by and available for the trip. Dried corn and beans, potatoes, onions, apples, and other dried or fresh fruits that would keep for a while were usually quite plentiful at this time of year. Wheat and corn would have been recently ground at the grist mill, and there would have been ample supplies of flour and cornmeal for biscuits, bread, and cornbread. Molasses, sorghum, and honey were also commonly on hand.

Hog butchering usually occurred during the winter, and except for some fresh meat at the time, nearly all was cured into hams, bacon, or sausage, and smoked. Lard for shortening was also rendered. As late as September, there should have been a good supply of cured pork left in the smokehouse from the previous winter.

Fresh beef was provided as needed, but in these times, there were not that many beef cattle left. Besides, fresh beef does not travel well; it's unlikely that any beef was taken unless it was dried into jerkey. But a live milk cow may have been driven along behind the wagon for fresh milk.

Also, everyone in those days had lots of chickens. One could imagine that several live chickens made the journey with the family, providing a ready supply of fresh meat and eggs.

So, probably the load of food consisted of the fresh or preserved garden crops, the ground grains, the cured pork, live chickens, and perhaps a milk cow. Water was not usually a problem anywhere in the area and it was probably not necessary to carry much of it. There were numerous streams and creeks with dependable supplies.

As for clothing, as well as other materials needed for protection from the elements, the family probably packed every piece they owned. In those days, people did not have extensive wardrobes as we do today. Two or three everyday outfits and one dress-up ensemble was about it. Added to this basic wear was warm coats and heavier shoes for the winter. Quilts, pillows, and other bedding materials were also necessary.

The next order of priority would have been sturdy dishes, flatware, and cooking utensils. Since they would be camping along the way for an unknown period of time, it was essential that everything needed to properly prepare their food was taken along. Another critical category was the vital tools they might need such as gardening implements, and possibly a plow, and those items needed for building or repairing things that broke. Other miscellaneous items were things like wash tubs, scrub boards, and lye soap.

When the group left Lone Jack on the afternoon of 6 September, the accounts state that they camped in Johnson County the first night not far from Chapel Hill. This certainly indicates that they wanted to leave the scene of the tragedy and get out of Jackson County as soon as possible. As described in Lillian Lorena Cave's story, they also feared that additional reprisals might be in store for them if they tarried in Jackson County too long. But making it all the way to Johnson County that afternoon was not all that difficult; the county line was only about one mile from the Cave farm.

The roads in those days were very primitive and, except for the major routes, mostly uncharted. To illustrate how primitive these roads were, I only need to mention that construction specifications of the day said that "no tree stumps over eight inches in height were to be left within the roadbed!" But these specifications were for "official" roads that were built under contract. Many that the family must have traveled were probably country lanes that just sort of happened rather than being built.

At any rate, Nancy and her children, and the other family members, camped in the Chapel Hill area for a few days to rest and get organized. But where to go next? The other counties affected by Order No. 11 were all to the south of Jackson County. With over 42,000 refugees on the move toward the east, choosing to head south or southeast into their path would not seem to be a good idea. So it was either east or northeast, and they chose northeast, moving away from the main body of evacuees.

When they continued their journey, they made their way over the unimproved roads in some fashion, moving toward the northeast. Progress must have been slow with the yoke of oxen drawing the wagon. They probably were lucky to make five or six miles a day. Eventually, after several days, they came near the small community of Dover, on the banks of the Missouri river in northeastern Lafayette County. This area is only about 34 miles from Lone Jack as the crow flies, but certainly much farther over the jagged route they had to take.

There they had the unbelievable good fortune to find an abandoned house which they immediately laid claim to. With so many displaced people searching for any kind of shelter, they were extremely lucky. They were also blessed by finding many friendly, helpful, and sympathetic neighbors who aided them in many ways. At last the group had a small measure of good luck for a change.

This was especially true since many of the locals in some areas were very suspicious of the migrating hordes; they seemed to think that they all were disloyal and therefore not to be trusted. There were also local military commanders in the eastern counties who issued regulations that anyone must have a certificate of loyalty to settle anywhere in their county. Thus most of the displaced population were forced to keep moving on toward the east or north. But the local military and neighboring people took pity and allowed Nancy's family and the Hunters to settle there. The news of the executions was known in the whole area.

The first order of business for Nancy and her charges was to get the place livable and ready for the coming winter, and ready for the impending birth of Nancy's child. The food had to be stored. The animals had to be cared for. Wood had to be cut for cooking and heating. Makeshift furniture had to be built , borrowed, or retrieved from the cache near Odessa. With all of these things to do, it was probably late September before they got everything unloaded and organized. It could have taken longer; we don't know the condition of the house when they arrived. A large portion of this work must have fallen on Mary Jane, being the oldest child at 23 and considering Nancy's condition. She must have directed much of the activities of the younger girls and cared for them.

The accounts say that the family was indeed able to retrieve the goods that were stored by John S. Cave near Odessa, which was about 20 miles from Dover. This surely helped a great deal. Also, Martin Rice stated that several people, the Caves and Hunters included, made perilous trips back to their abandoned farms a few times and brought back a few more necessities. The women were always taken along to dissuade violence from either side of the warring parties.

Nancy gave birth to her ninth and last child on 6 Nov 1863 in the house at Dover. She named him William J. Cave, but the family always called him Willie.

They survived the winter, mostly with the food they brought with them. The kind neighbors and the Hunter family probably helped along some too. We also know that at some point, Nancy and the girls, with the help of their dog, managed to kill a wild hog and used the fresh meat to supplement their rations.

In the spring the family planted a garden to provide fresh vegetables. Some accounts also say that the family put in a crop of some kind. They did have the oxen to draw a plow, but whether they brought a plow was never mentioned. The garden is very likely, the crop is somewhat less likely.

In March 1864, another order was issued that allowed some people to return to Jackson County under certain circumstances. The circumstances, however, required that the returnees must have a valid certificate of loyalty issued by a Union commander, and Nancy and her family stayed at the Dover house for about a year altogether. So they must have returned to Lone Jack in about August or September of 1864.

They expected that their house would have been burned like so many others in Jackson County during their owner's absence. They were surprised to find everything just as they had left it; nothing had been disturbed. Even a bed that was made when they left was still made when they returned.

So, the family settled back into their old home and tried to restore normal living conditions. Having been untended for a year, there was much to do to clean up, establish a new garden plot, corral the scattered livestock, and store provisions for the coming winter.

If this story tells us anything at all, its that people sometimes live beyond what can reasonably be expected. In the face of unimaginable adversity, they can exhibit a personal strength and courage that is difficult for us to understand who have not been through such a trial. Those who have, though, and survive to tell the story are genuine heroes. Nancy Jean Hunter Cave certainly fits into this category by anybody's definition!

Mary Jane Cave

Gaius Cave

Ella Evaline (Ally) Cave

Matilda Ann Cave

What did the future bring for the people who endured the Order No. 11 Exile?

Nancy Cave and her children settled back on the family farm for awhile, but by 1866 it was sold to settle the estate of John S. Cave. She and her children moved in nearby with her father John Hunter, her mother Elizabeth, and sister Berilla. Sometime later, they rented a small farm and cabin north of Lone Jack. There they remained until the children were grown and had families of their own. At some point before 1882, Nancy moved in with her daughter Berilla and her family in Warrensburg, Missouri. She died there in December of 1905 and is buried in the Lone Jack cemetery.

Nancy's Mother, Elizabeth Jeans Hunter died in 1878; her Father, John Hunter died in 1886 at age 98; and her sister Berilla died in Los Angeles in 1896.

Eliza Cave Bennett, her husband Jacob, and two sons, returned from Wisconsin after the exile and settled on their old farm adjacent to the John Hunter farm. Eliza and Jacob had a daughter and three more sons before her death about ten years later in 1874. Her only daughter, Ella Weiser Bennett also died in the same year at the age of ten of an unknown cause.

Mary Jane Cave married Tom Faulkenberry after the War in 1876 and they had three daughters. The oldest, Eva, was born in about 1877 and died as a child. Berilla was born in 1878 and died unmarried at the age of 26. Georgia married Albert Dimmitt in 1901 and they had one daughter. Georgia died in 1958. Mary Jane died in Lone Jack in 1896.

Gaius Cave married Amanda Missouri Potter in 1869 and they had one son and two daughters while still living in Lone Jack. Sometime before 1890, the family moved to Tempe, Arizona where their last daughter, Lillian Lorena Cave, was born. Amanda died in Tempe in 1916; Gaius died in Long Beach, California in 1930.

The younger Cave children all grew to adulthood, married, and most had large families and lived long lives:

Susie Cave married Sidney Simmons in March of 1877 and they had six children. Susie died sometime before 1890.

Ally Cave married John C. Potter, son of Benjamin Potter, and they had three children. Ally died in March of 1923.

My great-grandmother, Matilda Ann Cave married Joseph Klinker Reid in 1870 and bore twelve children, three of whom died in infancy. Matilda died in 1939 at age 89.

Berilla Cave married Eli Simmons and they had seven children. Berilla died in 1922.

John Bartlett Cave married Virginia Simms and they had four children. Bart died sometime after 1905.

Willie Cave married Mattie Shawhan, but the couple had no children. Willie died in 1946, the last among his siblings to die.

Matilda Hunter Owsley and her children settled back on the old Owsley farm near the Hunters and somehow made a living. About six months later, her husband David died in Georgia during battle. Matilda never remarried and died in 1900.

Julia Potter Hunter, 25-year-old widow of John David Hunter, moved back to Indiana where she was born, and remarried. Julia died in 1919. Her daughter Molly Hunter settled back in Missouri as an adult, married, and lived in Vernon County.

Martin Rice moved back to his farm in the spring of 1864 since he had a certificate of loyalty from the Federal commander. He died in 1903 after writing several books of poetry and stories. His daughter Martha Rice Tate, widow of William Calvin Tate, never remarried and died in 1870.

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