Barry County Missouri Story - Unice Russell's Ride 

UNICE RUSSELL'S RIDE Submitted by Paul "E."  Jackson  <<mailto:director-
editor@charter.net>director-editor@charter.net>

My great-great-great grandparents, Milo Butler and Unice Mariah  Haddock
RUSSELL, lived near Roaring River in Barry County.  Milo,  a  prosperous
farmer and carpenter, was a known  Southern  sympathizer.  His  son  (my
great-great-grandfather), Sidney, was a Confederate soldier  who  fought
at the Battle of Helena (Arkansas); was wounded and  taken  prisoner  to
Alton, Illinois for the duration of the war.

Milo knew that his Confederate  sympathy  was  not  popular,  especially
among the jayhawkers, who looked for such reasons to kill a man and take
his possessions. Fearing for his life, Milo hid in a  cave  for  several
years during the war. There was just one small problem: How would  Unice
get supplies to Milo without being discovered by the jayhawkers?

If she went to the cave on foot, her tracks would easily be  discovered.
If she were to ride a horse or a mule, the animal tracks would  be  very
plain to see. Unice saw only one solution to her  dilemma:  since  their
cattle  roamed  freely  about,  no  one  would  ever  suspect  a   cow's
hoofprints. Unice broke a calf to ride,  and  regularly  made  trips  to
Milo's hideout.

Milo and Unice "Nicey" Russell are buried in Roaring River State Park.

-- Paul E. Jackson, Sr.

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