Colonel Hiram Miller Bledsoe, Jr., (CSA)

Colonel Hiram Miller Bledsoe, Jr. (CSA)

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5990282/hiram_miller_bledsoe

... a prominent citizen of this township owes his nativity to Bourbon County Kentucky where he was born April 25 1825, Hiram M Bledsoe his father who was born in Cumberland County of that state in August 1798 married Miss Susan T Hughes of Bourbon County In 1839 young Hiram removed with his parents to Lafayette County Missouri His earlier days were divided between working on a farm and attending the common school where were taught only those English branches thought to be then so essential For two years he was a student at the Lexington high school After completing his education he enlisted in 1846 in the United States service for the Mexican War under Colonel A.W. Doniphan and participated in the battles of Brazito and Sacramento and was through Kansas the Indian Territory New Mexico and down the Rio Grande River being discharged at New Orleans Returning to Lexington Missouri in the fall of 1848 he was engaged in farming until the breaking out of the civil war In 1855 he had joined an artillery company for the state service and at the commencement of the war this company was placed under the Missouri State Guards under General Price Mr Bledsoe was captain of his company and had command Bledsoe’s Battery Captain Hiram Bledsoe mand of it during its entire service In the fall of 1861 he organized a regiment in his county whose term of service was six months after which he returned to his artillery company He participated in the various battles south of the Missouri River in the engagements under General Price at the battles of Iuka and Corinth in the spring of 1862 and all the skirmishes of the Mississippi Valley In the fall of 1863 he reported to General Bragg acting as chief of artillery under General VVilliam Valker in Georgia until the general was killed at Decatur Georgia in July 1864, After his death Colonel Bledsoe was transferred to the division of Major General Claiborne and acted as chief under him until his death at Decatur in December 1864 Colonel B followed the fortunes of the Confederate army until the close of the war In 1865 he returned to Lafayette County Missouri and until 1868 was engaged in farming there At that time he came to Cass County and settled on his present farm in section 28.

'He owns 400 acres of land nearly all of which is fenced with fair house orchard etc He was married in Cooper County in February 1869 to Miss Mary E Harrison daughter of Albert G Harrison She was born in Callaway County Missouri Mrs Bledsoe is a member of the Christian Church In the spring of 1872 the colonel was appointed presiding judge of Cass County by the governor In the fall of the same year he was nominated by his party and elected one of the county judges and has been elected three times since In I878 he was honored by the people by being elected to the ofiice of county collector In every position to which Mr B has been called he has discharged his duties faithfully and to the entire satisfaction of all parties interested

'Obit: HIRAM BLEDSOE DEAD Was in Command or the Famous Bledsoe Battery 'ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY KNOWN EX CONFEDERATES IN THE STATE PASSES AWAY AT HIS HOME NEAR PLEASANT HILL.

'Colonel Hiram Bledsoe one of the most widely known men in the State died at his home near Pleasant Hill yesterday The news of his death was a great surprise to the many friends of Colonel Bledsoe as it was thought he was enjoying unusually good health He was about 75 years old and had been a resident of the State during almost his entire life He was born in Kentucky but removed to this State at an early age and spent his early life on a farm in Lafayette county with his father He served through the Mexican War and rendered distinguished services At the beginning of the Civil War Colonel Bledsoe enlisted in the Confederate army and within a very short time was promoted to a colonelcy Although occupying various positions he commanded a battery which was known as Bledsoe's Battery throughout the war This battery became famous for its gallantry and distinguished itself particularly at Missionary Ridge and during the two days fighting at Chickamauga Shortly after this the battery was ordered to join the army then operating in Virginia It has been said of Colonel Bledsoe that he participated in all the most important engagements of the Civil War The Confederate Congress then in session at Richmond Va presented the battery with a very expensive cannon decorated with solid silver After the close of the war Colonel Bledsoe returned to Missouri and settled down on his farm in Cass county where he remained until his death He was twice elected to the office of county judge of Cass county and served in the State senate His friends urged him to make the race for the gubernatorial nomination but he refused There are but two near relatives of Colonel Bledsoe living They are a sister and one brother Robert Bledsoe who lives at 2524 Troost avenue in this city Colonel Bledsoe frequently came to Kansas City and was on terms of intimacy with all the prominent ex Confederates and ex Union soldiers in the city Captain SC Roger who served with him and Major Warner expressed themselves feelingly last night when they learned of his death Hon Milton Moore of Kansas City Mo was well acquainted with Hiram Bledsoe In a conversation between them about the battle of Sacramento Bledsoe said that just before the charge there was much confusion and that some one gave the order to charge when the men rushed forward in the great charge that overwhelmed the Mexicans He did not say who gave the order to charge Mr Moore believed that Bledsoe himself had given the order and said I presume I know who gave the order to charge to which Bledsoe made no reply Mr Moore repeated his remark but Bledsoe remained silent There is little doubt that he gave an order to charge and there is no doubt whatever that he did heroic service in the charge But he was a very modest man and said little of his services to his country. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5990282