Lazear, Bazel F., (1823-1894), Papers, 1851-1904 (C1014)

15 folders

INTRODUCTION

Correspondence to wife while on duty with Missouri State Militia during the Civil War; encounters with guerrilla forces; battle descriptions; and personal relations with fellow soldiers. Also letter to wife from California gold fields, 1851; letters about his dismissal from job with Railway Mail Service; and letters about his Civil War pension claim.

DONOR INFORMATION

The papers were purchased from the Hoosier Bookshop by the State Historical Society of Missouri in April 1946.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Bazel F. Lazear (1823-1894) served as a Lt. Col. in the Missouri State Militia from 1861 to 1865. After the war he was a postal clerk at least 10 years with the Railway Mail Service and finally retired as Postmaster of Auxvasse, Missouri.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

These papers contain letters from Lazear to his wife from the California gold fields, 1851, and Civil War letters to his wife, relating to battles and encounters with Confederate guerrillas. Later, letters related to his employment with the Railway Mail Service, position of Postmaster of Auxvausse, Missouri, Civil War pension claims, and a request for battle sketches for a book. More complete folder descriptions are located in the folder list.

FOLDER LIST

f. 1

Letter to wife while prospecting for gold in California; postmaster appointment certificate; Civil War letters to wife, battle descriptions and mentions desertions to the South.

f. 2-4     

Civil War correspondence to wife: thefts among Union soldiers, smallpox, guerrilla activities; description of Warrensburg and Independence; family relations; Ordnance Stores Reports.

f. 5

Pursuit of and encounters with Quantrill’s men and other guerrillas; comments on Order Number 11; description of refugees; battle with Shelby’s forces along the Lamine River; description of Warrensburg. Letter from H.R. Gamble requesting capture of a guerrilla band.

f. 6

Accusations and counter-accusations regarding competence as officer; letter of commendation; impressions of Jefferson City; family business.

f. 7

Guerrilla activity intensified; trouble with superior officers; family affairs.

f. 8

Guerrilla encounters in Marshall; description of results of guerrilla raids in Frankford and Marshall; Ordnance Stores Reports.

f. 9-11   

Citizens of Saline and Lafayette Counties accuse Lazear’s men of robbery and looting; battle against Price; description of Battle of Osage; guerrilla activity; reasons for desire to stay in service; certificate of service; question of eligibility for mustering-out pay; family affairs.

f. 12-14

Correspondence about Lazear’s dismissal from job with Railway Mail Service and attempts for reinstatement; appointment as Postmaster, Auxvasse, Missouri; correspondence dealing with Civil War pension claim.

f. 15

Request for sketch of battles with Shelby and Price for use in book; office correspondence; warranty deed for tract of land in Auxvasse, Missouri; widow’s application for accrued pension; farm; letter and questionnaire offering help in establishing pension claim for a fee.

INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at The State Historical Society of Missouri-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.

Subject

Folders

Alies, Henry

1

Amich, David

5

Baker, William P.

10

Balch, George F.

6

Bankhead, Thomas

4

Beck and Corbett

8

Bedwell, Samuel G.

3

Bell, Pat

5

Black, John C.

14

Bland, Richard Parks (1835-1899)

14

Block and Findley

8

Bomar, George

5

Bomar, Jesse

5

Britton, Wiley

15

Brown, E. B.

4-10

Bryant, Bill

6,7

Bryant, Jim

6

Burch, Oscar G.

13

Burks, Nan

10

Burris, Milton

4

Bushwhackers

1-11

Callender, J. D.

5,8

Calvin, George

10

Cambell, Bob

2

Chicago and Alton Railroad Company

12

Civil War--Battle of Big Blue River, 1864

10

Civil War--Battle of Crooked Creek

1

Civil War--Civilian affairs

1-15

Civil War--Guerillas

1-9

Civil War--Missouri

1-11

Civil War--Missouri, Bollinger County

1,2

Civil War--Missouri, Boonville

5

Civil War--Missouri, Cass County

3

Civil War--Missouri, Independence

10

Civil War--Missouri, Johnson County

3-7,10,11

Civil War--Missouri, Lafayette County

4,5,9

Civil War--Missouri, Lexington

4,5

Civil War--Missouri, Osage, 1864

10

Civil War--Missouri, Wayne County

1,2

Civil War--Mustering out

11,12

Corbett, James

2

Corruption in politics, 1880s

12-14

Davidson, General

2

Donald, Joshua

5

Donald, Thomas W.

5

Dorsey, Hale

4

Doyle, Fanny

8

Draper, Dan

10

Draper, Sue

4

Edie, John R.

7, 8

Education--Missouri, 1860s

10

Elliott, Sue

4

Ewing, Thomas

4-6

Farrer, Bemasa G.

1

Ford, Daniel D.

14

French, E. B.

6, 12

Gamble, Hamilton Rowan (1798-1864)

5

Gold Mines and Mining

1

Gold rush

1

Gresham, W. T.

13, 14

Grimshaw, Arthur

13

Hagg, Thomas J. C.

1

Hall, David

1

Hall, George H.

10

Hall, Willard Preble (1820-1882)

10

Harrison, John A.

14

Hatton, Frank

12

Henderson, General

1

Herckemath, Hugo

14

Holt, Perry

13

House, Everett

2

Houts, George W.

10

Jackson, Albert

2

Jackson, Andrew (1767-1845)

3

James, Randolph

1

Johnson, Benjamin

10

Johnson, Horace B.

9

Jones, James

3

Jones, John J.

4

Kerr, John

7, 8

King, Walter

4

Kisner, John

5

Klamp, Christian

1

Lazear, Ally

1-15

Lazear, Bazel F.

1-15

Lazear, Harmon

1-15

Lazear, Joseph M.

12

Lazear, Margaret Y.

1-15

Lazear, Marshall

1-15

Lazear, Mercy

1-15

Lazear, Wells

1-15

Maddox, Doyle

5

Mason, Perry

6

Massey, Griffin

1

McCluney, Frank

3

McCluney, John

3

McCluney, Liz

3

McFarren, James

3, 6, 7, 9, 10

McGuire, Samuel W.

10

McLean, William E.

14

McNeil, John

11

Miget, Charles

1

Missouri Cavalry, 12th Regiment, Missouri Militia, 1st Battalion

1

Missouri Cavalry, 4th Regiment, Missouri Militia

10

Missouri Cavalry, 7th Regiment, Missouri State Militia

10

Missouri, Auxvasse

12-15

Missouri, Clinton

5, 6

Missouri, Independence, 1860s

3, 10

Missouri, Jackson County, 1863

4

Missouri, Jefferson City, 1864

6, 10

Missouri, Johnson County, 1863

5

Missouri, Lexington, 1863

4

Missouri, Marshall, 1864

9

Missouri, Militia, 45th Regiment, Volunteers

10

Missouri, Warrensburg, 1863

3

Missouri. Cavalry, 12th Regiment, Missouri Militia, 1st Battalion

1

Missouri. Cavalry, 4th Regiment, Missouri Militia

10

Missouri. Cavalry, 7th Regiment, Missouri State Militia

10

Missouri. Artillery, 2nd Regiment, Volunteers

10

Missouri. Cavalry, 1st Regiment, Missouri State Militia

3, 6, 7, 9, 10

Missouri. Militia, 34th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia

10

Moody, Mandy

7

Mulkey, Joseph

5

Mullins, Alex W.

3

Myers, Bill

1

Noakes, James A.

5

Nolley, David

14

Order Number 11

5

Pension claims, Military

14

Phelps, Hezekiah G.

1

Philips, John F. (1834-1919)

10

Pleasanton, Alfred S.

8, 10

Poteet, George A.

14

Powell, William

5

Price, Sterling (1809-1867)

9, 10

Proffer, William W.

1

Pullson, William, Jr.

5

Purse, Bill

10

Purse, Johnny

5

Pusse, Bill

2

Quantrill, William Clarke (1837-1865)

5

Queen, Oscar B.

10

Race relations, 1860s

10

Race relations, 1890s

15

Ragner, Big John

5

Railway Mail Service

12, 13

Rosencrans, Albert C.

6

Rush, James

1

Rush, Philip

1

Russell, Sam

1

Schott, John G.

13

Sharp, Ben

1

Shelby, Joseph O. (1830-1897)

5

Shoultz, Franklin

1

Stiger, James Henry

5, 6, 9

Taylor, Carron

1

Templeton House

4

Thomas, Charles

2, 4, 11

Tiery, Henry G.

3

Trader, John M.

3, 12

U.S. Post Office Department, Labor Relations, 1880s

12-14

U.S. Post Office Department, Railway Mail Service, 1880s

12-14

Vincent, Thomas M.

11

Warfield, E. W.

12, 13

Williams, Stephen W.

10

Young, William C.

13