Died Dec 6, 1880
Age 47y 3m 22d
Capt. of Co. E 23 Reg. MO Vol.
Sherriff and Collector of Harrison Co. MO., from 1866 to 1870. Mail Agent for 9 yrs. and was burned to death while on duty in a railroad accident C.R.I. and P. R.R. between Atchison, KS, and Cameron, MO.
__________________________________________________________
The death of Capt. William R. Simms will be sad news to the people of Harrison County, where he was so well known and esteemed. He was sheriff of that county for several terms, and a more genial, pleasant and social official was never elected to office. During the war he was a genuine soldier, and honorably earned his title at Shiloh, at the battle the Wilderness, and in many other memorable engagements. His old comrades, many of whom are personally acquainted with, always accorded him praise for his undaunted bravery and courage during the war, and his kindness and gentleness of disposition in time of peace. He had scores of friends all along his route, who will be shocked to hear of his horrible fate. Capt. Simms was once a wealthy man, but unfortunate speculations ruined him, and he was compelled to accept a position under Uncle Sam, for whom he fought so nobly and gallantly during the great struggle, and in whose service he finally gave up his life. He was abt. fifty years, but he did not appear to be past his prime. He had a remarkably robust constitution, black hair and whiskers just stroked with gray, ad no one could look at his magnificent physique and associate him with death.
______________________________________
William was the son of James Sanford Sims and Jane Perry Sides. He was married to Elizabeth Frances Endsley, daughter of Abraham Endsley and Elizabeth Frances Sherron, and to this union the following known children were born:
Henry G Simms (1858-1862)
James Sanford Simms (1860-1902) Boulder, CO
Mary A Simms (28 feb 1862 d. 26 Mar 1862)
Kate B Simms (1864- ?)
Angenetta Simms ( 11 Sept 1866 d. 2 Oct 1866)
Charles S Simms (1868-?)
William James Simms (1871-1965) Greeley, CO
Snoda I Simms Wills(1873-1963) CA
Bessie Simms Powell (1879-1967) CA
________________________________________________
The following addition submitted by Cameron Heath - FAG Member 46896958
Captain William R. Simms served in Company E of the 23rd Missouri Volunteer Infantry (Union Army) and was in the ‘Battle of Shiloh’ where the 23rd MO was forced to surrender and performed heroically holding off the Confederate Army so that other Union soldiers could try to escape back to the river as they were being overrun. The 23rd MO held the line at the ‘sunken road’ which came to be known in history as the ‘hornet’s nest’ of the Battle of Shiloh because they endured days of endless fighting where the bullets buzzed so much and so loud they said it sounded like hornets.
Company E was commanded by Captain Archibald A. Montgomery, and William R. Simms was Lieutenant under him at the time of the battle. Captain Archibald Montgomery resigned his commission October, 1862 and was succeeded then by Captain William R. Simms, who held the position until he mustered out of the service in 1864. (Both men were in the 1860 census for Butler Township, Harrison Co MO. William R. Simms was teaching school in 1860.)
The Battle of Shiloh was a battle where an overwhelming number of Union troops sought to overrun some camped and exhausted Confederate troops, but the tables were turned on them, and the Confederates learned of their presence and chose to attack an overwhelming force of Union men who were wholly unprepared and never expected it. The Union troops ended up running for their lives back to the river and the mere 300 men of the 23rd Missouri Infantry were asked to try to ‘hold them off’ at something known as the ‘sunken road’ for as long as they could--to allow enough time for other Union troops to escape back to the river Pittsburgh Landing. This battle within a battle, at Shiloh was later called ‘the Hornet’s Nest’ as the individuals on both sides later said the gunfighting was so fierce for 8 hrs that it just sounded like a million hornets whizzing by overhead. The end result of the 23rd Missouri holding the Confederate troops off at this one road in order to let other Union soldiers escape was that they were eventually overrun and had to surrender. Some of them became POWs and were sent to Camp Oglethorpe in Macon, VA, while others ran off before being captured.
Letter of Capt Archibald Montgomery written home
Company E, 23rd MO Infantry
From Harrison County, MO
Written at Pittsburg Landing, TN April 10, 1862 (four days after the Battle of Shiloh)
"Our expected battle is over. It came off Sunday and Monday last, and a hard fought battle it was. It lasted two days and two nights, but we shipped them. Our regiment was led out on Sunday morning in front of the hottest part of the field. We fought till evening, when the Secesh overpowered out regiment and some others, and took them prisoners. They, however, took only a part of our regiment. There were some out of every company who made their escape. I escaped with about forty of my company, forty of my men being taken prisoners. I found only two of my men killed -- Riley Roberts and James K. Allen. The wounded are William Watkins, badly; Harrison Hanly, very badly; William Heath, slightly; J. P. Rupe and William Lowe, in the thighs. The names of some of my men captured are Lt Simms, Lt Brown, John Martin, T. Brown, William Burris, F. Cummins, W. Chapman, W. Daniel, J. Daniel, J. G. Daniel, T. Daniel, R. Gray, C. Howry, J. Harper, W. Lear, M. Millspaw, J. Miller, T. Murphy, J. Noah, J. Parkerson, F. M. Rice, W. Vincent, J. VanMeter, and R. Watson.
This has been a bloody battle. Our regiment lost twenty-six killed and sixty wounded, that we know of. Our colonel was killed and our major taken prisoner. I have command of the regiment. You see we are in a bad fix, and I can't tell what we will do or where we will go. The army is still burying the dead; the bodies lay over a space of four miles square. We went out today and buried our dead; seventeen in one pit."
The above is a portion of a letter written by Archibald Montgomery to his family back in Harrison County, Missouri.
Age 47y 3m 22d
Capt. of Co. E 23 Reg. MO Vol.
Sherriff and Collector of Harrison Co. MO., from 1866 to 1870. Mail Agent for 9 yrs. and was burned to death while on duty in a railroad accident C.R.I. and P. R.R. between Atchison, KS, and Cameron, MO.
__________________________________________________________
The death of Capt. William R. Simms will be sad news to the people of Harrison County, where he was so well known and esteemed. He was sheriff of that county for several terms, and a more genial, pleasant and social official was never elected to office. During the war he was a genuine soldier, and honorably earned his title at Shiloh, at the battle the Wilderness, and in many other memorable engagements. His old comrades, many of whom are personally acquainted with, always accorded him praise for his undaunted bravery and courage during the war, and his kindness and gentleness of disposition in time of peace. He had scores of friends all along his route, who will be shocked to hear of his horrible fate. Capt. Simms was once a wealthy man, but unfortunate speculations ruined him, and he was compelled to accept a position under Uncle Sam, for whom he fought so nobly and gallantly during the great struggle, and in whose service he finally gave up his life. He was abt. fifty years, but he did not appear to be past his prime. He had a remarkably robust constitution, black hair and whiskers just stroked with gray, ad no one could look at his magnificent physique and associate him with death.
______________________________________
William was the son of James Sanford Sims and Jane Perry Sides. He was married to Elizabeth Frances Endsley, daughter of Abraham Endsley and Elizabeth Frances Sherron, and to this union the following known children were born:
Henry G Simms (1858-1862)
James Sanford Simms (1860-1902) Boulder, CO
Mary A Simms (28 feb 1862 d. 26 Mar 1862)
Kate B Simms (1864- ?)
Angenetta Simms ( 11 Sept 1866 d. 2 Oct 1866)
Charles S Simms (1868-?)
William James Simms (1871-1965) Greeley, CO
Snoda I Simms Wills(1873-1963) CA
Bessie Simms Powell (1879-1967) CA
________________________________________________
The following addition submitted by Cameron Heath - FAG Member 46896958
Captain William R. Simms served in Company E of the 23rd Missouri Volunteer Infantry (Union Army) and was in the ‘Battle of Shiloh’ where the 23rd MO was forced to surrender and performed heroically holding off the Confederate Army so that other Union soldiers could try to escape back to the river as they were being overrun. The 23rd MO held the line at the ‘sunken road’ which came to be known in history as the ‘hornet’s nest’ of the Battle of Shiloh because they endured days of endless fighting where the bullets buzzed so much and so loud they said it sounded like hornets.
Company E was commanded by Captain Archibald A. Montgomery, and William R. Simms was Lieutenant under him at the time of the battle. Captain Archibald Montgomery resigned his commission October, 1862 and was succeeded then by Captain William R. Simms, who held the position until he mustered out of the service in 1864. (Both men were in the 1860 census for Butler Township, Harrison Co MO. William R. Simms was teaching school in 1860.)
The Battle of Shiloh was a battle where an overwhelming number of Union troops sought to overrun some camped and exhausted Confederate troops, but the tables were turned on them, and the Confederates learned of their presence and chose to attack an overwhelming force of Union men who were wholly unprepared and never expected it. The Union troops ended up running for their lives back to the river and the mere 300 men of the 23rd Missouri Infantry were asked to try to ‘hold them off’ at something known as the ‘sunken road’ for as long as they could--to allow enough time for other Union troops to escape back to the river Pittsburgh Landing. This battle within a battle, at Shiloh was later called ‘the Hornet’s Nest’ as the individuals on both sides later said the gunfighting was so fierce for 8 hrs that it just sounded like a million hornets whizzing by overhead. The end result of the 23rd Missouri holding the Confederate troops off at this one road in order to let other Union soldiers escape was that they were eventually overrun and had to surrender. Some of them became POWs and were sent to Camp Oglethorpe in Macon, VA, while others ran off before being captured.
Letter of Capt Archibald Montgomery written home
Company E, 23rd MO Infantry
From Harrison County, MO
Written at Pittsburg Landing, TN April 10, 1862 (four days after the Battle of Shiloh)
"Our expected battle is over. It came off Sunday and Monday last, and a hard fought battle it was. It lasted two days and two nights, but we shipped them. Our regiment was led out on Sunday morning in front of the hottest part of the field. We fought till evening, when the Secesh overpowered out regiment and some others, and took them prisoners. They, however, took only a part of our regiment. There were some out of every company who made their escape. I escaped with about forty of my company, forty of my men being taken prisoners. I found only two of my men killed -- Riley Roberts and James K. Allen. The wounded are William Watkins, badly; Harrison Hanly, very badly; William Heath, slightly; J. P. Rupe and William Lowe, in the thighs. The names of some of my men captured are Lt Simms, Lt Brown, John Martin, T. Brown, William Burris, F. Cummins, W. Chapman, W. Daniel, J. Daniel, J. G. Daniel, T. Daniel, R. Gray, C. Howry, J. Harper, W. Lear, M. Millspaw, J. Miller, T. Murphy, J. Noah, J. Parkerson, F. M. Rice, W. Vincent, J. VanMeter, and R. Watson.
This has been a bloody battle. Our regiment lost twenty-six killed and sixty wounded, that we know of. Our colonel was killed and our major taken prisoner. I have command of the regiment. You see we are in a bad fix, and I can't tell what we will do or where we will go. The army is still burying the dead; the bodies lay over a space of four miles square. We went out today and buried our dead; seventeen in one pit."
The above is a portion of a letter written by Archibald Montgomery to his family back in Harrison County, Missouri.
Died Dec 6, 1880
Age 47y 3m 22d
Capt. of Co. E 23 Reg. MO Vol.
Sherriff and Collector of Harrison Co. MO., from 1866 to 1870. Mail Agent for 9 yrs. and was burned to death while on duty in a railroad accident C.R.I. and P. R.R. between Atchison, KS, and Cameron, MO.
__________________________________________________________
The death of Capt. William R. Simms will be sad news to the people of Harrison County, where he was so well known and esteemed. He was sheriff of that county for several terms, and a more genial, pleasant and social official was never elected to office. During the war he was a genuine soldier, and honorably earned his title at Shiloh, at the battle the Wilderness, and in many other memorable engagements. His old comrades, many of whom are personally acquainted with, always accorded him praise for his undaunted bravery and courage during the war, and his kindness and gentleness of disposition in time of peace. He had scores of friends all along his route, who will be shocked to hear of his horrible fate. Capt. Simms was once a wealthy man, but unfortunate speculations ruined him, and he was compelled to accept a position under Uncle Sam, for whom he fought so nobly and gallantly during the great struggle, and in whose service he finally gave up his life. He was abt. fifty years, but he did not appear to be past his prime. He had a remarkably robust constitution, black hair and whiskers just stroked with gray, ad no one could look at his magnificent physique and associate him with death.
______________________________________
William was the son of James Sanford Sims and Jane Perry Sides. He was married to Elizabeth Frances Endsley, daughter of Abraham Endsley and Elizabeth Frances Sherron, and to this union the following known children were born:
Henry G Simms (1858-1862)
James Sanford Simms (1860-1902) Boulder, CO
Mary A Simms (28 feb 1862 d. 26 Mar 1862)
Kate B Simms (1864- ?)
Angenetta Simms ( 11 Sept 1866 d. 2 Oct 1866)
Charles S Simms (1868-?)
William James Simms (1871-1965) Greeley, CO
Snoda I Simms Wills(1873-1963) CA
Bessie Simms Powell (1879-1967) CA
________________________________________________
The following addition submitted by Cameron Heath - FAG Member 46896958
Captain William R. Simms served in Company E of the 23rd Missouri Volunteer Infantry (Union Army) and was in the ‘Battle of Shiloh’ where the 23rd MO was forced to surrender and performed heroically holding off the Confederate Army so that other Union soldiers could try to escape back to the river as they were being overrun. The 23rd MO held the line at the ‘sunken road’ which came to be known in history as the ‘hornet’s nest’ of the Battle of Shiloh because they endured days of endless fighting where the bullets buzzed so much and so loud they said it sounded like hornets.
Company E was commanded by Captain Archibald A. Montgomery, and William R. Simms was Lieutenant under him at the time of the battle. Captain Archibald Montgomery resigned his commission October, 1862 and was succeeded then by Captain William R. Simms, who held the position until he mustered out of the service in 1864. (Both men were in the 1860 census for Butler Township, Harrison Co MO. William R. Simms was teaching school in 1860.)
The Battle of Shiloh was a battle where an overwhelming number of Union troops sought to overrun some camped and exhausted Confederate troops, but the tables were turned on them, and the Confederates learned of their presence and chose to attack an overwhelming force of Union men who were wholly unprepared and never expected it. The Union troops ended up running for their lives back to the river and the mere 300 men of the 23rd Missouri Infantry were asked to try to ‘hold them off’ at something known as the ‘sunken road’ for as long as they could--to allow enough time for other Union troops to escape back to the river Pittsburgh Landing. This battle within a battle, at Shiloh was later called ‘the Hornet’s Nest’ as the individuals on both sides later said the gunfighting was so fierce for 8 hrs that it just sounded like a million hornets whizzing by overhead. The end result of the 23rd Missouri holding the Confederate troops off at this one road in order to let other Union soldiers escape was that they were eventually overrun and had to surrender. Some of them became POWs and were sent to Camp Oglethorpe in Macon, VA, while others ran off before being captured.
Letter of Capt Archibald Montgomery written home
Company E, 23rd MO Infantry
From Harrison County, MO
Written at Pittsburg Landing, TN April 10, 1862 (four days after the Battle of Shiloh)
"Our expected battle is over. It came off Sunday and Monday last, and a hard fought battle it was. It lasted two days and two nights, but we shipped them. Our regiment was led out on Sunday morning in front of the hottest part of the field. We fought till evening, when the Secesh overpowered out regiment and some others, and took them prisoners. They, however, took only a part of our regiment. There were some out of every company who made their escape. I escaped with about forty of my company, forty of my men being taken prisoners. I found only two of my men killed -- Riley Roberts and James K. Allen. The wounded are William Watkins, badly; Harrison Hanly, very badly; William Heath, slightly; J. P. Rupe and William Lowe, in the thighs. The names of some of my men captured are Lt Simms, Lt Brown, John Martin, T. Brown, William Burris, F. Cummins, W. Chapman, W. Daniel, J. Daniel, J. G. Daniel, T. Daniel, R. Gray, C. Howry, J. Harper, W. Lear, M. Millspaw, J. Miller, T. Murphy, J. Noah, J. Parkerson, F. M. Rice, W. Vincent, J. VanMeter, and R. Watson.
This has been a bloody battle. Our regiment lost twenty-six killed and sixty wounded, that we know of. Our colonel was killed and our major taken prisoner. I have command of the regiment. You see we are in a bad fix, and I can't tell what we will do or where we will go. The army is still burying the dead; the bodies lay over a space of four miles square. We went out today and buried our dead; seventeen in one pit."
The above is a portion of a letter written by Archibald Montgomery to his family back in Harrison County, Missouri.
Age 47y 3m 22d
Capt. of Co. E 23 Reg. MO Vol.
Sherriff and Collector of Harrison Co. MO., from 1866 to 1870. Mail Agent for 9 yrs. and was burned to death while on duty in a railroad accident C.R.I. and P. R.R. between Atchison, KS, and Cameron, MO.
__________________________________________________________
The death of Capt. William R. Simms will be sad news to the people of Harrison County, where he was so well known and esteemed. He was sheriff of that county for several terms, and a more genial, pleasant and social official was never elected to office. During the war he was a genuine soldier, and honorably earned his title at Shiloh, at the battle the Wilderness, and in many other memorable engagements. His old comrades, many of whom are personally acquainted with, always accorded him praise for his undaunted bravery and courage during the war, and his kindness and gentleness of disposition in time of peace. He had scores of friends all along his route, who will be shocked to hear of his horrible fate. Capt. Simms was once a wealthy man, but unfortunate speculations ruined him, and he was compelled to accept a position under Uncle Sam, for whom he fought so nobly and gallantly during the great struggle, and in whose service he finally gave up his life. He was abt. fifty years, but he did not appear to be past his prime. He had a remarkably robust constitution, black hair and whiskers just stroked with gray, ad no one could look at his magnificent physique and associate him with death.
______________________________________
William was the son of James Sanford Sims and Jane Perry Sides. He was married to Elizabeth Frances Endsley, daughter of Abraham Endsley and Elizabeth Frances Sherron, and to this union the following known children were born:
Henry G Simms (1858-1862)
James Sanford Simms (1860-1902) Boulder, CO
Mary A Simms (28 feb 1862 d. 26 Mar 1862)
Kate B Simms (1864- ?)
Angenetta Simms ( 11 Sept 1866 d. 2 Oct 1866)
Charles S Simms (1868-?)
William James Simms (1871-1965) Greeley, CO
Snoda I Simms Wills(1873-1963) CA
Bessie Simms Powell (1879-1967) CA
________________________________________________
The following addition submitted by Cameron Heath - FAG Member 46896958
Captain William R. Simms served in Company E of the 23rd Missouri Volunteer Infantry (Union Army) and was in the ‘Battle of Shiloh’ where the 23rd MO was forced to surrender and performed heroically holding off the Confederate Army so that other Union soldiers could try to escape back to the river as they were being overrun. The 23rd MO held the line at the ‘sunken road’ which came to be known in history as the ‘hornet’s nest’ of the Battle of Shiloh because they endured days of endless fighting where the bullets buzzed so much and so loud they said it sounded like hornets.
Company E was commanded by Captain Archibald A. Montgomery, and William R. Simms was Lieutenant under him at the time of the battle. Captain Archibald Montgomery resigned his commission October, 1862 and was succeeded then by Captain William R. Simms, who held the position until he mustered out of the service in 1864. (Both men were in the 1860 census for Butler Township, Harrison Co MO. William R. Simms was teaching school in 1860.)
The Battle of Shiloh was a battle where an overwhelming number of Union troops sought to overrun some camped and exhausted Confederate troops, but the tables were turned on them, and the Confederates learned of their presence and chose to attack an overwhelming force of Union men who were wholly unprepared and never expected it. The Union troops ended up running for their lives back to the river and the mere 300 men of the 23rd Missouri Infantry were asked to try to ‘hold them off’ at something known as the ‘sunken road’ for as long as they could--to allow enough time for other Union troops to escape back to the river Pittsburgh Landing. This battle within a battle, at Shiloh was later called ‘the Hornet’s Nest’ as the individuals on both sides later said the gunfighting was so fierce for 8 hrs that it just sounded like a million hornets whizzing by overhead. The end result of the 23rd Missouri holding the Confederate troops off at this one road in order to let other Union soldiers escape was that they were eventually overrun and had to surrender. Some of them became POWs and were sent to Camp Oglethorpe in Macon, VA, while others ran off before being captured.
Letter of Capt Archibald Montgomery written home
Company E, 23rd MO Infantry
From Harrison County, MO
Written at Pittsburg Landing, TN April 10, 1862 (four days after the Battle of Shiloh)
"Our expected battle is over. It came off Sunday and Monday last, and a hard fought battle it was. It lasted two days and two nights, but we shipped them. Our regiment was led out on Sunday morning in front of the hottest part of the field. We fought till evening, when the Secesh overpowered out regiment and some others, and took them prisoners. They, however, took only a part of our regiment. There were some out of every company who made their escape. I escaped with about forty of my company, forty of my men being taken prisoners. I found only two of my men killed -- Riley Roberts and James K. Allen. The wounded are William Watkins, badly; Harrison Hanly, very badly; William Heath, slightly; J. P. Rupe and William Lowe, in the thighs. The names of some of my men captured are Lt Simms, Lt Brown, John Martin, T. Brown, William Burris, F. Cummins, W. Chapman, W. Daniel, J. Daniel, J. G. Daniel, T. Daniel, R. Gray, C. Howry, J. Harper, W. Lear, M. Millspaw, J. Miller, T. Murphy, J. Noah, J. Parkerson, F. M. Rice, W. Vincent, J. VanMeter, and R. Watson.
This has been a bloody battle. Our regiment lost twenty-six killed and sixty wounded, that we know of. Our colonel was killed and our major taken prisoner. I have command of the regiment. You see we are in a bad fix, and I can't tell what we will do or where we will go. The army is still burying the dead; the bodies lay over a space of four miles square. We went out today and buried our dead; seventeen in one pit."
The above is a portion of a letter written by Archibald Montgomery to his family back in Harrison County, Missouri.
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