THE KILLING OF HUMPHREY WELDON

Narrator: Dr. Libby Woolsey of Hamilton, Missouri

When Dr. Woolsey was quite a small boy, the horror of the Civil War in Caldwell County was about him. Many men who expressed Southern sentiments were slain for it. Dr. Woolsey's brother had enlisted in the Southern Army and the family lived mid a bunch of Southern sympathizers near Breckenridge. His Uncle by marriage on his father's side was Humphrey Weldon who was known as a "rebel" sympathizer. He lived a little this side of Lick Fork Church.

June 8 1864 some Confederate prisoners had escaped from St. Joseph and it was reported they were making for southern friends at the Weldon Settlement near Breckenridge. Two militia forces sent out to get them June 9 mistook each other for the enemy and attacked each other.

That night a militia force supposed by the family to be Captain Noblett's men went to the Weldon home and called Humphrey out. They asked him who was harboring the fugitives? He said, "That if he knew who was harboring them, he would not tell." They straight way dragged him off and shot him full of holes. After firing the barn, they departed. The Weldon family hearing the shots, guessed his fate and went out and found his body. He was buried in Lick Fork Cemetery.