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Note: 1850 census District 51, Livingston County, MO [dwelling #580]: Abel Sutliff, aged 40, farmer, bp MD; Patience aged 45, bp NJ; Peter aged 16; Prushia aged 13; Hiram aged 10 -- all born OH; Andrew J. aged 8, bp IL; and Walter aged 2, bp MO. Their daughter, Harriet is married to Thomas Cottar and living next door.
1860 census Munroe Twp., Austinville, Livingston, MO: Peter Sutliff aged 21, farmer; wife Lenora aged 22, birthplace KY; Peter aged 2 and Clara aged 1, both born MO. Living together in the same township are Lenora Gudgel's siblings: John aged 26, Benj F. aged 24, Richard aged 17, Love aged 15, and Robt. B. aged 13.
Civil War Service Records indicate Peter Sutliff was a Captain on the Union side - Livingston County, MO.
Peter Sutliff is mentioned twice in The Chillicothe Constitution - Tribune, Chillicothe, Missouri: Wed., Jan. 5, 1849 "One Peter Sutliff captained the first Union company organized in this county."
Thursday, March 30, 1950 - "Civil War Home Guards Were Help to Federals as Scouts, Livingston County Units Protected Against Guerillas. This series of articles has dealt so far with the Southern side of Livingston County in the Civil War, which was in the beginning most prominent. But units were organized here both as "home guards" and for service with the Union Army. The first unit to be organized here was a company of Home Guards formed in June of 1861, soon after the appearance of the first Federal troops.
The unit numbered 67 men. The officers of this company were Peter Sutliff, captain; A.C. Stone, 1st lieutenant; James W. Anderson, 2nd lieutenant. The company was independent. It belonged to no regimental or battalion organization. It was known as the Livingston County Home Guard. The unit saw considerable active duty during scouting in portions of this, Carroll, Ray, Caldwell and Daviess counties. It finally was mustered out by General Pope. The date of its disbandment is not known."
Much of the information contained in the above newspaper article also appears in the HISTORY OF CALDWELL AND LIVINGSTON COUNTIES, MISSOURI, 1886, pg 765, which I hold in my personal library.
Chillicothe, Livingston, MO - 1865 Wagon Train
Peter Van Clief Sutliff
Lenorah Gudgel Sutliff
Peter Van Clief Sutliff, Jr.
Clara Bell Sutliff
Patience Sutliff
According to "Past & Present of Livingston County, MO. Vol. 2 Biographies: Andrew McCoskie pages 359-361, and 765: In 1863 Peter Sutliff Sr. was killed by Alarion Lovell [over wages] on the Platte River in Nebrask
The following article more likely reflects the date and place of Peter's death: "Tempers on the Trail" (Ad for Harolds Club, Reno, NV, published by the Reno Evening Gazette, June 17, 1953, p. 11.) Source document unknown at this time.
"The long, dusty wagon trail down the Humboldt River in 1864 was a mass of mosquitoes, alkali clouds, vile drinking water, and desert heat! All but the most serene tempers gave way under such conditions, and the wagon train trips were often marred by outbursts. Sometimes the results were tragic.
"On September 10, 1864, a small wagon train made camp on the Humboldt about 40 miles above Star City [Star City is located in Humboldt County, Nevada Territory, now state of Nevada] and the stock was turned out to graze. Peter Sutliff a large, ill-tempered man ordered his young driver, Marion Lovell to go gather the stock. Lovell, who was only 19, refused to go saying he was sick.
"At this, Sutliff flew into a towering rage. Heaping abuse on Lovell, he discharged him, took a satchel containing Lovell's effects from a wagon and hurled it on the ground, and ordered the youth to leave the wagon train. Lovell agreed to go, provided Sutliff would pay him his wages in the sum of $30.00. Sutliff pulled out his wallet in one hand, took a large sling shot in the other and advance on Lovell. The latter, seeing what was coming, and being much smaller in size shouted to Sutliff, warning him to lay the money on the ground. Sutliff continued to approach and Lovell drew a revolver.
"Sutliff now ordered his wife to bring his revolver and to cock it before handing it to him. This she did, and as soon as done, she flew at Lovell and tried to snatch his pistol. In the scuffle the weapon went off, shooting the woman in the arm and breast, and inflicting a painful though not a dangerous wound.
"This brought a rapid snapping of caps between Sutliff and Lovell but the guns misfired. Sutliff snapped his pistol twice, and cocked it for a third try. Lovell, fearing the possible shot, rapidly shot twice at Sutliff. The first ball entered the cheek and the second passed through the brain. Sutliff dropped dead. Lovell walked off saying he would give himself up to the authorities.
"The unfortunate Sutliff was buried where he fell and witnesses reported the funeral to be a most heart-rending affair. His three tiny children, and the wounded widow presented a most forlorn picture, weeping and moaning. Lovell was later traced by the law but without results. The entire affair could have been prevented by spectators had they not feared the reckless manner in which the firearms were used. It was one of several recorded deaths, the real cause of which was the heat, the discomforts, and the privations of the long trail down the Humboldt.
"See your local newspaper or write Harolds Club for the book "pioneer Nevada" containing 204 of the original series of these stories, for $2.00."
I have been contacted by a team of researchers in possesion of a diary written by one of the members of that wagon train who witnessed the murder. They are looking for the source document that furnished the Harold's Club article. A book is to be the outcome. I am awaiting the finished product. (Carolyn Hackett Dowd)
MY NOTE: SEE NOTES FOR PIERCE RICHARDSON: "Pierce and Jared left for California in April. They hired on as paid hands with a wagon train, having left most of their money at home to help pay for the new house. At some place along the way, serious dissension arose within the train when one member of the party killed another man. Some said he killed in self-defense; others wanted to string him up from a wagon tongue on the spot. The argument was settled when the miscreant agreed to leave the train. Several of his sympathizers, including the Richardson brothers, left with him. This gesture of support left them without a job and with little funds. By the time they reached Carson Valley they had lost their horses [how this came about is not known today] and were traveling on foot. -----Quite by chance, about where Reno is today, they met a freighter, Pleasant M. Guynn, who had property in the Nord area They persuaded Guynn to bring them into Chico in exchange for their bedrolls. It is probable that he also furnished their food as part of the bargain. Guynn's biography in Mansfield's HISTORY OF BUTTE COUNTY, says, "During the dry year of 1864 his crop was almost a complete failure." In bad times it was not unusual for a farmer to take up freighting to help tide him over. [MY NOTE: SEE NOTES FOR PETER VANCLIEF SUTLIFF!!! I do not know if this is the same wagon train, but on September 4, 1864, Peter VanClief Sutliff, my great-great-grandfather was killed by a man in his wagon train, the incident described exactly as above. Ironically, Peter VanClief Sutliff's daughter, Clarabel Sutliff, a child on that wagon train, came on to California and married Emmett Coon, the brother of Mary Jane Coon, who married Pierce C. Richardson.]
(Mother, Adele Coon Hackett, has corresponded with Denise Gregory over the course of her research, and Denise has provided numerous pictures of the Sutliffs.)
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