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Audrain County Military Records

Mexican \ American War

When the Mexican War was declared, Audrain County (in 1845/6) was very sparsely settled and still in it's infancy stages. Governor John Edwards called for volunteers in May of 1846, but made no demands on Audrain County, therefore the participation was very limited.

Company H, First Regiment, Missouri Volunteers ( Callaway County ) had one volunteer, Alexander Reed, from Audrain served in Company H. The First Regiment joined Alexander Doniphan's Regiment. One other from Audrain County who served in a different company was Temple Wayne.

The "First Regiment" included Companies from the following counties:

Following the end of the conflict and in later years, other members of the First Regiment, Missouri Volunteers lived in Audrain County.

William H. French was the last survivor of the First Regiment. He died July 17, 1912 at the age of 87 years. Mr. French came to the Mexico area when it was a only a small community with very few frame buildings. At the time of his death, he owned buildings on three corners of the square. Prior to moving into Mexico, he farmed for a nunber of years east of the city.

The *last surviving veteran of the entire Mexico War* was William Fitzhugh Thornton Buckner, of Paris, Monroe County; the father of Mrs.C. R. Gibbs and Mrs. A. S. Houston, both Mexico residents. He died at Paris June 16, 1929 at the age of over 101. Her was a native Virginian who spent

Mr.Buckner had a eventful life. He fought with Captain Giddings' Monroe county unit, under Captain Doniphan, using a single shot, breechloading rifle, (which was a recent invention) , "riding a thouand miles or so to New Mexico, over the Sante Fe Trail", " buffaloes by the thousands, the plains were black with them and we never wanted for fresh meat". ......
After the war, he became a California Gold Hunter and cattleman in the 1849 "Rush", panned for gold on the Sacramento River until he returned to Paris in the the early years of 1850's, traveling by way of Panama.
In Monroe County, in 1853, he and Miss Eliza Woods, (daughter of Anderson Woods, a pioneer preacher), were married. * source: Centennial History

Alexander Doniphan was born in Mason County, Kentucky in 1808. He was an attorney, practicing in Lexington, MO. area, startng about 1830. He served three terms in the Missouri Legislature. In 1838 he was the brigadier general of the state militia and refused orders from the Governor to execute Joseph Smith ( the mormon leader and prophet.) and others.

Doniphan began (1830) to practice law in Lexington, Mo., and served three terms in the state legislature, becoming involved in the Mormon issue. In 1838, Doniphan, as brigadier general of the state militia, was ordered against the Mormons by the governor but flatly refused to carry out orders to execute Joseph Smith and other Mormon leaders.

At the opening of the Mexican War he organized a mounted regiment of Missouri volunteers that formed part of Stephen W. Kearny's force in his march on Santa Fe. When Kearny continued to California, Doniphan was left in command in New Mexico, where he subdued and made peace with the Navajo.

Alexander Doniphan

Missouri Captain Alexander Doniphan statue at Richmond, MO.
Organizer and leader Doniphan's Regiment, Missouri Volunteers
State legislator for 3 terms.

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