Dr. Caleb Winfrey

At the beginning of the war Dr. Winfrey was a merchant andpracticing
physician at Lone Jack. George B. Webb, who had served with Doniphan in
Mexico, was a prominent citizen in the same neighborhood.  Webb and
Winfrey were David and Jonathan over again.  In the summer of 1862 these
two men called their mutual friends together and organized them into a
Confederate company.  Dr. Winfrey was elected captain and Webb
lieutenant.  In a few days the company had its baptism of fire at the battle of
Lone Jack.  After the fight Dr. Winfrey was made surgeon of the Second
Regiment (Hays’), with the rank of major.  Lieutenant Webb became captain
and served in this capacity until he fell mortally wounded at the battle of
Byrum’s Ford, near Westport, in 1864.  As Captain Webb languished with his
death wound on the field, Dr. Winfrey took him up and cared for him for two
weeks until he died, then buried him beside his comrades.  The body was
afterwards reinterred at Forest Hill Cemetery.

    Dr. Caleb Winfrey was born December 8, 1823, in Surry County, North
Carolina.  At the age of nineteen he came west and located near Chapel Hill,
famous for its college.  Young Winfrey taught school for awhile, and then
attended the Medical Department of the St. Louis University, from which he
graduated in 1847.  In June of that year he married Miss Elizabeth Shore and
settled at Lone Jack for the practice of his profession.  In 1861 he had a
lucrative practice, owned a large farm, and was proprietor of a drug and general
store at Lone Jack.  He enlisted as a surgeon in the State Guards, and
accompanied Colonel Gideon W. Thompson to Cowskin Prairie. At the
battle of Wilson Creek his skill as a surgeon was invaluable.  He was present
at the battle of Lexington. He spent a part of the winter of 1862 with his
family at Lone Jack-a time full of danger and narrow escapes.  In the spring he
and Webb organized Company C, which fought its first battle at Lone Jack.  
At the beginning of the battle Dr. Winfrey found the Federals entrenched in
his store and in his dwelling adjoining.  He led his company against them, but
was repulsed in a bloody conflict.  After falling back, he rallied his men and in
a second charge dislodged the enemy and held the buildings to the end of the
fight.

    After the battle of Lone Jack, Dr. Winfrey went south with Hays’
command.  He was senior surgeon of Shelby’s brigade, and was present at the
battles of Cane Hill, Prairie Grove, and Newtonia.  He was at the second
battle of Springfield (January 8, 1863).  He remained here after the
Confederates withdrew, in charge of the hospital until the wounded were able
to travel, when he accompanied them as prisoners of war to City Point,
Virginia, where they were exchanged.

    From City Point he set out to rejoin his command, and on his way arrived
at Vicksburg just before the beginning of the siege.  He saw the battles of
Champion Hill and Big Black, was in Vicksburg during the siege, and
remained there until the 0place capitulated.   He met and conversed with
General Grant.  The return trip across the Mississippi River was a dangerous
one, but he arrived sage at price’s army, in camp at Camden.  He was at the
principal battles in the operations against Steel, and in the autumn of 1864
came with the command on Price’s great raid.

    The wounded at the battle of Westport required many surgeons and Dr.
Winfrey, at the request of General Price, remained to care for his soldiers and
dying comrades.  He arrived at St. Louis on his way back to the army, when
news came that Lee had surrendered.

    After the war, Dr. Winfrey enjoyed a very large practice for years at
Pleasant Hill, MO.  In 1879 he moved to Kansas City, where he still lives.



Battles and Biographies of Missourians - Or The Civil War Period of Our State; W.L. Webb;
Kansas City, MO.; Hudson-Kimberly Pub. Co., 1900.