I haven't been on the message board for awhile and just now came across the discussion by you, Bruce Nichols and others about Scopus. According to Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri, my great-great grandfather, the Rev. George Washington Tallent, was the man who gave Scopus its name, after a hill that overlooks Jerusalem. He's buried in Scopus, along with his wife and and a number of children and other relatives. The following is an excerpt from my grandfather's novel about the Civil War in that area. The Southeast Missouri State University Press is currently evaluating the book for possible publication. I'll let you know if anything comes of it. Meanwhile, here's an excerpt about the Reverend Tallent, which I thought might be of general interest.
"Because Reverend Tallent had been raised in the South, some of his neighbors in Scopus suspected him of being a Confederate sympathizer, although no one could point to anything he had said or done as definite proof. Still, because of the perils of the war, he had given up riding to two of his small churches and was trying to make a living as a farmer.
"Because he was a minister, Reverend Tallent had not been expected to volunteer for the militia, but some thought that he should at least be active in Union causes. He replied only that he prayed unceasingly for the war’s swift conclusion.
"The Confederate raids on the countryside that accompanied the attack on Cape came to within a few miles of Scopus. The invaders took everything they could lay their hands on, especially livestock and clothing.
"One afternoon following the raids, a large group of men came to Reverend Tallent’s door and told him to come with them at once. He remonstrated that he was not prepared to leave, but the men told him he would not be taken far and could tell his family. A few minutes later, he found himself led down the road and out of view of his house. Then he was led into some weeds, where the leader of the group told him he was known to be a Southern sympathizer and a spy for the Confederacy.
Reverend Tallent vehemently denied the accusations, stating that the only thing he desired was a quick end to the bloodshed. The men disregarded his denials and told him they were going to shoot him. Then they asked if he had any final words.
“Yes,” he said. “I am a preacher of God’s Holy Word, and you are going to kill an innocent man. I’d like to pray for you fellows before you shoot me.”
Kneeling down, Reverend Tallent prayed earnestly to God to forgive the men for what they were about to do. He also included in his prayer various teachings and admonitions that he hoped might be of assistance at this time of distress.
"When he finished his prayer, a curious look came over the leader. After a long silence, he finally said: “Well, brother, it may be that we were misinformed about you. I’ve decided to give you the benefit of the doubt—but if I were you, I’d leave this area at once.” That night, Reverend Tallent left for Illinois and was not seen again until the end of the war, when he returned to his farm, his family and his preaching.
I added the following footnote about all this:
One can only speculate about whether this incident really occurred, but in "I Remember the Ozarks," Charles H. Williams (my great uncle) stops just shy of confirming it. He says that Reverend Tallent’s sympathy for the South was “well known,” which put him “in great danger. Some men were called to their doors and shot in Bollinger County by partisans of both sides. The threats were strong against Grandfather’s life by Union sympathizers. They became so menacing that at about the middle of the conflict, he went to a town in Illinois, where he was not known at all. He remained there till the war was over.”
George Williams