Here is the results of my research on the Centralia massacre at the railroad station.
My email address: edwilson10@comcast.net

E. D.

UNION SOLDIERS MURDERED AT CENTRALIA, MISSOURI
SEPTEMBER 27, 1864

On September 27, 1864 the Northern Missouri Railroad train was entering Centralia, MO when it encountered “Bloody Bill” Anderson and his band of guerillas. According to reports there were 25 Union soldiers aboard on their way home on leave, or on their way home after discharge. One of the soldiers, Sgt Thomas Goodman, Co G 1st Missouri Engineers was taken hostage, escaping some ten days later. Another escape was recorded in The Intelligencer, a weekly newspaper, on September 18, 1924 from eyewitness accounts. The escape was also reported in Civil War on Missouri-Kansas Border by Donald Gilmore, thus leaving 22 soldiers to be accounted for. Most accounts tell of the 23 bodies lying by the railroad tracks after the massacre and stating that one of the bodies was not a soldier. This would be a German born civilian, dressed in a blue coat or blouse and could not speak English well enough to tell the guerillas that he was not a soldier.
The following lists attempts to account for the murdered Union soldiers.
The names that follow come from Sgt Goodman’s book Thrilling Experience (1)that recounted the ten days he spent as hostage and from Roll of Honor-Names of Soldiers Who Died in Defense of the American Union, Vol. 2, page 37(2) published by the Government Printing Office, 1866.

ARNOLD, Joseph H.(1) Cpl.. Co E, 1st Iowa Cavalry Age 23 4th, native of Ohio. Resident of Mount Pleasant. Enlisted Aug 8, 1861. Sec 45, Plot 1664 (Listed as J. K. Arnold)
BARNUM, William R.(1) Pvt Co F 23rd Iowa Infantry Age 36., native of Ohio. Resident of Page County. Enlisted Jan 1, 1864. Was on 60 day leave from New Orleans Sec 45, Plot 1621 (Listed as William R. Brown) (Also listed as W.R. Brown in newspaper account).
CARPENTER, Charles G.(1) Pvt. Co G, 1st Iowa Cavalry Age 23. , native of New York. Resident of Waukon. Enlisted Aug 16, 1862. Sec 45, Plot 1666. (listed as C. G. Carpenter)
COMER, Josiah (1) Artificier, Co M, 1st Missouri Engineers Age 22 5’10”,fair complexion, blue eyes, light hair, , native of Ohio. Enlisted July 15, 1862 in New Madrid, MO.

DILLEY, George W.(1) Pvt Co B, 1st Iowa Cavalry Age 18., native of Michigan. Resident of Davenport. Enlisted Aug 10, 1862. Sec 45, Plot 1660. (Listed as C. W. Dilley, DOD 9/27/1865)
GORE, Owen P (1) Pvt. Co A, 1st Iowa Cavalry Age 24.. Native of Illinois. Resident of Lee County. Enlisted June 13, 1861. Section 45, site 1663. (Listed as O. P. Gower).
HARVEY, John S. (2) 17th Illinois Cavalry Age 21,Height 5’8”, blue eyes, dark hair and dark complexion, resident of Jackson, MI, native of England. Enlisted Chicago, ILL Jan 22, 1864.(Listed as James s. Harvey) Buried Sec 45, Plot 1639. His service record shows that he was killed by guerillas Sept 22, 1864 at Centralia. Since there are no known events in the area on Sept 22, it is assumed that the death date is in error. Burial records at Jefferson Barracks list date of death as Sept 27 and Edwin Carpenter in his book History of the Illinois 17th Cavalry Volunteers states that a member of the 17th was killed on the train at Centralia.
HILTIBIDAL, Charles(1) Co M-E, Sgt 1st Missouri Engineers Age 33 5’11” dark complexion, dark eyes, brown hair. Resident of Maryville, MO.. Enlisted Guilford, MO May 25, 1862. On 30 day furlough from Atlanta.
HOLLY, James F. Pvt(1) Co C, 1st Missouri Engineers, enlisted Sept 21, 1862 in Atchison, MO with Co E, 25th Missouri Infantry. On furlough from Atlanta.
MADERA, Charles E.(1) Age 18. Pvt Co C, 1st Iowa Cavalry, native of Iowa. Resident of Burlington. Enlisted June 1, 1861. Sec 45, Plot 1665. (Listed as C. E. Medera)
MOBLEY(MOBERLY), James C.(1) Cpl. Co E-M, 1st Missouri Engineers Age 29 5’11”fair complexion, blue eyes, light hair, occupation farmer Native of Jefferson County, IN . Enlisted Sept 23, 1862 in St Louis in Co C, 25th Missouri Infantry. On furlough from Atlanta.
PACE, Edward M.(1) Sgt Co C, 1st Missouri Engineers., Resident of Page County, Iowa, enlisted in St. Joseph, MO Jan 22, 1862 Co E 25th Missouri Infantry. Discharged Sept , 1864.
PETERS, Valentine T.(1) Sgt Co M-H, 1st Missouri Engineers, resident of Holt County, MO, enlisted Whig Valley, MO Aug 28, 1861. Discharged Sep 14, 1864
R_______, W______ (2)Only information available. Buried under initials RW Sec 45, Plot 1640 (Verified by Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery 15 April 2010.) Burial date of 9/27/1864.
ROBINSON, James(1) Pvt Co M-E, 1st Missouri Engineers. Enlisted July 21, 1863 Nodaway County, MO with Co H, 25th Missouri Infantry July 21, 1863.
ROSE, Caswell(1). Pvt Co C 1st Missouri Engineers Age 22, 6’ Dark complexion, blue eyes, black hair, native of Page County, Iowa.
RUSSELL, John Age 32.(1) Pvt. Co C, 1st Iowa Cavalry, native of New York. Resident of Fairfield. Enlisted July 4, 1861. Sec 45, Plot 1662.
THOMAS, James W(1) Pvt Co A-B, 1st Missouri Engineers. Enlisted Aug 29, 1862 St Joseph, MO with Co D, 25th Missouri Infantry Age 27 5’9” Dark complexion, blue eyes, dark hair , Native of MO, occupation farmer.
THOMPSON, Lewis(Louis) (2) Pvt Co l, 1st Missouri Engineers Age 27 Height 5’7”, hazel eyes, dark complexion, light hair.. Resident of Fayette County, KY. Enlisted May 15, 1863 at New Madrid, MO. Sec 45, Plot 1641.
TRAIL, Martin B.(1) Pvt Co G-L 1st Missouri Engineers Age 30 Height 6’3” fair complexion, blue eyes, light hair, occupation farmer. Resident of Cole County, MO. Enlisted May 23, 1863 in Harlem, MO. Buried Sec 45, Plot 1146
UNKNOWN Soldier buried in Sec 45, Plot 1642 listed by Jefferson Barracks as Thomas Goodman, which is in error. See notes on Goodman below.
WILLIAMS, Oscar G.(1) Pvt Co B, 1st Iowa Cavalry, Age 20. native of Indiana. Resident of Van Buren County. Enlisted Aug 29, 1862. Sec 45, Plot 1661.
SURVIVORS
UNKNOWN: One soldier, chased by guerillas on horseback, ran into an outbuilding. When the guerilla dismounted and entered the front door of the shed, the soldier ran out the back door, raced to the front of the building, mounted the guerilla’s horse and escaped. See opening paragraph for sources.
GOODMAN, Thomas M. Sgt Age 33, Native of Harding County, KY, Enlisted Oct 1, 1862 at St Joseph, MO Co G 1st Missouri Engineers. He was held hostage by Anderson for ten days before escaping. He wrote a book Thrilling Experience about his capture. He is buried in Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery, Santa Rosa, CA. Born Feb 26, 1829, died Feb 5, 1886. (findagrave.com)

NOTES:
All burials are at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, unless otherwise noted.
There are no burial locations for several of the Missouri soldiers. It is presumed that their families provided for burials.
Thomas Goodman, Sgt is noted as buried in Sec. 45, plot 1642, which is in error, see above.

SUMMARY: Most accounts of the Massacre state they there were 25 soldiers aboard the train. The number included the German civilian who was dressed in blue. The same accounts state that there were 23 bodies lying beside the railroad track after the massacre. If you subtract Goodman, and the escapee (as accounted for in two sources) that would leave the 23 reported as lying by the railroad tracks. One of the 23, no doubt, is the German citizen, thus leaving 22 soldiers included in the listing
Last updated 05/14/2010
Compiled by E. D. Wilson edwilson10@comcast.net