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Black, John Charles
Born in Holmes County, Mississippi, John Charles Black moved to Illinois at an early age, and 1861 found him a student at Wabash College in Indiana. He enlisted in an Indiana 90-day regiment and fought in one of the War’s first battles, at Romney, Va. on June 13, 1861. Upon disbandment of this unit, Black returned to his home in Danville, IL, and organized the 37th Illinois Infantry.
Thompson, M. Jeff
Virginian by birth, Thompson emigrated to Missouri in 1847 and settled in St. Joseph. By 1860, he was St. Joseph’s mayor; It was Thompson, on April 3, 1860, who handed the mail to the first rider in ceremonies inaugurating the Pony Express.
Thompson joined the Missouri State Guard at its inception, and by the end of 1861 had reached legendary status as the “Swamp Fox,” operating an independent command in southeast Missouri. Never actually…... Read more >
James, Jesse Woodson
America’s most famous outlaw was a product of Missouri’s Civil War. He was born in rural Clay County, Missouri, in 1847, the son of a prominent Baptist preacher. At sixteen, he joined Quantrill’s guerilla band.
Campbell, Given
A lawyer educated at the University of Virginia, Given Campbell established a practice in St. Louis before the War. He enrolled in the Missouri Militia in 1861, and was among those captured at Camp Jackson on May 10, 1861.
