Missouri Civil War Articles

JASPER COUNTY PICKS A PARK SITE

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:33:30 GMT

Thanks to the generosity of Joplin attorney Ed Hershewe, Jasper County will have its first county park. Ed donated the funds that the County has used to purchase the site of the Rader Farm. This was the site of one of the first engagements of African American troops after the enrollment of African Americans in the federal service became possible under the Emancipation Proclamation. A skirmish occurred here on May 18, 1863 and involved soldiers of the 1st Kansas Colored Regiment.

DOUG SCOTT IS COMING TO MISSOURI VALLEY

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:39:07 GMT

Battlefield archaeologist Dr. Doug Scott will speak at a reception co-sponsored by Missouri Valley College and Missouri's Civil War Heritage Foundation on Friday, November 13, 2009. Dr. Scott, of the University of Nebraska, was involved in the landmark forensic study that re-wrote the history of the Little Big Horn, and over the last several years he has headed up archaeology surveys at the sites of the Missouri battles of Centralia and First Boonville.

The reception is set for 7:00 on the campus of Missouri Valley College. The public is invited. Watch this site for further details.

City of Pacific Tunes In to its Civil War History

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:15:28 GMT

PACIFIC, MO. October 19, 2009 – Missouri’s Civil War Heritage Foundation (MCWHF) (www.mocivilwar.org) announced today that the City of Pacific is funding a marketing program that will highlight Pacific’s role in the Civil War. Pacific’s Board of Alderman voted on October 6, 2009 to fund the program, which was recommended by the city’s Tourism Commission.

As part of the program, Pacific will fund two interpretative markers designed and produced by MCWHF. Preliminary plans call for a marker to be placed at Pacific’s new railroad plaza, near the historic junction point of the two railroads that made Pacific a place of strategic importance during the Civil War. The second marker will commemorate the October 1, 1864 Battle of Pacific. This battle began two miles east of town – making it the only Civil War battle that occurred in St. Louis County – and it ended in the center of Pacific in Franklin County.

The funding approved by the Board of Alderman, along with expected contributions from the business community, will also cover brochures and signage for an in-town driving trail that will tell the Civil War history of the town. Pacific’s marketing program is expected to complement a driving trail, The U. S. Grant Trail, which is planned in St. Louis County.   “Pacific’s location on Interstate 44 and its battle history makes it a natural gateway to the Civil War attractions in St. Louis and St. Louis County,” said Vanessa Irby, MCWHF’s Marketing Associate.

MCWHF’s marketing plan provides integrated graphics and themes for interpretive signs, brochures, maps and other tourism tools. Most importantly, said Irby, “the history is documented and it’s interesting.”

“When Pacific set up its tourism commission, this was just the kind of promotion we were looking for. It fits right in with our other major tourist themes.”

                        -Harold Selby, Pacific City Administrator

About Pacific Tourism:
The City of Pacific is known as the Gateway to the Ozarks. This charming city with a proud railroad heritage is located on historic Route 66. Nearby attractions include Six Flags St. Louis, Purina Farms and the Shaw Nature Reserve.

About Missouri’s Civil War Heritage Foundation:
A 501(c)(3) educational organization, MCWHF was founded in 2001 to assist Missouri communities in interpreting and preserving their important Civil War heritage sites, and in marketing Missouri’s vast Civil War resources to visitors who will be traveling during the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

For more information:
Vanessa Irby, Marketing Associate
members@mocivilwar.org
314-260-9848

A COUNTRY, A COUNTY DIVIDED-A CIVIL WAR REENACTMENT

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:10:11 GMT

If you are signed up or planning to sign up for the Civil War Reenactment at Kingston, Missouri, then huzzah! If you are not coming or on the fence, then you are going to miss the reenactment and party of the year… tsk! We have established our cash bounties. Cavalry is $50 per horse, infantry is $150/ 10 armed men. Cannons are $200 each, but we are “topped off” with those signed up or pledged to sign up. We appreciate the effort that you make and the expenses that it takes to attend events. We know that we are just making a dent, but this is our first event and we are doing the best we can. We are also providing basic provisions, but Saturday night is covered, so you probably won’t be doing a whole lot of cooking. We’ll have a lot of food vendors, too, and their menus look promising. Also, we have excellent entertainment lined up for all three days! We are also having a quilt show and Abraham Lincoln will be here. If you can be here on Friday, the focus will be on schools and the Cornstalk Fight, which is a historic October, 1861 skirmish. If you can’t make it due to work, we totally understand! Saturday is the “big ‘un” with the historic July, 1864 Thrailkill/Taylor raid on Kingston. You’ll actually raid Kingston and end up in a big battle just west of town. If you are itching for reality, this is your chance. Saturday night features a buffalo dinner for the reenactors and a public dance by torch light on Main Street. The Shortleaf Band will provide music for the dinner and dance. There are two tracks on Sunday. First, church service. Then, a choice: Track one: We need help to honor the two CSA fellows who were executed just outside of Kingston. We know where they are buried and who they are, but they are in unmarked graves. We will have a public dedication and we will need an honor guard for the ceremony. Track two: “Tacticals” like you have never experienced. We will have a panel of judges who are in active military and/or historical battle subject matter experts. We will have two or three military objectives. We will be looking at your ability to establish runners, spies and map makers, not to mention getting planning, positioning, and executing your plan. You’ll have to prove to the judges that you have command and control in the field, Civil War style. This is not being advertised to the public and a lot of real estate is in play. Also, if you have high-speed access, check out our DVD trailers at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca0A6uY4MPo and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clXuLBcGJqs. These were produced by the Elliot’s Scouts’ own Bob Green and are superb! We are selling these on our website. After we reach our goal of paying free distribution to any school that asks for a copy, the net proceeds are going to the Elliot’s Scouts for all the work that they put into it. Lee Teter Creates a Civil War poster for Caldwell County Lee Teter, who created the ubiquitous poster Viet Nam Reflections, recently moved from Wyoming to Livingston County, Missouri to establish a new art studio. You may not know that Lee dedicated the copyright of the painting’s image to the VFW in memory of the heavy price paid by Viet Nam War veterans. In a similar act of unprecedented kindness, Lee created a painting and poster for rural Caldwell County to help develop Civil War tourism. This poignant poster, Imperfect Love, captures a moment of a young Confederate soldier giving his wife a final embrace while mounted on his horse. Lee is very knowledgeable about both art and history. Lee was a frontier culture advisor and visual arts consultant for the 1991 version of the movie Last of the Mohicans and designed the Native American costumes. Caldwell County is fortunate beyond words that Lee has offered to paint a Civil War period work just for us as a fundraiser. This is his first oil painting about the Civil War, but not his last. The posters, which are 12 x 22, are priced at $50 and are available at Caldwell County’s “A Country, A County – Divided” website and eBay. Our first Civil War and Living History weekend is June 5-7, 2009.

MISSOURI ACQUIRES ISLAND MOUND SITE

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 21:46:38 GMT

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has acquired 40 acres in Bates County, which will become the Battle of Island Mound State Historic Site. The site is southwest of Butler, Missouri, and about 50 miles south of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area.

The Battle of Island Mound was fought on October 29, 1862. The combatants on the Union side were men of the First Kansas Colored Infantry, many of them excaped Missouri slaves who volunteered for service in this Kansas unit. This was the first time in United States history that a unit composed of African American soldiers fought under the flag of the United States. The Battle occurred before the First Kansas was enrolled in the federal service, and before any regiments of U. S. Colored Troops were formed. This was also long before the combat experience of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry that was depicted in the movie "Glory".

Plans call for the site to be fully operational in time for the Civil War Sesquicentennial, starting in 2011.

Northwest Missouri Civil War Experience

Sat, 24 May 2008 08:46:52 GMT

Missouri's past during the Civil War was very divided and the state was 3rd in having the most battles during the war. Museum Hill Bed and Breakfast has created an awesome website dedicated to the history of the Civil War in the Pony Express Region of the state: Northwest Missouri Civil War Excursions. The site has plenty of places to visit. Use this site as a self guided Civil War Itinerary while lodging at Museum Hill Bed and Breakfast in St Joseph Missouri. While sitting on the porch of this property enjoying a glass of wine or a shot of good brandy, you will be able to enjoy the breathtaking view Civil War Union soldiers used for lookouts to watch for gunboats along the Missouri River during the War. The hill and property line Museum Hill Bed and Breakfast is on was at one time a strategic vantage point for observation of the river and the entire central part of the city of St Joseph. Attached is a drawing from 1861 before the war began of the vantage point area. The drawing was drawn from a corner one block behind Museum Hill Bed and Breakfast's property line. The position is angled down, putting the actual property line to the upper right hand corner of the drawing. Also attached is a picture of a genuine Civil War cannon in Patee House Museum. The Patee House was headquarters in St Joseph to Union soldiers during the Civil War. While there were no Civil War battles fought in St Joseph, the city was heavily divided and many "skirmishes" developed including the famous "flag incident" involving the St Joseph postmaster during that time. The rest of this story can be told at the
The Pony Express Museum also in St. Joseph. There is a room in this museum that has a full wall painting illustrating this particular incident and it is well worth seeing. Museum Hill Bed and Breakfast is a proud business partner of the Missouri Civil War Heritage Foundation.

Article by John Courter (CTA-Certified Tourism Ambassador)

MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM--(CIVIL WAR) ARCHAEOLOGY SERIES

Wed, 21 May 2008 18:33:34 GMT

The Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, MO will be hosting a series of free events in its archaeology series. Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at 7PM will present Steve Dasovich, Ph.D., head of the Cultural Resource Services Division for SCI Engineering, Inc. leading a discussion about the Civil War in the Arcadia Valley (Iron County, MO). Steve Dasovich will be speaking in the AT&T Foundation Multipurpose Room. Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 2PM in the Lee Auditorium. Douglas Scott, Ph.D. will be discussing his recent findings from his excavation of the first battle of Boonville, Wilson's Creek and Centralia. The findings will offer new insights into the battles. For more information, please visit www.mohistory.org/ and click on EVENT CALENDAR.

Boonville Dig Successful

Mon, 05 May 2008 16:56:39 GMT

Forensic archaeologists Dr. Doug Scott and Dr. Steve Dasovich led a team through the fields east of Boonville on November 8 - 10 in search of evidence of the site of the First Battle of Boonville. This is the first comprehensive study of the battle site. The available literature, and dozens of battle relics found by the team, will be studied and plotted. Look for news of the detailed findings of Scott's team on this site.

The survey was jointly sponsored by the City of Boonville, the Historic Frederick Hotel and SCI Engineering, Inc. of St. Charles.

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Francis Herron

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 02:32:59 GMT

Francis J. Herron was a banker in Dubuque, Iowa, before the Civil War. As a Captain, he fought in the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, on August 10, 1861, then soon returned to Iowa to help field the 9th Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry. The 9th Iowa’s first assignment was to guard the railroad in Pacific, Missouri, and Herron and the regiment arrived on October 11, 1861.

Wilson’s Creek, near Springfield, is on the Wire Road, as were the Arkansas battles at Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove. At Pea Ridge in 1862, Herron was wounded and captured, and received the Medal of Honor and a promotion to Brigadier General for his actions there. On December 3, 1862, Herron commanded a division of the Union Army of the Frontier, camped just south of Springfield. Summoned to northwest Arkansas, Herron moved down the Wire Road and arrived with 3500 troops to save the Union Army at Prairie Grove. His march, 110 miles in less than three days, was the greatest forced march of the Civil War. His actions there brought Herron a promotion to Major General, and he was (at age 25) the youngest man to wear 2 stars since Lafayette.

Burnt District Monument Groundbreaking

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:06:18 GMT

A crowd of more than sixty individuals witnessed the groundbreaking on Saturday, Oct. 27 for the Burnt District Monument commemorating events which took place along the western Missouri border during the Civil War. The monument will stand on the front lawn of the Cass County Justice Center in Harrisonville and is a joint venture of the Cass County Historical Society and Cass County. The program featured reenactors to commemorate the suffering and turmoil endured by families living on the western Missouri border and displaced by Order #11 in 1863. More than 20,000 individuals in Jackson, Cass, Bates and Vernon Counties had to leave their homes and lost most of their possessions as a result of this action The monument will feature a 17-foot tall chimney to represent all that was left of most homesteads when settlers returned at the end of the war. These “Jennison’s Tombstones” as they were called after the Kansas Jayhawk commander “Doc” Jennison whose troops did much of the burning, were all the eye could see for miles. The site will also include a memorial brick reconciliation plaza, interpretive signs and plaques, native trees and sidewalks. The monument sign is made from a 100-year-old native eastern red cedar from the 700 block of East Pearl in Harrisonville. The tree was sawed into three sections, each 4” thick, 14” wide and 12’, 4” long. Fundraising is underway to ensure that the stories of those who suffered the devastation on the western Missouri border will not be forgotten.

Doug Scott Returns

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:12:01 GMT

Doug Scott will head up an archaeological survey of the site of the First Battle of Boonville, November 8, 9 and 10, 2007. Dr. Scott, who retired last year from the National Park Serviice, is considered to be one of the country's leading forensic archaeologists. This is his third trip to Missouri (his native state) to explore Missouri battlefields.

Hildebrand, Sam

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 02:40:14 GMT

Son of one of the early settlers of St. Francois County, Hildebrand had his baptism in 1861, when federal sympathizers captured and lynched his brother Frank. Later, federal troops shot and killed a 13 year old brother, Henry, and burned the family home. Hildebrand traveled south and was allegedly commissioned a “major” by Jeff Thompson, and periodically returned to his haunts in St. Francois County. Hildebrand became a notorious killer during and after the War, and the story of his life is legendary in southeast Missouri. Throughout the War, he carried old “Kill-Devil,” his musket, and when it was recovered after his death it had 80 notches carved in its stock, it is said. In 1872, Hildebrand was involved in a gunfight in the town of Pinckneyville, Illinois, and was shot dead. His body was returned to St. Francois County, and he was buried in Hampton Cemetery, in Elvins, just southwest of Park Hills.

$14,000 in Grants for Arrow Rock Trail Interpretation

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 14:46:01 GMT

Mary Duncan, President of the Manitou Bluffs Mid-Missouri Chapter of the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, announced that the Chapter has received two grants totaling $14,000 for interpretation and upgrading of the Historic River Landing Trail in Arrow Rock. $4,000 is from a National Park Service Lewis & Clark National Historic Trails Challenge Cost Share Grant. This money will provide for erosion work on the trail as well as for two interpretive signs. A $10,000 grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Foundation will fund five additional signs and a brochure for the Arrow Rock Historic River Landing Trail. The River Landing Trail can be accessed near the end of Main Street. It connects with the Lewis & Clark Discovery Trail on the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and is approximately a one-half mile walk on a gravel path to the Missouri River. By the mid-19th century Arrow Rock was one of the busiest trade centers on the lower Missouri River. Evidence of this was the report that in 1858 Arrow Rock shipped 7,135 bales of hemp, equaling 1,427 tons, for a total value of $128,120. The interpretive signs will aid in understanding the vital role steamboat transportation played in Arrow Rock’s history. The Manitou Bluffs Chapter was also instrumental in securing grants to construct both trails. They worked closely with the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and the Friends of the Big Muddy. Arrow Rock, a National Historic Landmark village, is located 14 miles north of I-70 on Hwy 41. The Arrow Rock State Historic Site Visitor Center Museum is open daily 10-4 offering an orientation film and exhibits about the settlement of the Boonslick. The Friends of Arrow Rock offer walking tours on Saturdays in May and will begin a new tram tour Monday-Saturday beginning in June. Featured buildings are the home of artist George Caleb Bingham and gunsmith John P. Sites. The Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre opens its season June 8 with a production of “Into the Woods.” Numerous shops, restaurants, and B & Bs welcome guests. Arrow Rock was listed on one of the 100 Best Small Town Getaways in the June 2007 Issue of Midwest Living.

PACIFIC CHAMBER TO SPONSOR PANEL

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:51:32 GMT

The City of Pacific will erect an interpretative panel commemorating the events of the Civil War in that town, it was announced. The panel will be placed as part of a Plaza being constructed near the junction of the historic Pacific Railroad and its southwest branch, and features a story about how the war affected those railroads. The City in west St. Louis County was the scene of a battle during Price's 1864 Expedition, and this was the battle closest to St. Louis during the entire war.

Patience Please

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 13:21:26 GMT

We are transitioning to a new and more powerful presence on the internet, powered by SPROUT. Keep visiting to see our progress.

ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY IN WAVERLY

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 22:29:33 GMT

Tuesday, March 27, 2007 is the day set for an archaeological survey in Waverly, Missouri. A joint project of the Missouri Valley College's Department of Anthropology, Waverly Citizens for Progress, and Missouri's Civil War Heritage Foundation, the survey is being conducted by a team headed by Dr. Tim Baumann of Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri. Waverly is the hometown of Confederate General Joseph Orville Shelby, and a prime target of the survey is to locate General Shelby's home, which was destroyed during the Civil War. For more information, contact Mike Duncan at 660-837-3398, or Elizabeth Keen, Marketing Associate for Missouri’s Civil War Heritage Foundation, at 314-361-4925.

McNeil, John

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 00:15:11 GMT

A native of Nova Scotia, John McNeil settled in St. Louis in 1836 and became an insurance executive before the Civil War. McNeil is one of four Canadians who have achieved the rank of general in the U.S. Army. McNeil's Civil War years were spent entirely in Missouri. A mediocre battlefield commander, he played a part in a number of Missouri's most important engagements, including the Battles of Cape Girardeau and Westport. McNeil's place in history, however, is defined by his act of ordering the execution of 10 southern sympathizers in October, 1861, at Palmyra, Missouri. The Palmyra Massacre created a sensation in the world press, and sparked Missouri's descent into a war of retribution. McNeil died in 1891 and is buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis.

Hickok, James Butler

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 00:12:27 GMT

Born in Troy Grove, Illinois into an abolitionist family, James Hickok moved west in 1856 as the fight for Bloody Kansas began. In 1861, he joined Jim Lane's Kansans as a civilian scout, just in time to participate in the Battle of Wilson's Creek as a sharpshooter. Hickok served the Union throughout the War, as a scout, courier, teamster and spy, attached first to Fremont's command and then to the staff of Gen. Samuel R. Curtis. Before the Battle of Pea Ridge, Hickok and a small band infiltrated Confederate lines and brought Curtis intelligence regarding Confederate troop dispositions. He was also present when Zagonyi made his famous charge on Springfield in October, 1861, and was with Curtis at the Battle of Westport in 1864. Legend holds that Hickok's famous sobriquet, "Wild Bill," was bestowed in 1862 by a bystander who witnessed him stare down a mob in Independence, Missouri. Hickok at the time was escorting an army supply train out of Ft. Leavenworth. As the Civil War came to a close, Hickok ushered in the post-War West on July 21, 1865, in the square in Springfield, Missouri. There he gunned down ex-Confederate Dave Tutt in the first-ever western-style gunfight.

Bowen, John S.

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 00:08:20 GMT

Duke, Basil

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 00:05:51 GMT

Kentuckian by birth, Basil Wilson Duke was practicing law in Missouri when he became a leader of a pro-Southern faction in St. Louis known as the Minute Men. In 1861, he married Henrietta Morgan, a sister of John Hunt Morgan. During most of the Civil War he was Morgan's second in command, and succeeded Morgan upon the latter's death. He was author of a History of Morgan's Cavalry and a volume of Reminiscences. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives and had a distinguished legal career. (Thanks to Kentucky Biography page)

Battle of Pilot Knob

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 18:25:33 GMT

"The Thermopylae of the West," so named in a definitive study published in 1914, was fought on September 26-27, 1864. The battle ended with a ferocious and unsuccessful Confederate assault on Fort Davidson. (See Fort Davidson SHS) "http://www2.cr.nps.gov/abpp/battles/mo021.htm":http://www2.cr.nps.gov/abpp/battles/mo021.htm "http://www.mostateparks.com/ftdavidson.htm":http://www.mostateparks.com/ftdavidson.htm

The Marshall Civil War Heritage Trail

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:58:40 GMT

The Marshall Civil War Heritage Trail committee is asking its community members for help in telling the stories of individuals who played some part in the war. The project involves developing a heritage trail through town with markers located at key Civil War sites. The trail will connect with a statewide Civil War trail system being developed by Missouri’s Civil War Heritage Foundation. "http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1190414.html":http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1190414.html

BUSINESS PARTNER OF THE MONTH

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:37:39 GMT

Andy Thomas, based in Carthage, Missouri, is southwest Missouri's premier artist, and his works based on Trans-Mississippi Civil War themes places him in the top rank of active Civil War artists in the country. "http://andythomas.com/":http://andythomas.com/

AGENCY OF THE MONTH

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:36:48 GMT

The Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau has been an active supporter of the mission of Missouri's Civil War Heritage Foundation since 2004. Columbia is the home of the University of Missouri -Columbia. "http://www.visitcolumbiamo.com":http://www.visitcolumbiamo.com

ORGANIZATION OF THE MONTH

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:35:54 GMT

The Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp #570, the Elijah Gates Camp, is located in Fulton, Missouri. "www.missouridivision-scv.org/camp570.htm":http://www.missouridivision-scv.org/camp570.htm