Missouri Civil War Articles

MOORE'S MILL SURVEY JUDGED A SUCCESS

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 15:06:11 GMT

Dr. Doug Scott, famed "battlefield detective," led a group of over 50 surveyors who hunted the field of the 1862 battle of Moore's Mill. The archeological survey was conducted from March 21-23 in Callaway County, Missouri, east of Fulton. Drs. Steve Dasovich and Peter Warnock, of Lindenwood University and Missouri Valley College respectively, were the other principal archeologists involved in the Moore's Mill "dig." Students from Lindenwood and Missouri Valley also participated, along with Dr. Cinnamon Brown and students from Westminster College in Fulton.

Preliminary results confirm the location of this key battle that was part of Confederate Colonel Joseph Porter's 1862 Raid in north Missouri. Over 180 battle artifacts were recovered, including evidence that Union troops employed rifled cannon to break Porter's line. Dr. Scott's findings are expected to be released this fall.

Local History Class at East Central College in Union, Missouri

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:23:45 GMT

The Local History Class at East Central College promises to offer a great trip through history as an all-new slate of presentations will be offered. Classes will be held every *Thursday* evening in *March and April* from *7:00 - 9:00 p.m* in the *Regional Training Center* (the one-story building off to the left away from the main campus). Walk-ins will again be accepted for $10 per evening as space allows. To sign up for the class, contact Sharon Witte at the college (636-584-6529). A great turnout is expected - don't miss this one! *March 7, 2013* _7:00 p.m.:_ Cathie Schoppenhorst, formerly curator of the Warren Historical Society and Historic Interpreter at the Boone Monument Farm will present "The Four Families Who Lived on the Boone Monument Farm from When it was a Spanish Land Grant to the Present". Those families are the Bryan, Griswold, Dickhaus, and Stemme families. The emphasis will be on the Bryan family who lived there the first 39 years and the Dickhaus family who built the brick house and lived there 91 years. Both families are heavily connected in Franklin county. _8:00 p.m.:_ Armin Klemme, retired minister, will present "100 Years at Zion United Church of Christ--Union" *March 14, 2013* _7:00 p.m.:_ Joe Sonderman, acclaimed author of several books on Route 66, will give the second part of his "Route 66 in Franklin County" presentation. The first part was presented in the 2012 class. _8:00 p.m.:_ Sue Blesi, local author and historian, will present "Two Little Publicized Shootings". One concerns a teacher who went berserk and committed murder. The other involves a preacher who also went berserk and was shot by his own parishioners! *March 21, 2013* _7:00 p.m.:_ Ben Brown, retired history teacher, will present "The Dyson Men: Six for the War of the Rebellion". It is a narrative of six Dyson brothers from the Japan area who joined the Missouri State Guard, only one of whom survived the war. Brown will feature first-hand account from Roby Dyson's Civil War letters. _8:00 p.m.:_ Steve Claggett, president of Four Rivers Genealogical Society and an active researcher, will present "German Immigrants in 19th Century Franklin County", based on biographies of Germans like Gert Goebel and Frederick Muench. How they lived, married and buried. *March 28, 2013* _7:00 p.m.:_ Carol Radford, president of the St. Clair Historical Society, will present her research on "Earliest Churches in Franklin County". _8:00 p.m.:_ Marc Houseman, Director of the Washington Museum, will present "Friendship, Love and Truth, the History of Odd Fellowship in Franklin County". *April 4, 2013* _7:00 p.m.:_ Diane Disbro, Branch Manager for Scenic Regional Library, says a newspaper is a mirror that reflects both events and attitudes in a community. She will present "What the Washington Missourian reported about Women During the Second World War". _8:00 p.m.:_ Sue Blesi, local historian, will present some of the "Memories and Memorabilia of Rural School Teacher Cora Roussin Thoming". Mrs. Thoming who taught in numerous schools in the county and, fortunately, saved everything! *April 11, 2013* _7:00 p.m.:_ Terry Wilson, who was a Franklin County Commissioner for 12 years and founder of the Veteran's Hall of Fame, will present "A Selection of Civil War Accounts". _8:00 p.m.:_ Kevin Wolff, who is a descendant of John B. Busch, will present "The John B. Busch Family and Home". *April 18, 2013* _7:00 p.m.:_ Walt Larson, former mayor of Washington and past Washington Historical Society president, will present "The Owens Family (of Washington) and a Connection to Abe Lincoln". _8:00 p.m.:_ Mark Lause, who is a history professor at the University of Cincinnati. This Franklin County native is the author of Price's Lost Campaign (and 6 other titles). He will discuss "Price's Raid in Missouri". *April 25, 2013* _7:00 p.m.:_ Norman Grannemann, who works for U.S. Geological Survey in Lansing, Michigan, will present "Pivotal Events in the Civil War in Franklin County", concentrating on the vote not to join the Confederate States and the Killing of James Barnes. A native of New Haven, Grannemann spent his early years on a farm his grandfather bought in 1902. _8:00 p.m.:_ Janet Daniel and Therissa Schlemper, long-time members of the Meramec Valley Genealogical and Historical Society will present "The Civil War Comes to Pacific", an overview of events surrounding Price's Raid in their community.

Missouri's Gray Ghosts Trail Is Honored Civil War Driving Trail Receives Grant from the State Historical Society of Missouri

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:33:39 GMT

ST. LOUIS, MO. November 12, 2012 - The State Historical Society of Missouri at Columbia established The Richard S. Brownlee Fund to honor its Director who served from 1960 to 1985. The Brownlee Fund annually grants funds to individuals and organizations for research, publications, and other projects that document the history of Missouri and its citizens.

Among Dr. Brownlee's many contributions to the cause of Missouri history was his classic 1958 book, Gray Ghosts of the Confederacy: Guerrilla Warfare in the West, 1861-1865. In 2011, Missouri's Civil War Heritage Foundation (MCWHF) introduced a driving trail connecting central Missouri Civil War sites, which it dedicated to the memory of Dr. Brownlee. At the Annual Meeting of the State Historical Society of Missouri, on November 3, 2012, the Society presented a $500 check to the Foundation to support the distribution of the Gray Ghosts Trail map.

Other recipients of 2012 Brownlee Fund awards were the Frank James Bank Museum, the Newtonia Battlefields Protection Association, the Springfield-Greene County Library District, the Reynolds County Genealogy and Historical Society, the Clay County Millennium Historical Board, the Native Sons and Daughters of Greater Kansas City, the Excelsior Springs Museum and Archives, the Powers Museum, and the Florissant Valley Historical Society. Each of the 2012 awards supports a project focused on the Civil War era.

MCWHF distributes its Civil War driving trail maps across the United States through a contract with civilwartraveler.com of Richmond, Virginia. Recently, the Foundation completed a map and driving tour of north and central Missouri Civil War sites, known as the U. S. Grant Trail.

In September, 2012, the Foundation responded to 950 requests for Missouri travel literature from potential Civil War travelers, from as far away as California, Australia and Britain. In that month, only Virginia and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, received more attention from visitors to the civilwartraveler website, according to Greg Wolk, Executive Director of MCWHF. "Missouri outdrew the state of Maryland in September. This was the month of the 150th anniversary of Maryland's most important Civil War battle, Antietam," said Wolk, adding that the September results show pent up demand for Midwest travel opportunities during the current sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

"We are honored to receive a Brownlee Fund Award. The honor reminds us that our mission to attract tourists to Missouri takes a back seat to good, solid history," Wolk noted.

Central Missouri Auction Offers Dozens of Rare Items

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 20:39:46 GMT

A variety of horse-drawn vehicles are among the highlights of a major antique and collectible auction that is scheduled at 9:00 a.m. on October 20, 2012. The event is to be held in Wellsville, Missouri, on Missouri Highway 19, fourteen miles north of the New Florence exit on Interstate 70. For more information: http://wheelerauctions.com/main/Auctions/20121020McClain/20121020McClain.html

Dedication of Military Headstone for Private Dennis Durkin

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:36:48 GMT

_Dedication of Tombstone for Civil War Veteran_ A rededication ceremony was held at St. Francis Borgia Church Cemetery on July 21, 2012 for the military headstone of Private Dennis Durkin. Private Durkin died in 1864, about thirty days after Price’s Raid through Franklin County. Though the exact circumstances of Durkin’s death are unknown, the burial records of St. Francis Borgia Church attest that he did receive the last rites of the Catholic Church and that he died in Union, Missouri. Durkin was born in County Mayo, Ireland. He, his father, and his sister immigrated to the United States where the father worked as a hired hand for Dr. Butler, near Beaufort. Later, the family moved to a home near Washington. Durkin was buried alongside his sister Susan, who had also died at a young age. When FCCS worked on the old section of St. Francis Borgia Cemetery, Durkin’s tombstone was found in the discard pile at the corner of the cemetery. Due to the fact that all of the portions of the headstone were not located, it was not repairable. County Commissioner Terry Wilson took an interest in Durkin and applied for a government military marker, which was installed about a month ago.

Newly Found Tombstone of Civil War Veteran

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 20:58:26 GMT

Newly found tombstone in the Moselle Area of Franklin County, Missouri. It belonged to James Drenning, Company E, 31 Missouri Infantry Volunteers.

MOORE'S MILL BATTLE COMMEMORATED

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 14:26:47 GMT

A crowd gathered at the site of Callaway County's largest Civil War battle on Saturday, July 28, 2011, on the date 150 years ago that Union and Confederate troops engaged in a desperate fight. The occasion was the dedication of two educational panels that describe the battle in detail. The panels complement one that was placed on the property many years ago by the Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society, on State Route JJ 3/4 mile south of Route Z.

U. S. Grant Trail Garners Additional Support

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 14:11:54 GMT

U. S. Grant Trail Garners additional support

Driving Trail Tracks General's Movements in North Missouri

HANNIBAL, MO. July 27, 2012 -Hannibal, the capital city of Missouri's Mark Twain country, announced today that it was joining other communities in eastern Missouri in the U. S. Grant Trail™ tourism promotion program.

The famous author was born in Florida, Missouri, in 1835. His boyhood years in Hannibal inspired the indelible characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, who in turn attract visitors to Hannibal from all over the world.

"During this period of the Civil War's 150th anniversary, it is time to take official notice of Mark Twain's connections to the Civil War and to General Grant," said Cindy Lovell, Director of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal. In July 1861, Twain was briefly a soldier in the same military campaign that brought Ulysses Grant into Missouri for the first time in a combat role. Later the two became friends, and when Grant was dying of throat cancer, Twain offered to publish his Memoirs, paying the highest royalty in history to Grant's widow, Julia. "Hannibal, with its existing cultural attractions and lodging options, is well situated to serve travelers interested in exploring the wealth of Civil War attractions in Northeast Missouri," added Brenna McDermott, the Museum's Marketing Manager.

The U. S. Grant Trail, a project of Missouri's Civil War Heritage Foundation, ties together communities that played a part in Grant's life and career in the state. Stops on the Trail, in addition to Hannibal, include Palmyra, Florida (where Grant established a headquarters in July, 1861), Mexico, Danville, Washington, Pacific and Jefferson Barracks. Washington, Missouri, joined the Trail effort in June, 2012. A map of the Trail is in production, and when completed will be available to travelers through a link to the website civilwartraveler.com. Aside from featuring Ulysses Grant and Mark Twain venues, in North Missouri the Trail visits many places where battles were fought 150 years ago during an 1862 Confederate campaign known as Porter's Raid.

The U. S. Grant Trail mapping and promotion project has received financial support from the Missouri Civil War Reenactors Association, the Missouri Humanities Council, and the Gertrude and William A. Bernoudy Foundation.

PRESS RELEASE: Free Interactive Civil War Exhibit to Visit 15 Missouri Communities

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 16:47:12 GMT

July 11, 2012- To commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War and help Missourians discover their historic Civil War roots, 15 Missouri communities will host “The Civil War in Missouri: a State Divided.” The traveling history exhibit was created by a partnership between the Missouri Humanities Council and the Missouri History Museum in an effort to give more people access to high-quality museum exhibits and spark interest in learning more about the rich and important role Missouri played in the Civil War.
The exhibit is a smaller version of a permanent exhibit under the same name at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis that will run until March 16, 2013. Sites applied to host the exhibit and were chosen by the MHC.
The Civil War in Missouri was successful at the first showing in Kansas City and is now in preparation to open in Kirksville on July 22. It will make stops in Joplin and Sedalia in 2012 and then the following communities through 2015: Mountain View, Nevada, Columbia, Cape Girardeau, Kingston, Marshall, Linn, Sullivan, Hannibal, Neosho and Kearney. For a complete list of locations and dates, please visit mohumanities.org. Admission is free at all sites.
The Missouri Humanities Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in 1971 as an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Its purpose is to help Missourians share their stories, ideas and experiences to foster a more civil, literate and thoughtful society.
The MHC fosters partnerships with local museums, libraries, educational institutions and civic organizations providing resources and grants to help their programs become more dynamic, engaging and successful. Additionally, the MHC offers its own programs, workshops, grants and traveling exhibits to encourage and promote the discussion of the humanities including literature, history, languages, philosophy, religion, law and archeology.
Additional programs are available to augment the Civil War in Missouri exhibit and include storytellers, speakers and a children’s reading program. More information about the many projects of MHC can be found on the Council website at www.mohumanities.org or by calling 1-800-357-0909.
Contact:
Anna Marie Wingron
Community Programs & Outreach Director
annamarie@mohumanities.org
543 Hanley Industrial Court, Suite 201, St. Louis, MO 63144-1905
314.781.9660
www.mohumanities.org

2012 Franklin County Tourism Map Now Available

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 20:16:04 GMT

While journeying through the Franklin County area looking at Civil War sites (check out the U.S. Grant Trail map!), we invite you to check out some of the local restaurants, attractions, and places to stay. The new Franklin County Tourism map highlights some of the hotspots in the area, making it a quick guide for travelers and locals alike. You can find copies of it at the local Chambers of Commerce and Visitor's Centers, as well as online at:
http://thebigmuddy.net/franklin_county_map.html

"Divided Loyalties" Visits Franklin County

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 21:26:26 GMT

The traveling display from the Missouri State Archives has stopped in Union, Missouri. Stationed in the Second Floor Rotunda of the Franklin County Government Center, the display will be available for public viewing through August of 2012. Drawing on more than nine million pages of documents and court cases, Divided Loyalties examines the upheaval and uncertainty that characterized Missouri during the Civil War era. The exhibit goes beyond the stories of battles and military strategy to consider the social conflict that permeated the state for the two decades that followed the Kansas Border Wars of the mid-1850s. A special Open House will be held on June 16, 2012 from 1p to 4p to celebrate its arrival (please see Events). For more information about the display, please visit the Secretary of State's website: http://www.sos.mo.gov/mdh/CivilWar/DividedLoyalties.asp

Have a Blast at Meramec Caverns

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 21:20:43 GMT

New Tour Exhibit Showcases Civil War History _STANTON, MO -- May 16, 2012_ -- Talk about a blast from the past! Meramec Caverns, the venerable natural attraction along Route 66, has a new exhibit on view during the 80-minute guided tours of the cave. Visitors now see replicas of two wooden leaching vats used in the production of gunpowder during the Civil War and hear how Confederate troops destroyed the Union-run munitions operation at Meramec Caverns. Vats similar to those now on view were in place at Meramec Caverns and worked by Union troops to manufacture ammunition from 1862 through 1864. The munitions production came to an abrupt end when General Sterling Price and his Confederate troops marched into Franklin County on September 30, 1864 and destroyed the operation within the caverns. Meramec Caverns’ role as a munitions plant pre-dates the Civil War. As early as 1720, the limestone caves along the Meramec River were mined for saltpeter, a key ingredient in the manufacture of gunpowder. Meramec Caverns, then known as Saltpeter Cave, was the largest of the region’s mining caves. It is said that Peter Stanton, for whom the city of Stanton, Missouri was named, operated a powder mill in the caverns prior to the Civil War. Judy Turilli, vice president of Meramec Caverns, had the idea to incorporate the cave’s salt peter mining history in the cave tours. “Mining was such an important part of the cavern’s and the Stanton region’s history,” says Turilli. “With the nation commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War during the next few years, the mining display is an appropriate and unusual way to interpret Meramec Caverns’ Civil War connections.” Turilli did extensive research on saltpeter mining. She found detailed plans on how leaching vats were designed and engaged carpenters from nearby Steelville, Missouri to build them to spec. The vats are created from barn wood that is more than 100 years old. The V-shaped wooden hoppers hold hundreds of pounds of a raw saltpeter and dirt mixture. Saltpeter, or potassium nitrate, is a natural alkaline substance found in limestone rock. Fresh water is poured into the vats to extract the saltpeter from the dirt. Wood ash is added to the newly mined saltpeter and boiled to create purified saltpeter crystals. Also on display is a replica of an 1861 Springfield musket with bayonet which was the type of weapon used by many Civil War-era soldiers. Turilli sought the advice of Walter Kleinigger of Stanton, Missouri to find the firearm for display. Kleinigger is an expert on this model of Springfield musket which used the type of gunpowder produced at Meremac Caverns prior to and during the Civil War years. Meramec Caverns is well-known as a hideout for one of the Confederacy’s most infamous veterans – the outlaw Jesse James. James, from the staunchly Confederate-leaning Little Dixie area of northwest Missouri, rode with Southern raiders during and after the Civil War. Meramec Caverns is part of the Gray Ghosts Trail, a driving tour to significant Civil War sites throughout Missouri. The tour was created by Missouri’s Civil War Heritage Foundation. The detailed driving map is available at www.mocivilwar.org/travel_tours.html Meramec Caverns is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Guided-walking tours depart every 20-30 minutes starting at 9:00 a.m. Cavern tours take one hour and twenty minutes to complete, covering 1 ¼ miles round trip. For more information, click on www.americascave.com or call 800-676-6105.

VA Tombstone - Dennis Durkin

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:41:17 GMT

The St. Francis Borgia Cemetery group set the VA tombstone today for Dennis Durkin. He died November 13, 1864 of unknown reasons. We will set up a rededication ceremony in the near future. If anyone has any information on him, please contact Terry O. Wilson at 636-583-6360 or towilson@franklinmo.net

NEW MADRID MISSOURI IN THE NEWS

Sun, 06 May 2012 16:48:48 GMT

The southeast Missouri city of New Madrid has introduced a driving tour brochure, as it commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Union campaign that took Island Number 10 on the Mississippi for the Union. New Madrid was at the center of Union General John Pope's campaign in March and April, 1862, that took the powerful Confederate stronghold on April 8, 1862.

Pope assembled an army that advanced from Commerce, Missouri (south of Cape Girardeau) to the outskirts of New Madrid. Pope laid siege to the town when he arrived on March 3, 1862. After he captured New Madrid, it became his base of supplies as he maneuvered to capture a Mississippi island southeast of town that had been strongly fortified by Confederates. The story of the campaign is told at the New Madrid Historical Museum, Main Street at the levee.

A printable brochure, with map and 15 tour stops, is available on New Madrid's website: http://www.new-madrid.mo.us/index.aspx?nid=152.

NUMBER 25

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:58:34 GMT

Callaway County dedicated an educational panel on October 22, 2011, and Williamsburg, Missouri, became "the Gateway to the Boone's Lick." HIghlights of the ceremony included a parachute jump and gorgeous October Missouri weather.

The panel, called the Gateway to the Boone's Lick, features stories of the old Boone's Lick Trail and some Southern boys who came from eastern Callaway County. It has been erected on old Highway 40, between the Crane General Store and Crane's Museum, thanks to the generosity of the Crane family. It is the fifth panel sponsored by Missouri's Civil War Heritage Foundation in Callaway County, and the twenty-fifth panel in the state. For more information about the Gray Ghosts Trail, click on the driving tours link at left.

FULTON MARKS A TRAIL

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:14:14 GMT

On February 3, 2012, the city of Fulton, MO, announced that it has erected 14 markers that give direction and recognition to the Gray Ghost Trail. Fulton, which is part of the Callaway County community, is the second town along the trail to erect these directional signs. The markers offer a visual to attract the attention of local residents and travelers, leading them to various historic sites and interpretive panels through out Fulton. One such marker can be found on Route F, west of the Westminster Ave and 4^th street intersection. It leads directly to the newest interpretive panel which was installed on the Westminster College campus November, 2011.

COME SHARE THE “KINGDOM’S” 150th

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:10:30 GMT

From Kingdom of Callaway Civil War Heritage FULTON, Mo. — Located in the heart of Missouri’s “Little Dixie,” Callaway County and its county seat, Fulton, are rich in Civil War–era history — especially that of the first year of the war, 150 years ago. Today, Callaway’s informational panels are the heart of the Gray Ghosts Trail driving tour. In early 1861, the pro-Confederate Callaway Guards — including local Westminster College students, among them a future Missouri attorney general, Capt. Daniel H. McIntyre — were among the first wartime volunteers; and a July 17 skirmish near Fulton between about 1,000 Union and Southern troops occurred days before the Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) in Virginia. Callaway County is widely known as the “Kingdom of Callaway,” a nickname dating back to October 1861 when Southern volunteers under Col. Jefferson F. Jones went eyeball to eyeball with would-be invading Union militia and concluded a peace agreement. This October, a series of special local programs will commemorate that event and offer a superb opportunity to share in the Civil War heritage and modern hospitality of Callaway County. It all gets under way Friday, Sept. 30, at 5 p.m., when blue-gray re-enactors unveil a Civil War window display at the Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society, 513 Court St. in Fulton. Guests can tarry for talks, music, refreshments and a tour of the museum’s exhibits. Other scheduled programs include: Saturday, Oct. 8, 5:30 p.m., Fulton, Fall Muster, Elijah Gates Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans; Sunday, Oct. 9, 1 p.m., Kingdom City, Heart of Missouri Tourism Center, 15th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Cemetery of Col. Jefferson Jones; Saturday, Oct. 22, 1 p.m., Williamsburg, Crane’s Museum, celebration of the community’s Civil War panel on the Gray Ghosts Trail, with talks, music, wagon rides, special food (the Boone’s Lick Road through Williamsburg carried early settlers westward and, during the war, soldiers and guerrillas); Thursday, Oct. 27, 5:30 p.m., Fulton, Historical Society’s Annual Meeting. The Web site www.callawaycivilwar.org includes a brochure/map to Callaway sites on the Gray Ghosts Trail. “The Kingdom Comes to Callaway,” a historic panel on the Gray Ghosts Trail in front of the Heart of Missouri Tourism Center in Kingdom City — seven miles north of Fulton at the junction of Interstate 70 and US 54 — is sited right along the sweep of the October 1861 drama. Either the tourism center or Fulton make excellent jumping-off points for Callaway adventures. For more information, call the Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society, 573-642-0570. Ample accommodations exist in Kingdom City, Holts Summit and Fulton, which features two Victorian-era bed and breakfasts. Consult www.visitfulton.com or call the Heart of Missouri Tourism Center, (573) 642-7692; or the Kingdom of Callaway Chamber of Commerce, (573) 642-3055. (www.callawaychamber.com). The Gray Ghosts Trail in Callaway County is sponsored by Kingdom of Callaway Civil War Heritage, local affiliate of Missouri’s Civil War Heritage Foundation, Inc.

BOONVILLE EVENT A WINNER

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:22:57 GMT

The nation's first full-scale battle reenactment of the sesquicentennial period went off without a hitch on June 17-19, 2011 in a field east of Boonville, Missouri. A violent storm the night of June 17 created some challenges - but the 700 or so reenactors who participated rose to the challenge of the storm and stifling heat that followed it. Organizers estimate that 10,000 spectators attended, watching the action as it unfolded on the same field where Union soldiers confronted a small contingent of Missouri State Guard troops 150 years ago.

CIVIL WAR COINS STOLEN

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 03:11:23 GMT

The Museum of Transport in St. Louis County is hosting a traveling exhibit called "Money of the U.S. Civil War," doing its part to help commemorate the Civil War sesquicentennial. Saturday or Sunday (June 11-12), thieves made off with a silver dollar and five gold coins dating back between the 1840s through the 1860s. A photo of the coins appears at left. To the Civil War community: pass the word, please. The coins are the property of the American Numismatic Association. The Museum is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of the coins. Call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-8477.

CAMP JACKSON EVENT KICKS OFF SESQUICENTENNIAL IN THE WEST

Thu, 12 May 2011 02:35:30 GMT

The Civil War began in Missouri, and in the Trans-Mississippi west, on May 10, 1861. On that day, Union volunteers and regular Army troops surrounded the camp of the Missouri State Militia, and took the militia into custody. Variously described as an incident, an affair and a massacre, the Union action ended in gunfire and the deaths of twenty-eight people, most of them civilians.

A somber commemoration of the Camp Jackson incident was held on May 10, 2011, on the campus of St. Louis University, on the exact site of this watershed of Missouri history. Dr. Silana Siddali of the St. Louis University History Department, Member of the Missouri Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, officiated. The ceremony included an honor guard of Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, as well as a moving tribute to the dead presented by SLU student Danny Commes.

Liberty Arsenal Events

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:08:02 GMT

In 1861 in Clay County, the raid on the Missouri Depot, also known as the Liberty Arsenal, was the first overt act of citizens of Missouri against the Federal government. This occurred just one week after the firing on Ft. Sumter. Col. Henry Routt commanded the forces that captured the arsenal. Major Nathaniel
Grant surrendered his post and the contents of the depot. The property taken consisted of three cannons, twelve iron guns, five caissons, two battery wagons, two forges and all the artillery and ammunition. The majority of the supplies were taken to Liberty and distributed to the minutemen of Clay County and surrounding border counties. Col. Routt’s ice house stored many of the arms and munitions. This observanceis the kickoff of the Civil War 150th Anniversary in Clay County, Missouri. The Clay County Millennium Historical Board, theClay County Historical Society and Museum, the Clay County Archives, the Native Sons & Daughters of Kansas City, and many interested citizens have partnered to recognize the significance of the Liberty Arsenal and other events during theCivil War in Clay County and the Kansas City metropolitan area.

On April 20 & April 23, 2011, planned events will commemorate the raid on the Liberty Arsenal, and will be held as close to the actual site of the arsenal as possible-near the intersection of highways 291 and old 210, just south of Liberty, MO. Please see our calendar of events for more information about them.

WESTMINSTER COLLEGE PANEL HONORS CIVIL WAR HEROES

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:54:31 GMT

FULTON, MO. — At an April 16 ceremony for a new historic informational panel at Westminster College, a pair of keynote speakers will address two kinds of Civil War heroes — the pro-Southern Missouri State Guard soldiers who marched off to war soon after Fort Sumter, and Callaway County slaves who became Union soldiers, thereby earning their freedom. It is the year’s first official Civil War Sesquicentennial event co-sponsored by Missouri’s Civil War Heritage Foundation, Inc. (MCWHF). “War Comes to Westminster College” will be dedicated as part of the Gray Ghosts Trail driving tour during the College’s annual Alumni Weekend, at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 16, below the historic Columns in the 400 block of Westminster Avenue, south of the Churchill Memorial. In a ceremony featuring a Blue-Gray color guard, historian and author William E. Parrish will talk about the Callaway Guards, the first county company to go to war, and their Captain Daniel H. McIntyre, a senior student who distinguished himself in the war and was Missouri attorney general from 1881–1885. Now retired, Parrish is a former professor of history at Westminster.

U.S. Army Major General Byron S. Bagby will talk about Civil War heroism, with particular attention to the former slaves who became soldiers in the U.S. Colored Troops infantry regiments from Missouri. General Bagby is a Westminster College alumnus, Fulton native and a descendant of Callaway County slaves.

Both men will be introduced by College President Dr. George B. (Barney) Forsythe, himself a retired U.S. Army brigadier general. MCWHF President Greg Wolk will also speak. Prayers will be offered by College Chaplain Brad Sheppard and Dr. Arnold Parks, pastor of St. James United Methodist Church.

The fourth of seven panels on the Gray Ghosts Trail in Callaway County, this interpretive panel was financed through donations by Callaway County alumni of Westminster. The local panels are sponsored by the nonprofit Kingdom of Callaway Civil War Heritage, an affiliate of the MCWHF.

The color guard is being provided by compatriots and friends of the Elijah Gates Camp No. 570 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

BOONVILLE GETS ITS DUE

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 04:15:55 GMT

This weekend's Los Angeles Times, in its Travel section, features an article on Missouri's Civil War. Travel writer Catherine Watkins provides a vivid picture of Missouri's rich Civil War history, covering battles in Lexington, Kansas City and Springfield, but it is Boonville in the spotlight. To quote Watkins: "I was fondest of Boonville, a sweetly prosperous town of 6,800 on the south bank of the Missouri River, one of the few small towns in the country that still has its own daily newspaper."

Boonville will host the nation's first battle re-enactment of the Civil War sesquicentennial, on June 17, 2011. Boonville's Civil War Commemorative Commission, after two years of hard work, has put the town way out front of the rest of the state in promoting Missouri's Civil War heritage to tourists. California has noticed.

The Times story can be accessed at http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-missouriwar-20110410,0,382771.story?page=1

Battle of Centralia

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:47:17 GMT

The Battle of Centralia was fought on September 27, 1864, in a field 2 miles southeast of the town. Southern Partisans commanded by "Bloody Bill" Anderson met and destroyed a Union force under Maj. A.V.E. Johnson. The battle site is accessible to the public thanks to the Friends of the Centralia Battlefield.

Battle of Marshall Garners National Attention

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:09:43 GMT

Famed Battlefield Detective Douglas Scott performed a survey of a part of the battlefield at Marshall Missouri during the weekend of October 8 - 10, 2010. The survey was conducted in cooperation with the Department of Anthropology at Missouri Valley College, and co-sponsored by Three Rivers Systems, Inc. of St. Louis and Wood & Huston Bank of Marshall.

The area surveyed, north and east of Marshall, is thought to have been the scene of a cavalry charge during Shelby's 1863 Raid; some artifacts were located and are under study. It is likely that additional archaeologic work will be undertaken based on the preliminary results.

The Associated Press picked up the story of the dig and Marshall's battle on October 13, 1863. As was noted by AP correspondent Jim Shur, the Battle of Marshall "ended one of the divisive war’s most famous and longest raids." He has done his research, and Missouri's Joseph O. Shelby has gotten some of his due.

The Marshall Democrat-News provided full coverage, and has an excellent article posted at
http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1671615.html