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Civil War loyalties
At the outset of the Civil War, St. Louis was a deeply divided city within a divided state. Slavery was an important economic issue to pro-Southern St. Louisans. Other residents, including many local German Americans, were Union supporters and figured prominently in the struggle to keep St. Louis and Missouri in the Union.
Guide to Missouri Confederate units, 1861-1865
James E. McGhee.
Fayetteville : University of Arkansas Press, 2008.
"Tracing the origins and history of Missouri Confederate units that served during the Civil War is nearly as difficult as comprehending the diverse politics that produced them. Deeply torn by the issues that caused the conflict, some Missourians chose sides enthusiastically, others reluctantly, while a number had to choose out of sheer necessity, for fence straddling held no sway in the state after the fighting began. The several thousand that sided with the Confederacy formed a variety of military organizations, some earning reputations for hard fighting exceeded by few other states, North or South. Unfortunately, the records of Missouri's Confederate units have not been adequately preserved - officially or otherwise - until now." "James E. McGhee presents accounts of the sixty-nine artillery, cavalry, and infantry units in the state, as well as their precedent units, and those that failed to complete their organization. Relying heavily on primary sources, such as rosters, official reports, order books, letters, diaries, and memoirs, he weaves diverse materials into concise narratives of each of Missouri's Confederate organizations. He lists the field-grade officers for battalions and regiments, companies and company commanders, and places of origin for each company when known."--BOOK JACKET.
Guerrilla warfare in Civil War Missouri.$ N Vol.II, 1863
Bruce Nichols.
Jefferson, NC. : McFarland & Co., Inc., Publishers, c2007.
This book is a thorough study of all known guerrilla operations in Civil War Missouri in 1863. The author utilizes both well-known and obscure sources to identify which Southern partisan leaders and groups operated in which areas of Missouri, and to describe how they operated and how their kinds of warfare evolved.
The Civil War's first blood : Missouri, 1854-1861
James Denny, John Bradbury.
Boonville, Mo. : MissouriLife, c2007.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 136-138).
Civil War on the Missouri-Kansas border
by Donald L. Gilmore.
Gretna, La. : Pelican Pub., 2006.
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 306-376) and index.
- Uneasy union : the roots of the border war -- The view from across the border : the Missouri situation -- Confrontation in Kansas -- Political convulsion and war -- Smoldering war : attacks and reprisals in Kansas and Missouri -- Conflicting loyalties : the Civil War in Missouri -- Jayhawker invasion of western Missouri -- Nemesis : the emergence of Quantrill -- Trial by fire : the tempering of the guerrillas -- The guerrillas' identity, extermination, and trauma -- "Hell in their neck" : the guerrilla response -- Retribution : General Orders no. 11 and Quantrill's reply -- End game : Price's raid and the death of the guerrilla chiefs -- Reckoning.
Autobiography of Samuel S. Hildebrand : the renowned Missouri bushwhacker
edited by Kirby Ross.
Fayetteville : University of Arkansas Press, 2005.
First published in 1870, this autobiography of Samuel Hildebrand traces his life as a Confederate guerilla in the Trans-Mississippi area. As he was illiterate, Hildebrand told his story to Evans and Keith, covering his family history, joining the army, and accounts of the dozens of men he killed in Missouri and Arkansas during and after the Civil War. In endnotes, Ross, who views the autobiography as a historical resource and peek into Federal counterinsurgency operations, gives a historical context, points out errors in Hildebrand's story, and explains people, places, and events that are unclear. Ross is a journalist, author, and historian. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Failed ambition : the Civil War journals and letters of cavalryman Homer Harris Jewett
edited by Tom Jewett.
College Station, TX : Virtualbookworm.com Pub., 2004.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 254-255) and index.
In early 1861, pro-Southern Governor Claiborne Jackson called a convention to consider taking Missouri out of the Union. But, those at the convention voted to stay in the Union. Jackson organized a pro-Southern militia that drilled at the western edge of the city at a place called "Camp Jackson". He prepared the militia to seize the federal arsenal in St. Louis.
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Approximately 31,000 German immigrants served in Missouri Union regiments. Most of these came from St. Louis. At least six regiments were entirely German. |
| (from Missouri Civil War Museum) |
Pro-Union forces also geared up for war. Captain Nathaniel Lyon recruited several regiments organized by German Americans in St. Louis. Lyon then moved to capture Camp Jackson. First, he disguised himself as a woman (complete with shawl and dress!) to inspect the camp. The next day, May 10, 1861, his forces surrounded it. Jackson's troops surrendered. Lyon then marched the POWs through St. Louis, but pro-Southern St. Louisans rioted, resulting in the deaths of soldiers and civilians.
After his victory in St. Louis, Lyon went on to win political control of the state. But Union forces didn't command allegiance from all Missourians. Many St. Louisans and Missourians continued to support the Confederacy throughout the war.
The hard feelings that resulted continued long after the Civil War. It was only many years later that St. Louis-- and Missouri-- bridged the divide of hatred left by the sad legacy of the war.
Article by: St. Louis Public Library staff.
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