Civil War

Title: From Leigh R. Webber to Charles Brown
Description: On March 23, 1862, Leigh R. Webber writes a letter from Fort Scott, Kansas to John Stillman Brown. He describes daily life in the "cheerless camp," complains about the disobedient and rowdy soldiers in his regiment, and expresses a longing for the "excitement of battle." He reports that his regiment has been ordered to advance to Fort Smith.
Date: March 23, 1862

Title: Clay County Court House at Liberty, Mo
Description: A drawing of the Clay County Court House in Liberty, Missouri, included in an 1877 plat book of Clay County, Missouri.
Object Type: Image
Date: 1877

Title: Soldier, Eleventh Kansas Volunteer Cavalry
Description: This sepia carte de visite, ca. 1861-1865, depicts an unidentified soldier who served in the Eleventh Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. The carte de visite was produced by Brown's Photographic & Ambrotype Gallery in Paola, Miami County, Kansas. Carte de visites were small photographs that were often used as calling cards and became very popular during the Civil War.
Object Type: Image

Title: From W.W. Phillips to John B. Ward
Description: W.W. Phillips writes a letter from Auburn, Kansas to his friend John B. Ward on May 21, 1861. Phillips tells Ward that Kansas is full of excitement: “War. War. is the cry.” He says that troops are organizing in preparation for defense, and he declares that “We are Ready for Missouri.” He also anticipates there will be a conflict with Native Americans living nearby.
Object Type: Letter
Date: May 21, 1861

Title: Quarterly Returns of Clothing, Camp, and Garrison Equipage 1862
Description: This military document is a collection of quarterly returns of clothing, camp, and garrison equipment for the use of the Missouri State Militia 8th Cavalry Regiment Company "A". These returns are documentation of the second and third quarters of 1862.
Date: 1862

Title: List of Colored Recruits Enlisted, 6th District Missouri
Description: This January 1864 military roll lists the names of "colored recruits" enlisted in the 28th sub-district of the 6th congressional district of Missouri in Chariton County. The roll provides the soldiers' physical characteristics, occupations, birthplaces, and the names of their owners.
Date: January 1864

Title: From Daniel L. Chandler to John Stillman Brown
Description: In a letter dated April 26, 1862, Daniel L. Chandler writes from Mound City, Kansas to John Stillman Brown. Chandler believes the consolidation of the 3rd and 4th regiments is complete, and "hereafter our Regt. will be the 10th." He reports on the movements of various staff officers, and says "I think I will remain, for when it was rumored in camp that my removal was contemplated a petition was spontaneously got up and some 500 persons put there names to it, to have me remain."
Date: April 26, 1862

Title: Joseph O. Shelby
Description: A black-and-white reproduction of a photograph of Confederate General Joseph Shelby is pasted onto a black card. The inscription reads “Compliments O.F. Redd Capt. A.A.D.C.” and the card appears to feature General Shelby’s signature. Shelby, a Confederate calvaryman, was a key figure in the many of military actions that occured during Price's Raid of 1864.
Object Type: Image

Title: Requisition, Camp Hunter
Description: This requisition document from Camp Hunter, dated September 3, 1861, certifies that “James M. Gatwood is entitled to the sum of one hundred and twenty five dollars for one horse furnished the State of Missouri for the use of Col. Hunter’s Regiment.” The document is signed by W.H. Taylor, the quartermaster for Colonel Hunter’s regiment.
Date: September 3, 1861

Title: From J.C. Iserman to Brother William
Description: J.C. Iserman writes a letter from Independence, Missouri to his brother William on September 21, 1861. He tells William that he is surrounded by danger. He mentions the Battle of Liberty and the First Battle of Lexington, and says he can hear "cannons booming on all sides." He also writes about his desire to leave Missouri, complaining that "the Secessionist are stealing all the horses and cattle from the Unions and the Jayhawkers from Kansas are retaliating. Times are very hard."
Date: September 21, 1861

Title: A Negro Regiment in Action
Description: This is a print of a Thomas Nast wood engraving, originally published in Harper’s Weekly on March 14, 1863. It depicts the Battle of Island Mound, the first Civil War battle to include African-American troops. In that battle, the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers triumphed over a band of pro-Confederate guerrillas in Bates County, Missouri on October 29, 1862.
Object Type: Image
Date: March 14, 1863

Title: From Florella Brown Adair to Samuel Lyle Adair and Emma Adair
Description: This letter was written March 11, 16, and 17, 1861 by Florella Brown Adair in Grafton, Ohio, to her husband Samuel Lyle Adair and daughter Emma Adair. Florella writes of her recent visit to Oberlin, Ohio, where she spoke to many friends about donating money for their church in Osawatomie, Kansas. At one friend’s home, she was asked to give an account of the Battle of Osawatomie. Florella reports that she will leave for Xenia, Ohio soon with Charles and Ada.
Date: March 11, 1861-March 17, 1861

Title: Examination of T.J. Carson
Description: This is T.J. Carson's Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Carson, a 34-year-old resident of Clay County, Missouri, states that he was born in Kentucky and that he demonstrated his loyalty to the United States Government during the Civil War by "staying at home and attending to my business." The oath, labeled No. 118 in a bound volume, was signed by Carson on October 6, 1866.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: October 6, 1866

Title: From R.C. Ewing to George R. Smith
Description: On June 18, 1856, R.C. Ewing writes from Lexington, Missouri to Gen. George R. Smith. Ewing warns Smith that his opinions regarding Kansas "are doing you…damage in Saline, Lafayette, and Jackson" counties in Missouri because "those who control matters here, say they are afraid of the effect of compromising anything on the Slavery question." Ewing predicts that these three counties will oppose Smith's nomination.
Date: June 18, 1856

Title: St. Louis Riot
Description: Illustration of the St. Louis Riot
Object Type: Image
Date: n.d.

Title: Examination of B.B. Petty
Description: This is B.B. Petty's 1866 Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Petty, a 40-year-old Virginia native, states that he has resided in Missouri for 15 years and was enrolled by the military authorities as "disloyal" in 1862. He declares that he is willing to take the Oath of Loyalty "with the proviso that I did sympathize with my relatives and friends that were engaged in Rebellion." The oath is No. 161 in a bound volume.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: 1866

Title: Lincoln-Douglas Debates Commemorative Stamp
Description: 1958 U.S. postage stamp commemorating the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. Courtesy of the U.S. Government, Post Office Department.
Object Type: Image
Date: 1958

Title: From Leigh R. Webber to Mrs. Brown
Description: This letter, dated September 5, 1863 is from Leigh R. Webber in Natchez, Mississippi to Mrs. Brown. Webber claims that in Natchez, "Nearly everybody has protection papers though they are avowed rebels of the deepest dye…It is an unendurable wrong and insult to the Union soldiers and foolish and wicked leniency to traitors for the Government and its generals thus to manage the war." Webber also expresses sadness about Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence: "It exceeds in atrocity our worst fears."
Date: September 5, 1863

Title: From Joseph H. Trego to Alice Trego
Description: This letter, dated September 30, 1862, is from Joseph H. Trego, a lieutenant in the 5th Kansas Cavalry Regiment, to his wife Alice. Trego, writing from Helena, Arkansas, says that he was sick the previous week, and that several of the soldiers in his regiment are severely ill: “There are three lying in the hospital now awaiting coffins. We will all be thankful if we ever get out of this place.” He adds that he was pleased to learn of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
Date: September 30, 1862

Title: D. Abrams
Description: This carte de visite depicts D. Abrams, who served in the Fifth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. The photograph was produced ca. 1861-1865.
Object Type: Image

Civil War on the Western Border: The Missouri-Kansas Conflict, 1854-1865

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