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From Edward Bates to James L. McDowell
Title
From Edward Bates to James L. McDowell
Description
This letter, dated July 23, 1861, was written by U.S. Attorney General Edward Bates to James L. McDowell, U.S. Marshal in Kansas. Bates replies to McDowell’s request for advice about enforcing the Fugitive Slave Law, declaring that no government official can choose to enforce the laws he likes and ignore those he dislikes. Bates adds that the recent “insurrectionary disorder” in Missouri does not alter its legal status as a member of the Union.
Date
July 23, 1861
From Leigh R. Webber to John Stillman Brown
Title
From Leigh R. Webber to John Stillman Brown
Description
This letter, dated December 23, 1864, is from Leigh R. Webber in Troy, Vermont to John Stillman Brown in Kansas. Webber disagrees with Brown's opinion of Sen. James Henry Lane: "I don't sympathize so much as you do, with the anti-Lane movement." Webber expresses gratitude for recent Union victories, and communicates his fear that a war with Great Britain is imminent.
Object Type
Letter
Date
December 23, 1864
Diary of C.T. Kimmel
Title
Diary of C.T. Kimmel
Description
This is an excerpt from the diary of C.T. Kimmel, an assistant surgeon in the 2nd Missouri State Militia Cavalry. The entries, dated May 10 – June 2, 1865, describe Kimmel mustering out of service and returning home to Chariton County, Missouri. He mentions nearby guerrilla warfare, and writes about mourning the death of President Lincoln. Attached is an invitation to a New Year’s Union Ball on December 31, 1865 in Brunswick, Missouri.
Object Type
Diary
Date
May 10, 1865-December 30, 1865
From James B. Fry to E.B. Alexander
Title
From James B. Fry to E.B. Alexander
Description
On November 7, 1863, James B. Fry, Provost Marshal General in Washington, DC, writes to Col. E.B. Alexander, Acting Assistant Provost Marshal General in St. Louis. Fry informs Alexander that the enrollment quota for Missouri under Lincoln's call for three hundred thousand volunteers is 13,516 men. Fry also provides the exact number of men required from each Missouri district.
Date
November 7, 1863
From Edward Bates to Hamilton R. Gamble
Title
From Edward Bates to Hamilton R. Gamble
Description
On August 2, 1861, Edward Bates writes from the Attorney General's Office to Hamilton R. Gamble. Bates applauds "the wise course taken by the Missouri Convention," and congratulates Gamble on his appointment as Provisional Governor of the state. "The internal peace of Missouri & its security," he declares, "…will do more towards the suppression of the insurrection in the border states, than 100,000 of our best men in arms."
Date
August 2, 1861
From Samuel R. Ayres to Lyman Langdon
Title
From Samuel R. Ayres to Lyman Langdon
Description
This letter from Samuel R. Ayres to Lyman Langdon is dated January 1, 1863, the day that President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. In his letter, Ayres expresses support for the proclamation, but mentions the possibility of it being revoked and questions whether or not slaves will indeed be set free. Ayres also reports that his two sons are in Gen. Grant’s division of the 7th Kansas Cavalry Regiment and have had to fight nearly every day.
Object Type
Letter
Date
January 1, 1863
From John M. Schofield to Thomas Carney
Title
From John M. Schofield to Thomas Carney
Description
This letter, written on the letterhead of Headquarters, Department of the Missouri and dated August 29, 1863, was sent by John M. Schofield in St. Louis to Kansas Governor Thomas Carney in Topeka, Kansas. Writing in the aftermath of Quantrill’s raid on Lawrence, Kansas, Major General Schofield states his hope that President Lincoln will appoint a Court of Inquiry to investigate the raid. Schofield refers to a meeting proposed for September 8, 1863 in Paola, Kansas, in which participants plan to enter Missouri “to recover their stolen property.” Schofield emphasizes the need to preempt this potentially violent meeting.
Date
August 29, 1863
From Hamilton R. Gamble to Abraham Lincoln
Title
From Hamilton R. Gamble to Abraham Lincoln
Description
On May 2, 1863, Missouri Gov. Hamilton R. Gamble writes from St. Louis to President Lincoln. Gamble informs Lincoln about "the perpetration of murders and arsons and other outrages committed by persons connected with the Army…and whose crimes you have the power to restrain." He asks Lincoln to put a stop to the "butcheries" occurring in Missouri's western counties, and suggests that Lincoln replace Gen. Curtis as commander of the district in favor of someone who is "too brave to be cruel."
Object Type
Government Document
Date
May 2, 1863
From W.L. Wood to W.P. Howard
Title
From W.L. Wood to W.P. Howard
Description
This letter, dated July 19, 1861, is from W.L. Wood in Liberty Landing, Missouri to Col. W.P. Howard in St. Louis. Wood informs Howard that he went to Lexington, Missouri with state troops and planned to travel farther south, but "did not precisely understand" Gov. Claiborne Fox Jackson's intentions. He expresses ambivalence about Jackson, but supports his stance against Lincoln, and declares that he wants "to see Lincoln's troops whipped."
Date
July 19, 1861
From Unknown to Abraham Lincoln
Title
From Unknown to Abraham Lincoln
Description
This letter, dated May 19, 1862, is presumably from Missouri Gov. Hamilton R. Gamble in St. Louis to President Lincoln. Gamble asks for Lincoln's help in restoring peace to Missouri's border counties by ordering that no troops raised in Kansas may enter Missouri unless by request. Gamble adds that in the interest of impartiality, "I am perfectly willing that Missouri troops shall be prohibited from entering Kansas without like request."
Object Type
Letter
Date
May 19, 1862
From James B. Fry to E.B. Alexander
Title
From James B. Fry to E.B. Alexander
Description
This letter, dated November 7, 1863, is from James B. Fry, Provost Marshal General, to Col. E.B. Alexander, Acting Assistant Provost Marshal General of Missouri. Writing from the War Department in Washington, D.C., Fry tells Alexander the number of volunteers that must be recruited from each Missouri district. To comply with President Lincoln's October 17 proclamation ordering the United States to recruit 300,000 volunteers, the state of Missouri must recruit 13,516 volunteers.
Date
November 7, 1863
From Powell Clayton to John Halderman
Title
From Powell Clayton to John Halderman
Description
Powell Clayton writes a letter from Pine Bluff, Arkansas to Gen. John Halderman on October 21, 1864. He says that he is not convinced by Gen. Magruder’s threats to attack Pine Bluff; he believes that Magruder is attempting to detract attention from Gen. Price’s movements in Missouri. Clayton expresses hope that slavery will be abolished and that Lincoln will win the upcoming presidential election. He declares, “it is the duty of all Patriots, independent of past party predilections, to vote for Lincoln and Johnson.”
Date
October 21, 1864
From Unknown to Dear Brother
Title
From Unknown to Dear Brother
Description
This letter, dated September 30, 1861, is from an unknown writer in Pleasant Nook, Missouri to his or her brother. Since newspaper reports are “entirely one sided,” if not “entirely false,” the letter writer endeavors to provide an account of recent Missouri politics and warfare. The writer refers to Hamilton Gamble’s appointment as governor and his subsequent call for “42 thousand volunteers;” local recruitment efforts have been unsuccessful. The writer also describes battles at Carthage and Springfield, noting that a local boy claims to have ripped General Sigel’s epaulette from his uniform during the Springfield conflict.
Date
September 30, 1861
General Orders, No. 39
Title
General Orders, No. 39
Description
Brig. Gen. James Totten and Maj. Lucien J. Barnes of the Missouri State Militia issued General Order No. 39 on September 1, 1862 in Springfield, Missouri. The order warns the militia's officers to stop "preventing their men from entering the volunteer service . . . by so doing they render themselves liable to arrest under the Presidents order for 'discouraging enlistments.'"
Date
September 1, 1862
From John B. Henderson to R.T. Van Horn
Title
From John B. Henderson to R.T. Van Horn
Description
This letter, dated December 11, 1863, is from J.B. Henderson in Washington City to Col. R.T. Van Horn in Jefferson City, Missouri. Henderson states that he has an upcoming appointment to speak with President Lincoln about "Missouri affairs." He tells Van Horn that he will submit "a special request, on the subject you allude to."
Date
December 11, 1863
From William Augustus Hall to Oswald Swinney
Title
From William Augustus Hall to Oswald Swinney
Description
This letter, ca. 1861-1864, is from William Augustus Hall in Washington to Oswald Swinney in Missouri. Hall says he is attempting to remove the Federal troops from Northern Missouri, where "they are a constant source of arrogance in stealing our negros." He argues that the Enrolled Missouri Militia can adequately protect the region without assistance. He expresses concern about "damage done by rebels" and the possibility of future violence, and he asks Swinney to report on the conditions in Northern Missouri.
From J.B. Henderson to R.T. Van Horn
Title
From J.B. Henderson to R.T. Van Horn
Description
This letter, dated August 31, 1864, is from J.B. Henderson in Louisiana, Missouri to Col. R.T. Van Horn in Jefferson City, Missouri. Henderson tells Van Horn that before leaving Washington, he spoke with President Lincoln, who said he wanted Van Horn to run for Congress.
Date
August 31, 1864
From J.B. Henderson to R.T. Van Horn
Title
From J.B. Henderson to R.T. Van Horn
Description
This letter, dated March 3, 1864, is from J.B. Henderson in Washington City to Col. R.T. Van Horn. Henderson expresses regret that Van Horn has been mustered out of service, and says he filed an application authorizing Van Horn to raise a brigade. Henderson also reports that "Mr. Lincoln will favor immediate emancipation," and predicts that Lincoln will win the nomination at the Union Convention.
Date
March 3, 1864
From J.B. Henderson to R.T. Van Horn
Title
From J.B. Henderson to R.T. Van Horn
Description
This letter, dated April 7, 1864, is from J.B. Henderson in Washington City to Col. R.T. Van Horn in Jefferson City, Missouri. Henderson writes that he might try to get Van Horn appointed to office. He expresses his frustration with politics in Washington, stating that "It requires a degree of subservience that I hate," and that whenever President Lincoln makes decisions, "some secretary interferes and he caves."
Object Type
Letter
Date
April 7, 1864