Civil War

Title: Examination of M.C. Drake
Description: This is M.C. Drake's Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Drake, a 58-year-old resident of Clay County, Missouri, states that he was born in Kentucky and that he remained loyal to the United States Government during the Civil War. The oath, labeled No. 105 in a bound volume, was signed by Drake on October 6, 1866.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: October 6, 1866

Title: Quantrill's Flag
Description: Small cotton and wool flag dropped during Quantrill's raid on Olathe on September 7, 1862. The flag resembles the Confederate First National Flag, nicknamed the "Stars and Bars," however, the canton displays either a fist or palmetto tree and "Quant" for Quantrill.
Object Type: Image

Title: Siege of Vicksburg
Description: Kurz & Allison lithograph depicting the Siege of Vicksburg, circa 1888.
Object Type: Image

Title: Jillson Hotel, Osawatomie, Kansas
Description: Postcard depicting The Jillson Hotel in Osawatomie, Kansas, where on May 18, 1859, Horace Greeley reorganized the Free-State Party as the Republican Party in Kansas.
Object Type: Image

Title: Examination of W.F. Gordon
Description: This is W.F. Gordon's Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Gordon, a 35-year-old resident of Liberty, Missouri, states that he was born in Kentucky and that he demonstrated his loyalty to the United States Government during the Civil War by "doing all the law required." The oath, labeled No. 77 in a bound volume, was signed by Gordon in 1866.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: 1866

Title: Thomas B. Harris
Description: Charcoal portrait drawing of Thomas B. Harris (Tom) dressed in suit and plumed hat. One of Quantrill's guerrillas, Harris was with Quantrill in Kentucky when Quantrill was mortally wounded on June 6, 1865. Little is known of Harris after the Civil War. There is mention of Harris in two documents held by the Missouri State Archives Missouri's Union Provost Marshal Papers: 1861-1866 collection. He appears to have been Callaway county's representative to the Missouri Constitutional Convention of 1865. (See also"Constitutional Conventions of Missouri, 1865-1875 in" Missouri Historical Review," January 1907, page 111.)
Object Type: Image

Title: Will of Cecil D. Ball
Description: This is the will and testament of Cecil D. Ball of Little Osage County, Missouri, dated April 16, 1859. In this document, Ball bequeaths $5,000 to the Presbyterian Church of Little Osage as long as the church never employs a preacher who promotes “in public or private any abolition or anti-slavery doctrines or principles.” Ball stipulates that if the church fails to comply, the bequest will be forfeited. A codicil dated November 15, 1860 voids this stipulation.
Object Type: Legal Document
Date: April 16, 1859

Title: A Letter from the Original Members of the Leavenworth Association, K.T. to Jefferson Davis
Description: This pamphlet, dated March 13, 1855, is entitled “A Letter from the Original Members of the Leavenworth Association, K.T. to Hon. Jefferson Davis, Secretary of the War Department.” The pamphlet voices the Association’s concerns about Executive Document No. 50 of the 2nd Session of the 33rd Congress, regarding the military Indian reservation at Fort Leavenworth. The pamphlet was printed by Finch & O’Gorman in Weston, Missouri, and is signed by 26 Association members.
Object Type: Pamphlet
Date: March 13, 1855

Title: From John A. Bushnell to Eugenia Bronaugh
Description: In a May 9, 1863 letter from Calhoun, Missouri, John A. Bushnell tells Eugenia Bronaugh that he has cancelled a trip to visit her in Hickory Grove, Missouri, out of fear for his safety. He also fears discussing information that he has read in newspapers, for “I may be charged with stating it wrong.” He warns Eugenia to be careful and to not talk about “what the Rebels are going to do.”
Object Type: Letter
Date: May 9, 1863

Title: Reconstruction
Description: Lithograph of Horatio Bateman's allegorical illustration of the reconciliation between the North and the South following the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the Reconstruction Era.
Object Type: Image

Title: Soldier, Fifth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry
Description: This carte de visite depicts an unidentified member of the Fifth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. The photograph was produced by James Marston of Ottawa, Illinois ca. 1861-1865.
Object Type: Image

Title: From Alex M. Bedford to Mary E. Bedford
Description: On August 2, 1864, Alex M. Bedford writes from Fort Delaware, Delaware, to his wife Mary E. Bedford in Savannah, Missouri. Alex says that although he is eager to return home on parole, he will not do so now because of troubles with the bushwhackers: “I am done on bushwhackers…it is a dishonorable warfare.” Alex asks Mary to tell Samuel Lewis that Capt. Charles D.S. Jones sends his respects, and adds that “Bohart joins me in love to you & father.”
Date: August 2, 1864

Title: From Hamilton Gamble to Hamilton R. Gamble
Description: On August 26, 1863, Hamilton Gamble writes from Headquarters, State of Missouri, in St. Louis to his father, Missouri Gov. Hamilton R. Gamble. Gamble reports, "The Democrat abuses you as usual, and charges the horrible massacre at Lawrence to the sympathy of the Hamilton Dynasty with the bushwhackers." He adds that Gen. Schofield issued "a bombastic order in reference to the Lawrence outrage, and…is preparing to cut loose from the 'Gamble Dynasty.'"
Date: August 26, 1863

Title: From Thomas McCleary to Hugh D. Fisher
Description: On September 25, 1863, Thomas McCleary writes from Blairsville to Rev. Hugh D. Fisher. McCleary says he was glad to hear of Fisher’s “Providential escape from the hands of the Rebbels.” He expresses hope that Kansas may rise in her strength and demolish border ruffians…and all that opposes freedom.”
Date: September 25, 1863

Title: From Daniel L. Chandler to John Stillman Brown
Description: This letter, dated September 11, 1861 is from Daniel L. Chandler to John Stillman Brown. Chandler reports that his regiment just arrived at Fort Scott, Kansas after a forced march from Lawrence. He complains that the unnecessary march and a lack of blankets caused a number of soldiers to fall ill.
Date: September 11, 1861

Title: Examination of Edwin Leitch
Description: This is Edwin Leitch's 1866 Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Leitch, a 31-year-old Virginia native, states that he has lived in Missouri for 12 years, and was enrolled by the military authorities as "loyal" in 1862. The oath is No. 249 in a bound volume.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: 1866

Title: Nathan Bedford Forrest, CSA General
Description: Carte de visite portrait of Confederate General and first Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, Nathan Bedford Forrest, circa 1863-1870.
Object Type: Image

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

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

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