Civil War

Title: Battle of Osawatomie
Description: In this excerpt of a ca. 1856-1861 document, Orville Chester Brown describes the August 30, 1856 Battle of Osawatomie. In the middle of the night, Brown states, John Reid led his men towards Osawatomie. At dawn they marched into the town armed with bayonets, and the men of the town “flew to arms – whilst the women in their night clothes bearing their children in their arms fled to the woods.” Brown's house was burned down in the battle and his son was taken prisoner.
Object Type: Document

Title: Battle of Wilson's Creek
Description: Kurz & Allison lithograph of the Battle of Wilson's Creek, circa 1893.
Object Type: Image

Title: Examination of Robert Walker
Description: This is Robert Walker's Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Walker describes himself as a 64-year-old resident of Clay County, Missouri who was born in Kentucky. He states that he demonstrated his loyalty to the United States Government during the Civil War by "staying at home and attending to my business and advising my boys not to go South." The oath, labeled No. 125 in a bound volume, was signed by Walker in 1866.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: 1866

Title: Soldier, Seventh Kansas Volunteer Cavalry
Description: This sepia carte de visite depicts an unidentified member of the Seventh Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. The photograph was produced ca. 1861-1865.
Object Type: Image

Title: Examination of Absalom Maib
Description: This is Absalom Maib's Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Maib describes himself as a 70-year-old resident of Liberty, Missouri who was born in North Carolina. He states that to demonstrate his loyalty during the Civil War, he "stayed at home and attended to my work." The oath, labeled No. 103 in a bound volume, was signed by Maib on October 6, 1866.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: October 6, 1866

Title: Free-State Legislative Council, Kansas Territory
Description: Photograph of the Free-State Legislative Council, 1857-1858.
Object Type: Image

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

Title: Lexington, Missouri
Description: Bird's eye view of the city of Lexington, Lafayette Co., Missouri in 1869.
Object Type: Image
Date: 1869

Title: From J. French Simpson to Whom It May Concern
Description: In this letter, dated September 5, 1865, J. French Simpson of Carrollton, Illinois, testifies to John Ament’s loyalty: “Mr. Ament is a gentleman and Christian, and since he has lived in this county, I have never heard a disloyal sentiment uttered by him.” Simpson notes that Ament is “formerly of this place and more recently of Missouri.”
Object Type: Letter
Date: September 5, 1865

Title: Affidavit of William C. Childers
Description: This is the affidavit of William C. Childers, dated May 28, 1856. Childers states that John Brown Jr. came to Prairie City, Kansas the previous week with two slaves owned by a Mr. Jones; he believes Brown is guilty of stealing the slaves from their owner. The affidavit is signed by Charles P. Bullock, clerk pro tem of the 2nd U.S. District Court, Kansas Territory.
Object Type: Legal Document
Date: May 28, 1856

Title: Southern "Volunteers"
Description: Currier & Ives political cartoon, which appeared following the Confederate national conscription act passed on April 16, 1862. The cartoon characterizes Confederate troops negatively, with the artist depicting them as criminals and Mexican "banditos."
Object Type: Image

Title: From Fred Brown and Sara Ann Brown to Michael H. Jose
Description: Fred Brown and his wife Sara Ann write a letter to Michael Jose on October 14, 1866 to share news of mutual acquaintances, including several that were killed by Bushwhackers or by members of the Missouri Militia during the War. They describe an atmosphere of political unrest in Vernon County but express a hope for peace in the aftermath of the conflict, stating “lets all do our next fighting at the Ballot Box.”
Object Type: Letter
Date: October 14, 1866

Title: List of Morgan County Radicals in This District
Description: This document, ca. 1861-1865, provides a list of “radicals in this District.” Each of the 22 “radicals” is identified by name, town, and county; most are from Andrew County, Missouri. A note on the reverse states “There are some others but don’t know their address.”

Title: Ely Hall
Description: Sketch of Ely Hall on the campus of William Jewell College from "History of William Jewell College: Liberty, Clay County, Missouri" by William Jewell College and James Gregory Clark.
Object Type: Image
Date: 1893

Title: Fort Union
Description: Camp Union at 10th and Central Streets in Kansas City, Missouri.
Object Type: Image
Date: 1861

Title: Examination of Frederick Meffert
Description: This is Frederick Meffert's Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Meffert, a 39-year-old resident of Liberty, Missouri, states that he was born in Germany and remained loyal to the United States Government during the Civil War. He admits that he left Missouri during the war because "It got too hot for a Dutchman in this State." The oath, labeled No. 91 in a bound volume, was signed by Meffert on October 6, 1866.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: October 6, 1866

Title: Kansas City, Missouri
Description: This bird's eye view of Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri was created by A. Ruger in 1869. A drawing of Kansas City in 1855 is shown in the bottom left corner of the image.
Object Type: Image
Date: 1869

Title: From A.M. Bedford to Mary E. Bedford
Description: This letter, dated July 19, 1864, is from Lieut. Alex M. Bedford, of the 3rd Missouri Cavalry, to his wife Mary E. Bedford in Savannah, Missouri. Writing from Fort Delaware, where he is imprisoned, Bedford tells his wife that he and his friend, Lieut. James M. Bohart, are attempting to get parole. He asks his wife to find Gen. James Craig and ask for his assistance in granting Bedford parole.
Date: July 19, 1864

Title: Sworn Statement of George W. Harris
Description: This affidavit was sworn by George W. Harris before Edmund Bartlett, J.B.C.C., in Bates County, Missouri on July 12, 1858. Harris states that on July 8, he and William Pape were threatened and robbed by several men accusing them of being part of James Montgomery’s company. The outlaws took Harris and Pape to Papinville, Missouri and subsequently shot both men, injuring Harris in the arm before he escaped. Harris believes that the outlaws killed Pape although he admits he did not actually witness the murder.
Object Type: Legal Document
Date: July 12, 1858

Title: Examination of Hiram Chaney
Description: This is Hiram Chaney's Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Chaney, a 43-year-old resident of Clay County, Missouri, swears that he remained loyal to the United States Government during the Civil War. The oath, labeled No. 131 in a bound volume, was signed by Chaney in 1866.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: 1866

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

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