Civil War

Title: General Orders, No. 1
Description: These are General Orders from the Headquarters of the Recruiting Service of Missouri Volunteers at the Office of the Acting Provost Marshal General for Missouri. They instruct all District Provost Marshals of Missouri to submit weekly reports of the number of recruits enlisted in their districts, and to provide transportation for recruits. They also instruct Enrolling Officers to make weekly reports and to bring their recruits to the Surgeon of the Board of Enrollment for examination. The orders are dated November 23, 1863 and signed by E.G. Bush, Captain of the 10th U.S. Infantry.
Date: November 23, 1863

Title: From H.C. Wood to J.F. Benjamin
Description: This dispatch, dated October 21, 1863, is from U.S. Army Capt. H.C. Wood to Capt. J.F. Benjamin, Provost Marshal of the 8th district of Missouri. Wood writes from the Provost Marshal General's Bureau in Washington, D.C. He tells Benjamin that his recent printing expenses will be reimbursed, but that in the future he must not incur expenses without prior approval from the Provost Marshal General or Col. Alexander, Acting Assistant Provost Marshal General of Missouri.
Date: October 21, 1863

Title: Application of James R. Eshill
Description: This is James R. Eshill’s application for compensation from the United States government for the military service of his slave, Allen. The application, dated November 9, 1866, includes an oath of allegiance to the United States, a power of attorney transfer to Isaac C. Dodge, and a statement that Eshill, of Howard County, Missouri, lawfully purchased his slave. The application is signed by four witnesses and a notary public in Cooper County, Missouri.
Object Type: Legal Document
Date: November 9, 1866

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: 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: 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: William O. Mead's Appointment to First Sergeant
Description: In this military document, Colonel Joseph W. McClurg informs the Missouri State Militia 8th Cavalry Regiment that William O. Mead is appointed to First Sergeant in Company "A", of the Eighth Regiment of Cavalry, M.S.M..
Date: June 23, 1862

Title: From P. McClanahan to A. Comingo
Description: On December 20, 1863, P. McClanahan writes from Independence, Missouri to Capt. A. Comingo in Lexington, Missouri. McClanahan requests authorization to add names to the military enrollment lists since they are incorrect. He says he is glad Maj. Gen. Schofield "is not removed," and hopes he will be retained. McClanahan also asks Comingo to authorize William Rodewald to recruit blacks for the service.
Date: December 20, 1863

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: Certificate of Property Last Pertaining to Co. "F" 8th Cavalry Regiment Missouri State Militia
Description: In this military document, Captain James J. Akard certifies the transfer of a bugle last pertaining to Company "F", 8th Cavalry Regiment, Missouri State Militia.
Date: September 12, 1864

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

Title: Affidavit of Harvey G. Hicklin
Description: This affidavit, given by Harvey G. Hicklin of Vernon County, Missouri, swears that on December 20, 1858, “an armed band of robbers, from Kansas Territory invaded his premises, made him prisoner, and carried off five negroes," horses, oxen, and a wagon "belonging to the Estate of Js. Lawrence.” The affidavit, which presumably refers to John Brown's raid on Vernon County, is signed by John A. Sartorius, Justice of the Peace.
Object Type: Legal Document
Date: February 5, 1859

Title: Proceedings of the Citizens of Tecumseh
Description: This document details the proceedings of a meeting of Tecumseh, Kansas citizens held at the Tecumseh courthouse on November 26, 1856. The attendees appointed 12 men to serve as delegates at an upcoming convention in Leavenworth. They also voted on and approved several resolutions, including a commitment to establishing peace in Kansas, and an agreement to support Gov. John W. Geary. The document is dated November 29, 1856 and is signed by 18 citizens.
Object Type: Document
Date: November 29, 1856

Title: Discharge of Nathaniel B. Mitchell
Description: These are the official discharge papers for Nathaniel B. Mitchell, who served as a private under Confederate Captain John S. Percival in the Missouri 2nd Infantry from June to December 1861. Mitchell enlisted at Camp Holloway in Jackson County, Missouri, and was discharged in Osceola, Missouri. The document, dated December 11, 1861, notes that Mitchell was discharged after completing his six-month term of service.
Date: December 11, 1861

Title: James Hicklin Documents
Description: These documents attest that James Hicklin, a citizen of Lexington, Missouri, provided supplies and money to the Union army several times during the course of the war. Hicklin purchased $2,000 in state defense bonds on June 15, 1861, and received orders of protection from the army in February, September, and November 1862. He gave an oath of loyalty to the United States on July 8, 1862, which limited his movements to “Lafayette and Saline Counties.”
Object Type: Legal Document

Title: Receipt of Clothing for Military Duty, 1862
Description: This military document shows that "the undersigned Non-commissioned Officers, Artificers, Musicians and Privates... do hereby acknowledge to have received of Capt. David D. Stockton, the several articles of Clothing" that are listed along with the name and signature of every individual in the Missouri State Militia 8th Cavalry Regiment Company "A". This disbursement of clothing was done under witness of Colonel Joseph J. Gravely.
Date: January 2, 1862

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

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