Civil War

Title: Seal of the Confederate States of America on Brass Medallion
Description: Brass medallion displaying the seal of the Confederate States of America, circa 1876-1900.
Object Type: Image

Title: From A.M. Bedford to Mary E. Bedford
Description: This letter, dated March 21, 1865, is from Lieut. Alex M. Bedford to his wife Mary E. Bedford in Savannah, Missouri. Bedford, imprisoned at Fort Delaware, reports that he expects to be released soon. “I have been a prisoner so long,” he writes. “God hasten the time when we can meet a gain in peace.” He adds that his health and eyesight are improving.
Date: March 21, 1865

Title: Examination of Charles Warren
Description: This is Charles Warren's Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Warren, a 74-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. 115 in a bound volume, was signed by Warren on October 6, 1866.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: October 6, 1866

Title: Examination of John Braly
Description: This is John Braly's Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Braly, a 72-year-old resident of Clay County, Missouri, states that he was born in North Carolina and that he remained loyal to the United States Government during the Civil War. The oath, labeled No. 121 in a bound volume, was signed by Braly in 1866.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: 1866

Title: From Emma Adair to Samuel Lyle Adair
Description: This letter was written on December 1, 1862 by Emma Adair in Osawatomie, Kansas, to her father Samuel Lyle Adair. Emma writes that school will begin the next day, and that she will try to attend. She went to “singing school” Saturday night and hopes to go again. She asks her father if he took his copy of “Butler’s analogy” with him, because they have searched for it and cannot find it in the house.
Object Type: Letter
Date: December 1, 1862

Title: From James M. Boyer to A. Comingo
Description: This letter, dated October 15, 1863, is from James M. Boyer, Deputy Provost Marshal of Chariton County, Missouri, to Capt. A. Comingo, Provost Marshal of the 6th district of Missouri. Boyer states that he is sending Comingo three "contraband" letters that were intercepted at the post office. He complains that his local postmaster has not been helpful in identifying "contraband correspondence."
Date: October 15, 1863

Title: Examination of O.P. Moss
Description: This is O.P. Moss's 1866 Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Moss, a 53-year-old resident of Clay County, Missouri, states that he was born in Kentucky but has resided in Missouri for 47 years, including 30 years in Clay County. The oath is No. 135 in a bound volume.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: 1866

Title: Examination of Patrick Dwyer
Description: This is Patrick Dwyer's Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Dwyer describes himself as a 50-year-old resident of Clay County, Missouri who was born in Ireland. He states that he demonstrated his loyalty to the United States Government during the Civil War by feeding soldiers. He admits that he "had no feelings in the matter" when he heard that Gen. Price had captured Gen. Mulligan's army at Lexington, Missouri. The oath, labeled No. 65 in a bound volume, was signed by Dwyer in 1866.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: 1866

Title: Missouri State Militia Special Order to Fully Equip and Carry Arms
Description: By order of Major John Cosgrove, William O. Mead instructs commanding officers to fully equip all enlisted men, to instruct non-commissioned officers to wear their chevrons, and to order all men on duty to keep their arms on hand.
Date: May 16, 1864

Title: From W.L. Ball to Emma
Description: This letter, dated September 21, 1861, was written by Confederate soldier W.L. Ball from Lexington, Missouri to Emma. Ball details his experience in the Battle of Lexington and includes the “official report of the property and prisoners” taken during the fight. He notes that “the southern side lost about 100 killed and wounded,” while the Union lost “500 killed and wounded.” Ball writes that the army may move next to Jefferson City.
Date: September 21, 1861

Title: From Jacob Hall to Mary Hall
Description: This letter, dated October 25, 1862, was written by Jacob Hall in Washington, DC to his daughter Mary Hall, who was staying with her aunt and uncle. Jacob writes of political bickering between “Secretary Smith” and “Assistant Secretary Usher,” as well as news from his and Mary’s home town: “Quantrill and his band” took almost all their horses, and the next week “Confederates” confiscated much of their food stores, crops, and two mules, refusing to compensate Jacob’s wife.
Date: October 25, 1862

Title: Pass for Paralee Hudspeth
Description: This pass, issued by Headquarters, Central District Missouri and signed by E.B. Brown, permits Paralee Hudspeth “to enter the Border Counties of the State of Missouri, for the purpose of securing property abandoned while obeying General Order No. 11.” The pass, dated November 18, 1863, was issued from Jefferson City, Missouri by special order of Brigadier General Thomas L. Ewing, Jr.
Date: November 18, 1863

Title: Planters Hotel, St. Louis, Mo.
Description: Photograph of the Planters Hotel, located in St. Louis, Missouri, circa 1901.
Object Type: Image

Title: From James H. Birch to Hamilton R. Gamble
Description: On September 7, 1862, James H. Birch writes from Kingston, Missouri to Missouri Gov. Hamilton R. Gamble. Birch, a Congressional candidate in the 1862 Missouri election, states that he has been ill-treated by various "military organizations" while campaigning in the state. Birch quotes the text of a letter from Capt. Wakefield Standly, forbidding him "to address or interfere with" the citizens of Carroll County, Missouri. Birch asks Gamble to issue an order preventing the military from interfering with the election.
Date: September 7, 1862

Title: Examination of B.W. Vineyard
Description: This is B.W. Vineyard's Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Vineyard, a 42-year-old resident of Liberty, Missouri, states that he is taking the oath under protest, because it contradicts the "fundamental principals of the Constitution of the United States" and denies citizens their rights to free thought and speech. Vineyard was born in Kentucky and served as president of the Liberty Ladies College. The oath, No. 2. in a bound volume, was signed by Vineyard in 1866.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: 1866

Title: Battle of Shiloh
Description: Thure de Thulstrup's painting of the Battle of Shiloh, the bloodiest battle in U.S. history.
Object Type: Image

Title: From John A. Bushnell to Eugenia Bronaugh
Description: This letter, dated September 24, 1864, was written by John A. Bushnell in Calhoun, Missouri, to Eugenia Bronaugh in Hickory Grove, Missouri. John assures Eugenia that he is well and writes of his plans to travel to Clinton, Missouri. He adds that “the scare of raiders has about passed away.” John implies that he cannot write down all he wishes to say to Eugenia, in case his letter falls “into rude hands.”
Date: September 24, 1864

Title: John Conover and James M. Graham
Description: This is a copy of a tintype photograph taken near Stevenson, Alabama in August 1863. It depicts John Conover and James M. Graham, both captains in the Eighth Kansas Volunteer Infantry in the Twentieth Army Corps, First Division, Third Brigade. Conover was captain of Company E and Graham was captain of Company C.
Object Type: Image
Date: August 1863

Title: Examination of James C. Murray
Description: This is James C. Murray's Oath of Loyalty to the United States, labeled No. 26 in a bound volume. Murray, a 27-year-old resident of Liberty, Missouri, did not sign the oath.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: 1866

Title: From Wilson Shannon to Unknown
Description: This letter was written ca. December 25, 1855 by Kansas Gov. Wilson Shannon to an unknown recipient. Shannon states that on December 9, 1855, he was at a party in Lawrence, Kansas when Charles Robinson informed him that “a large irregular force” was threatening to attack the town. Robinson asked Shannon to give him and James Lane written authority to defend Lawrence by force. Shannon signed Robinson’s paper, but later discovered that the threatened attack was a ruse devised by “tricksters who by fraudulent representations were seeking to obtain an advantage over me.”

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

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