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Title: From W.W. Thayer to James Montgomery
Description: On April 16, 1861, W.W. Thayer of Boston writes a letter to James Montgomery, encouraging him to mount an insurrection in the South and help liberate the slaves. Thayer argues that an organized slave rebellion could bring a swift end to the war: “a bloody war full of horrors concentrated into a few days or months would be far preferable to one consuming time, money, lives.” He warns Montgomery that the people of the South are brave and that they “will fight to the bitter End.” A note from R.J. Hinton at the bottom of the letter states that James Lane was recently put in command of 1,000 troops in Washington.
Date: April 16, 1861

Title: Unidentified Man
Description: Charcoal portrait of unidentified man with suit coat, shirt, and tie. Drawing is signed by the artist with "93" immediately below the signature.
Object Type: Image
Date: 1893

Title: Petition from Vernon County Citizens
Description: This petition, dated November 21, 1860, is addressed to Missouri Gov. Robert M. Stewart and signed by 34 citizens of Little Osage, Vernon County, Missouri. The signers assert that they are “imminently in danger of another invasion” from Kansas guerrillas. They claim that they have been victim to numerous attacks over the past three years, and that during one attack, John Brown stole “ten or eleven thousand dollars” of property. The petitioners ask Stewart to station the Missouri Mounted Militia, Company A, in Little Osage for their protection.
Object Type: Petition
Date: November 21, 1860

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: 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: 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: William (Bill) T. Anderson
Description: Charcoal portrait of Bill Anderson in jacket with top button closed, shirt, carvat, and a brimmed hat with a lone star on the upturned brim and embellished with an ostrich plume. Bill Anderson was a chief lieutenant under William C. Quantrill and earned the sobriquet "Bloody Bill." He later was a lieutenant under George Todd. He was part of the Lawrence massacre on August 21, 1863, and responsible for much of the Centralia, Missouri, massacre on September 27, 1864. He was killed October 26, 1864, near Orrick (Ray County), Missouri.
Object Type: Image
Date: 1893

Title: From J.C. Iserman to Brother William
Description: J.C. Iserman writes a letter from Independence, Missouri to his brother William on September 21, 1861. He tells William that he is surrounded by danger. He mentions the Battle of Liberty and the First Battle of Lexington, and says he can hear "cannons booming on all sides." He also writes about his desire to leave Missouri, complaining that "the Secessionist are stealing all the horses and cattle from the Unions and the Jayhawkers from Kansas are retaliating. Times are very hard."
Date: September 21, 1861

Title: Thomas Coleman (Cole) Younger
Description: Charcoal portrait of Cole Younger dressed in suit coat, vest, shirt, and tie. Cole Younger was active in several Civil War battles and a member of Quantrill's guerrillas when they raided Lawrence, Kansas, August 21, 1863, and was part of the Baxter Springs massacre, October 6, 1863. After the war, he joined with Frank and Jesse James in several robberies. After the Northfield, Minnesota, bank robbery on September 7, 1876, he was arrested and sent to prison at Stillwater, Minnesota. He was granted a full pardon in 1903. He died March 21, 1916, at Lee's Summit, Missouri, and is buried in the Lee's Summit Cemetery.
Object Type: Image

Title: From Frederick Starr to Unknown
Description: This is an excerpt from a letter written on December 1, 1854 by Frederick Starr to an unknown recipient. Starr describes a recent “outrage on the ballot box” during elections in Kansas, when “Some 1200 or 1400 Missourians armed with bowie-knives & revolvers took the polls.” Starr says that many free-soilers were unable to reach the polls at all, and declares that “Big times are coming.” He adds that circumstances in Weston, Missouri “look dark.”
Date: December 1, 1854

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: Unidentified Civil War Soldier or Guerrilla
Description: Charcoal portrait of unidentified Civil War soldier or guerrilla in uniform with cloak. Drawing is signed by the artist with "93" immediately below the signature. Person in this drawing is from another drawing in this collection (MVO-101F).
Object Type: Image
Date: 1893

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: Unidentified Guerrilla
Description: Charcoal portrait of man in typical guerrilla overshirt, wearing a hat with a plume, and holding two crossed pistols. Drawing is signed by the artist with "93" immediately below the signature.
Object Type: Image
Date: 1893

Title: From Lucie Davis to John Pigg
Description: This letter, dated September 15, 1864, is from Lucie Davis in Clay County, Missouri to John Pigg. Davis tells Pigg that her mother died after a long illness. She also tells him that Louis Vandiver was moved from a prison in St. Joseph, Missouri to one in St. Louis. Davis predicts that “The bushwhackers are about to take this country,” and adds that they robbed the mail in Clay County and had a fight near Fredericksburg.
Date: September 15, 1864

Title: From James Montgomery to Capt. Fail
Description: This is a copy of a letter written on August 13, 1859 by James Montgomery in Barnesville, Kansas, to Capt. Fail. Montgomery tells Fail he believes “there is an armed force in your vicinity. If this is so we would respectfully ask an explanation of the object for which they are assembled.” Montgomery adds that a group of Kansas citizens met and resolved “that the kidnapping of Wm. Wright (alias Pickles) is an outrage…we therefore demand his immediate return to his home in the Territory.” Capt. James McCool, Company D, Missouri Volunteers, certifies that the document is a true copy of the original letter.
Date: August 13, 1859

Title: Frank Shepherd
Description: Charcoal portrait of Frank Shepherd with suit coat, vest, shirt, and tie. Frank Shepherd served under Quantrill and Bill Anderson. He was part of the Lawrence, Kansas, massacre on August 21, 1863. During the Centralia, Missouri, battle on September 27, 1864, he rode on one side of Frank James; Richard Kinney on the other side. Both Kinney and Shepherd were killed, but James escaped unharmed.
Object Type: Image

Title: From Noah Grant to Robert M. Stewart
Description: This letter, dated November 26, 1860, is from Noah Grant of Canton, Missouri to Gov. Robert M. Stewart. Grant, captain of the Canton Guards, states that he has heard about attacks launched on western Missouri by bands of Kansas abolitionists, and he volunteers the services of his troops: “we are ever Ready to hunt our Enemies.”
Date: November 26, 1860

Title: Tender of Service of Martin White
Description: In this document, created October 5, 1856, a volunteer company of mounted riflemen in Lykins County, Kansas, tenders its service to the Governor of Kansas Territory. The document includes a list of the company’s officers, including Captain Martin White.
Date: October 5, 1856

Title: From John Montgomery and C.H. Withington to John W. Geary
Description: John Montgomery and C.H. Withington write a letter to Kansas Gov. John W. Geary on September 16, 1856. They inform Geary that a group of armed abolitionists belonging to Gen. Lane’s army invaded their settlement in Allen County, robbed stores, destroyed property, and declared that anyone who refused to join them “may expect to meet a bitter fate.” Montgomery and Withington claim that their community has no means of self-defense and they ask Geary for protection.
Date: September 16, 1856

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

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