
The Border War Map exhibits the Civil War on the Western Border with location descriptions, links to related content, and interactive thematic layers.
Parkville, Missouri
Parkville, Missouri

Originally a steamboat landing, Parkville began to take shape when Colonel George S. Park, veteran of the Texas War of Independence, land speculator, and entrepreneur, purchased the site in 1838 and built his home on the bluffs above the Missouri River.
Fort Bain
Fort Bain

Fort Bain, a fortified log house capable of housing 50 people, served as a base of operations for radical abolitionist John Brown, James Montgomery, and its namesake, Captain Oliver P. Bain.
Fort Bain
Fort Bain

Fort Bain, a fortified log house capable of housing 50 people, served as a base of operations for radical abolitionist John Brown, James Montgomery, and its namesake, Captain Oliver P. Bain.
Fort Bain
Fort Bain

Fort Bain, a fortified log house capable of housing 50 people, served as a base of operations for radical abolitionist John Brown, James Montgomery, and its namesake, Captain Oliver P. Bain.
Easton, Kansas
Easton, Kansas

The spotlight of "Bleeding Kansas" briefly settled on the town of Easton, Kansas on January 17, 1856, when the proslavery Thomas Cook was shot and killed by the antislavery Reese P. Brown in an apparent political dispute.
Easton, Kansas
Easton, Kansas

The spotlight of "Bleeding Kansas" briefly settled on the town of Easton, Kansas on January 17, 1856, when the proslavery Thomas Cook was shot and killed by the antislavery Reese P. Brown in an apparent political dispute.
Blanton's Bridge
Blanton's Bridge

A bridge named after and maintained by Napolean Bonaparte Blanton spanned the Wakarusa River to the south of Lawrence and was the site of several border war events.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri

Although far away from the Missouri-Kansas border, events in and around St. Louis in early 1861 altered the course of the war for western Missouri.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri

Although far away from the Missouri-Kansas border, events in and around St. Louis in early 1861 altered the course of the war for western Missouri.
Battle of Little Blue River
Battle of Little Blue River

During his retreat from a loss to Confederate General Sterling Price at Lexington, Missouri the day before, Union General James G. Blunt stopped and made a stand on the west banks of the Little Blue River.
Battle of Liberty
Battle of Liberty
After the secessionist Missouri State Guard's victory at Lexington, former Senator (and now General) David Rice Atchison led Missouri State Guardsmen on an attack against Liberty, Missouri.
Battle of the Spurs
Battle of the Spurs

As John Brown took refuge with freed slaves at a home and Underground Railroad site to the North of Topeka, Kansas, a posse under Deputy United States Marshal John P. Wood attempts to arrest him.
Battle of the Spurs
Battle of the Spurs

As John Brown took refuge with freed slaves at a home and Underground Railroad site to the North of Topeka, Kansas, a posse under Deputy United States Marshal John P. Wood attempts to arrest him.
Battle of Pea Ridge
Battle of Pea Ridge

Seeking to clear secessionist forces out of Missouri, Union General Samuel R. Curtis pursued General Sterling Price into northwest Arkansas, only to be attacked by the combined Confederate forces of Price and General Ben McCulloch.
Battle of Island Mound
Battle of Island Mound

At the Battle of Island Mound, the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers became the first known African American regiment to fight in a skirmish on behalf of the Union.
Battle of Dry Wood Creek
Battle of Dry Wood Creek

Fresh off a victory at Wilson's Creek, the Missouri State Guard under command of Major General Sterling "Pap" Price advanced toward Fort Scott, in southeastern Kansas.
Battle of Blackwater River
Battle of Blackwater River

During a withdrawal by the Missouri State Guard toward the southwest corner of Missouri, a regiment of guardsmen were attacked by Union General John Pope.
Newtonia, Missouri
Newtonia, Missouri

Today the town of Newtonia, Missouri counts only about 200 residents in its population, but during the Civil War, it was the site of two notable battles.
Newtonia, Missouri
Newtonia, Missouri

Today the town of Newtonia, Missouri counts only about 200 residents in its population, but during the Civil War, it was the site of two notable battles.
Wabaunsee, Kansas
Wabaunsee, Kansas

Wabaunsee, Kansas was founded in 1855 by some 100 Free-Soil settlers associated with the New England Emigrant Aid Company and the Beecher family headed by the abolitionist Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, who smuggled guns to Kansas settlers in crates labeled "Beecher's Bibles."
Wabaunsee, Kansas
Wabaunsee, Kansas

Wabaunsee, Kansas was founded in 1855 by some 100 Free-Soil settlers associated with the New England Emigrant Aid Company and the Beecher family headed by the abolitionist Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, who smuggled guns to Kansas settlers in crates labeled "Beecher's Bibles."
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan, Kansas

In March 1855, settlers organized by New England Emigrant Aid Company (NEEAC) founded the Free-State town of Boston, Kansas, which was renamed "Manhattan" on June 29, 1855.
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan, Kansas

In March 1855, settlers organized by New England Emigrant Aid Company (NEEAC) founded the Free-State town of Boston, Kansas, which was renamed "Manhattan" on June 29, 1855.
Black Jack Battlefield
Black Jack Battlefield

In the unofficial first battle of the Civil War (nearly five years prior to the war's beginning), abolitionist John Brown and his followers attacked the forces of a proslavery settler, Henry C. Pate, who held two of Brown's sons captive.
Black Jack Battlefield
Black Jack Battlefield

In the unofficial first battle of the Civil War (nearly five years prior to the war's beginning), abolitionist John Brown and his followers attacked the forces of a proslavery settler, Henry C. Pate, who held two of Brown's sons captive.
Battle of Mine Creek
Battle of Mine Creek

As Confederate Major General Sterling Price retreated into Kansas following his loss at the Battle of Westport, two cavalry brigades from the division of Union Major General Alfred Pleasonton overtook the Confederates as they crossed Mine Creek.
Battle of Marmaton River
Battle of Marmaton River

On the same day of the devastating Battle of Mine Creek, to the northwest, Confederate Major General Sterling Price was again overtaken by Union cavalry under command of Brigadier General John McNeil at a river crossing.
Battle of Byram's Ford
Battle of Byram's Ford

As a part of his great cavalry raid, Confederate Major General Sterling Price attacked Union Major General James G. Blunt at Byram's Ford on the Big Blue River.
Pottawatomie Creek Massacre
Pottawatomie Creek Massacre

In retribution for the Sacking of Lawrence three days earlier, abolitionist John Brown, four of his sons, and other Free-Staters murdered five proslavery settlers near Pottawatomie, Kansas.
Pottawatomie Creek Massacre
Pottawatomie Creek Massacre

In retribution for the Sacking of Lawrence three days earlier, abolitionist John Brown, four of his sons, and other Free-Staters murdered five proslavery settlers near Pottawatomie, Kansas.
Battle of Wilson's Creek
Battle of Wilson's Creek

The Battle of Wilson’s Creek marked the first major military engagement of the Civil War in the southwest Missouri border region, as well as the first death of a Union general, Nathaniel Lyon.
Westport, Missouri
Westport, Missouri

Westport traces its history back to December 28, 1831, when the Baptist missionary Isaac McCoy arrived to work with the Shawnee Indians who had been displaced by the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
Westport, Missouri
Westport, Missouri

Westport traces its history back to December 28, 1831, when the Baptist missionary Isaac McCoy arrived to work with the Shawnee Indians who had been displaced by the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
Union Prison Collapse
Union Prison Collapse

A makeshift Union prison in Kansas City, Missouri collapsed on August 13, 1863, killing four of its female prisoners and enraging proslavery Missouri bushwhackers who would attack Lawrence eight days later.
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas

Topeka was one of the most successful of the Kansas towns founded by the New England Emigrant Aid Company to promote the Free-State cause.
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas

Topeka was one of the most successful of the Kansas towns founded by the New England Emigrant Aid Company to promote the Free-State cause.
St. Joseph, Missouri
St. Joseph, Missouri

Throughout the Civil War, St. Joseph was the westernmost American city accessible by rail and thus one of the more important cities in the region.
Shawnee Methodist Mission
Shawnee Methodist Mission

The Shawnee Methodist Mission was established in 1830 at Turner, Kansas, before relocating southward to present-day Shawnee, Kansas in 1839.
Aubry Post, Kansas
Aubry Post, Kansas

Aubry, Kansas was a small town in Johnson County that housed a Union military post during the Civil War.
Aubry Post, Kansas
Aubry Post, Kansas

Aubry, Kansas was a small town in Johnson County that housed a Union military post during the Civil War.
Quindaro, Kansas
Quindaro, Kansas

Perhaps the most unique town on the Western Border was Quindaro, Kansas, a town of freed African Americans founded along the banks of the Missouri River northwest of Kansas City, Kansas.
Quindaro, Kansas
Quindaro, Kansas

Perhaps the most unique town on the Western Border was Quindaro, Kansas, a town of freed African Americans founded along the banks of the Missouri River northwest of Kansas City, Kansas.
Pleasant Hill, Missouri
Pleasant Hill, Missouri

Pleasant Hill met a fate common to towns near the Missouri-Kansas border: occupation by armies on both sides of the war and the gradual destruction of many of the town's buildings.
Platte City, Missouri
Platte City, Missouri

Following the 1861 Platte Bridge Railroad Tragedy, Union soldiers entered Platte City and attempted to capture Silas M. Gordon, the lead suspect in the tragedy.
Platte City, Missouri
Platte City, Missouri

Following the 1861 Platte Bridge Railroad Tragedy, Union soldiers entered Platte City and attempted to capture Silas M. Gordon, the lead suspect in the tragedy.
Platte Bridge Railroad Tragedy
Platte Bridge Railroad Tragedy

Just to the east of Platte City, Missouri, the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad crossed over the Platte River - at least until September 3, 1861 when pro-Southern bushwhackers undermined the structure and sent a train plunging into the water below, killing up to 20 passengers.
Pawnee, Kansas
Pawnee, Kansas

The township of Pawnee, Kansas, has the distinction of having served as the Kansas Territorial capital for one of the shortest periods of any capital city in American history -- a mere five days.
Osceola, Missouri
Osceola, Missouri

The town of Osceola, Missouri was once home to 2,500 residents, but it would never again sustain such a population after an 1861 sacking at the hands of Senator James H. Lane and a band of Kansas jayhawkers.
Osceola, Missouri
Osceola, Missouri

The town of Osceola, Missouri was once home to 2,500 residents, but it would never again sustain such a population after an 1861 sacking at the hands of Senator James H. Lane and a band of Kansas jayhawkers.
Osawatomie, Kansas
Osawatomie, Kansas

The town of Osawatomie, Kansas was founded by abolitionist settlers associated with the New England Emigrant Aid Company in 1854 and named after two Native American tribes in the area: the Osage and Pottawatomie.
Osawatomie, Kansas
Osawatomie, Kansas

The town of Osawatomie, Kansas was founded by abolitionist settlers associated with the New England Emigrant Aid Company in 1854 and named after two Native American tribes in the area: the Osage and Pottawatomie.
Osawatomie, Kansas
Osawatomie, Kansas

The town of Osawatomie, Kansas was founded by abolitionist settlers associated with the New England Emigrant Aid Company in 1854 and named after two Native American tribes in the area: the Osage and Pottawatomie.
Osawatomie, Kansas
Osawatomie, Kansas

The town of Osawatomie, Kansas was founded by abolitionist settlers associated with the New England Emigrant Aid Company in 1854 and named after two Native American tribes in the area: the Osage and Pottawatomie.
Olathe, Kansas
Olathe, Kansas
Nevada City, Missouri
Nevada City, Missouri

Named after a California town made famous by the Gold Rush, Nevada City was home to some 450 residents at the outset of the Civil War.
Nevada City, Missouri
Nevada City, Missouri

Named after a California town made famous by the Gold Rush, Nevada City was home to some 450 residents at the outset of the Civil War.
Neosho, Missouri
Neosho, Missouri

The city of Neosho, Missouri briefly served as a provisional capital of Missouri's secessionist government, which was formed by the deposed governor Claiborne Fox Jackson and secessionist legislators.
Neosho, Missouri
Neosho, Missouri

The city of Neosho, Missouri briefly served as a provisional capital of Missouri's secessionist government, which was formed by the deposed governor Claiborne Fox Jackson and secessionist legislators.
Morgan Walker Farm
Morgan Walker Farm

Before William Clarke Quantrill was a feared Missouri bushwhacker, he joined with jayhawkers to plan a raid that would liberate slaves from a slaveholding Missouri farm.
Marshall, Missouri
Marshall, Missouri

The town of Marshall, Missouri witnessed the high-water mark of Colonel Joseph O. Shelby's great cavalry raid into Missouri.
Marshall, Missouri
Marshall, Missouri

The town of Marshall, Missouri witnessed the high-water mark of Colonel Joseph O. Shelby's great cavalry raid into Missouri.
Marais Des Cygnes Massacre
Marais Des Cygnes Massacre

A ravine at this site was the location of one of the last acts of Bleeding Kansas violence prior to the Civil War.
Marais Des Cygnes Massacre
Marais Des Cygnes Massacre

A ravine at this site was the location of one of the last acts of Bleeding Kansas violence prior to the Civil War.
Lone Jack, Missouri
Lone Jack, Missouri

The town of Lone Jack is best known as the site of the Battle of Lone Jack on August 15, 1862.
Lone Jack, Missouri
Lone Jack, Missouri

The town of Lone Jack is best known as the site of the Battle of Lone Jack on August 15, 1862.
Liberty, Missouri
Liberty, Missouri

At the outset of the Civil War, it was clear that Liberty, Missouri possessed more Southern sympathizers than Union supporters.
Liberty, Missouri
Liberty, Missouri

At the outset of the Civil War, it was clear that Liberty, Missouri possessed more Southern sympathizers than Union supporters.
Liberty Arsenal
Liberty Arsenal

Early in the Civil War, this federal arsenal located near Liberty, Missouri fell to a group of Southern sympathizers in what has been called the "Fort Sumter of Missouri."
Lexington, Missouri
Lexington, Missouri

The town of Lexington, Missouri was the site of many important events during the Civil War.
Lexington, Missouri
Lexington, Missouri

The town of Lexington, Missouri was the site of many important events during the Civil War.
Lecompton, Kansas
Lecompton, Kansas

Lecompton emerged in 1854 as the leading proslavery settlement in Kansas and as a counterpart to the various Free-State towns in Kansas.
Lecompton, Kansas
Lecompton, Kansas

Lecompton emerged in 1854 as the leading proslavery settlement in Kansas and as a counterpart to the various Free-State towns in Kansas.
Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth, Kansas

Founded to the south of Fort Leavenworth by settlers from Weston, Missouri, the town of Leavenworth was the first city to be incorporated in Kansas.
Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth, Kansas

Founded to the south of Fort Leavenworth by settlers from Weston, Missouri, the town of Leavenworth was the first city to be incorporated in Kansas.
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

The town of Lawrence, Kansas was founded by settlers associated with the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Society along the banks of the Kansas River.
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

The town of Lawrence, Kansas was founded by settlers associated with the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Society along the banks of the Kansas River.
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

The town of Lawrence, Kansas was founded by settlers associated with the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Society along the banks of the Kansas River.
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

The town of Lawrence, Kansas was founded by settlers associated with the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Society along the banks of the Kansas River.
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri

Originally, Kansas City was little more than a landing along the Missouri River, where travelers disembarked to travel to the town of Westport and the Santa Fe Trail a few miles to the south.
Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City, Missouri

Jefferson City was originally a tiny Missouri River settlement, known as Lohman's Landing.
Independence, Missouri
Independence, Missouri

Independence, Missouri was founded in 1827 to serve as the westernmost port of the fur trade on the Missouri River. It later served as a jumping-off point for the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails, and two battles were fought here in the Civil War.
Independence, Missouri
Independence, Missouri

Independence, Missouri was founded in 1827 to serve as the westernmost port of the fur trade on the Missouri River. It later served as a jumping-off point for the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails, and two battles were fought here in the Civil War.
Hickory Point, Kansas
Hickory Point, Kansas

The settlement at Hickory Point, Kansas emerged in March 1855 along the route of a military and trade road, and eventually became a site of "Bleeding Kansas" violence.
Hickory Point, Kansas
Hickory Point, Kansas

The settlement at Hickory Point, Kansas emerged in March 1855 along the route of a military and trade road, and eventually became a site of "Bleeding Kansas" violence.
Glasgow, Missouri
Glasgow, Missouri

Glasgow, a Missouri River port town known for its shipments of hemp and tobacco, witnessed the Battle of Glasgow on October 15, 1864.
Glasgow, Missouri
Glasgow, Missouri

Glasgow, a Missouri River port town known for its shipments of hemp and tobacco, witnessed the Battle of Glasgow on October 15, 1864.
Franklin, Kansas
Franklin, Kansas

As one of the three proslavery strongholds in Douglas County, Kansas, the town of Franklin emerged as a target of Lawrence Free-Staters who were angered at the Sacking of Lawrence in 1856.
Franklin, Kansas
Franklin, Kansas

As one of the three proslavery strongholds in Douglas County, Kansas, the town of Franklin emerged as a target of Lawrence Free-Staters who were angered at the Sacking of Lawrence in 1856.
Franklin, Kansas
Franklin, Kansas

As one of the three proslavery strongholds in Douglas County, Kansas, the town of Franklin emerged as a target of Lawrence Free-Staters who were angered at the Sacking of Lawrence in 1856.
Fort Titus
Fort Titus

One of three proslavery "forts" in Douglas County, Kansas, Fort Titus met its doom in the Battle of Fort Titus, as Free-Staters sought retribution for the Sacking of Lawrence in 1856.
Fort Titus
Fort Titus

One of three proslavery "forts" in Douglas County, Kansas, Fort Titus met its doom in the Battle of Fort Titus, as Free-Staters sought retribution for the Sacking of Lawrence in 1856.
Fort Titus
Fort Titus

One of three proslavery "forts" in Douglas County, Kansas, Fort Titus met its doom in the Battle of Fort Titus, as Free-Staters sought retribution for the Sacking of Lawrence in 1856.
Fort Scott
Fort Scott

The U.S. Army originally established Fort Scott in the 1840s to serve as a defensive post in the frontier of southeast Kansas.
Fort Scott
Fort Scott

The U.S. Army originally established Fort Scott in the 1840s to serve as a defensive post in the frontier of southeast Kansas.
Fort Scott
Fort Scott

The U.S. Army originally established Fort Scott in the 1840s to serve as a defensive post in the frontier of southeast Kansas.
Fort Saunders
Fort Saunders

Fort Saunders became the second of the three proslavery "forts" in Douglas County to fall to Free-Staters who were outraged at the Sacking of Lawrence in 1856.
Fort Saunders
Fort Saunders

Fort Saunders became the second of the three proslavery "forts" in Douglas County to fall to Free-Staters who were outraged at the Sacking of Lawrence in 1856.
Fort Saunders
Fort Saunders

Fort Saunders became the second of the three proslavery "forts" in Douglas County to fall to Free-Staters who were outraged at the Sacking of Lawrence in 1856.
Fort Riley
Fort Riley

Established along the Kansas River to protect white travelers on the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails, Fort Riley continued to be an important military post through the Civil War.
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth

Fort Leavenworth was originally established in 1827 to provide protection along the Santa Fe Trail.
Fort Davidson
Fort Davidson

Fort Davidson, near Pilot Knob, Missouri, was the site of a critical battle in Major General Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of September and October 1864.
Fort Davidson
Fort Davidson

Fort Davidson, near Pilot Knob, Missouri, was the site of a critical battle in Major General Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of September and October 1864.
Fort Blair
Fort Blair

Fort Blair was located in what is now the town of Baxter Springs in the southeast corner of Kansas.
Fort Blair
Fort Blair

Fort Blair was located in what is now the town of Baxter Springs in the southeast corner of Kansas.
District of the Border Headquarters
District of the Border Headquarters

The Pacific House Hotel opened near the present-day City market in Kansas City in 1860, just prior to the beginning of the Civil War. In 1863, it became the District of the Border headquarters.
Dayton, Missouri
Dayton, Missouri

Early in the war, the town of Dayton, Missouri gained a reputation as an enclave for Southern sympathizers and a fertile recruiting area for the secessionist Missouri State Guard.
Dayton, Missouri
Dayton, Missouri

Early in the war, the town of Dayton, Missouri gained a reputation as an enclave for Southern sympathizers and a fertile recruiting area for the secessionist Missouri State Guard.
Centralia Massacre
Centralia Massacre

Centralia is a small Missouri town, historically known as the site of a Civil War massacre of 22 Union soldiers who were returning home on leave.
Camp Union
Camp Union

In 1857, construction began on the Broadway Hotel, but the coming of the Civil War prompted the Union Army to board over the construction site and use it as a cavalry barracks and "Camp Union" garrison.
Big Springs, Kansas
Big Springs, Kansas

Big Springs, the oldest township in Douglas County, had long served as a watering hole on the Oregon Trail by the time of its founding in 1854.
Battle of Centralia
Battle of Centralia

Commanded by Major A.V.E. Johnston, 155 Union soldiers pursued William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson's 80 guerillas to their encampment southeast of Centralia.
Carthage, Missouri
Carthage, Missouri

After being driven out of Jefferson City and Boonville, the deposed secessionist members of the Missouri state government retreated to the city of Carthage in southwestern Missouri.
Carthage, Missouri
Carthage, Missouri

After being driven out of Jefferson City and Boonville, the deposed secessionist members of the Missouri state government retreated to the city of Carthage in southwestern Missouri.
Boonville, Missouri
Boonville, Missouri

Early in the war, Boonville was the site of the retreating secessionist elements of the Missouri state government.
Boonville, Missouri
Boonville, Missouri

Early in the war, Boonville was the site of the retreating secessionist elements of the Missouri state government.
Atchison, Kansas
Atchison, Kansas

Named after the proslavery U.S. Senator David Rice Atchison, Atchison, Kansas was founded to draw proslavery settlers to Kansas to oppose the Free-Staters.
Battle of Black Jack
Battle of Black Jack

In the unofficial first battle of the Civil War (nearly five years prior to the war's beginning), abolitionist John Brown and his followers attacked the forces of a proslavery settler, Henry C. Pate, who held two of Brown's sons captive.
Battle of Black Jack
Battle of Black Jack

In the unofficial first battle of the Civil War (nearly five years prior to the war's beginning), abolitionist John Brown and his followers attacked the forces of a proslavery settler, Henry C. Pate, who held two of Brown's sons captive.