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(Strife in Missouri)

Strife in Missouri

1861 had not entirely settled matters in Missouri.  Political sentiment in the state was polarized, with strong Union support in St Louis (especially among immigrants, mainly German) and plenty of Confederate support elsewhere.  Confederate victory at Wilson's Creek had left them in control of the southwestern corner of the state, while the Union had a precarious grasp on the rest.  Then defeat at Pea Ridge had pushed Confederate influence out of the southwest - but there were still recruiting parties and raiders.  Meanwhile, Federal troops were pulled out for more urgent action elsewhere, leaving a vacuum until late summer for raiders.  The Union garrisons may have been able to control most of the cities, but not large rural swathes.

Conflict was everywhere, but most of the fighting was on the southern and western edges, although raids went up into the northern edge.  Right in the center there were still plenty of Confederate sympathizers.  Needing to protect the railroad, and also to maintain order, the Union swept through Boone County in late December 1861.  Their first engagement was a defeat, but at MOUNT ZION CHURCH the Federals drove the Confederates off in disorder, not only inflicting casualties but capturing supplies.  These were almost as important, because fewer men volunteered when the Confederacy couldn't provide uniforms or weapons.

Still, this didn't depress all the Secessionists, and in Randolph and Howard Counties, in the center of the state, Confederate recruits continued to gather.  Naturally, some news got out and Union cavalry was sent to scatter the recruits, but few civilians would say much, and the cavalrymen had a hard time finding the base camp.  Eventually, a week into 1862, hard news arrived and the Union forces pounced at ROAN'S TAN YARD.  They inflicted few casualties but routed the Confederates, capturing supplies and wrecking the base.  Union forces totaled under 500, but thanks to skirmishes like this, and even smaller ones, the Federal forces gained the upper hand in central Missouri.

On the periphery there was more action, and later into the war.  In August 1862 Confederate Colonel Joseph Porter led a cavalry brigade up into the northern tier of Missouri looking for recruits and to harass the Union.  Instead, at KIRKSVILLE his men were jumped and took serious losses, which set the stage for them to be mopped up a few days later.

About the same time a more substantial Confederate gain was control of the Kansas City area.  Cavalry raids like INDEPENDENCE were common, although William Quantrill would soon switch to terrorism rather than military raids.  Fearing Confederate influence would permeate the area, a Union cavalry column was sent, alternately scattering and being scattered in actions around LONE JACK. 

The Confederates were politically strong, but militarily vulnerable, and in September the Federals moved.  They reinforced their position in Kansas and struck southeast, to cut the Confederate corridor to Kansas City.  At NEWTONIA Friedrich Salomon was whipped by a smaller Confederate force, but overall the combination of Federal forces was too much.  The Confederates pulled out, and the Union had to try and maintain order in a hostile environment.  Guerrillas and small raiding parties thronged the area and there was no peace locally.

The Union offensive extended further west too, into the Indian Territory.  That far from 'civilization' it was hard to supply large bodies, but when the logistical problems were solved James Blunt's Union forces swept away scattered Confederate elements in actions like OLD FORT WAYNE.

Confederate troops and influence were being pushed back, but until the Union went ahead and occupied northern Arkansas there would always be a base for raids into southern Missouri.  Always looking for recruits and supplies, the Confederacy tried to maintain a presence in the southern edge.  Small Union garrisons were always in danger, as at CLARK'S MILL. 

But no number of raids could disguise growing Union control of Missouri.  In the trans-Mississippi theater, like the rest of the war, the Confederacy was losing ground, militarily and politically.  In 1863 there were a few raids along the southern border of the state (mostly by John Marmaduke) but the majority of trouble came from guerrillas.  They were various called bushwhackers, nighthawks, bandits, thieves, murderers and a host of less complimentary names and they had variable military impact.  Sometimes they worked well with uniformed Confederate forces and provided vital information.  Other times they simply used the war as an excuse and killed or robbed neighbors.  Confederate raiders did tie down substantial Federal garrisons through the war, but gradually the Missouri State Militia grew more effective (and the raiders lost contact with the fading Confederacy) and regular troops could be moved out of the state.

It also went both ways.  There were Union raiders into the fringes of the Confederacy, and on 'secesh' sympathizers all along the frontier.  But the most notorious raiders were Confederate ones, and William Clarke Quantrill heads the list.  He raided where he could, avoiding anything approaching a fair fight (or leaving it to his subordinates) and holding sway over an ever fluctuating band of men through force of personality.

His 'greatest exploit' or 'vilest deed' (depending on the side from which it is viewed) was the August 1863 attack on LAWRENCE, Kansas.  Claiming to be responding to a Unionist raid on a Missouri town, Quantrill and about 400 men rolled into the undefended town and killed about 200 civilians, then looted everything they could and burned much of the rest.  All but one man got away.

The ravages of the Confederates guerrillas led the commander of the Department of Missouri, Thomas Ewing, to order the evacuation all civilians in several southwestern Missouri counties.  He was going to deprive the guerrillas of sympathizers, of bases, of warning.  One byproduct was to make Ewing Public Enemy #1 for the guerrillas, accused of making war on women and children.  It probably did more to excite Confederate support elsewhere than it helped in the corner of the state.

With winter coming, Quantrill thought it would be easier in Texas, and he headed that way with those men who wanted to stay with him and joined others headed in the same direction.  Along the way they swept through various small Union parties, killing about 150, but their most notable deed was nearly capturing Major General James Blunt, commander of the District of the Frontier.  At BAXTER SPRINGS they were raiding a small Union garrison (made a juicier target for the raiders because the Federals were African-Americans) when they surprised Blunt's headquarters wagons changing base.  If it hadn't been for Blunt's fresh horse they would have had him; as it was Quantrill's men shot a few more prisoners.
 
Regardless of the effects at any one place, horrible as they were at Lawrence or elsewhere, the overall effect was to brutalize hundreds of thousands of people and bring the realities of war to thousands of doorsteps.

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(Strife in Missouri)