Missouri Border State
Contributed by one of our Readers
November 19, 2007
Linda Ann Edwards Campbell
Civil War in Missouri……
The real story of Missouri’s role in the War Against Northern Aggression is seldom told…….. Most of the “stories” in print about this period of History come out of Kansas.
When President Lincoln sent in the Federal Occupational troops, these men took full advantage of their position and soon began traumatizing much of Western and West Central Missouri by committing unspeakable crimes. Innocent families became their victims, including women, children and the elderly. These troops became known as the Red Legs and were under the command of General Blunt and Kansas Senator Jim Lane. They were joined by Jayhawkers, who were Kansan free-state guerilla fighters opposed to Missouri during the Border War. Jim Lane had personal dealings with Lincoln, therefore he was able to sway Lincoln. Lincoln had a huge problem, that he knew should be solved, by 1861 Missouri and Kansas were at odds on every issue. Lincoln stood behind Jim Lane and his redlegs.
When the Civil War broke out, Missouri was the home of many northern and southern natives, the divided loyalties of the state were evidenced by the fact that 100,000 men enlisted in the Federal army. Many of the 100,000 enlisting in the Federal army were forced to enlist. Showing again how the Federals ran corrupt in Missouri. Men were given no choice, sign up for the Federal army or be considered an ememy of the Federal army. Missouri lost her Constitutional Rights, therefore a man could be shot in the street, on his door-step or hung as a traitor to the Federal government. No trail necessary, in Missouri, we had no Rights. 50,000 joined the Rebel forces, as the war progressed this number would climb. The Federals turned out to be the best recruiters for the Southern army. Many families who would have stayed out of the fighting joined in with those sympathetic with the South because of the evildoings of the federal soldiers. If a neighbor reported another to the provost marshal for allowing Southern soldiers to rest in the field or drink from the well the provost had no problem with ordering the house burned. This pitted neighbor against neighbor and no one knew whom they could trust. Most Missourians were hard working and honest people who did not wish to have the Federal government controlling their state. They were people trying to make a living as farmers, carpenters, cattlemen, etc. Many did not wish to get involved in the conflict of the northern and southern states and chose to try to remain neutral. This non-committal stance added to the distrust throughout the state.
With the official declaration of the Civil War, the Red Legs and Jayhawkers increased their presence in Missouri and their crimes became more rampart. The murdering of innocent people, pillaging of property and raping of women and children continued on a broader scale, all in the name of the Federal Government. Attempts by Missourians to get the government to control their troops went unheeded. They were forced to take matters into their own hands to protect their homes and families. Some of these people became know as Partisans and secretly pledged their loyalty to the Confederacy but retained their civilian status. They aided the Confederacy in supplying them with food, shelter, clothing and revealing troop movements, etc. This was not always done with the intent to support the southern cause but in retaliation against the crimes that had been committed against them by the Federals.
The Missouri Partisan Rangers was a group of men who formed their own army to fight the Union troops. These men supported the Confederacy because they shared the same enemy but not necessarily the same cause. Most of the Missouri Partisan Rangers were men who had suffered the loss of family members, property or had some kind of injustice inflicted upon on them by the Federal troops and they vowed revenge against them. Often times, they would assist in a raid and return to their homes that same evening to tend to their chores and families.
Some notable Missouri Partisan Rangers who later became known as “guerillas” were William Quantrill, Frank James, Cole Younger, and William “Bloody Bill” Anderson. They were distinguished as “guerillas” because of their style of warfare. These men were masters of war and introduced new tactics of warfare, such as disguising themselves as Federals or women to sneak into enemy territory to gain information or to launch a surprise attack. They continually overcame great odds by defeating Union troops that outnumbered them more than 2-1. The capture of these guerilla bands became a focal point for the Union army. In an attempt to draw out the guerillas the Federals arrested their female relatives and children, imprisoning them as spies. As many as 20 women and children were held in each cell of the Jackson County jail in Independence, Missouri. Some would stand to give others a chance to sit. Children were held with their mothers. Those cells, with only bars covering the window openings, were severe in the winter months. Some of these family members were taken to makeshift prisons located in buildings in Kansas City. So many women, and children with them, were arrested and held captive that the care and feeding of these prisoners was of little concern to the Federals in charge of the Missouri counties. It was the Federals goal to make these ladies and their children as uncomfortable as possible. It was understood between the women and their men; husbands, brothers, fathers, cousins or friends, that the women wanted revenge for the conditions they were forced to endure. One of these makeshift buildings in Kansas City mysteriously collapsed killing 4 women and crippling others for life. This senseless killing infuriated the guerillas and the Rangers. The guerillas and Rangers did not make war on women and childern. They viewed using the women and children as pawns a cowardly act and in retaliation, they attacked the town of Lawrence, Kansas in August of 1863. Their goal was to find Jim Lane. This raid was modeled after the Federal attack on Osceola, Missouri in 1861. Osceola was a very bloody raid, many were killed and the town was burned to the ground.
The writers of the History “novels” seldom mention the many towns in Missouri that were burned, the uncountable houses, barns, fields and fences that went up in flame, after the redlegs and jawhawkers picked the property dry. Taking animals pulling wagons loaded with the belonging of Missouri families. Lawrence was a cornucopia of storehouses for goods brought from Missouri. Each man that rode into Lawrence with Quantrill had a story to tell, a wrong to set right, a lost family member to seek retribution for.
That part of the story is usually left out of History. General Patrick Cleburne said it best, “Surrender means that the history of this heroic struggle will be written by the enemy, that our youth will be taught by Northern school teachers, learn from Northern school books THEIR version of the war.”
General Patrick Cleburne, 1864
General Cleburne was killed at the Battle of Franklin
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Tags: Albany Missouri, border war, Border Wars, Cox, federal army, federal soldiers, Hankins, innocent families, jayhawkers, Kansas, kansas senator, Missouri, missouri men, northern aggression, Old Albany, orrick, president lincoln, rebel forces, red legs, redlegs, Shelby, southern army, west central missouri, William T. AndersonRelated posts
Tags: Albany Missouri, border war, Border Wars, Cox, federal army, federal soldiers, Hankins, innocent families, jayhawkers, Kansas, kansas senator, Missouri, missouri men, northern aggression, Old Albany, orrick, president lincoln, rebel forces, red legs, redlegs, Shelby, southern army, west central missouri, William T. Anderson
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