Battle of Wentzville
The following account of the Battle of Wentzville is based on information compiled by Gerry Matlock, former Wentzville Historical Society President, and from official Federal Government records. On July 15, 1861, four companies of the 2nd Missouri Infantry and two companies of the 8th Missouri Infantry left St. Louis by train, heading west on the [...]
Civil War Speaker Series
There has already been some outstanding speakers appear in this series since the beginning of 2011. Here are what I consider some highlights of the ones that are yet to come. Unless otherwise noted, programs will be held at the Missouri State Archives, located at 600 W. Main Street in Jefferson City. April 28, 2011, [...]
Civil War 150th Anniversary: What it should mean to Missourian’s
Missouri was third in the number of battles that took place within it’s borders, behind Virginia and Tennessee, however when one looks at all the minor engagements and even what happened along the border in the 1850′s Missouri was probably THE major battleground for the Civil War (at least in my and a few others [...]
Battlefield Dispatches No. 212: ‘Bushwhackers in Yankee Blue!’
During the Civil War, it did not take long for Confederate Guerrillas / Bushwhackers in Missouri to learn that a successful way to deceive the “Blue Bellied Billy Yanks” was to wear the Yankee’s trousers and jacket and appear to be “Yanks.” This, of course, gave the guerrillas an added element of surprise when they [...]
Battlefield Dispatches No. 211: ‘Swarming Bushwhackers’
In the Spring of each year, during the Civil War, the Confederate and Union Guerrillas awoke from their partial winter hibernation to conduct their special type of warfare with a vengeance. Depending on the weather, guerrilla activity increased with the coming of the leaves in springtime. This being the middle of March and the month [...]
