William J. Rountree was born in Springfield, Missouri on October 17, 1847. Rountree lived in St. Louis until his father decided to venture west in search of gold, at that time he was sent to live with his grandfather in Springfield. William’s grandfather, Joseph Roundtree, was one of the earliest settlers to Greene County and helped build the first schoolhouse in the area. Rountree describes in his autobiography the events that led up to the outbreak of the Civil War in Missouri and how he and his family were directly affected. Rountree recalls the Battle of Wilson’s Creek and the occupation of Springfield by both Confederate and Union forces. He enlisted into the Union army when he was sixteen, noting the army was so desperate for men they overlook the fact that he his was underage. Rountree’s autobiography gives a first-hand account of a young man who lived in Springfield through the war.

John Polk Campbell was one of the first pioneers of European ancestry to settle in present day Springfield, Missouri. He and Louisa T. Campbell had ten children before his death in 1852. Four of John’s sons served in the Confederacy, and the Campbell family was forced from their home in Springfield after Union forces secured the town. Included in this collection is Louisa T. Campbell’s exile order from Springfield, Missouri, several letters reflecting on the war’s impact on the family and letters written by former family slaves.

Randolph Harrison Dyer wrote to one of his sister two days after the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, describing the general activities of the engagement. Dyer was a veteran from the Mexican-American War serving in the 1st Missouri Mounted Volunteer Cavalry in New Mexico. Dyer described troop movement, positions and the opening shots of the Battle outside of Springfield, Missouri. Dyer’s service records could not be found, and his letter offers little detail about his regimental affiliation.

On Monday June 3, 1861, three slaves ran away from their owners in Springfield, Missouri. G. P. Shackelford, Louisa Campbell and H. Fulbright filed a joint runaway slave announcement. The announcement appears to be designed for publication in a Springfield newspaper; however, the description provides more detail than is commonly found in a traditional runaway handbill.

On May 7, 1856, John and Joseph McMahan, administers of James McMahan’s estate in Wright County, sold an African American slave named Henry to Kindred Rose, a resident of Greene County. Rose purchased the nineteen year old slave for $2,025. The McMahan’s claimed Henry to be “sound, sensible, healthy and a slave for life.”

This letter from Louis Stephens relays the work of a Union soldier outside St. Louis, Missouri, and provides striking detail about key events surrounding the Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi Theater. Private Louis Stephens served in Company “I” 6th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry. In his letter, Stephen discusses political support of Abraham Lincoln, repairing a bridge for the Pacific Railroad and orders to March to Paducah, Kentucky. Stephen’s letter may not further the understanding of the events that took place in the Midwest, but it serves to represent the issues facing Union soldiers in the region and distribution of news.

A Confederate Girlhood, the memoir of Louisa Cheairs McKenny Sheppard, reflects upon the life of a young lady raised in the Ozarks during the Civil War. While her reminiscence is decidedly sentimental, it is a compelling representation of wartime and economic struggles and refugee life. Louisa was twelve when the War began, and she recalled the impacted it had on Springfield. Her family eventually fled Missouri for her uncle’s plantation in Mississippi. Over time the family moved to Arkansas, and did not return to Springfield until after the War. A Confederate Girlhood is a recollection of Louisa’s youthful adventures and a tribute to her beloved grandmother.

Lucy M. Garrett of Greenfield, Missouri writes this letter to her brother. She recently learned that her brother had been taken prisoner by Confederate Soldiers, and writes to him about the conditions in Greenfield. She notes the number of bushwhackers in the area, and comments that they were forced to sell their slaves in fear that they would be stolen by Rebels. The letter indicates while the Garrett family owned slaves, they supported the Union.

O. A. Williams, a surgeon for the Missouri State Guard, wrote to John Willsen about finalizing his accounts. The letter is undated but its context places it shortly after the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, August 10, 1861. Williams comments on the number of amputations he completed, and how nearly every building in Springfield was converted into a hospital. While only one letter from Williams is present, it provides insight to this thoughts after the exhausting day of August 10, 1861.