Clark Wright was a well-known Unionist in southwest Missouri. A native of Highland County, Ohio, he married Sarah Hixson on February 25, 1847 in Lewisburg. They settled in Polk County, Missouri in 1858. Wright saw combat in Missouri and Arkansas before being transferred to Mississippi with the 6th Missouri Cavalry in 1863. His letters describe the experiences of a prominent cavalry officer in the first half of the war.

The Tallman and Brown families lived in Miller County, Missouri, and kept correspondence with family members during the war. The principal correspondents were John, Martha, and Matthew Tallman who wrote to their brother, Jeremiah, while he served in the 1st Missouri Light Artillery, and John D. Brown, of the same regiment, who wrote to his sister, Hannah M. Brown. This collection of letters is the result of the marriage of Jeremiah W. Tallman and Hannah M. Brown. The collection spans from 1860-1865 and covers a variety of topics from family relations, conditions in the military camps, wartime communication, the economy, and life after the war.

As the patriarch of a prominent Union family in the Ozarks, John S. Phelps was one of the most important figures in the Civil War history of southwest Missouri. His experiences as a politician and soldier illustrate how complicated the war was in the bitterly divided Trans-Mississippi Theater.

Commanding the Greene and Christian County Home Guards, Phelps wrote two letters to Colonel Franz Sigel relaying intelligence about the movements of the Missouri State Guard in the summer of 1861. Phelps led a regiment named for him in heavy fighting at the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas in March 1862 and then served as the Military Governor of Arkansas. Phelps returned to his home in Springfield after the war. In 1865, he successfully defended James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickock who had killed Dave Tutt on the public square in Springfield. Phelps became the governor of Missouri in 1876.

The Peter Wellington Alexander papers contain a significant collection of documents from Thomas C. Hindman’s military service from 1862-1863. Hindman assumed command of the Trans-Mississippi District on May 31, 1862, and his papers cover actions in southern Missouri, Arkansas, and the Indian Territory; including battles at Newtonia, Missouri and Cane Hill and Prairie Grove, Arkansas. The collection consists of military orders, telegrams, correspondence, military reports and other documents.

On April 13, 1865, Higdon R. Jarrett filed suit against Joseph T. Morton for failing to fulfill a contract made in 1862, regarding the exchange of two slaves. In an effort to keep two slave families close together, Jarrett and Morton had entered into an agreement to swap their male slaves so that they could remain close to their wives. The fact that the slaves in question received their emancipation on January 1, 1863, by virtue of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation proved to have minimal influence on this case. To further complicate the case, Morton’s son, John A. Morton, re-exchanged the slaves with Jarrett without his father’s permission. After numerous depositions Jarrett and Morton settled out of court. Jarrett did not drop the suit however, even though Morton paid him the court ordered amount. Disputes over slave contracts and trades were common. They increased after the slaves were freed because many owners faced a significant loss in equity. Also, Confederate money was the only tender in circulation during this period and held little value, so neither man wanted to make an exchange using that as currency. The Jarrett Case represents the complexity of slave trading and the complications emancipation posed for slave holders’ post-1863.

Andrew Tinkham’s Drawing of Springfield, Missouri, 1861 Image courtesy of Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Andrew Tinkham enlisted May 25, 1861, as a private in Company F of the First Kansas Infantry, which was organized at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, between May 20 and June 3, 1861. Unlike other volunteer troops which fought at Wilson’s Creek, the […]

The Isely Family Papers contain correspondence and other documents dating from the late 1850s through the 1930s. A significant portion of the collection consists of letters written during the Civil War between Christian H. Isely and his wife, Marie Elizabeth “Eliza” Dubach. Christian served in the 2nd Kansas Cavalry and they traveled throughout Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma; which was then Indian Territory. During the war, Eliza went to live with Christian’s parents in Ohio, rather than stay with her father in Willow Dale, Kansas, due to the unstable conditions in the Kansas-Missouri border region. The Isely’s were a profoundly religious family and their correspondences depict the deeply rooted connection between religion and political convictions and how their beliefs often divided their family.

In September 1863, William Gray claimed his life was threatened by William F. Steele a local neighbor along Wilson Creek in Greene County, Missouri. The dispute over a past business transaction, escalated into a violent conflict, which ended with William Gray’s wife being threatened at gun point by Steele and the Gray’s daughter being wounded by a misfired bullet. The Grays filed a complaint with Chesley Cannefax, a Justice of the Peace, for Greene County and Steele was imprisoned; although he was later released from jail on the grounds that the “evidence showed no legal and sufficient cause for the commitment.” This court case embodies the struggles among communities during the War and the polarizing effect the two parties had on individuals’ personal relationships. While the primary issue related to the case was a compromised business deal, the fact that William Gray was a Confederate supporter and William F. Steele a loyal Unionist, added further tension and hostility to the proceeding conflict. It is unknown which events in this case are true and which are exaggerations, but we know similar events occurred in communities throughout the Ozarks.

On August 13, 1866 Joseph B. Munsey filed a claim against William L. Kelly for stealing his horses and destruction of property. Kelly was arrested and found guilty of the crimes. This court cases embodies the violence and depredations taking places throughout the Ozarks, and documents how the Civil War turned acquaintances against one another.

Benjamin Gratz Brown was born in Lexington, Kentucky, May 28, 1826 and moved to Missouri in 1849. Brown was a lawyer, state representative, U.S. senator, and governor of Missouri. His collection contains documents relating to his political career in state. The letters in this portion of the collection are specifically related to the Civil War period.

Stephen Julian sued the estate of Leonidas Campbell on October 11, 1865 for ten thousand dollars. Julian claimed Campbell illegally and wrongfully imprisoned him in a cell on November 25, 1861. Julian further stated Campbell threatened his life and placed the bodies of dead men in his cell to terrorize him. Leonidas was dead by the time the case was brought to court, so his widow, Elizabeth Campbell, the administrator of his estate, was brought to court. Elizabeth remarried before the case concluded, and thus was removed from being the administrator of Leonidas’ estate.

In November 1866, Mary Rush filed a lawsuit against 21 men for the murder of her husband, John Rush. March claimed the men killed her husband without provocation, and asked for $5,000 in damages. The defendants denied involvement in Rush’s death. The final verdict of the case is unknown, but it represents the vicious nature of warfare that continued after the war in Missouri.

Charles Wadlow was involved in a legal case against Benjamin Perryman in May of 1858. The dispute was over the condition of a female slave Perryman sold to Wadlow. The Probate court did not allow some evidence to be heard in the case and therefore ruled in favor of Mr. Perryman. Wadlow took his appeal all the way to the State Supreme Court, where the judges found that the lower courts had erred and overturned the decision. Slaves were only deemed valuable if they were healthy and able to work for their owners. Therefore, if an individual sold a slave knowing that they were not healthy and did not divulge that information to the buyer, it was considered a breech of contract.

Benjamin Fullager served in the Union Army in the 3rd Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, in Company A, who served mostly in Arkansas and the Kansas Territory. His correspondents with his brother and other friends offer a candid and raw perspective to the life of a Union soldier. Fullager did not conceal his opinion of the men involved in the conflict and the War in general. Within Fullager’s letters, he described several battles, his personal experience with guerrilla warfare, the condition of the men in his regiment, and the general political opinion of the men in service.

In this court case Elizabeth F. Cope sued Col. Benjamin Crabb for enlisting her minor son, William H.H. Williams, into the 19th Iowa Infantry without her consent. The petition was served to Col. Benjamin Crabb, who denied that he deprived Williams of his liberty, stated that on Aug. 14, 1862, the day of Williams’ enlistment, he was a captain in the 7th Iowa Infantry and was never a mustering officer of the 19th Iowa Infantry.

Coleman Bruce wrote to his children William and Martha Jane Jackson regarding the political tension within Missouri and the United States. While Bruce’s children supported the Union, he cited in his letter several injustices committed by Northern men. Bruce’s use of derogatory terminology conveyed his feelings about the Union troops. He also, commented on poor market values for crops and recent news from the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. Bruce even stated that Sample Orr, an 1860 Missouri gubernatorial candidate, robbed a Springfield bank of $24,000. Allegedly, the money was taken to Rolla to remain in Union hands. Little documentation on this event exists. Bruce encouraged his children to share this letter with their friends and family, perhaps in an attempt to persuade others to support the Confederacy. The letter draw attentions to the impact the War had on family dynamics as well as the crumbling economic condition in the country.

Partheny Horn was a strong southern supporter who in 1863, who along with a group of other Missouri women left the state seeking refuge in Texas. Partheny and her family lived in Cedar County, Missouri before the war. She recalled her brother’s departure into service and the trials she and the other woman faced on their harrowing journey to Texas. Horn’s memoir provides a fascinating account of their experiences and documents the physical and mental strength of women during the War. Horn authored the memoir fifty years after the war ended, thus her description are not entirely historically accurate. The memoir does, however, offer a very unique and invaluable perspective of the war’s impact on southern women in Missouri.

William H. Mengel, a native of Germany, lived in California, Missouri before the War. Mengel was pressed into service as a teamster for the Missouri State Guard in May 1861. He was released a after a little less than a month and he enlisted in the 1st U.S. Reserve Corps, Missouri Home Guards. Mengel was taken prisoner at the Battle of Lexington, where he fought against the Missouri State Guard. After being paroled, he joined the 26th Missouri Infantry, and was sent to Mississippi and Tennessee. Mengel was eventually mustered out of service in January 1865.

James H. Wiswell was a teenage solider in the Union Army from Vermont. Wiswell enlisted in Company C, 4th US Cavalry, and served in Kansas and Missouri. He fought under the command of General Nathan Lyon and participated in the Battles of Dug Springs and Wilson’s Creek in 1861. His letter to his sister Naomi revealed the conditions of military life and the toll the defeat at Wilson’s Creek had on his company.

Elizabeth Thompson ran general store with her husband James in Clay, Missouri. James was a cattle header and farmer. At the beginning of the Civil War the Thompsons sold goods to confederate soldiers; however, in August 1862 the Provost Marshall forced them to take an Oath of Allegiance to the United States. After declaring their allegiance to the U.S. the Thompsons then sold supplies exclusively to the Union troops. While business owners and farmers may have felt personally aligned with a certain party, they had to support the controlling army in their area or face dire consequences. The Thompson family papers highlight the struggles the War placed on small business owners in Southwest Missouri.

Franklin S. Denny was born 7 October 1825 in Bond County, Illinois. Before the Civil War, he was a blacksmith in Platteville, Wisconsin, and married Mary Ann Pennington, who died in 1859. Denny enlisted in Company C, 1st Missouri Cavalry on August 1, 1861. He was elected third sergeant, and in February 1862 he was promoted to first sergeant. In his diary, Denny recorded the actions of the 1st Missouri Cavalry as they travelled across Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas from 1862 through 1864. He noted engagements with bushwhackers and rebel soldiers, personal thoughts on Kansas Jayhawkers, the impact of the War on civilians, and the routine of military life. Denny was discharged from the service on September 17, 1864. In 1868, Denny mar¬ried Susan Dule¬bon at Freeport, Illinois. By 1874, Franklin and Susan Denny lived in Springfield, Missouri, where Franklin operated a carriage shop. They died in 1902 and 1917, re-spectively.

Both the Union and Confederacy employed the use of scouts and spies throughout the Civil War to gather war intelligence. Many spies were civilians who were able to immerse themselves within enemy encampments and gather valuable information; such as, the location and movement of enemy regiments and their strength in numbers. This collection focuses on Union intelligence efforts during the war, and the employment of women, African American and Native American spies.

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.

Sterling Price was a strong military leader and politician. He served in the U.S. military in the Mexican War and was elected Governor of Missouri in 1852. Price firmly believed in the southern antebellum way of life, though he did not believe that Missouri should secede from the Union. As the impending war grew closer, Price’s opinion of Missouri’s status changed and he was selected to command the Missouri State Guard in 1861 in defending Missouri from Federal troops.

Nathaniel Lyon was born on July 14, 1818 in Ashford, Connecticut. Having a strong military family background Lyon joined the U.S. Military Academy and after his graduation served as an officer in the Seminole and Mexican wars. Once these wars ended, Lyon continued his service in Kansas and later Missouri where he would fight vigorously to stop Missouri from succeeding from the Union. Lyon is most remembered for his capture of Camp Jackson in St. Louis in 1861 and for his service at the Battle of Wilson Creek, where he became the first Union General to be killed in the Civil War. Lyon’s death inspired many federal soldiers and his military tactics help preserve Missouri from falling into Confederate control, giving him the title of the “Savior of Missouri.”

Douglas R. Bushnell was born 17 June 1824 at Norwich, Connecticut. He was educated as a civil engineer, and moved to New Hampshire as a young man to begin a career in railroad engineering in that state and in Vermont. Bushnell moved to Illinois in 1855 with his wife and family. In May 1861, Bushnell enlisted in Company B of the 13th Illinois Infantry. Bushnell participated in campaigns in Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee.

In 1847, Drew, a slave belonging to Edward Thomson, poisoned a fellow slaved named Lige. The exact details of the murder may never be known, but the court records include depositions of several slaves, two physicians and a grocery store owner who provide their perspective of the events that unfolded. These depositions offer valuable insight into the lives and living conditions of slaves in Greene County, Missouri.

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.

In 1855, Louisa T. Campbell sued Samuel Sproul for damages and custody of a mulatto girl named Margaret. Louisa claimed her husband, John Polk Campbell, left her as the rightful owner of Margaret. She asked the court for $1,000 in damages sustained by the wrongfully and unjustly detainment of the girl.

Captain Asbury C. Bradford kept this journal of enrolled soldiers, equipment and actions of Company E, 2nd Regiment, 8th Division, Missouri State Guard. The 2nd Regiment was organized in July 1861, and this journal documents activities from August through November 1861. Bradford also kept a few journal entries about troop movement and activities of the MSG, along with sketches of the Battles of Wilson’s Creek and Dry Wood.

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.

The Ozias Ruark collection contains correspondence and a diary detailing the service of a captain in the 8th Missouri State Militia Cavalry. Throughout his diary, Ruark comments on four underlying themes: the impact of the war on civilians, foraging, engagements with guerrillas and the daily routine of camp life. He also notes weather, towns and the Ozarks landscape. Ruark’s perspective as a soldier provides a valuable portrait of military life in the region.

Three reports outlining use, value and transfer of equipment for the 16th Missouri Cavalry. The regiment was organized from the 6th Enrolled Missouri Militia and attached to the District of Southwest Missouri. They scouted and patrolled routes across the Ozarks.

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.”

The William Dameron papers document the incarceration of William and his attempt to obtain parole. In October of 1864, William was captured as a Confederate prisoner of war in Stone County, Missouri. He taken to Springfield, Missouri and later transferred to St. Louis for incarceration. William proclaimed Union loyalties, service in the Enrolled Missouri Militia, and forced conscription into the Confederate Army. He wrote his wife asking for assistance in obtaining his freedom. This collection contains two letters home, and his prisoner of war examinations.

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.

The Hunter-Hagler collection provides rare documentation on how women endured the War in the Ozarks. The letters are written by Elizabeth Hunter and her daughters, Priscilla A. Hunter and Charlotte Elizabeth (Hunter) Hagler. The Hunters write Margaret Hunter Newberry, who married and left the family farm. The letters describe how the Hunter family survived harsh winters, sold goods at the market, and provide graphic details of murder, theft and destruction caused by bushwhackers in Jasper and Lawrence Counties. Perpetual violence caused the Hunter family to leave their beloved homestead, and flee to Illinois in late 1864. Elizabeth wrote her daughter affectionately and often, and through these letters Elizabeth relates the brutal conditions in which the family endured.

The Robert Carnahan Letters consists of two correspondences written by Carnahan to his wife in November of 1861. Carnahan enlisted as an officer in the 3rd Illinois Cavalry at Camp Butler, Illinois in August of 1861. The 3rd Illinois Cavalry first served as part of John C. Fremont’s campaign to capture Springfield, Missouri. The first letters is written from Springfield, and the second is from Lebanon as the 3rd Illinois Cavalry marched to Rolla.

Thomas L. Snead was a soldier and a politician during the Civil War. He served under both Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson and Sterling Price. In 1886, he wrote The Fight for Missouri which chronicles the events in Missouri from the 1860 elections to the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. The Thomas Snead collection consists of several letters written about The Fight for Missouri. Most of these letters contain praise for Snead’s accomplishments, and note his ability to write a full and unbiased history of the events that unfolded. This collection is a valuable compendium to The Fight for Missouri, providing interesting insight to Missouri soldiers and politicians as they reflect on the war 20 years later.

The Springfield physicians’ fee bill is a detailed listing of fees and services offered by physicians in Greene County, Missouri. The bill documents the types of treatments offered by physicians in 1860, and perhaps through pricing, the complexity or rarity of that type of service. The physicians’ bill provides interesting details about the medical profession before the Civil War, and at the same time warrants future research on the topic.

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.

The Freedom Papers comprise of a series of court documents regarding a petition for freedom filed on October 30th, 1843, in Greene County, Missouri, by a female African American slave named Mary. This twelve page collection is a classic example of the personal strive and injustices African Americans were forced to endure before emancipation. Mary filed a petition in Greene County, Missouri for her freedom, and for that of: Jefferson, Mariah, and Jerry, her three minor children. Mary claimed that she had been freed in the will of her former owner, Matthew McClain, Sr. in the County of Henderson in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Mary claimed that McClain Sr. “forever freed” her upon his death. However, the Administrator of the estate, ignored the wishes of McClain Sr. as stipulated in his will, and sold her to William B. Edwards. Edwards later brought her to Missouri. In Missouri, Edwards sold Mary and her children again, this time to William T. Buffard, of Niangua County.

The Lizzie Gilmore collection is a series of letters written by Elizabeth C. Gilmore, primarily to her cousins in Crittenden County, Kentucky. Through her letters, “Lizzie” notes political differences among her family, guerrilla warfare in Missouri and Kentucky, and the hardships she faced in Laclede County. She commented on the fears of living among the war split community of Lebanon and the nature of co-existence. Lizzie declared her loyalty to the Union, but she specifically states, “but that is as far as I go.” It is unknown if she was opposed northern aggression, advocated for states rights, or supported slavery. This collection provides a glimpse of life for a Laclede County citizen facing the struggles of war and reconstruction in the Ozarks.

The Moses J. Bradford collection consists of forty letters written to his wife, Malissa Jane, and family. Bradford joined the Missouri State Guard under General James H. McBride, and later served in the 10th Missouri Infantry (CSA). In July of 1863, Bradford was captured in Helen, Arkansas. Bradford was incarcerated with other Confederate officers at five different Union prisons: Johnson’s Island in Ohio, Camp Hammond in Maryland, Fort Delaware in Delaware, Morris Island in South Carolina, and Fort Pulaski in Georgia. Bradford wrote ten letters while in the Missouri State Guard and 10th Missouri Infantry. The remainder of the collection was written from the prison. These letters tell of the worsening conditions Bradford faced as a prisoner of war, and the resolve of his dedication to the Confederate States of America.

The Murray Collection contains 16 letters detailing the activities of the 20th Iowa Infantry as they marched through the Ozarks. The letters are addressed to Thomas Murray from his brother William Murray and his cousin, Thomas Murray, serving in the 20th Iowa. William wrote the bulk of the wartime letters, offering his perspective of the Ozarks and the events that unfolded in the region. The 20th Iowa marched through St. Louis, Rolla, and Springfield. They camped at Newtonia in early October 1862. William reported to his brother about the 1862 Battle of Newtonia that took place there only a few days before his arrival. In December of 1862, the 20th Iowa then participated in the Battle of Prairie Grove in Arkansas. William was severely wounded in the Battle, and died shortly after. The collection contains three post-war letters, in which Thomas inquires about his brother’s grave in Arkansas. Thomas Murray continued to write his cousin, as the 20th Iowa traveled to Mississippi and participated in the Siege of the Vicksburg.

The Cass Township Slave schedule cites the number of slaves and slave owners residing in the Greene County Township in 1863. This unique record provides a census of slavery in the middle of the Civil War. A Federal slave schedule was completed in 1860, providing a census of slaves and slave owners before the War. The emancipation of slaves prevented a post-war slave schedule from being completed. The historic value of this document resides in its comparison with the 1860 schedule and other slavery documents from Greene County. Through this comparison, researchers may draw conclusions about the impact the war, the Emancipation Proclamation and other events possibly had on number of slave owners and slaves in Greene County, Missouri.

The Sarah Jane Smith collection consists of documents related to her imprisonment for guerrilla activity in Southwest Missouri. Sarah destroyed the telegraph line between Rolla and Springfield twice in 1864. Sarah and her noted guerrilla cousins destroyed three to four miles of telegraph wire and cut down several telegraph poles outside of Springfield in May 1864. In August 1864, she was paroled in Rolla. She destroyed another section of telegraph wire outside of Rolla in September of 1864. After the second incident, Sarah was sentenced to imprisonment for the duration of the War, and sent to Alton Military Prison in Illinois.

The Southwest Missouri Medical Society organized to encourage the development and unity of the medical profession in the region. They hoped to restrict the practice of medicine to educated and properly qualified men, develop talent, and stimulated study and inquiry in the field of medicine. The group organized in May 1874, holding bi-annual meetings in the spring and fall. The group’s membership consisted of physicians from Carthage, Springfield, Neosho and beyond. At their meetings, members presented unusual cases and papers on medical techniques. The group then discussed these cases, best practices, and ethical issues surrounding each topic. The meeting minuets for the Southwest Missouri Medical Society not only document the organization of physicians and medical practitioners in region, but the development of medical practices and thinking in the years after the Civil War.

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.

Lyman Gibson Bennett enlisted in the 36th Illinois Infantry in 1861. Prior to the War he trained as a surveyor and civil engineer, working for the railroad. The military utilized Bennett’s skills as a cartographer, and assigned him to survey battlefields, road systems, and fortifications. Bennett’s diaries document his daily duties as both a soldier and an engineer for the military. His regiment participated in the Battle of Pea Ridge, which he describes in vivid detail. Bennett was discharged from the military in August 1864.

In 1865, Bennett joined the engineering department of General Samuel R. Curtis as a civilian. He mapped the 1864 battlefields of Sterling Price’s Missouri Expedition. Bennett was then assigned to survey fortifications in Nebraska and Colorado, and eventually served as an engineering officer on the Powder River Expedition of 1865. Bennett’s diaries provide colorful insight to his perception of the Ozarks and its inhabitants.

John W. Fisher’s diary documents his duties in the Missouri State Guard from mid October, 1861, through the first week of January, 1862. Fisher was born in Virginia, and lived in Westport, Missouri prior to the War. Fisher served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Missouri State Guard. The diary cites Fisher’s movement through Missouri and Indian Territory. Fisher survived the war, ending his days in a Confederate Veterans home in Harrisonburg, Missouri, in 1910.

Rector v. Danforth is a complicated probate case involving a dispute over property. Celia Jane Rector’s claims to be the daughter, and only living heir, of James Danforth. John V. Danforth, James’ brother, was the administrator of James Estate. Celia’s mother, Eliza Hacking, was, as best we can ascertain, a slave once belonging to James. […]

The Bowers Mill Collections include two court cases brought by George, John and William Bowers after the burning of their grist mill in October 1863. Bowers Mill was located on the Spring River in the Oregon settlement of Lawrence County. The Bowers operated the grist mill and wool carding machinery, and maintained a storage facility for flour, wheat, corn, wool and assorted dry goods.

The civil suits stemmed from the destruction of the mill, machinery, stored goods, and the three homes owned by the Bowers. The importance of regional grist mills to rural Ozarks communities cannot be overstated. Mills served myriad functions to the regional economy, and their preservation and continued operation was important to maintain a sense of hopefulness and security in the Ozarks during the War.

The Stirman Davidson Collection is a spirited group of letters written to Rebecca Stirman Davidson, of Fayetteville, Arkansas. The bulk of the letters are from her brother Erasmus “Ras” Stirman, while serving in the Civil War. The letters tell the story of Erasmus service in the Confederate Army, his fears and doubts about winning the War, and leading his company of sharpshooters into certain death. Erasmus loved meeting new women, and his letters to Rebecca are full of candor and humor, often telling a larger tale of the social and cultural customs of the era to which he opportunistically flaunted. Erasmus’ successes in the military, coupled with his family’s access to political and societal privilege, combine to tell a wonderful story of upper class life in the Civil War of the Ozarks.

In the summer of 1865, Davis K. Tutt, a former Confederate soldier, and William Butler Hickok, a former Union Scout and Spy, were friends and noted gamblers. On July 20, 1865, the pair fell out over a game of cards, which left Hickok in debt to Tutt who took his prized Waltham watch as security for payment. According to stories circulated later, Tutt taunted Hickok with the notion of flaunting his watch on the Springfield Public Square the following afternoon. Hickok warned that if he did it would become a shooting matter.

At 6 p.m. on the 21st, Tutt appeared with the watch and Hickok advised him not to cross the square. Dave’s response was to draw his pistol and open fire. Wild Bill drew and shot Tutt through the heart. Arrested and charged with manslaughter, Hickok was put on trial and found not guilty on his plea of self-defense.

On August 17, 1861 Missouri Governor Hamilton R. Gamble ordered a proclamation establishing the Missouri State Militia for defense of the State against guerrilla activity. Gamble soon realized the need for additional troops, and on July 22, 1862 he issued General Order Number 29 organizing the Enrolled Missouri Militia (EMM). General Colley B. Holland assumed command of the 4th Military district, consisting of the counties in southwest Missouri, on October 30, 1862. Based in Springfield, Missouri, roughly 2,500 men reported for duty, operating under the jurisdiction of the State of Missouri. Holland’s documented all activities related to his command in the enrolled Missouri Militia order book for the 4th Military District in Southwest Missouri, from November 1862 through May 1863. His reports cover the Battles of Springfield and Hartville and also include details about depredation in Southwest Missouri and the extensive guerrilla activity that took place in the region.

John Harvey Doran, a carpenter in Springfield, Missouri kept a journal of his daily activities from August 13, 1864 through September 24, 1865. Doran had steady business building shelves, coffins, framing houses, and other general construction jobs. The journal entries include business notes, news from family and friends, and information about Doran’s brief service in the Enrolled Missouri Militia.

The Mack Collection offers valuable insight into the lives of Union sympathizers in the Ozarks. In many ways, their experiences are typical of Southern Unionists, though their home in Missouri placed them squarely in a border region. The war was bitter and personal for the Mack family. Their experiences as refugees and those who fighting guerrillas in the 1st Arkansas Cavalry (U.S.) hardened their feelings towards Confederate sympathizers. As Radical Republicans, the Macks entered the political arena only to find themselves at odds with fellow Unionists.

Regrettably, the Mack collection contains only half of the correspondence between the family members. The surviving letters were written to those serving in the army. While the soldier’s responses are missing, the existing letters provide researchers with a unique perspective on the civilian experience in southwest Missouri.