At Newtonia, battles were fought in September 1862 and October 1864. American Indians fought on both sides during the first battle, according to the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission. There is now a proposal to study those battlefields for inclusion as a unit of the National Park Service.

In addition to a cemetery and battlefields, Newtonia is home to the Ritchey Mansion, which served as a headquarters and field hospital. Newton County also saw a number of skirmishes and small-scale fights, in places such as Neosho and Granby.

A group of lawmakers sympathetic to the Confederacy even met in October 1861 in Neosho and voted for Missouri to secede, although the vote carried no legal weight.

Heading north, a visitor would see the site of the Battle of Carthage — fought in early July 1861 between troops led by Union Col. Franz Sigel and Missouri Gov. Claiborne F. Jackson, who led the state militia that wanted to secede.

The battlefield site, owned by the state, commemorates what some consider one of the first engagements of the war, and there is a museum in downtown Carthage. The museum houses a number of exhibits that offer information not only about the battle itself but also about Missouri’s strategic importance in the Civil War, as well as the role played by American Indians and black Americans.

The most significant battlefield in Southwest Missouri is Wilson’s Creek, where Union and Confederate forces squared off in August 1861. That battle saw about 2,330 casualties between both sides, including the death of Union Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, and was the first large battle west of the Mississippi River, according to the National Park Service.

The site today, located at Republic, includes a visitors center with exhibits, a 29-minute film, an eight-minute fiber-optics map program and a bookstore. There is a Civil War research library and a museum containing original artifacts. Outdoor attractions include a paved tour road taking visitors through the battlefield, including eight interpretive stops at significant locations.

Living-history programs about the life of Civil War soldiers, musket and artillery firing demonstrations, and Civil War medicine programs are available during certain summer weekends.

Langum, the Wilson’s Creek historian, said Missouri saw something of its own conflict inside the larger Civil War. Guerrillas were “stirring up trouble throughout the war in this area” in actions that often were deadly, she said.

Neighbor did fight neighbor, she said, and brother did fight brother.

“It’s very personal here,” she said.

Arkansas

Wilson’s Creek is part of a triad of significant battles fought within the Ozarks.

The others are Pea Ridge — considered the battle that kept Missouri out of Confederate hands — and Prairie Grove. The Battle of Pea Ridge was fought in early March 1862, while Prairie Grove fighting took place in December 1862. Arkansas was a Confederate state.