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June 28, 2009

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Sun Jun 28, 2009, 11:45 PM CDT

By Derek Spellman

dspellman@joplinglobe.com

Scholars and historians say the Civil War on the Kansas-Missouri border, and the Civil War in the Ozarks, has been overlooked by outsiders and overshadowed by larger engagements in the East.

Yet they say this region was a unique crucible of conflict both before and during the Civil War.

Before the war, abolitionists and pro-slavery elements fought in Kansas and western Missouri.

In Neosho, a “rump session” of some state lawmakers voted to secede from the Union. Refugees fleeing war-torn areas would pass through, and sometimes remain in, Fort Scott, Kan. American Indians fought for both the Confederacy and Union at Newtonia. Some of the battles in the area were critical to the outcome of the war, and one expert with the National Park Service said this region was among the most dangerous areas in the country for civilians, who often were caught between warring guerrilla bands.

“We are very rich in Civil War history,” said Connie Langum, a historian at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield at Republic.

Anyone looking to explore that heritage should set aside some time do so.

Missouri

Including skirmishes, Missouri was host to 1,200 engagements during the Civil War — more than any other state except Virginia and Tennessee. Both sides sought the state in large part because of its central location and waterways.

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.

Pea Ridge, in Benton County just south of the Missouri state line, saw thousands of casualties, mostly Confederate, and today the site is as close to its appearance in 1862 as any Civil War battlefield.

“I would venture to say that Pea Ridge is probably one of the best preserved battlefields left in the United States today,” said John Scott, superintendent of the Pea Ridge National Military Park.

In March 2010, a new, 25-exhibit museum will open to complement the 4,300-acre park. Scott said the current museum was established in 1963 and is outdated.

“We have found out a lot of information since then,” he said.

Scott is among those who think the area’s Civil War history has largely escaped the attention of people who live outside the area.

“I think this western theater has been somewhat overlooked in the past,” Scott said, adding that he thinks the trend is “starting to change.”

Kansas

Kansas has several Civil War battlefield sites, including a cemetery in Baxter Springs where soldiers killed by Confederate guerrilla leader William Quantrill’s forces are buried.

The biggest battle in the state was fought in October 1864 along the banks of Mine Creek and featured one of the largest cavalry engagements of the war. The battlefield site, near Pleasanton, contains a 3,000-square-foot visitor center with hands-on exhibits along with uniforms, weapons and photographs. A 2.6-mile walking trail takes people through the battlefield, while living-history programs are available at different times of the year.

Fort Scott played its own role in the Civil War.

The Fort Scott National Historic Site consists of 20 structures, a parade ground and five acres of restored tallgrass prairie, according to the National Park Service.

Kelley Collins, the chief ranger at the site, said “cell-phone tours” are now available so people can drive to different sites in the town and hear, via their phones, interpretive information.

On Wednesday, the park will offer an evening tour with a Civil War emphasis.

And recently, the site has been focusing on the role of Fort Scott as sanctuary for refugees.

Collins said a number of people fleeing the fighting in places in Arkansas, for example, stopped at Fort Scott while en route to Fort Leavenworth or other places. Some stayed in Fort Scott.

“Right now, this area is not very studied,” she said. “That’s a really neat story that we have started to tell.”