Category Archives: Trans-Mississippi

ECW Weekender: Fort Scott, Kansas (Virtually)

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Sarah Kay Bierle

(Click here to go straight to the Virtual Tour) Fort Scott, established in 1842, was a frontier military outpost in Kansas, and it was garrisoned by the U.S. Army through 1853. In 1855, local settlers were allowed to purchase the … Continue reading →

Posted in ECW Weekender, Trans-Mississippi | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Writing from the Trans-Mississippi Theatre

Posted on October 26, 2020 by ECW Guest Post

Emerging Civil War welcomes guest author Nathan Provost “How can I trust your work if you have not visited the battlefield?” “Why have you not visited the battlefield?” “Why don’t you study the battles of the Trans-Mississippi?” These are all … Continue reading →

Posted in Personalities, Trans-Mississippi | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

An Iowa Soldier’s First Combat Experience at Wilson’s Creek

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Kristen Pawlak

Today marks the 159th anniversary of the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, fought on August 10, 1861 along the banks of the Wilson Creek, a mere twelve miles to the southwest of Springfield, Missouri. One of the first major battles of … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Primary Sources, Trans-Mississippi | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

ECW Weekender: Trans-Mississippi Theater Virtual Museum

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Sarah Kay Bierle

It’s not the same as getting to visit a museum in person, but if you’re anxious to see and explore some artifacts and displays, take a virtual museum tour this weekend! The Trans-Mississippi Theater Virtual Museum—a collaborative project between Wilson … Continue reading →

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Ending the War, More or Less

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Meg Groeling

April 9, 1865, is the day that most people think the American Civil War came to an end. General Robert E. Lee realized his gallant Army of Northern Virginia was simply too beaten up to continue its fight for Confederate … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil War Events, Emerging Civil War, Leadership--Confederate, Leadership--Federal, Trans-Mississippi, Western Theater | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Saving History Saturday: 140 Acres at Pea Ridge National Park

Posted on April 4, 2020 by Emerging Civil War

There’s good news on the preservation front in Arkansas! Conservation groups have acquired 140 acres of a historic farm which borders Pea Ridge National Military Park and plans are in progress to transfer the land to NPS as soon as … Continue reading →

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“A Power for Good” – The St. Louis Ladies’ Union Aid Society

Posted on March 30, 2020 by Kristen Pawlak

In the midst of the chaotic fall of 1861 in Missouri, one woman in St. Louis took time to write to her sister back home in Brooklyn, New York. “I feel it my duty to present the claims of the … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Caught in the Maelstrom: The Indian Nations in the Civil War, 1861-1865

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Meg Groeling

Once in a while, someone will comment on just how there can be so many books about one topic–the American Civil War. There is a definable reason for this phenomenon: fighting the Civil War was a job undertaken by many, … Continue reading →

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A Member of the 8th Missouri Infantry Reflects on Why He Enlisted

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Kristen Pawlak

One of the most thorough and remarkable diaries I have come across from a Missouri soldier is from a non-commissioned officer in the 8th Missouri Infantry. A German immigrant and Peoria, Illinois resident, Phillip A. Smith joined the “American Zouaves” … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Soldier, Primary Sources, Trans-Mississippi | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Union Warriors of the Trans-Mississippi West – The Indian Brigade

Posted on November 21, 2019 by Kristen Pawlak

Particularly in the Trans-Mississippi West, Native American loyalty and animosity was quite a complex issue. Frustrations with white settlers had simmered for approximately two centuries by the time of the Civil War and Native Americans in the west were forced … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Soldier, Trans-Mississippi | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment