Category Archives: Trans-Mississippi

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 →

Posted in Preservation, Trans-Mississippi | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“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 →

Posted in Civilian, Medical, Trans-Mississippi | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Book Review, Trans-Mississippi, Western Theater | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

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

Abraham’s Fifteen Minutes of Fame (pt. 3)

Posted on October 30, 2019 by Meg Groeling

Enslaved Abraham became Free Abraham in a matter of seconds. His body arched over the line from the Confederate 3rd Louisiana Redan to the Union 81st Illinois Volunteer Infantry. As the men in blue helped him to his feet, it … Continue reading →

Posted in Armies, Civilian, Emerging Civil War, Leadership--Federal, Medical, Newspapers, Personalities, Sieges, Slavery, Trans-Mississippi | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Just Who Was Abraham? (pt. 2)

Posted on October 29, 2019 by Meg Groeling

Before the war, there was an enslaved man called Abraham. His last name was unknown. Here is what is known: The black man known as Abraham was between 18-25 years old at the time of the Siege of Vicksburg. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Battlefields & Historic Places, Leadership--Federal, Newspapers, Personalities, Slavery, Trans-Mississippi | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Surviving Quantrill’s Raid on Lawrence

Posted on August 31, 2019 by Kristen Pawlak

August 21 marked the 156th anniversary of Missouri guerrilla chieftain William C. Quantrill’s infamous Raid on Lawrence, Kansas – one of the bloodiest and most significant irregular attacks against civilians during the American Civil War. A center of abolition and … Continue reading →

Posted in Civilian, Trans-Mississippi | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Trust’s 2019 Teacher Institute: East vs. West

Posted on July 12, 2019 by Chris Mackowski

During his session yesterday discussing the eastern theater versus the western theater, Kris White took a few minutes to define the theaters of war. The eastern theater included Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. “It was essentially concentrated in a 200-mile corridor … Continue reading →

Posted in Trans-Mississippi, Western Theater | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Colonel Albert Brackett’s Body Armor

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Edward S. Alexander

The notion of a bullet proof vests during the Civil War is almost universally mocked. In my experience giving battlefield tours, I’ve found that kids are the only ones to ask, “did they use body armor” or “why didn’t they … Continue reading →

Posted in Battles, Cavalry, Trans-Mississippi, Weapons | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments