Missouri secession facts for kids
During the American Civil War, the state of Missouri faced a big problem: it was claimed by both the Union (the North) and the Confederacy (the South). This meant Missouri had two different state governments and sent representatives to both the U.S. Congress and the Confederate Congress! Even though some groups who supported the Confederacy caused trouble, the Union government took control of Missouri by the end of 1861. After that, the Confederate government for Missouri had to operate from outside the state, like a government in exile.
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Missouri's Big Decision
When the war began, Claiborne Fox Jackson was the governor of Missouri. He supported the South and wanted Missouri to leave the Union. Before the war, Governor Jackson asked for a special meeting, called a constitutional convention, to decide Missouri's future with the U.S. government. People voted for delegates to attend this meeting. Surprisingly, no delegates who openly supported leaving the Union were chosen.
In February, Governor Jackson tried to convince the convention to vote for secession, but he failed. The convention was led by former governor Sterling Price. Most people in Missouri, including Price, were "conditional Unionists" at this time. This meant they didn't want to leave the Union, but they also didn't want the U.S. to go to war against the Confederacy.
The St. Louis Arsenal: A Key Target
In early February, a U.S. Army officer named Nathaniel Lyon was sent to Missouri. He was a strong supporter of the Union. Lyon was stationed at the St. Louis Arsenal, which was a huge storage place for military weapons and supplies. This arsenal was one of the biggest in the West, and both the Union and Confederate sides wanted to control it.
The arsenal was under the command of Major Peter V. Hagner and overseen by General William S. Harney. Both of these men were seen as moderate, meaning they tried to avoid extreme actions. However, Captain Lyon was known for his strong political views.
Secret groups from both sides tried to get control of the arsenal. A pro-Confederate group was called the "St. Louis Minute Men." On the Union side, a group called the Wide Awakes also planned to take the arsenal. The Wide Awakes were secretly organized by Congressman Frank Blair, who was a friend of President Abraham Lincoln.
Lyon was also a friend of Blair and secretly supported the Wide Awakes' plan to seize the arsenal. After Lincoln asked for Union troops to prepare for the Civil War, Lyon saw a chance to give the Wide Awakes the weapons they needed by making them part of the U.S. Army.
Major Hagner and General Harney did not support Lyon's plans to give weapons to the Wide Awakes. Hagner refused Lyon's requests for the arsenal's weapons. As soon as Lincoln became president, Lyon used his political connections with Blair to try and become the new commander of the arsenal.
When Hagner refused his request, Lyon threatened him. Blair quickly arranged for Lyon to take over Hagner's command. Blair also made sure General Harney was sent to Washington for meetings. On April 21, 1861, Lyon was in charge of the arsenal. Around midnight, he opened its gates to the Wide Awakes, letting them take weapons.
This action led to a major event on May 10. Lyon arrested a group of Missouri State Militia members who were camped near St. Louis. He paraded them as prisoners towards the arsenal, which angered many civilians. This event, known as the Camp Jackson affair, caused deaths and sparked the first serious push for Missouri to leave the Union.
The state legislature and Sterling Price, who was leading the State Convention, strongly criticized Lyon's actions. They had previously resisted Governor Jackson's calls for secession. But after the Camp Jackson affair, the legislature allowed Jackson to reorganize the militia into the Missouri State Guard and made Price its commander.
Attempts at Peace and Lyon's Rise
General Harney returned from Washington on May 12 and tried to calm things down after Lyon's actions. The mayor of St. Louis asked President Lincoln to remove Lyon from his post in Missouri. Attorney General Edward Bates presented the city's request to Lincoln. However, Frank Blair's brother, Montgomery Blair, and War Secretary Simon Cameron spoke up for Lyon, urging Lincoln to keep him. Lincoln agreed with the Blairs and Cameron.
A week later, Harney met with Price and they wrote an agreement called the Price–Harney Truce. This truce said that General Price would use the state militia to keep order in Missouri, and General Harney would not make military movements that might cause trouble.
This truce temporarily eased the tension in Missouri, but Lyon and Blair were not happy. Blair, however, had a secret power: Lincoln had given him permission to remove Harney from command if he chose. Blair used this power on May 30 and arranged for Lyon to take Harney's place. Harney pleaded with Lincoln's administration to continue working peacefully with Price. He complained about unnamed people (likely Blair and Lyon) who "clamored for blood."
The War Begins: Capture of Jefferson City
After Harney was dismissed, tensions between Union and secessionist groups grew again. Governor Jackson and General Lyon agreed to a final peace talk in St. Louis on June 11, 1861. Jackson and Price represented the state. Lyon was with Blair.
During the four-hour meeting, Jackson and Price repeated their position from the Price-Harney agreement. They offered for Missouri to remain neutral if Lyon's troops, including the controversial Wide Awakes, left the state. Lyon became angry. He pointed at Jackson, Price, and their staff and declared:
"Rather than concede to the State of Missouri the right to demand that my government shall not enlist troops within her limits, or bring troops into the State whenever it pleases, or move troops at its own will into, out of, or through the State; rather than concede to the State of Missouri for one single instant the right to dictate to my government in any matter, however unimportant, I would [pointing at the three state officials] see you, and you, and you, and you and every man, woman and child in the State, dead and buried. This means war."
Jackson, Price, and their staff quickly returned to Jefferson City, the state capital. Governor Jackson then announced that Missourians should still follow the U.S. Constitution, but they did not have to obey the "unconstitutional orders" of Lyon, whom he called "wicked minions." He said Lyon should be driven from the state.
Meanwhile, Lyon prepared to attack Jefferson City. The state government and legislature, fearing for their safety, began to leave for Boonville, Missouri, which they thought was easier to defend. Price, as the militia commander, followed behind, destroying bridges to slow Lyon's advance. Lyon captured the capital on June 15, but only two state officers remained.
A New Government for Missouri
On July 22, a committee of the Missouri State Convention met again and called for the full convention to reassemble in Jefferson City. On July 30, the Missouri State Convention declared that all the existing state offices were empty. They then appointed Hamilton R. Gamble as the new military governor of Missouri and filled the other state offices. They also declared all legislative seats empty and set a date for new elections.
The elected Attorney General, who was still in Jefferson City, was arrested and removed from his position because he refused to promise loyalty to this new state government.
Throughout the summer, there were many small fights and battles between the Missouri State Guard and Union troops. Governor Jackson's government fled to the southwest. This led to a major battle in August 1861, the Battle of Wilson's Creek, near Springfield, Missouri.
The Neosho Legislature and Secession
In the fall, Governor Jackson's government set up a temporary capital in the town of Neosho. On October 28, the legislature began discussing a bill for Missouri to leave the Union. They listed various "outrages" committed against the state and the overthrow of their government by Lyon. The bill passed on October 30, and Governor Jackson signed it on October 31. This officially declared Missouri's secession from the Union.
The Neosho Secession Ordinance has been a puzzle for historians. It's not clear if the legislature had the power to secede without the direction of the state convention. Also, it's questionable whether the State Constitutional Convention had the legal power to remove the entire executive and legislature from office and appoint new officers. This was especially true since no secession had been passed yet, and it was unclear if the previous officers had committed any wrongdoing. Even today, people debate whether Jackson's secessionist government or Gamble's provisional government was the true government of Missouri.
One of the biggest mysteries of Neosho is whether Jackson's legislature had enough members present to legally hold a meeting. This is called a "quorum." Many historians have called the Neosho government a "rump legislature" (meaning it didn't have enough members). This controversy exists for two reasons. First, letters from that time suggest the vote was delayed to get enough members. Second, the official records of the legislature (the journals) disappeared during the war. The Senate journal was found recently, and the House journal has also been found.
Evidence for the Neosho Legislature
Besides the Senate journal, there has been talk about whether the House had enough members. Records of the secession bill show that the Speaker of the House, John McAfee, led the session that passed the bill. The House Clerk, Thomas H. Murry, also signed the document. The bill was also sponsored in the House by legislator George Graham Vest.
Some newspapers quickly reported that there was a quorum and even vote totals for both parts of the legislature. However, we don't know how reliable these reports are. For example, the Missouri Statesman on November 15, 1861, claimed a quorum was reached by October 22. The Charleston Mercury on November 25, 1861, reported that the meeting was "well attended—a full quorum being present."
An early historical account by former Confederate Colonel John C. Moore also stated that a quorum was present. He wrote that the meeting followed all legal rules and that the ordinance was passed correctly.
However, the House Journal, recently found at the State Historical Society of Missouri, casts doubt on these claims. This handwritten document does not show any roll call votes, so there's no proof of a quorum. Newspaper stories about the only House member who voted no, Isaac N. Shambaugh, further complicate things. Shambaugh claimed that the legislative quorum was fake, with only a few members present. He also said that the names of those who voted yes were purposely left out of the journals. He confirmed that he was the only one to vote no on the two bills.
Missouri During and After the War
Based on the ordinance passed by the Jackson government, the Confederate Congress accepted Missouri as the 12th Confederate state on November 28, 1861. The Jackson government then named Senators to the Confederate Congress. However, this government was forced to leave Missouri after the Confederates lost control of the state. Governor Jackson died shortly after in Arkansas. The secessionist government continued to operate from outside Missouri, eventually setting up a legislature in Marshall, Texas, until the war ended.
When the war finished, the Union-aligned provisional government continued to govern the state of Missouri.
