Missouri State Militia (pre-Missouri State Guard)
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The Missouri State Militia was the state militia organization of Missouri prior to the Missouri State Guard in the American Civil War.
Prior to the Civil War, Missouri had an informal state militia that could be called up by the governor for emergencies or annual drill "in accordance with the Missouri State Statutes of 1854." [1] During the secession crisis Missouri Governor Claiborne Jackson used the state militia covertly as secessionist tool with the intent of capturing the St. Louis Arsenal with which to arm the state. Governor Jackson called up the militia was for drill under General Daniel M. Frost at a camp just outside the St. Louis city limits.
Aware of the threat to the arsenal and the presence of stolen artillery in the camp, Captain Nathaniel Lyon used United States infantry and Home Guard to capture the militia in what became the Camp Jackson Affair. While marching the prisoners through St. Louis and to the arsenal a deadly riot erupted when the Home Guard was confronted by an angry mob. The bloodshed enraged the state and prompted the Missouri legislature to pass Governor Jackson's "Military Bill" reorganizing the state militia into the Missouri State Guard and giving him near dictatorial control over it.
[edit] See also
Missouri State Militia (Union)
Missouri State Guard
Home Guard (Union)
Enrolled Missouri Militia
Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia
[edit] References
- ^ Richard C. Peterson, James E. McGhee, Kip A. Lindberg, Keith I. Daleen, Sterling Price's Lieutenants, Revised Edition, Two Trails Publishing, 2007, page 1 footnote 1
