Description:

Civil War Letter Re: Early Violence in Missouri "Jackson left at night dressed in woman's clothing"

A lengthy letter detailing the Union pursuit of Major General Sterling Price and Missouri Governor Claiborne Jackson. 4pp of a bifolium, measuring 7.5" x 9.5", Otterville, Missouri, dated December 28, 1861. A letter from a soldier identified only as "Cousin Charles" addressed to his cousins Rodney and Greenlee Tyler. Given the context of the letter, it is possible that Charles may have served with either the 1st or 2nd Missouri Infantry Regiment (Union). He goes into great detail about the army's recent chase after Price and Jackson, along with the capture of numerous prisoners and contraband. With several mentions of General Nathaniel Lyon and General Pope. The letter is accompanied by its original envelope, memorializing the recently killed Colonel Ellsworth. The letter has flattened mail folds, with minor soiling and toning throughout. Expected wear and soiling to the envelope. Very good overall.

Highlights from the letter:
"…We left Rolla in Aug - I think and came by R.R. to Jefferson City…we left the cars and remained overnight in the Capitol building…the Rebel Gov Jackson attempted to fortify the Capitol ground but Gen Lyon objected to it and Jackson left at night dressed in woman's clothing. He put up breastworks around the Capitol and mounted four or five 4 pound cannons there and some 3 hundred balls were taken by Gen Lyon…we camped about two days and then the grand army started for Springfield…an old-fashioned town being laid out in Southern style…the [Court House] was burned down a short time before we reached there…we were preparing according to orders to go into winter quarters we cleared off ground and cut logs to build shanties but Gen. Pope concluded to take another hunt after Prince & Co. who was reported to be at Osceola on the Osage river. Our division remained at Sedalia as a reserve. We were to go forward as a reinforcement in case we were needed but Price & Co heard of Gen Pope coming and concluded he had better go further South in a warmer climate…

Our troops went no farther than Williamsburgh [sic] or Knob Noster and there took 1,300 prisoners, 1,000 old flintlock rifles and short guns, 75 good wagons, and 1,000 head of horses, mules & cattle. The prisoners passed through our camp in four ranks under a heavy guard on their way to St. Louis. There were 3 Colonels and a number of Captains & Lieutenants among them. At another place our troops took 700 prisoners making in all 2000 which is a severe blow to Secession in this State…The health in camp is generally good the most sickness is among the Indiana troops. A great many of them are in the Hospitals at St. Louis & Tipton…"

In February of 1861, Nathaniel Lyon was made commander of the Union arsenal in St. Louis, Missouri. Tensions had been growing between Union soldiers stationed there and the secessionist governor, Claiborne Jackson, and when the Civil War broke out, Jackson refused to send volunteers from the state to fight for Abraham Lincoln. Instead, Governor Jackson had the Missouri militia muster begin training in preparation to join Confederate forces. On May 10, 1861, Lyon forced their surrender, but many citizens in St. Louis began to riot, in what would be known as the Camp Jackson Affair. Rocks were thrown, shots were fired, and about 30 civilians were killed. Lyon tried to meet with Governor Jackson and Maj. Gen. Price on June 12, 1861, to discuss a peaceful solution, but the talks were unproductive and Jackson ultimately fled the city.

Once he was given full command of all Union troops in Missouri, Lyon began to pursue the capture of Governor Claiborne Jackson and the remaining Missouri Militia. On July 17 his forces clashed with Missouri State Guards at the Battle of Boonville, and on August 10, 1861, Union forces met a combined force of the Missouri Militia and Confederate troops at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. While trying to rally his troops, Lyon was shot and killed. However, despite the battle being a Confederate victory, Lyon’s efforts prevented the State of Missouri from joining the Confederacy.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

September 6, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000