Missouri secession

The Missouri Secession controversy refers to the disputed status of the state of Missouri during the American Civil War. During the war Missouri was claimed by both the Union and the Confederacy, had two competing state governments, and sent representatives to the federal governments of both sides. This unusual situation, which also existed to some degree in the border state of Kentucky, was the result of events in early 1861.

At the beginning of the war Missouri's governor was Claiborne Fox Jackson, a southern sympathizer who favored secession. Before the war started at Fort Sumter Jackson unsuccessfully argued for Missouri's secession to a State Convention convened under the leadership of former governor Sterling Price to debate the issue that February. Most of Missouri held moderate unionist beliefs at this point and did not favor secession, but they did not support going to war with the southern states either.

St. Louis Arsenal

In early February U.S. Army Captain Nathaniel Lyon, a vocal member of the Radical Republicans, was transferred to Missouri and stationed at the St. Louis Arsenal but denied command of that post. The arsenal was under the command of Maj. Gen. William S. Harney and was directly supervised by Maj. Peter V. Hagner , both moderates who were considered level headed by the Buchanan Administration . Lyon by contrast had a reputation as an outspoken political radical and would soon validate that reputation in the eyes of the Missouri government.

The St. Louis Arsenal, containing one of the largest caches of military supplies in the west, was sought by both the Union and Confederate armies. Several plots to obtain control of its arms were initiated in early 1861 by paramilitary organizations from both sides. The secessionist group was called the "St. Louis Minute Men." A Radical Republican paramilitary group from the 1860 campaign known as the Wide Awakes was also enlisted with plans to take the arsenal. The Wide Awakes were organized under great secrecy by Congressman Frank Blair, an ally of Abraham Lincoln with powerful connections to the incoming President through his brother Montgomery Blair.

Lyon was also an old political ally of Blair and secretly supported the Wide Awakes plot to seize the arsenal. After Lincoln called for union troops in preparation for the Civil War, Lyon recognized an opportunity to provide the Wide Awakes the arms they desired by mustering them into the federal army. Up until that point the Wide Awakes had limited arms, consisting only of what they successfully smuggled into Missouri from Illinois. As of March however, Hagner still supervised the arsenal and Harney still commanded the Department of the West. Neither Hagner nor Harney were supportive of Lyon's plans with the Wide Awakes and Hagner denied Lyon's attempts to release the arsenal's weapons to them[1]. As soon as Lincoln was inaugurated Lyon began exerting pressure on the president through the politically connected Blair to have himself named the new commander of the arsenal.[2]

After Hagner denied Lyon's request, the ambitious captain threatened to "pitch him in the river" and asked Blair to arrange for the major's replacement with himself. Blair promptly did so and, as an added assurance, secured orders for Harney to travel to Washington for consultations with the War Department. With Lyon's control of the arsenal now unimpeded, he opened its gates to several Wide Awake "reinforcements" around midnight on April 21.

This action set the stage for Lyon's arrest of a Missouri State Militia encampment near St. Louis on May 10th and the ensuing St. Louis Massacre as the militiamen were paraded as prisoners through the city, much to the outrage of gathering civilian mobs. The deaths at St. Louis set off the first serious push for secession in Missouri and was harshly condemned by the state legislature and Price, the President of the now-adjourned State Convention. Both had previously resisted Jackson's call for secession and requests for more control over the state militia. After the massacre though, the legislature authorized Jackson to call up the militia and Price was appointed as its commander.

Harney returned from Washington on May 12 and immediately attempted to alleviate the commotion caused by Lyon's actions two days earlier. On May 16, responding to requests from the Mayor of St. Louis to have Lyon relieved of his post in Missouri, Attorney General Edward Bates presented two representatives of the city to President Lincoln. Frank Blair's brother and Postmaster General Montgomery Blair and War Secretary Simon Cameron intervened on Lyon's behalf, urging Lincoln to retain him. Lincoln sided with the Blairs and Cameron. A week later Harney met with Price and drafted the Price-Harney Truce , reading

"General Price, having by commission full authority over the militia of the State of Missouri, undertakes, with the sanction of the governor of the State, already declared, to direct the whole power of the State officers to maintain order within the State among the people thereof, and General Harney publicly declares that, this object being thus assured, he can have no occasion, as he has no wish, to make military movements, which might otherwise create excitements and jealousies which he most earnestly desires to avoid."[3]

The truce temporarily alleviated the mounting hostilities in Missouri but also left Lyon and Blair discontent. Blair, however, had obtained a trump card the previous month when Lincoln reluctantly authorized Blair to dismiss Harney from command at Blair's discretion. Blair did so on May 30 and orchestrated the promotion of Lyon to be Harney's successor. Facing reassignment, Harney pleaded with the Lincoln administration to continue cooperation in good faith with Price and protested the acts of unnamed persons - a likely reference to Blair and Lyon - "who clamored for blood have not ceased to impugn my motives."[4]

Attacking Jefferson City

After Harney's dismissal, agitations renewed between unionist and secessionist factions. Governor Jackson and now-General Lyon agreed to a last ditch peace negotiation in St. Louis on 1861 June 11. Representing the state were Jackson, Price, and staffer Thomas Snead. Lyon was accompanied by Blair and his staff Maj. H. L. Conant. At the meeting Jackson and Price reasserted their position from the Price-Harney agreement and offered a position of unionist neutrality in exchange for the withdrawal of Lyon's troops from the state, which contained the controversial Wide Awakes. After four hours of discussion Lyon angrily rose and, pointing down Jackson, Price, and Snead, stated:

"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. In an hour one of my officers will call for you and conduct you out of my lines."[5]

Jackson, Price, and their staff promptly returned to Jefferson City where the Governor issued a proclamation declaring that it was still the duty of all Missourians "to obey all the constitutional requirements of the Federal Government" but also that they were "under no obligation whatever to obey the unconstitutional edicts of the military despotism" and its "wicked minions," referring to Lyon, who he said should be driven from the state.[6]

In the meantime, Lyon had begun an advance on Jefferson City. The State government and legislature, fearing for its safety, began an exodus to nearby Booneville, Missouri , which was deemed more defensible from a military perspective. Price, as commander of the state militia, followed from the rear destroying bridges to slow Lyon's advance.

Lyon captured the capitol on May 14, but only two state officers including Attorney General J. Proctor Knott remained.

Second Missouri Government Organized

On July 30 the federal troops under Lyon, now occupying Jefferson City, organized and installed a second Missouri State Government by "reconstituting" the Missouri State Convention that Price had presided over the previous Spring. They installed Hamilton R. Gamble as the military governor of Missouri and appointed the remaining state officers. Knott, the elected Attorney General, was still in Jefferson City but soon found himself under arrest and then deposed for refusing to take an oath to the second state government.

A series of skirmishes and battles between the State Militia and Lyon's troops dominated the summer as Jackson's government fled to the southwest. See Battle of Wilson's Creek

Neosho Legislature and Secession Ordinance

In the fall Jackson's government set up a provisional capital and convened in the town of Neosho, Missouri. On October 28 the legislature took up a bill for Missouri's secession from the union, citing various "outrages" committed against the state and the overthrow of its government by Lyon. The bill was passed on October 30 and on October 31, it signed by Governor Jackson.

The Neosho Secession Ordinance has long been a source of mystery for historians due to the unusual circumstances surrounding it. Questions remain unresolved to this day as to whether Jackson's secessionist government or Gamble's unionist government was the true legitimate government of Missouri. Jackson supporters claimed their status as the popularly elected government of Missouri to bolster their legitimacy whereas Gamble had control of the old state capitol and a larger military force supporting him.

Perhaps the biggest mystery of Neosho is whether or not Jackson's legislature had a quorum to permit it to convene - a mystery that has prompted many historians to dismiss the Neosho government as a "rump" legislature, though the evidence required to make a conclusive determination is scant.

The controversy exists for two reasons. First, surviving letters from earlier in the fall indicate that the vote was delayed until the end of October to obtain a quorum, which had been lacking. Second, the journals of the legislature that would contain that information disappeared sometime during the war. The Senate journal was rediscovered in recent years among artifacts at the Wilson's Creek Battlefield National Park, but the House journal has never been found.

Evidence

In addition to the Senate journal, evidence of a House quorum has been speculated about on several grounds. Records of the secession bill itself show that Speaker of the House John McAfee presided over the session that adopted the bill. Clerk of the House Thomas H. Murry's signature also attests to the document's engrossment. The bill is also known to have been sponsored in the House by legislator George Graham Vest.

Reports of a quorum and even vote totals for both bodies also appeared in some newspapers. Their reliability, however, is unknown. The Charleston Mercury reported the session as follows:

"The meeting of the Missouri State Legislature, which passed the ordinance of secession at Neosho on the 2d inst. Was well attended - a full quorum being present, including 23 members of the Upper and 77 of the Lower House; 19 of the former and 68 of the latter constitute a quorum. The ordinance of secession was passed unanimously, and without a dissenting voice. It was dispatched to Richmond by a special messenger to the President, leaving Memphis yesterday morning en route." (November 25, 1861)

One of the earliest historical accounts of Missouri's role in the civil war written by former Confederate Col. John C. Moore also states that a quorum was present at the session:

"In every particular it complied with the forms of law. It was called together in extraordinary session by the proclamation of the governor. There was a quorum of each house present. The governor sent to the two houses his message recommending, among other things, the passage of an act "dissolving all political connection between the State of Missouri and the United States of America." The ordinance was passed strictly in accordance with law and parliamentary usage, was signed by the presiding officers of the two houses, attested by John T. Crisp, secretary of the senate, and Thomas M. Murray, clerk of the house, and approved by Claiborne F. Jackson, governor of the State."

The absence of a House record, however, will likely continue to surround the mystery of Missouri's secession ordinance until documentation, if any exists, is found.

Acting on the ordinance passed by the Jackson government, the Confederate Congress admitted Missouri as the 12th confederate state on November 28, 1861.[7]. The Jackson government subsequently named Senators to the Confederate Congress. It was driven into exile from Missouri after confederates lost control of the state and Jackson died a short while later in Arkansas. The secessionist government continued in exile, eventually setting up a legislature in Marshall, Texas until the end of the war. At the war's conclusion the successors to the Union Gamble government continued to govern the state of Missouri.