3rd Missouri Infantry

www.MoCivilWar150.com

1861/2011

Missouri State Guard Impression

The 2011 reenacting year will see 150th anniversary event in Missouri at Wilson's Creek, Lexington, Booneville, Cole Camp, Carthage, and others.  All of these events with 1861 dates and 150th annv. dates in 2011 will be a Missouri State Guard impression.  This impression will be the guideline for all 150th avvn. events in Missouri in 2011.  The Missouri State Guard impression is that of a civilian solider.  Most of these men came straight off the farm, or right out of the city with little to no military experience. These men of the Missouri State Guard did not officially join the regular Confederate Army until 1862, but answered the call to arms of Governer of Missouri, Claiborne Fox Jackson, in early 1861 after the Missouri State Legislature passed the "Military Bill" on May 11, 1861, in direct response to the Camp Jackson Affair in St. Louis the previous day. The final version of the act approved on May 14 authorized the disbanding of the old informal Missouri State Militia and reforming it as the Missouri State Guard to resist a feared invasion by the Union Army.

Recruits for the Missouri State Guard began to quickly assemble in Jefferson City in mid-May. However, after an agreement, the Price-Harney Truce on May 20 between Price and the Federal department commander William S. Harney, the call up was halted. On May 30, Harney was relieved and Nathaniel Lyon took command of the department. On June 11, a meeting to resolve some disagreements resulted in the collapse of the truce. Price and Jackson fled St. Louis for Jefferson City. The next day Governor Jackson called for 50,000 volunteers to defend Missouri from the Union army; thousands of men answered the proclamation and enlisted in their respective districts/divisions. 

Again these men came straight off the farm, or out of the city with little to no military experience.  As such they arrived ready to enlist in the Guard dressed in what they wore from day to day as Missouri citizens and civilians.  They came baring the rifle over the hearth not knowing where the war would take them.  Without the resources of the Confederate Government these citizen soldiers served in the Missouri State Guard without standardized uniforms or regular military equipment.  At Cowskin Prairie in July 1861 many of the men in the Missouri State Guard had already gone through some of their clothes and where given bolts of cloth and patterns to make their own. It is thought that around 30% of the men had some uniformity on a company level even if it was motley and not regular army issue uniforms.  Below are the clothing and equipment guidelines to follow when working on and putting together your Missouri State Guard impression for the 2011 reenacting year in Missouri.