The Missouri State Guard (MSG) was a state militia unit organized in the state of Missouri during the early days of the American Civil War. While not a formal part of the Confederate States Army, the state guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at times, under regular Confederate officers. A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ... Missouri, named after the Missouri Siouan Indian tribe meaning canoe, is a Midwestern state in the United States with Jefferson City as its capital. ... The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... Some Confederate soldiers The Confederate States Army (CSA) was formed in February, 1861, to defend the Confederate States of America, which had itself been formed that same year when seven southern states seceded from the United States (with four more to follow). ...

The Missouri State Legislature passed the "Military Bill" on May 11, 1861, in direct response to the Camp Jackson Massacre in St. Louis the previous day. The law authorized the Governor of Missouri, Claiborne Fox Jackson, to disband the old informal Missouri State Militia and reform it as the Missouri State Guard to resist a threatened invasion by the Union Army. The act divided the state into nine Military Districts, which were supposed to each raise a full division of armed soldiers. The first commander was Sterling "Pap" Price, the former popular governor and one of the most influential men in Missouri. Chamber of the Estates-General, the Dutch legislature. ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... The St. ... The Gateway Arch, shown here behind the Old Courthouse, is the most recognizable part of the St. ... The Governors of Missouri since its statehood in 1820 are: Alexander McNair 1821-24 Frederick Bates 1824-25 Abraham J. Williams 1825-26 John Miller 1826-32 Daniel Dunklin 1832-36 Lilburn W. Boggs 1836-40 Thomas Reynolds 1840-44 Meredith Miles Marmaduke 1844 John C. Edwards 1844-48 Austin... Claiborne Fox Jackson ( 1806 - 1862) was the governor of Missouri from 1860 to 1861. ... The Union Army refers to the United States Army during the American Civil War. ... A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to fifteen thousand soldiers. ... General Price Sterling Old Pap Price (September 20, 1809 – September 29, 1867) was an antebellum politician from the U.S. state of Missouri and a Confederate major general during the American Civil War. ...

Governor Jackson called for 50,000 volunteers to defend Missouri from the Federal army; thousands of men answered the proclamation and enlisted in the divisions. The Missouri State Guard suffered an initial setback in a small skirmish at Boonville on June 17, 1861, and retreated to extreme southwestern Missouri, pursued by Federals. However, two days later the Guard decisively defeated their pursuers at Cole Camp. Another victory on July 5 at the Battle of Carthage bought time for Price to properly train and organize his raw recruits, many who had reported for military duty carrying only farm implements or antiquated hunting weapons. The Battle of Boonville, Missouri sketched by Orlando C. Richardson The Battle of Boonville was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring on June 17, 1861 in Cooper County, Missouri. ... June 17 is the 168th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (169th in leap years), with 197 days remaining. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Cole Camp is a city located in Benton County, Missouri. ... July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 179 days remaining. ... Battle of Carthage, from Harpers Weekly The Battle of Carthage was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring on July 5, 1861 in Jasper County, Missouri. ...

Price, along with Confederate regulars and members of the Arkansas State Guard, then defeated a Union force under Nathaniel Lyon at Wilson's Creek on August 10, killing Lyon and driving back his army. Price, with 10,000 men, defeated Kansas Senator James Lane and his "Jayhawkers"" at Big Dry Wood Creek on September 1–2, and then captured 3,600 Federal troops in the Battle of the Hemp Bales in mid-month. Nathaniel Lyon Nathaniel Lyon (July 14, 1818 - August 10, 1861) was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War and is noted for his action in the state of Missouri at the beginning of the conflict. ... Battle of Wilsons Creek Conflict American Civil War Date August 10, 1861 Place Greene County and Christian County, Missouri Result Confederate victory The Battle of Wilsons Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills or the First Battle of Springfield, was a battle in the American Civil... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... State nickname: The Sunflower State Other U.S. States Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D) Official languages None Area 82,277 mi²; 213,096 km² (15th)  - Land 81,815 mi²; 211,900 km²  - Water 462 mi²; 1,196 km² (0. ... James Henry Lane (June 22, 1814 – July 11, 1866) was a former U.S. Senator and the Union counterpart of William Quantrill. ... A term first coined during the Bleeding Kansas era (1851-1861) in Kansas history, a Jayhawker is a militant abolitionist living in Kansas. ... The Battle of Dry Wood Creek was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring on September 2, 1861 in Vernon County, Missouri. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years). ... The Battle of Lexington I was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring on September 13-20, 1861 in Lafayette County, Missouri. ...

While in winter camp, Price began enrolling many of his men into the regular Confederate service. On March 17, 1862, he merged the Missouri State Guard in the Army of the West. However, a small number of MSG units remained independent until the end of the war in 1865, seeing action at Elkhorn Tavern and other engagements in the Trans-Mississippi Theater under generals Mosby M. Parsons and James S. Rains. March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Battle of Pea Ridge Conflict American Civil War Date March 6-8, 1862 Place Benton County, Arkansas Result Union victory The Battle of Pea Ridge (also known as The Battle of Elkhorn Tavern) was a land battle of the American Civil War which occurred on 7 March 1862 at Pea... The Trans-Mississippi Department, also known as the Trans-Mississippi Theater or Trans-Mississippi District, was the Confederate military designation for the geographic area of operations west of the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. ...

External links

• MSG reenactment group, with brief history of the Guard]
• Flag of the Missouri State Guard