Editing History of Missouri (section)

===Early battles and the opening of war in Missouri===
After Camp Jackson the General Assembly felt pressed to act against the Union; it quickly passed laws bills enrolling all able men into the state militia and granting funds to it.<ref name="parrish16">Parrish (1973), 16.</ref> Meanwhile, General Harney returned to St. Louis after having been captured by rebel forces in Virginia; he was released after refusing to align with them, then persuaded the [[United States Department of Defense|War Department]] that he would hold Missouri in the Union.<ref name="parrish16"/> Upon his return to Missouri he retroactively approved Lyon's capture of Camp Jackson, then secured warrants to search and seize illegal weapons in the area.<ref name="parrish16"/> He also sent forces to nearby [[Potosi, Missouri|Potosi]] to secure its supply of lead and the railroad line connecting it to St. Louis.<ref name="parrish17">Parrish (1973), 17.</ref>

Jackson continued during mid-1861 to reorganize and train the state militia, which had taken on the name of the Missouri State Guard.<ref name="parrish17"/> Jackson named [[Sterling Price]] as the commander of the state guard, and he began organizing thousands of recruits into newly formed units.<ref name="parrish17"/> In response, Union supporters sent representatives to Washington to request that Lincoln stay the course and maintain Harney as the commander of Union forces in Missouri; others, particularly allies of Frank Blair, sought a more radical course and pushed for Harney's replacement by Lyon.<ref name="parrish17"/> Ultimately, Lincoln initially decided to remove Harney only after several weeks had passed, in an effort to give him an opportunity to complete his moderate goals.<ref name="parrish17"/> Ultimately, however, he permitted Blair to remove Harney and appoint Lyon as the new Union commander whenever Blair saw fit.<ref name="parrish18">Parrish (1973), 18.</ref>

Blair received this permission on May 20, the same day Harney concluded a negotiated settlement with Sterling Price regarding troop movements in Missouri.<ref name="parrish18"/> According to the agreement, Price would keep his militia out of Greater St. Louis, while Harney would refrain from troop movements into rural Missouri.<ref name="parrish18"/><ref name="meyer 1982 355">Meyer (1982), 355.</ref> In addition, Price dismissed most of the militia forces gathered in Jefferson City, excepting for some reserved to keep order.<ref name="parrish18"/> Historians differ on Price's motivation for the agreement; some argue that he was attempting to slow the Union's progress and desired to bring Missouri into the Confederacy,<ref name="kirkpatrick">Kirkpatrick (1961), 235–66.</ref> while others suggest he was genuine in his desire to prevent fighting.<ref name="shalhope">Shalhope (1971), 160–164.</ref><ref name="parrish19">Parrish (1973), 19.</ref> Despite the agreement, some companies of pro-Confederate forces remained in Jefferson City, Confederate flags flew at the Governor's Mansion, and Jackson was secretly negotiating with agents from the Confederate government at Richmond.<ref name="parrish20">Parrish (1973), 20.</ref> Pro-secessionists such as Lieutenant Governor Reynolds loathed the agreement between Price and Harney, and Reynolds distrusted Price's loyalty for the remainder of the war.<ref name="parrish21">Parrish (1973), 21.</ref>

Unionists in St. Louis also were perturbed by the agreement and reports indicating the harassment of outstate Unionists.<ref name="parrish21"/> Blair, reacting to pressure from the Unionist community, delivered the order removing Harney on May 30 and giving command to Lyon.<ref name="meyer 1982 355"/><ref name="parrish21"/> Moderates on both sides continued to hope to prevent fighting and, in that vein, arranged a conference in St. Louis on June 11 among the leadership, including Jackson, Price, Blair, and Lyon.<ref name="meyer 1982 355"/><ref name="parrish22">Parrish (1973), 22.</ref> After several hours of arguing the right of the Union to recruit in outstate Missouri, Lyon decided that the meeting had come to an impasse.<ref name="parrish22"/> Standing from the group, Lyon spoke to Jackson and Price:

{{Blockquote|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 its 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 see you, and you, and you, and every man, woman and child in the State, dead and buried. This means war.|Nathaniel Lyon<ref name="parrish22"/><ref name="meyer 1982 356">Meyer (1982), 356.</ref>}}

Jackson and Price quickly retreated to Jefferson City, planning their actions and only stopping to burn bridges at the Gasconade and Osage rivers.<ref name="parrish22"/><ref name="meyer 1982 357">Meyer (1982), 357.</ref> Ordering the state guard to renew preparations for war, Price determined that a capital at Boonville would be better defended than at Jefferson City, and state government removed from there on June 13.<ref name="parrish23">Parrish (1973), 23.</ref> By June 15, Lyon captured an empty Jefferson City with 2,000 troops.<ref name="meyer 1982 357"/><ref name="parrish23"/><ref name="meyersizenote">Meyer (1982) suggests Lyon's force was more properly at about 1,700 troops.</ref> Lyon immediately detached 300 troops to hold the capital and began pursuit of the Confederate state guard to Boonville.<ref name="meyer 1982 365">Meyer (1982), 365.</ref>

Price and the main part of the Confederate militia, meanwhile, had moved from Boonville after hearing that Union forces had moved on [[Lexington, Missouri]], which Price thought crucial to the success of secession in the state.<ref name="parrish24">Parrish (1973), 24.</ref> Price also had fallen ill, and Governor Jackson and a state guard colonel remained to lead a small militia force of 400 to hold Boonville.<ref name="meyer 1982 366">Meyer (1982), 366.</ref> Lyon and main Union force caught up with this remnant of the state guard, and the Union easily routed the secessionists at the [[Battle of Boonville]].<ref name="parrish24"/><ref name="meyer 1982 366"/> Price regrouped the remnants of the state guard and began a retreat to the southern border of Missouri.<ref name="parrish24"/>

In pursuit of Price and the state guard, Lyon ordered a St. Louis detachment commanded by [[Franz Sigel]] to move to southwest Missouri in an attempt to prevent Price's guard from meeting with the army of Confederate General [[Benjamin McCulloch]], then operating in Arkansas.<ref name="meyer 1982 367">Meyer (1982), 367.</ref> In that vein, Sigel moved via the Pacific Railroad to [[Rolla, Missouri|Rolla]], then marched on [[Springfield, Missouri|Springfield]], which they occupied on June 23.<ref name="meyer 1982 367"/><ref name="parrish25">Parrish (1973), 25.</ref> Moving west from Springfield, Sigel's forces encountered Jackson and his retreating army on July 7 at the [[Battle of Carthage (1861)|Battle of Carthage]].<ref name="parrish25"/> Outnumbered 4,000 to 1,000, the Union forces under Sigel were defeated and retreated to Springfield to wait for reinforcements from Lyon.<ref name="meyer 1982 367"/><ref name="parrish25"/><ref name="meyercarthagenote">Sigel's retreat from battle fortuitously came shortly before an additional 6,000 state guard troops arrived.</ref> The state guard forces under Price moved into camp at Cowskin Prairie, near [[Granby, Missouri|Granby]].<ref name="meyer 1982 368">Meyer (1982), 368.</ref>

In the northwest from [[Fort Leavenworth]], [[Samuel Sturgis]] led Union troops to [[St. Joseph, Missouri|St. Joseph]], then headed south to Lexington in pursuit of Price.<ref name="parrish25"/> In northeastern Missouri, Iowan Union forces moved on [[Hannibal, Missouri|Hannibal]] and secured the railroad line connecting the city to St. Joseph, thereby securing northern Missouri for the Union.<ref name="parrish25"/>

The majority of St. Louis business leaders supported the Union and rejected efforts by Confederate sympathizers to take control of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce in January 1862. Federal authorities intervened in this struggle but the conflict splintered the Chamber of Commerce into two organizations. The pro-Unionists finally gained the ascendancy and St. Louis became a major supply base for the Union forces in the entire Mississippi Valley.<ref name="vaughnjohnson18-31">Vaughn Johnson (1995), 18–31.</ref>

Shortly afterward the 12,000-man force of the combined elements of the Missouri State Guard, Arkansas State Guard, and Confederate regulars soundly defeated the Federal army of [[Nathaniel Lyon]] at [[Battle of Wilson's Creek|Wilson's Creek]] or "Oak Hills".

Following the success at Wilson's Creek, southern forces pushed northward and captured the 3500-strong garrison at the first [[Battle of Lexington I|Battle of Lexington]]. Federal forces contrived to campaign to retake Missouri, causing the Southern forces to retreat from the state and head for Arkansas and later Mississippi.

In Arkansas the Missourians fought at the battle of Pea Ridge, meeting defeat. In Mississippi, elements of the Missouri State Guard participated in the struggles at [[Second Battle of Corinth|Corinth]] and [[Battle of Iuka|Iuka]], where they suffered heavy losses.