Editing West Plains, Missouri (section)

===The American Civil War===
The location of West Plains led to nearly constant conflict due to the proximity to what was then the border between the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] and [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]]. West Plains was largely burned to the ground, and Howell County as a whole was devastated. No major battles occurred in West Plains or Howell County, but much of the devastation came from constant guerrilla warfare.<ref>{{cite web |title=Howell County, Missouri |url=http://ozarkscivilwar.org/regions/howell |website=Community & Conflict: The Impact of the Civil War in the Ozarks |publisher=Springfield-Greene County Library District |access-date=28 January 2020}}</ref>

Confederate Brigadier General [[James H. McBride|James Haggin McBride]] gave residents an ultimatum to either join the Confederate army or to flee the area. An overwhelming majority of Howell County residents chose to flee, and over 90% of the population had fled by the time the war was over.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ozarkscivilwar.org/regions/howell |title=Ozarks Civil War article on Howell County |access-date=2013-06-24}}</ref> Many, however, also chose to fight for the Confederacy, as McBride promised to protect his soldiers' property and loved ones. Men who spoke out against the Confederacy were arrested, as martial law had been declared by McBride.

South Carolina native, and West Plains resident, William Monks, was a scout for the "North" (Union army) and recounted his tales of the Civil War in his 1907 book "A History of Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas." In that memoir, Monks recounts many depredations that occurred during the war and how the Confederates referred to those faithful to the Union as "lopeared Dutch" (many Missourians who were "Union men" were German).