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Title: From Fred Brown and Sara Ann Brown to Michael H. Jose
Description: Fred Brown and his wife Sara Ann write a letter to Michael Jose on October 14, 1866 to share news of mutual acquaintances, including several that were killed by Bushwhackers or by members of the Missouri Militia during the War. They describe an atmosphere of political unrest in Vernon County but express a hope for peace in the aftermath of the conflict, stating “lets all do our next fighting at the Ballot Box.”
Object Type: Letter
Date: October 14, 1866

Title: The Ruins of Lawrence, Kansas
Description: An illustration of the ruins of Lawrence, Kansas after Quantrill's Raid on August 21, 1863, originally published in Harper's Weekly.
Object Type: Image
Date: September 19, 1863

Title: Examination of James H. Ford
Description: This document attests that James H. Ford, a 50-year-old resident of Clay County, Missouri, did not remain loyal to the United States Government during the Civil War. Ford, who was born in Kentucky, admits that he was "in the Rebel service" and he refuses to take an Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Ford signed the document in 1866.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: 1866

Title: Court Martial Proceedings of Captain Lyman D. Rouell
Description: This military document includes proceedings of the general court martial of Lyman D. Rouell, Captain of the 2nd Colorado Volunteers, Company F. In this court martial held at the Headquarters District of the Border in Kansas City, Missouri, Captain Rouell pleads "not guilty" to: charges of drunkenness while on duty at Fort Lyon in the Colorado Territory and at Council Grove, Kansas; and for driving contraband stock into Kansas from Hickman Mills, Missouri. The official charges included "Conduct unbecoming an Officer and Gentlemen" and "Neglect of duty to the prejudices of good order and military discipline." The verdict is not extant. This document shows how some military units took advantage of General Ewing's General Order No. 11 by accumulating and selling property from abandoned counties.
Date: November 1863 - December 1863

Title: Examination of Joel H. Martin
Description: This is Joel H. Martin's 1866 Oath of Loyalty to the United States. Martin, a native of Kentucky, states that he has lived in Missouri for 34 years. He says he served in the State Guard during the war and "was arrested on suspicion of being a bushwhacker and was under arrest six weeks." He was later acquitted of the charge. The oath is contained in a bound volume.
Object Type: Government Document
Date: 1866

Title: Nicholas Haerle
Description: Two black-and-white photographs depict Nicholas Haerle, a German immigrant who came to the U.S. in 1856. In May 1861, Haerle attended a pro-Union meeting at the Lexington, Missouri courthouse. The meeting was stormed by Confederate supporters and Haerle was shot and wounded in the resulting struggle. He later fled to St. Louis. The September 11, 1862 document on State of Missouri letterhead certifies Haerle’s American citizenship.
Object Type: Image

Civil War on the Western Border: The Missouri-Kansas Conflict, 1854-1865