Ch. 1 · Convention And Vote Against Secession

Missouri secession.

~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6

On the 19th of March 1861, delegates in Missouri cast a vote of 98 to 1 against leaving the Union. This decision came despite intense pressure from Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson, who had requested a state constitutional convention just weeks earlier. The governor was a Southern sympathizer eager to see his state join the Confederacy. Yet the electorate had chosen men who held conditional Unionist beliefs instead of avowed secessionists. Sterling Price led the convention as its president and shared this moderate stance with most of the state's population. They neither favored secession nor supported waging war against the South at that moment. The vote effectively kept Missouri within the United States for the time being. It marked a critical turning point before the violence of the Civil War truly began.

St Louis Arsenal Strategic Maneuvering

Captain Nathaniel Lyon arrived at the St. Louis Arsenal in early February 1861 to find a volatile situation unfolding around him. He believed conflict was inevitable unlike his superiors Brevet Major Peter V. Hagner and Brigadier General William S. Harney. Both commanders favored appeasement policies that Lyon viewed as dangerous mistakes given the history of border-ruffian violence. The arsenal held one of the largest caches of military supplies in the West yet remained poorly defended. Lyon secretly trained and armed pro-Union militia members mostly German immigrants and Wide Awakes chapter members. Congressman Frank Blair supported these efforts through powerful connections to President Abraham Lincoln. By late March Hagner still controlled the weapons and denied Lyon permission to distribute them. After political maneuvering secured Lyon command he armed the militia on the 21st of April 1861. He then moved the arsenal's remaining weapons upriver to Illinois following the seizure of Liberty Arsenal by pro-secession forces.

Camp Jackson Affair And Riot

Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson ordered the Missouri State Militia to mobilize on the 1st of May 1861 establishing Camp Jackson outside St. Louis. Confederate equipment arrived at the camp on May 9 to help seize the federal arsenal by force. Captain Nathaniel Lyon arrested the encampment on May 10 after discovering the artillery hidden within. The march of prisoners through town sparked a violent riot that shifted political power toward secessionist factions. Governor Jackson used the chaos to pass a bill granting him near dictatorial powers. He also established a new Missouri State Guard under the command of Sterling Price. Price had previously resisted Jackson's call for secession but joined him in asking for Confederate troops to occupy Missouri. General Harney returned from Washington on May 12 attempting to negotiate a truce. The resulting agreement restricted Federal forces to St. Louis while allowing Jackson's guard to move freely elsewhere. Frank Blair and Montgomery Blair intervened with President Lincoln to ensure Lyon remained in command instead of Harney.

Capture Of Jefferson City

Negotiations between Unionists and secessionists broke down during a meeting in St. Louis on the 11th of June 1861. Governor Jackson and General Price demanded neutrality in exchange for withdrawing Union troops from the state. Captain Nathaniel Lyon angrily declared he would see them dead rather than concede such rights. He ordered their removal from his lines immediately. The state government fled to Boonville fearing for its safety while Price destroyed bridges to slow the advance. Lyon captured the capital city of Jefferson City on the 15th of June 1861. Only two state officers including the Attorney General remained behind when the rest of the administration escaped. Hamilton R. Gamble was installed as military governor by the Missouri State Convention on the 30th of July 1861. The convention declared existing state offices vacant and set new elections for the future. E.M. Violette documented this history in 1918 noting how Knott the elected Attorney General was arrested for refusing to take an oath to the new government.

Neosho Legislature And Legal Controversy

Jackson's government established a provisional capital in Neosho where they convened in the fall of 1861. On October 28 the legislature debated a bill for Missouri's secession citing outrages committed against the state. They passed the bill on October 30 and Governor Jackson signed it on October 31 guaranteeing separation from the Union. Historians remain divided over whether the legislature possessed a quorum to legally convene at that time. Surviving letters suggest the vote was delayed until late October specifically to obtain enough members. The Senate journal disappeared during the war only to be rediscovered recently among artifacts at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield. Newspaper reports claimed a full quorum existed with 23 senators and 77 representatives present. Isaac N. Shambaugh of DeKalb County later claimed he cast the lone no vote on both bills. His speech to constituents alleged the legislative quorum was fraudulent with at most 39 House members and 10 senators actually present. The House Journal found by the State Historical Society casts doubt on these earlier claims as it never records a roll call vote.

Dual Governments In Exile

The Confederate Congress admitted Missouri as its 12th state on the 28th of November 1861 following the Neosho ordinance. Jackson's government named Senators to serve in the Confederate Congress before being driven into exile. The administration eventually set up a new legislature in Marshall Texas where it operated for the remainder of the war. Meanwhile Hamilton R. Gamble's provisional government continued to govern Missouri under Union authority. This created a unique situation where two rival governments claimed legitimacy over the same territory. One government held the old state capitol while the other operated from southern towns and eventually Texas. Both sides sent representatives to their respective congresses throughout the conflict. The secessionist government ceased operations only after the war concluded and Jackson died in Arkansas. Successors to the provisional government resumed full control of the state once fighting ended.

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Common questions

When did Missouri delegates vote to stay in the Union?

Delegates in Missouri cast a vote of 98 to 1 against leaving the Union on the 19th of March 1861. This decision kept Missouri within the United States despite pressure from Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson.

Who was the president of the Missouri state constitutional convention in 1861?

Sterling Price led the convention as its president and shared a moderate stance with most of the state's population. He neither favored secession nor supported waging war against the South at that moment.

What happened during the Camp Jackson affair on May 10 1861?

Captain Nathaniel Lyon arrested the encampment after discovering artillery hidden within the camp. The march of prisoners through town sparked a violent riot that shifted political power toward secessionist factions.

On what date did Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson sign the bill for Missouri's secession?

Governor Jackson signed the bill guaranteeing separation from the Union on the 31st of October 1861. The legislature had passed the bill two days earlier on the 30th of October after debating it since the 28th of October.

When did the Confederate Congress admit Missouri as its 12th state?

The Confederate Congress admitted Missouri as its 12th state on the 28th of November 1861 following the Neosho ordinance. This admission occurred after Jackson's government named Senators to serve in the Confederate Congress before being driven into exile.

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