Missouri Civil War Museum

Want to know what the Missouri Civil War Museum staff has been up to during the COVID-19 pandemic? We also feature a never-before-seen artifact from our collection. Enjoy! To learn more about the museum and to support our efforts, please visit mcwm.org!

Have you been watching HISTORY's new miniseries on President and General Ulysses Grant? Many places and moments of Grant's life in Missouri were mentioned: Jefferson Barracks, White Haven, Hardscrabble, the St. Louis Courthouse, and the Battle of Belmont (Missouri). While some of these places are not yet reopen (including us), make sure you get out and see these Grant sites when they are!

This Memorial Day and every day, we honor all our military men and women who gave their last full measure of devotion for us all. In 1870, Brig. Gen. Isaac Shepard (a Union veteran and commander of the 3rd Missouri Infantry, 51st USCTs, and the African Brigade in the Army of the Tennessee), gave the remarks on Memorial Day at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery: "These our fallen brothers mainly descended from no lofty lineage, walked in no paths of external greatness, and therefore claimed no glaring sepulture. Yet the glory of their lives, and far more to be noted, the triumph of their deaths, has ranked them among the immortal few whose names were not born to die." Images courtesy of the Missouri Civil War Museum and the Library of Congress.

Effective immediately, the Missouri Civil War Museum will be shutdown for at least the next 30 days in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you for all your support! Stay healthy and safe.

On February 6, 1862, Federal forces under Brig. Gen. Ulysses Grant and Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote attacked and forced the surrender of Fort Henry. This major Union victory opened the Tennessee River to Federal naval traffic, marking the first step to piercing the Confederate heartland. This image here shows the crew of the USS Carondelet, one of the first ironclad gunboats built by James B. Eads. The gunboat was named for the city (just south of St. Louis), where Eads built these ironclads for the Union war effort. The USS Carondelet was a part of Foote's Western Gunboat Flotilla that helped force the surrender of Fort Henry. She took approximately 6 hits during the battle. (Image courtesy of the Photographic History of the Civil War)

February marks Black History Month! Missouri's James Milton Turner fought hard for the rights of African Americans in both his home state and country during and after the Civil War. He championed equal rights, education, and relief aid for former slaves. Read all about his life and accomplishments here from the State Historical Society of Missouri. We also feature his story in the museum!