Who Lost Missouri? The Uneasy Alliance between the Missouri State Guard and the Confederacy, 1861-1862

Governor Claiborne Jackson of Missouri and his fellow pro-Secessionists tried to nudge the ostensibly neutral state of Missouri into the Confederacy. Taking advantage of controversial Federal actions, they were able to mobilize thousands of Missourians into the Missouri State Guard under commanding General Sterling Price. The Missouri State Guard had to win victories in order to raise popular support against the Federal government while fostering an alliance with the Confederate Army. It largely accomplished this task throughout 1861. By early 1862, however, the possibility of a Confederate Missouri was still lost. Despite a string of victories, Price and many within the State Guard hamstrung coordinated efforts with the Confederate army through poor discipline, short-sighted strategies, and the overbearing and ill-advised politicking and personal attacks conducted by Price and his supporters.