One of the most historically significant landmarks in the city of Saint Louis, is the Old Courthouse. It is the the site where Dred Scott fought for his freedom from slavery for himself and his wife. However, the ruling was ultimately overturned by the Supreme Court, thus serving as one if many factors leading to the Civil War. Although it was once a place where slaves were auctioned, it was also one of the first places that took a stand against slavery. Today this structure draws the attention of the young and old from all over the world. The magnificent Old Courthouse has remained over the past 150 years, one of Saint Louis’ most prominant architectural landmarks that expresses the importance of the city throughout the ages.
The Missouri Civil War Museum is a recently restored building located on the parade grounds at the Jefferson Barracks Historic Site in Saint Louis. As the oldest operational military installation west of the Mississippi River, Jefferson Barracks has served soldiers in every major military war in America’s history from the Black Hawk War to the current conflict in Afghanistan. During the Civil War, this location stood as the foundation of various hospital buildings where the soldiers who battled, suffered and died. Now this three-story building is fully renovated to honor our soldiers of the past and present. It is the largest of several independant museums
constructed in previous army buildings and houses more than 1,500 items ranging from uniforms, field cannons, medical equipement, muskets, swords and other historical artifacts... and the collection is still growing. The Museum tells the story of the years leading up to the Civil War, all the way through to its reverberation, including a study ot the wars lasting effect on pop culture today.
During the Civil War, Jefferson Barracks became a major military hospital for the nation due to its stratigic location and the need to hospitalize wounded and dying soldiers from all around the country. Because of the high death count, President Lincoln created a network of national cemetarys around the country, one of these being Jefferson Barracks National Cemetary. This cemetary was created August 5th, 1827, and serves as the final resting place for more than 16,000 Union and Confederate soldiers of the Civil War. Aprox. 12,000 Union veterans, 1,140 Confederate veterans and nearly 3,300 unknowns. It is the largest contigent of Civil war soldiers at any one place in the state of Missouri. Soldiers from both the North and the South, from nearly every state, now rest together in peace.
The Arcaddia Valley located in Iron County is one of Missouri’s most scenic locations; however, on September 26th, 1864, the valley was far from tranquil. Confederate Maj. Gen. Sterling Price invaded Missouri from Arkansas with an army of 12,000 men. On his way to Saint Louis, Price attacked Fort Davidson at Pilot Knob. Though the Union post was weakly defended, their stratigic efforts were crucial to stopping the last Confederate offense into Missouri. The Fort Davidson State Historic Site preserves and interprets the battle as it happened through the valley. The fields include theforts old earthworks, two confederate burial trenches and a visitor center with a narrated story of the battle and its context within the Civil War.
Ulysses S, Grant was a triumphant Civil War hero, and was also the 18th President of the United States. However, beyond these famous roles, Grant was also know for his loving devotion to his wife and family. He met his beloved wife, Julia Dent, at the White Haven Plantation in 1844. Although he and his wife had conflicting view points on the issue of slavery, thier relationship was strong, and the plantation served as an anchor in thier lives together. Today, White Haven is a 10-acre National Historic Landmark, where you can experience the nations political turbulance over the issue of slavery through one familys’ view.
