Series 2: From Secession to Pea Ridge (1860–1862) — Article 6 Union control in Missouri tightens after Lexington, as winter campaigns lead to Pea Ridge—the battle that effectively secured the state for the Union. Union Control in Missouri and the Road to Pea Ridge Lexington didn’t end Missouri’s Civil War. It clarified it. By late…

Series 2: From Secession to Pea Ridge (1860–1862) — Article 5 Missouri’s split government emerges, with rival leaders, divided loyalties, and Lexington serving as final proof that the state could no longer function as one. Missouri’s Split Government and the Illusion of Unity Missouri didn’t choose a side all at once. Instead, it fractured. By…

Series 2: From Secession to Pea Ridge (1860-1862) — Article 4 Missouri Early Battles ignite at Carthage and Dug Springs, then explode at Wilson’s Creek—when Missouri’s crisis turns into open war. Missouri Early Battles: The Clash Before Wilson’s Creek Missouri didn’t ease into the Civil War. It snapped. By the time cannons roared in the…