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History of Lexington, Missouri

In the spring of 1861, the town of Lexington, Missouri, located on the picturesque bluffs overlooking the broad Missouri River, was enjoying prosperity and had many reasons for looking forward to a promising future. The census of 1860 made Lexington, with a population of 4,122, the state's fifth largest community; by summer, 1861, the population figure had steadily increased, each arrival of a river steamer contributing its share of settlers to the city.

Lexington, besides being the area's political, financial and educational seat, home of three colleges, was also the center of wholesale and retail trade for a large section of western and southern Missouri. The riverfront, with its factories and warehouses, and the frequent arrival and departure of river steamers, presented an interesting and colorful spectacle.

With the bombardment of Fort Sumter in April 1861, civil war seemed remote and of not much concern to the citizens of Lexington, but as summer approached and the conflict grew into a full-scale war, the dark clouds came nearer. People began to realize that, after all, there was a chance their peaceful community could become a bloody battlefield.

Lexington's people remained steadfast to the Union through the unsettled period preceding the Civil War, but at the beginning of actual hostilities, a majority of Lexingtonians, many of them slave owners, took the sides of the South. A large percent of the townspeople were not in favor of war, and, regardless of party ties, they preferred to remain neutral. The protection of lives and property, which might be endangered in an attack by either army, was the only thing considered important in Lexington.

The first military post was established in Lexington late in May when Missouri's Governor Jackson, definitely pro-Southern in his beliefs, commissioned Major General Sterling Price to take charge at Lexington. General Lyon, commander of the newly organized Federal army of Missouri, did not allow Price to remain at Lexington long, however, for during the last part of June, he moved his army toward Lexington in a determined attempt to clear the state of secessionist forces. General Price, unprepared for conflict and having only a small band of inexperienced men who lacked organization and discipline, retreated to southwestern Missouri. On reaching Lexington Lyon left a small force and continued on in pursuit of Price, hoping to catch and defeat him.

Continued strengthening by the Federal headquarters made Lexington prominent in the chain of towns along the Missouri River between Saint Louis-and Saint Joseph which the Federals were using to keep Confederate sympathizers north of the river from joining Price's army in southern Missouri.

On August 10, Lyon finally caught up with Price at Wilson's Creek near Springfield, in southwestern Missouri, and Price won a decisive victory in the ensuing battle, during which Lyon was slain. Price's forces, then numbering about seven thousand, set up camp at Springfield to rest and to plan their strategy. Wishing to join forces with the small but numerous Rebel bands north of the river, Price was determined that his next move must be to break the Union blockade of the river. Price believed that of the four most likely targets for this attack, Lexington, if captured, would put the Federals in the most uncomfortable position. Meanwhile in the river port communities, the month of August was one of great excitement.

Early in September, General Fremont's Federal headquarters at St. Louis ordered the Lexington post to secure a forced loan from the Farmers' Bank of Lexington. This seizing of the bank's entire funds of nearly a million dollars further strained the relations between the Union soldiers and the pro-Southern people of Lexington.

The Long March

Toward the end of August, General Price's steadily growing army began the long march to Lexington, and when Colonel James A. Mulligan, commander of the Union forces there, heard of the approach of a large Confederate army, he sent word to General Fremont urgently requesting reinforcements. Mulligan's forces, consisting of the First Illinois Cavalry, the Thirteenth Missouri Infantry, the Twenty-Third Illinois Infantry, and a few companies of the Missouri Home Guards, numbered just short of three thousand, scarcely one-fourth the size of Price's army.

On September 10, the advancing Confederates reached Warrensburg, 34 miles south of Lexington, and the Federal party on its way to Saint Louis with the funds of the Lexington bank, hastily returned to the safety of the entrenchments being constructed around the old Masonic College building on a hill overlooking the river in the north part of Lexington.

Price's advance guard met light opposition as the army approached Lexington, and the Federal defenders were forced back to the prepared entrenchments around the college. The Confederate troops entered the south and east parts of the town on the twelfth, and the conflict on this first day of the siege was limited to minor skirmishes and an exchange of artillery fire. Even after Price's entrance into Lexington, Mulligan's men continued throwing up entrenchments and breastworks at a feverish pace, day and night, to protect their position from being overrun.

"We've Got ‘Em"

After the first day of the siege, Price and his army retired to the fairgrounds in the southeast part of town, where the officers decided on a course of watchful waiting with the least amount of bloodshed- "We've got ‘em, dead sure .. All we have to do is watch ‘em," Price told his men.

In the Union camp, most of Mulligan's officers, with a much less confident outlook, were in favor of retreating across the river in several steamboats at their disposal, but Mulligan replied, saying, "Gentlemen, I have heard what you have to say, but, begad, we'll fight ‘em! That's what we enlisted for, and that's what we'll do."

The Federals' first real encounter with the Confederates occurred the next day. In his report, Colonel Mulligan gave a vivid account of the reaction of his men: "Our men had returned the volley, and a scene of the wildest confusion commenced. Each man evidently believed that he who made the most noise was doing the most shooting. Those who were not shooting at the moon were shooting above it, into the earth, or elsewhere at random, in the wildest and most reckless manner." This type of firing could not have continued long, however, for the Union troops had only 40 rounds of ammunition apiece.

Period of Waiting

The fighting during the next three days followed a similar pattern with no major attacks being launched by either side. Mulligan and his men kept an anxious watch for the expected reinforcements as they worked to strengthen the fortifications. They passed the hours in anxious waiting, not knowing when the Confederates might begin the expected assault

Mulligan gives an interesting sidelight on the end of the stalemate that preceded the Confederate attack:

"Sunday, the seventeenth, arrived, and the Catholic chaplain celebrated Mass on the hillside." After the services were over, the men went back to their work of casting shot in the foundry set up in the basement of the Masonic College building, of making their defense more secure, and of "stealing provisions from the inhabitants ‘round about. Our pickets were all the time skirmishing with the enemy, and the whole camp was preparing for the enemy's attack."

Early on the morning of Monday, September 18, the three-day battle, which has earned recognition as one of the largest battles in the Western campaign of the War Between the States, began. Wave upon wave of Confederate soldiers moved toward the Federal encampment from the fairgrounds, and the Colonel expecting the worst but hoping for the best, paints this picture of the approach of the Rebel army: "At nine o'clock am. the enemy was seen through the glass approaching with a force of 28,000 men and 13 pieces of cannon. They came as one dark, moving mass, their polished guns gleaming in the sunlight, their banners waving, and their drums beating. Everywhere, as far as we could see, were men, men, men -- approaching grandly." Mulligan continues: "Our men stood firm behind the breastworks, none trembling or pale, and the whole place was solemn and silent. The chaplains were valiantly doing their duty, blessing the men OR their rounds. The enemy came .. upon my poor devoted little band and opened a terrific fire ... which we answered with determination and spirit."

Unarmed Volunteers

Although Colonel Mulligan speaks of 28,000 men in Price's army, the figure was probably closer to 15,000 to 18,000. The mass of soldiers appeared much larger because of many hundreds of unarmed volunteers from the surrounding country, who had come to add their small contributions to the defeat of the "Yanks.

Shortly after the battle started, several companies of Confederates were dispatched to complete the encirclement of the Federals by capturing positions below the bluffs north of the college. To cut their enemy's escape route, the troops also captured several steamboats and ferries tied up to the river bank.

At this point, the most controversial incident of the battle occurred. Price says that, as his troops were taking charge of the boats, a heavy fire opened from a large house situated on the bluffs a few hundred yards west of the Federal works. The building was being used as a field hospital by the Union army and had been regarded neutral by both forces. Confederates noted that the gunfire was coming from this building, an act which would have been contrary to the rules of warfare, they immediately assaulted and captured it. Later Mulligan insisted that the building had not been fortified and that the seizure of it by the Rebels was "a dreadful and dishonest aggression against the helpless, wounded and dying."

A court inquiry held after the war ruled the the Confederate capture of the building was not unjustified since it was proven that, although troops did not actually fortify it, they did fire from close by and even under its cover.

After the Confederates had taken the hospital, they began firing into the Federal entrenchments nearby. After several unsuccessful Federal attempts at recapture of the hospital, Mulligan sent his Irish Brigade, famous for its courage and valor, to storm the structure. "They ran up to the hospital, a wild line of irresistible human will, first opened the door, without shot or shout, until they encountered the enemy within, whom they hurled out and far down the hill beyond.

"A Terrible Thing"

In their apparently hasty exit from the Anderson House, as the hospital, once the gracious home of the Colonel Oliver Anderson, has come to be called, the Confederates captured the Union surgeon. "It was a terrible thing," said Mulligan, "to see those brave fellows, mangled and wounded, without skillful hands to bind their ghastly wounds. Captain Moriarty, who had been in civil life a physician, was ordered to lay aside his sword and go into the hospital. He went, and through all the siege, worked among the wounded with no other instrument than a razor. The suffering in the hospital was horrible," continued the Federal commander, "the wounded and mangled men dying for thirst, frenziedly wrestling for water in which the bleeding stumps of mangled limbs had been washed, and drinking it with a horrid avidity."

Despite the Federals' brave capture, the possession of the house changed hands again late in the afternoon, the Southern forces held it for the remainder of the engagement.

All through the nineteenth, a very hot and dry day, the firing continued incessantly. The Federal soldiers still expected help to arrive, but they "looked and listened in vain, for all day long they fought without relief and without water, their parched lips cracking, their tongues swollen, and the blood running down their chins when they bit their cartridges." In his hurry to fortify the Masonic college grounds, Mulligan had not made certain the availability of a large supply of water for his men and horses, thinking that the college wells would be sufficient. But at midday on the nineteenth, the water supply was exhausted.

The Final Day

The morning of the twentieth, the final day of the battle, dawned another hot and sultry day. Price, early the morning, decided to finish the engagement with a general assault on Mulligan's western flank, but the Northern commander, hearing of this plan from his spies. shifted the greater portion of his defenses to this sector. When the Confederate attack was launched, the Federal lines held and fought off attack after attack. Since his attack was being pushed back by the Union mops, Price issued an order that was to be a major factor in the Federal surrender. During this period Lexington was a large producer of hemp, and large supplies of bales were stored near the Battleground in warehouses along the riverfront. Price had these bales brought to the front lines, and the Confederates used them as moveable breastworks. In this way Price's men could advance uphill on the Union position under cover of the rolling hemp bales.

Mulligan, anxiously searching for some means of halting the advance of his enemy, commanded that the bales be heated and fired at the bales in an attempt to set them afire. But Price had taken a precaution against this, for the bales were soaked in the river before being brought up for use.

Hand-to-Hand

Finally the rush came, and with a wild Rebel yell, the Confederates swept over the Federals' outer breastworks to begin a hand-to-hand struggle. But the Federal line held firm, even though Mulligan had totally conceded that the struggle must soon end, for the men were nearly exhausted and would soon die of "tat".

Suddenly the firing stopped, and Price, expecting the Union to surrender, sent a message to Mulligan inquiring about the cause of the sudden cease-fire. The gallant Federal commander returned the note replying, General, I hardly know why, unless you have surrendered." Immediately the fighting resumed, but as the Federal soldiers, after suffering through 52 continuous hours of bombardment, and without water, ammunitions, or rations, gave up the hope of being reinforced. It was two o'clock in the afternoon, Wednesday, September 20, 1861, when the fighting Rally ceased, the Federal soldiers laid down their arms, and the Battle of Lexington ended in a confederate victory.

Casualties Were Low

A surprising thing is that battle casualties were so low for such a battle. The Confederates reported 33 killed and 150 wounded, and the Federals 40 killed and 120 wounded. These figures do not include the volunteer troops. Most historians attribute these low totals to Mulligan's effective entrenchments and Price's rolling breastworks.

"The capture of Lexington had crowned General Price's command with a brilliant victory, and so far, the Missouri campaign had proceeded step by step, from one success to another," states the Southern historian, Pollard. And, adds Wood, the loss of "Lexington was one of the two major disasters to befall the Union cause in Missouri...," but it was also "the breaking of the last Confederate waves, for, as a state, Missouri was lost to the South already."

If Price could have kept Lexington, the effect of this battle would have been still more important, but the loss of the post by the Union was severely felt, and Fremont, resolving to recapture it, at once sent 20,000 men to drive Price and his followers out of Lexington and out of Missouri. As soon as the Federal patrol of the Missouri River was broken at Lexington, many Southern sympathizers in the northern part of the state flocked across to join Price. Unfortunately for the Southern cause, however, Price was not able to maintain himself at Lexington, and so on September, after suffering overwhelming defeats in later battles farther south, Price was forced to disband his once-great army and flee to Mexico. He died in Saint Louis in 1867, a victim of cholera. Colonel Mulligan was taken into custody after the Battle, received excellent treatment as a prisoner, refused parole, and was later exchanged. He then resumed his army career, and was killed in action at Winchester, Virginia, July 25, 1864, after accumulating an impressive record as a military leader.

The Battle of Lexington, although not inflicting a great amount of property damage on the city, did leave its mark. Many evidences of the historic struggle remain in Lexington as reminders of the Civil War days. The breastworks of the Union fortifications are still visible in part of the 80-acre Lexington Battleground. The Masonic College, which was later restored as a part of Lexington College for Women, burned in 1932. A replica of the historic building was dedicated in a park near the Battlefield in 1934, together with four memorial columns marking the entrance to the Battlefield itself.

The Anderson House was bought by Lafayette County in 1928 and restored as a museum containing many relics of the Battle as well as ante-bellum furnishings. Other buildings whose histories are connected with the Battle and which are still standing include the Farmers' Bank building, the present home of the Elks Lodge; the Lafayette County Courthouse, in which a cannon ball fired during the Battle is still imbedded; and many of the town's old homes. The site of General Price's headquarters is in the business district on Main Street, and the grave of five unknown Federal soldiers has been marked on the Battleground.

Now a State Park

Plans to make Lexington's Civil War historical sites nation-wide tourist attractions were formulated early in 1955. The restoration, originally sponsored by the City of Lexington and local organizations, by Lafayette County, and by the Missouri Division of Resources and Development, was taken over in 1959 by the State Park Board, which now administers the improvements and maintenance. Its long-range plan will require several years and a substantial amount of money for its completion. For more information about the state park, visit the website

Antebellum Homes

Lexington has more pre-Civil War homes and buildings than any other community regardless of size in the state of Missouri, over 120.

Lexington's Annual Vintage Homes Tour, held in June, has been voted one of the the best "Historic Homes Tours" by Discover Mid-America Magazine readers and has also been featured in numerous magazines such as AAA Midwest Traveler and KC Homes & Gardens, in newspapers, and on television.

The Santa Fe Trail

A number of places claim to be the trailhead of the Santa Fe Trail. And, indeed they may have been. But only after Missouri trader William Becknell left the town of Franklin, Missouri, in 1821 and trekked along what was to become known as the Santa Fe Trail. Becknell "...opened the Santa Fe Trail as a commercial route between what was then [in 1821] the western reaches of the United States...and New Mexico, a province of the newly independent Republic of Mexico. For the next fifty years or so, until the arrival of the railroad in New Mexico in 1878-1879, thousands of caravans a year crossed back and forth along the trail."

Today you can retrace the route in the comfort of your automobile. For driving directions and descriptions visit the Santa Fe Trail Research Site's AutoTour Route for Lexington, MO.

See also the Madonna of the Trail and the home page of the Santa Fe Trail Research Site for more information on the Santa Fe Trail and the pioneers who traveled its rut filled route.

Wentworth Military Academy 1880

Wentworth Military Academy was founded in 1880 by Stephen G. Wentworth, a Lexington banker. It is one of the oldest and most respected military schools. Wentworth Military Academy has over 16,000 Cadet alumni from every state in the nation and over 30 foreign nations have been educated at Wentworth. It is also proud that two of its graduates are recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Distinguished Alumni are: Congressman Ike Skelton, naturalist Marlin Perkins, former Ambassador Charles Price, director/producer Robert Altman, physicist William Schwartz and retailer James "Bud" Walton.

Sandford Sellers was the first Superintendent. He and his descendants have guided the school through its entire 200 year history. A Junior College was added in 1923. Current enrollment is approximately 300 cadets.

The Anderson House 1853

William Oliver Anderson, a hemp grower and rope maker, newspaperman, and sheriff of Lafayette County, built this stately home on the bluff overlooking the Missouri River in 1853, but only lived in it eight years.

During the Civil War, the house was taken over by the Union Forces and used as a hospital. Anderson and his sons were imprisoned as southern sympathizers. He was never able to re-establish his business in Lexington and moved back to Kentucky. In 1868 the lawyer Tilton Davis bought the house and lived in it with his family for 50 years. He practiced before the Supreme Court in St. Louis and after a successful case would either throw a dance in the hallway, with the band on the landing, or he would bring back elegant purchases. One of these is the massive bedroom suite in the first room on the left, upstairs. The Anderson house is now open for public tours as part of the Missouri State Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Historic Preservation. Please visit their website for information on park hours and tour times.

Madonna of the Trail

Located on the corner of Cliff Drive and Highland Avenue. The pioneer Mother Monument was presented to Lexington by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1928. She looks up the Missouri River toward the west which was settled by sturdy American pioneers 160 years and more ago.

"Madonna of the Trail" is the story of the brave spirit of women who helped conquer the West.

In 1922 when Mrs. John Trigg Moss of St. Louis was named National Chairman of the Old Trails Road for the S.S.D.A.R. and County Judge Harry S. Truman of Independence was President of National Old Trails Road Association, the work of marking the National Old Trails Road across the continent was begun. Both Judge Truman and President Calvin Coolidge made speeches in Congress about the highway, and the "National Old Trails Road" came into being.

There is a Pioneer Mother Monument in every state crossed by the National Old Trails Road, the route of early settlers, from Bethesda, Maryland to Uplands, California. This major project of the DAR was much sought after in Missouri. Lexington's history, plus having been on the route of the National old trails Road made Lexington the ideal site for the statue for the state of Missouri.

Originally, the monument was located at the intersection of Main Street (former National Old Trails Road) and Jack's Ford Road. The monument currently sits on the northeast corner Highland Street and Cliff Drive.

This monument was dedicated on September 17, 1928. The keynote speaker was Judge Harry S Truman, President of the National Old Trails Association.

The monument was rededicated on September 28, 1978.

The inscriptions read:

(West Face)
MADONNA OF THE TRAIL
N.S.D.A.R. MEMORIAL
TO THE
PIONEER MOTHERS
OF THE
COVERED WAGON DAYS

(South Face)
LEXINGTON
SETTLED 1820 BY
VIRGINIA AND KENTUCKY
PIONEERS.
EARLY TERMINUS OF
RIVER TRANSPORTATION,
STARTING POINT ON THE
WESTERN TRAIL OF THE
PACK PONY AND OX CART.

(East Face)
THE NATIONAL
OLD TRAILS ROAD

(North Face)
JOHN, JAMES AND ROBERT AULL
RUSSELL MAJORS & WADDEL
DONIPHAN
PIONEERS-TRADERS
SOLDIERS-CITIZENS
OF LEXINGTON
WHO GAVE VALIANT SERVICE
TO THE WINNING OF THE WEST.

1830's Log House

In the early 1830's,the log house stood on Highland Avenue with a magnificent view of the Missouri River and lines of wagons passing by headed for Santa Fe, Oregon or California. The house had a glorious location from which to watch the early beginnings and progress of Lexington.

In 1985, the log house was re-discovered under the siding and plaster of a house being demolished. Realizing the house was a treasure, the Lexington Historical Association carefully dismantled the house, numbering each log so that it could be reconstructed accurately. It now stands less than a block from the original location.

In 2004, citing rising cost of maintenance, the 1830's Log House was sold by the Lexington Historical Association to private ownership and is currently occupied by Simply Butternut, a retail store operated by Magie

Historic Lafayette County Courthouse

In 1822, the area we now call Lafayette County was called Lillard County. The Lillard County Courthouse was located one-half mile east of Tabo Creek on a bluff overlooking the Missouri river. In 1823, the county seat was moved to Lexington by a vote of the people. The next structure that was used as our courthouse was Dr. Bucks house, located at the corner of 24th and South Streets. James Bounds, John Duston and James Lilard were commissioned to locate and plat a site for our next courthouse. They chose to establish the first formal courthouse on the square at 24th and South Street.

In 1826, Lafayette County was carved from Lillard County and a new courthouse was built on the square at 24th and South Street. This area later became known as "Old Town" because of it’s historical significance to our city. The new courthouse was so poorly constructed that the entire structure was torn down and the materials used to build it were sold. Office space was rented while a new structure was built on the same foundation. This structure was a three story brick building which was used for ten years. Later a decision was made to move closer to the Missouri River for commercial purposes. Once again office space was rented.

In 1847, a decision was made by Judges, (today called commissioners) Thomas Gordon, Nathaniel Price, and Joseph W. Hall to build a new Lafayette County Courthouse on the present site. The plans chosen called for a magnificent structure of the Classic Greek Revival design. The project and contract overseers were, Silas Silver, John Catron, Robert Aull, and Henderson Young. The architect was William Dougherty. On April 1, 1847, their plans were accepted and $12,000 was set aside for building the new structure. The final construction costs were $14,382.46. The old courthouse in "Old Town" was sold for $1,500 and the old jail was sold for $51.00 This left the total expenditure for the new building at $12,831.46.

The County office holders building was started in 1854, with the first floor construction. In 1879, a second story was added. In 1896, an addition was made to the original courthouse to add more offices on the South end of the building. In 1940, more office space was added to the office holders building thus creating the "u" shape of the present building.

In September of 1970, the Lafayette County Courthouse was placed on the National Historic Register.

Notables that began their careers in the Lafayette County Courthouse

Things this old courthouse has witnessed