Missouri: Notes

Secession (1861-1865)

The capital of the State of Missouri, Jefferson City, was occupied by the armed forces of the United States on 16 Jun 1861, forcing the elected government to move to the southern part of the state. The pro-Union Constitutional Convention held in Jefferson City passed an ordinance (30 Jul 1861), declaring all of the state's elective offices to be vacant and elected Hamilton Rowan Gamble as the Governor (31 Jul 1861), thus establishing a rival government.

The General Assembly of the State of Missouri was convened in Neosho, near the border between Missouri and Kansas. On 28 Oct 1861 the House of Representatives and the Senate passed an act, providing for the secession of Missouri from the United States (Missouri House Journal, Neosho session 1861 MS, 17-21; Missouri Senate Journal, Neosho session 1861, 8-11, 39) [1]

Missouri was admitted to the Confederate States of America in accordance with an act passed by the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States on 27 Nov 1861 and signed into law on 28 Nov 1861 (Confederate Congress Journal, 1:484-486; Confederate Statutes at Large, p. 221) [2]

The secession, however, had little impact as most of the territory of the state was controlled by the pro-Union government, while the legitimate government was forced to function as a government in exile for the duration of the war.