Missouri State Guard Defends Southern Rights

Missouri State Guard Defends Southern Rights. American Civil War (1861-1865), The Battle of Athens. , In the spring of 1861, pro-Southern Missouri Gov. Claiborne F. Jackson called up the Missouri State Guard to oppose pro-Union Home Guard and U.S. Army troops. Martin Green, a Lewis County judge, farmer and sawmill operator, answered the call by forming State Guard units in northeast Missouri., By mid-July, Green had amassed a large army of State Guard units, including three songs of the local pro-Union Home Guard commander, Col. David Moore. On July 30, Green flew the Southern Rights flag in Edina, Mo. and recruited more men for the "lawful militia" of Missouri., On Sunday Aug. 4, 1861, Col. Cyrus Franklin from Schuyler County and Maj. Benjamin Shacklett from Scotland County joined forces with Col. Green. They encamped on the Fox River near Chambersburg, Mo., seven miles from Athens. Early the next day they traveled to Athens to face the Home Guard., (sidebar) , "A more motley aggregation of white men and boys that accompanied Col. Green on that occasion was probably never collected together on this earth. They ranged in age from 12 to 75 or 80 old. The mixture of apparel and appearance was something wonderful to behold…" , -I.M. Walters, Clark County, Mo., resident, (captions) , Missouri State Guard units formed to protect and preserve "Southern Rights." Many citizens throughout Missouri supported this concept due to their Southern heritage. The Home Guard captured this flag at the Battle of Athens. The left side is re-created based on contemporary descriptions. Courtesy State Historical Society of Iowa, Col. Martin Green recruited pro-Southern Missouri State Guard troops in northeastern Missouri., Maj. Benjamin Shacklett recruited and led pro-Southern Missouri State Guard troops from Scotland County, Mo.