Liberty Arsenal

Liberty Arsenal. . The Missouri Depot, a Federal post more commonly known as Liberty Arsenal, sat on the bluffs a quarter-mile southwest of this marker and above the nearby Liberty Landing to the southeast. The arsenal, built in 1838, received munitions and supplies shipped up the river for use by U.S. troops on the western frontier, including those stationed at Ft. Leavenworth. , Situated on ten acres of land above the old ‘Liberty Bend' oxbow of the Missouri River which flowed near the bluffs, the walled arsenal had several buildings including warehouses and officers quarters. The federal government maintained it until 1869 when it was sold to private ownership. In the following decades, its buildings were dismantled and legend holds that many of the older homes in the town of Liberty were built from arsenal bricks. , The arsenal was raided by Missouri forces in December, 1855, during the Missouri-Kansas border wars. They stripped it of its contents to supply cannon, small arms and munitions to raiding forces in what would be referred to as the Wakarusa War in the Lawrence, Kansas area. In 1856, most of those munitions and armaments were returned to the arsenal. , At the time of the start of the Civil War, Nathaniel Grant was storekeeper in charge of the arsenal with the help of two assistants. On April 20, 1861, Grant received a message from a Union sympathizer and neighbor only minutes before the raid:

“A company of men from across the river camped in the bottom last night. I understand that another company is at or near Liberty, and that the destination of both is the arsenal. Look out. If you want to make a speech. get it ready.”

Later on this date, April 20, 1861, a week after the fall of Fort Sumter, at Charleston, SC, nearly 200 armed and mounted men rode up to the arsenal gate, forced admission, and demanded the surrender of the post and its contents. This raid marked the first overt act of citizens of Missouri against the Federal government. , Henry L. Routt of Liberty led the raid with men from Clay County, supported by others from Jackson and Buchanan counties. Routt was later captured, tried and convicted of treason for his role in the raid. However, President Abraham Lincoln pardoned him in a conciliatory act to Missouri's secessionists. , The raid, possibly sanctioned by Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson, had been under consideration for months. The raid lasted a week as the raiders emptied the arsenal of cannons, caissons, wagons, forges, percussion muskets, percussion rifles, rifle carbines, pistols, sabers, swords, powder and cartridges. , The Liberty Arsenal raid provided arms to secessionists in northwest Missouri and later to General Sterling Price's Confederate Army. However, its immediate effect was to awaken Union leaders to the dangers the Federal government faced in Missouri. The St. Louis Arsenal had most of its stores transferred to Illinois on April 26, or distributed to loyal Union troops; Fort Leavenworth was reinforced; and on May 10, the Civil War opened in Missouri when Union troops attacked and captured troops loyal to Missouri's secessionist Governor Jackson at Lindell's Grove (Camp Jackson) in St. Louis.