May 2, 1861

Missouri Governor Claiborne Jackson makes the final decision to have state militia assemble at Camp Jackson near St. Louis. Jackson had told President Lincoln that he would not assemble troops to fight against the South. The militia’s plan to lay siege to the U.S. Arsenal was foiled and hundreds of Union troops surrounded the militia members and took them prisoner.

Based upon content from the book Missouri 365: This Day in Missouri History by John W. Brown, broadcaster and Missouri historian. Get your copy at Reedy Press.

File:Claiborne Jackson tombstone.jpg” by Sector001 is marked with CC BY-SA 3.0