Missouri Volunteer Militia

The Missouri Volunteer Militia was the state militia organization of Missouri prior to the Missouri State Guard in the American Civil War.

Prior to the Civil War, Missouri had an informal state militia that could be called up by the governor for emergencies or annual drill "in accordance with the Missouri State Statutes of 1854." Larger militia elements, such as Brigades or the element employed in the 1860 Southwest Expedition, were composed of independent regularly drilling volunteer companies, such as the St. Louis Grays, the National Guards, and the Washington Blues. (Each of these companies wore its own distinctive, and highly ornate, uniform. Antebellum esprit de corps was enhanced by drilling competitions between the independent companies.) During the secession crisis Missouri Governor Claiborne Jackson used the state militia covertly as secessionist tool with the intent of capturing the St. Louis Arsenal with which to arm the state. Governor Jackson called up the militia for drill under General Daniel M. Frost at a camp just outside the St. Louis city limits, with the intention of moving against the Arsenal. Previously, on February 13th, General Frost had inducted five new companies composed entirely of pro-secessionist "Minutemen" volunteers into the MVM.

Aware of the threat to the Arsenal and the presence of stolen artillery in the camp, Captain Nathaniel Lyon used United States infantry and federally inducted Home Guard volunteers to capture the militia in what became the Camp Jackson Affair. While marching the prisoners through St. Louis and to the arsenal a deadly riot erupted when the Home Guard was confronted by an angry mob. The bloodshed enraged the state and prompted the Missouri legislature to pass Governor Jackson's "Military Bill" reorganizing the state militia into the Missouri State Guard and giving him near dictatorial control over it.