By Bill Heusinkveld - correspondent When I wrote my articles
about the Civil War, I described the battle campaigns of the
several Iowa regiments but hardy mentioned the fighting and
skirmishes between the abolitionists of southern Iowa versus the
slave owners and secessionists of northern Missouri. However the
Civil War was often conflict of brother against brother. There
were settlers on both sides of the Iowa-Missouri line whose
loyalty lay with the opposite side. The slave state of Missouri,
having achieved statehood 25 years before Iowa, harbored a
strong hatred against the stalwart pioneers settling in the free
state of Iowa. There were also some strong sympathies for the
southern cause among former slave owners now living in southern
Iowa. Tension was highest near the border, in Appanoose, Davis,
Van Buren and Lee Counties. Davis had a very large element of
southern supporters. As the long and bitter war progressed, it
became apparent that the north was winning the war. The South
had lost Vicksburg and