Missouri during the Civil War was a state divided.
Missouri was admitted to the Union in 1821 as a slave state, and many of its earliest settlers were from Kentucky, Tennessee and other southern states — and they brought their slaves. In Cole County, Wardsville and Russellville were founded by Southern slave owners.
The arrival of German immigrants in the 1840s and 1850s to America greatly changed Missouri, both politically and culturally. In 1850, St. Louis had a population of 78,000, one-third being of German origin. Cole County had even a larger influx of German settlers.
At the start of the Civil War, Missouri Gov. Claiborn Jackson, a slave owner, tried to keep Missouri neutral. After an unsuccessful meeting in St. Louis with Union Gen. Nathaniel Lyons, Jackson and Gen. Sterling Price fled Jefferson City, taking the Great Seal of the State of Missouri with them. Lyons followed by riverboat and captured Jefferson City for the Union. One of the German privates accompanying Lyons was Adolphus Busch, Eberhard Anheuser’s son-in-law.
Missouri contributed many regiments to both the Union and the Confederacy. It truly was brother against brother, and at Vicksburg, there were Union Missouri regiments facing Confederate Missouri regiments. My great-grandfather, William Morlock from Hermann, joined the Union Army and served throughout the Civil War.
A little known part of our military history are the seven Missouri “colored regiments” composed of more than 8,000 freed black soldiers who served in the Union Army. Two of these regiments played an important part in the creation of what is today Lincoln University. In January 1864, the “1st Missouri Volunteer Infantry of African Descent” was recruited and organized in St. Louis at Benton Barracks. Enlistments had begun in late 1863, and in just three days, 190 soldiers were recruited in Jefferson City alone. In all, 1,250 black soldiers enlisted in this regiment. The majority of these soldiers had been slaves, so enlistment granted them their freedom. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation freed only slaves in those states that had succeeded from the Union. Since Missouri officially was still a part of the Union, although Jackson had created a Confederate Missouri government in exile, slaves in Missouri were not freed by Lincoln’s act.
After seven weeks of training at Benton Barracks, this regiment was sworn into federal service and officially became the 62nd United States Colored Infantry Regiment. All officers were white, and the original commanding officer, Col. Branson, and some of his staff stayed at Benton Barracks to train the 65th Colored Infantry. We will hear more about the 65th Regiment with the founding of Lincoln Institute at the end of the war.
In March 1864, the 62nd Regiment left St. Louis for duty in New Orleans on the riverboat Planet. The Planet ran around in fog on the Mississippi and the regiment was sent to Port Hudson, Louisiana instead. From there, they went to Baton Rouge to build fortifications and provide garrison duty.
During the 62nd Regiment’s existence, she had 36 officers, all white, as was the standard for all “colored regiments.” There were 120 non-commissioned officers, some white and some black. One requirement to be a non-commissioned officer was they had to be able to read and write!
Considering that as late as February 1847, the Missouri General Assembly had passed a law stating, “No person shall keep or teach any school for the instruction of negroes or mulattoes in reading or writing, in this state,” it is amazing there were so many literate black soldiers.
From its inception, education of the 62nd Troops was an important part of their constant training. A general order issued while they were quartered in Louisiana said: “No freed slave, who cannot read well, has a right to waste the time and opportunity here given him to fit himself for the position of a free citizen.” The officers stressed education, and none more than Lt. Richard Baxter Foster, commander of Company D. Foster grew up in New Hampshire and graduated from Harvard and Dartmouth, and moved to Illinois to be a teacher. Foster was a strong abolitionist, and in 1856, he joined John Brown in Kansas. At the start of the Civil War, he joined the Nebraska Volunteers, where he served until becoming an officer with the 62nd.
In October of 1864, the 62nd Regiment was sent from Baton Rouge to Brazos Santiago, Texas, and remained there near Brownsville until its disbandment in 1866. The Civil War officially ended the first part of April 1865, and President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theater on April 14. But the 62nd United States Colored Infantry had the distinction of fighting the last battle of the Civil War. On May 12, 1865, at Palmito Ranch, Texas, the 62nd fought Confederate Calvary. The 62nd fought with valor, but also sustained several casualties and were forced to retreat. This was the last battle of the Civil War.
The 62nd Regiment was sent back to St. Louis to be mustered out. Because officers of the regiment had been running makeshift classrooms for the troops, they decided that if they could raise enough funds they would create a school in Missouri to educate now-free blacks. Foster and the other officers contributed $1,034, and the soldiers of the 62nd gave $3,996. Their sister, Missouri 65th Colored Regiment, added $1,379 to this fund.
Originally, they hoped to open this school in St. Louis but faced insurmountable obstacles. Jefferson City was selected instead. An abandoned school on Hobo Hill (present day Simonsen) was available, and on June 25, 1866, Lincoln Institute was incorporated in the Circuit Court of Cole County. On Sept. 14, 1866, classes started with Foster as the first president and teacher. There were two students enrolled, Henry Brown and Conelius Chapelle. Brown had been a first sergeant in the 62nd Regiment and had contributed $75 to help fund Lincoln Institute. Foster continued to teach and grow Lincoln for six years, and at one time, he alone taught 130 students. When Foster left, he devoted the rest of his life as a Congregational missionary in Kansas and Oklahoma.
By 1869, Lincoln Institute had outgrown its current location and moved to the present site on Chestnut. They built a 60-by-70-foot brick, three-story building that was dedicated in July 1871.
In 1870, Lincoln Institute also became a Missouri Normal School for African-American students. The state gave a minimal amount to Lincoln Institute, but this gave the school legitimacy and some funds. They still survived on contributions, and Lincoln records indicate Jesse James twice donated money to the school.
In 1921, Lincoln Institute officially became Lincoln University following the passing of a bill championed by Rep. Walthall M. Moore, a black St. Louis legislator.
Lincoln University has a wonderful history, and it’s even more wonderful when you realize these soldiers of the 62nd and 65th Colored Regiments, who were paid about $13 a month, would give $6,000 to start this school. I am so proud to have received my undergraduate degree from Lincoln, and I’m so proud of our founders.
Sources: The majority of sources from this article came from Michelle Brooks, who wrote a paper to complete her degree at Lincoln University and now is writing a book about the founding of the university. Michelle has over 20 years experience as a newspaper reporter. A GoFundMe account called “Researching the 62nd USTC” has been set up to help in the research costs.
Sam Bushman is the presiding commissioner on the Cole County Commission. He shares his perspective each month on county issues. He can be reached at [email protected].