Northeast Civil War Tour

Start your tour of northeast Missouri's Civil War sites in Kirksville. The town's northern position helped secure a Union victory on Aug. 6-9, 1862, thus enforcing control over northern Missouri. Two monuments in the Forrest-Llewelyn Cemetery are dedicated to the Confederate soldiers who lost their lives in this battle. In Kirksville you will find the E.M. Violette Museum and the Pickler Memorial Library. Both of these great museums feature history and artifacts from northeast Missouri during the Civil War. Another point of interest is the Adair County Veterans Memorial Plaza.

Next, travel through Memphis, Mo., on your way to Athens. While in Memphis, visit the Downing House, the Boyer House, and the Memphis Depot Museum on Main Street. This museum houses memorabilia dating back to 1841 and features a Civil War collection.

Athens is known as the location of the northernmost Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi. On Aug. 5, 1861, the better-trained and well-equipped Union forces held off forces five times their size and helped protect northern Missouri. Now visitors can relive the past at the Battle of Athens State Historic Site. Tours, exhibits, and interpretive displays tell the story of Athens and take visitors back to 1861.

Palmyra is the next stop on the trip. Palmyra had remained uninvolved in the Civil War until the events of Oct. 18, 1862. Ten prisoners were brutally shot by Gen. John McNeil for the alleged murder of a prominent Unionist in the area. McNeil became known as the "Butcher of Palmyra" and was denounced in both Confederate and Union newspapers. After the "Palmyra Massacre," Confederate enlistments and reenlistments grew. A monument stands in the place where the brutal killings took place.

End the day in Hannibal and take a riverboat dinner cruise aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat, or during the summer, visit the Mark Twain Outdoor Theater for live drama with characters from "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn." Mark Twain, the famous humorist, piloted riverboats until the Civil War broke out. He then served for two weeks in the Confederate Army only to quit and start writing the stories that made him famous.

The next morning, your tour continues in the river town of Hannibal. Hannibal, the quaint place where Samuel Clemens, later to be known as Mark Twain, spent his boyhood years, kindled many of his philosophies about life and became the backdrop of his literature. Spend the day exploring the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, Mark Twain Cave and any of the little shops and museums on Main Street. Ride the Hannibal Trolley for a delightful open-air tour, and visit Rockcliffe Mansion to see a circa 1900 mansion restored to its original splendor.

From Hannibal, you can make a day trip Florida, Mo., where Samuel Clemens was born. Tour Mark Twain State Park, which incorporates the ruins of most of the town. One highlight within the park is the Baker/Goodier House, where Ulysses S. Grant maintained his headquarters in July 1861.