The Civil War in Cass County

Locally referred to as The Burnt District due to the literal destruction of homes and property as a result of General Order No. 11, Cass County residents faced an unbelievable level of violence and suffering during the Civil War. It was an area where brother fought brother, where Northern and Southern sentiments ran strong often within the same house and Cass County was at the center of the growing tension along the Kansas-Missouri border.

Union General Thomas Ewing, Jr.’s directive from Order No. 11, issued on August 23, 1863, ordered the forcible evacuation of the rural areas in Jackson, Cass, Bates, and Vernon counties. In theory, Order No. 11 sought to relocate civilians to local military towns and away from most of the fighting, as well as root out pro-Confederate guerilla forces along the border. In practice, however, the implementation of the Order was much more aggressive. Ewing was cautioned multiple times, even by President Lincoln himself, to prevent indiscriminate, vigilante enforcement of the evacuation.

“Upon the representation of General Ewing and others . . . I became satisfied there could be no cure for the evil short of the removal from those counties of all slaves entitled to their freedom, and of the families of all men known to belong to these bands, and others who were known to sympathize with them. Accordingly I directed General Ewing to adopt and carry out the policy he had indicated, warning him, however, of the retaliation which might be attempted. . .” – Abraham Lincoln

These warnings were ignored. Ewing proved incapable of controlling the looting, burning, killing, and other cruelties perpetrated against civilians by soldiers.

Even after the war finally ended, areas affected by the fighting along the border would never be the same. Many had left with nothing but what they could carry as they fled and over half of them never returned. The Stern Visitations of War exhibit seeks to document this time in Cass County history, preserving these stories for future generations so that we all may learn from the past.

About the Stern Visitations Exhibit

Exploring the story of the Civil War in Cass County, Missouri, this 11-panel exhibit was a joint project with the Cass County Public Library, the Cass County Historical Society, and Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area (FFNHA). Panel topics cover the full breadth of what it was like to live in Cass County and the surrounding area through the harrowing gauntlet of war. Discover the stories of women and enslaved people, aggression along the border, Order Number 11 and the exodus it caused along with many other events before, during, and after the war. These topics can be explored in detail by viewing the page dedicated to each panel, which can be accessed through the links provided at the top of this page or by scanning the QR code located on the panel or display card.

Funding for the Stern Visitations Exhibit was provided by a grant from Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area and matched in-kind by the work of researchers from the Genealogy Branch of the Cass County Public Library and the Cass County Historical Society.

Part of the exhibit includes an interactive map. Visitors can explore each area of Cass County leading up to and during the Civil War. You can access that interactive map below.