This headstone commemorates Civil War veteran George Washington, who is buried in the Clinton Cemetery, 20 miles southwest of Lawrence. (Frank Barthell)

Hidden stories in plain sight

This two-week series delves into the history and legacy of the Kansas-Missouri border war.

In the first part of this series, I credited small county historical museums for at times being as valuable as larger destination museums in telling compelling stories. This tale of George Washington is one example.

Text from an exhibit at the Wakarusa Valley Heritage Museum, Bloomington, Kansas:

"George Washington was born into the institution of slavery in Virginia in 1840. He was later given as a wedding gift to a new family by his slave master and migrated with them by wagon and steamboat to Platte County, Missouri. He remained enslaved on the Miller hemp and corn plantation and was owned by Jesse Miller."

"In early 1862, Washington escaped enslavement in Parkville, Missouri and crossed the frozen Missouri River at night. Hiding in caves along the riverbank he made his way to the riverfront abolitionist town of Quindaro where he joined Union forces. Controversial Abolitionist Senator James H. Lane was at this location recruiting among free blacks."

In papers housed at the museum, Washington's great grandson, James Johnson, wrote extensively about his ancestor.

"Five-hundred men were recruited from Wyandotte and Quindaro, Ks. and placed in camp," Johnson wrote. "Only days before they had been fugitive slaves, property like horses and pigs. Now they wore pantaloons imported from France and marched in step. The men exhibited enormous pride when in uniform under discipline and impressed everyone with their fine appearance and superb precision on the drill field. George Washington was one of those first recruits. ... They were destined to become the first black men in the Civil War. They were the first to serve along whites. And they were the first to die."

He continued: "On the 28th October, 1862, a command from now Col. Williams' recruits were moved and camped near Butler, Mo. This command -- about two-hundred and twenty-five men ( -- were) attacked by a rebel force of about five hundred. After a severe engagement the confederates were defeated with considerable loss. ... Ten 1st Kansans died in the fighting, with 12 wounded."

Text from a Bates County Historical Museum poster, Butler, Missouri: "The Devil's Fought Like Tigers" said Capital Bill Turman, Confederate guerilla of Bates County, Missouri.

Text from an exhibit at the Wakarusa Valley Heritage Museum, Bloomington, Kansas:

"After leaving service, Washington purchased farm property in Bloomington, Kansas and in 1868, married his neighbor Arminda Simpson. Here they raised a family of seven children. The Washington family was socially active in the Bloomington community. He organized the Emancipation Day celebration on August 1st of each year where he spoke eloquently of his participation in the Civil War and the heroism of his brothers. George Washington passed away on December 26, 1931 and is buried in the family plot in the Clinton Cemetery."

Johnson continued his account: "On September 30, 1993, an important event in my life took place. I traveled to Platte City, Mo. to meet a relative of my great-grand father's slave owner. His name is Gordon Miller, an insurance executive. The first meeting was arranged by local historian/genealogist Shirley Kimsey. It was an emotional experience for the both of us and a tremendous amount of storytelling took place. After hours of conversation, we became good friends."

"The next week, Gordon and his brother Robert took me to the site where my great grandfather was a slave," Johnson wrote. "We toured the family cemetery where Jesse Miller, his wife Margaret Jones/Miller and others in their clan were buried. ... Over the years, my aforementioned colleagues and I will continue to do a tremendous amount of research and lecturing on this era of mid-west American history."

In the summer of 2022, I visited the Battle of Island Mound State Historic Site. It's more of a hiking trail than a battle site. Still, there were cutouts with markers indicating precisely what happened on that spot. That helped.

I drove to the town of Butler, eight miles east. What I spotted on the courthouse lawn was simply a statue of a Civil War warrior holding a rifle, waist high.

"A Confederate. Typical," I recall saying to myself.

As I moved closer, I was awestruck. It was a bronze nearly life-sized statue of a 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer. "The Battle of Island Mound" statue was dedicated in 2008, created by sculptor Joel Randall. Even after 146 years, a Missouri community saw a need to recognize a neglected act of heroism.

The solider, I believe, doesn't merely represent Washington or even the volunteers. He stands guard for 179,000 Black men who served the Union cause during the Civil War.

I finished research for this series thinking about legacies. The Butler statue is a stunning piece of art meant to highlight the legacies of Black soldiers in the Civil War -- courage, commitment, sacrifice and faith in the promise of the U.S. Constitution. It will be appreciated for decades on the courthouse lawn.

What other legacies from this deadly border war on Missouri and Kansas soil are being passed down to the next generation? For me, that's not an academic question. In my tour, I've found the answers to this question are key to understanding much of today's political controversies.