National interest in Kansas and Vernon County heralds the first event of the 2011 Civil War Sesquicentennial

National and local historians, along with members of the Blue & Gray Educational Society, visited Vernon County Civil War sites and the Bushwhacker Museum in Nevada, Thursday, as part of a week-long tour titled, "Bleeding Kansas."

By Nancy Malcom

Herald-Tribune

Nevada, Mo --On Thursday, Terry Ramsey, coordinator for the Bushwhacker Museum, Nevada, joined in with a group of local experts, national and international historians investigating Civil War sites in eastern Kansas and western Missouri.

The group, The Blue & Gray Educational Society, is conducting the week-long "Bleeding Kansas" tour. A non-profit organization of about 1,500 national and international members, the BGES has toured more than 230 Civil War battlefields since it began 12 years ago.

This group's visit could be of high importance to Vernon County, as the proposed establishment of a new National Heritage Area could increase the tourism in this region a great deal, Ramsey believes. If enacted, the designation of Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area, would establish sites visited in 20 counties in eastern and central Kansas and 12 counties in western Missouri as a nationally regognized area of historic interest and importance. The BGES considers its "Bleeding Kansas" tour the first presentation of the national 2011 Civil War sesquicentennial commemoration.

"Bleeding Kansas" refers to the violence between pro- and anti-slavery forces in Kansas in the years prior to the Civil War.

In fact, some individuals in Kansas feel the Civil War actually started in Kansas, with the Battle of Black Jack.

The significance of Missouri's involvement in this project is the close proximity of the families of the opposing forces.

The intensity and longevity of the Missouri and Kansas border wars are very well known among local historians.

After touring some of the nationally lesser-known Missouri sites, such as the battles of Drywood and Charlot; the group spent time at the Bushwhacker Museum.

Some nationally-known members of the group include Ed Bears, the retired Chief Historian Emeritus for the National Parks System, considered one of the most famous tour leaders in the country; Arnold Schofield, historian at Mine Creek and former superintendent at the Fort Scott National Historic Site; Nicole Etcheson, history professor at Ball State University and author of "Bleeding Kansas" and Kendall Gott, instructor at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. He is authoring a book on Price's Raid.

Ramsey commented, "Since I have been involved in the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area and the Missouri Civil War Heritage Foundation, I am really pleased about the opportunity for our community. This is what Civil War heritage tourism is all about, sharing the combined stories on both sides of the Missouri/Kansas border."