Our next major fundraising project is to create a new State Historic Site. We are working closely with the Division of State Parks to acquire the site where the Battle of Island Mound took place.
The site of the Battle of Island Mound is in Bates County, Missouri. The major significance of this battle was that is was the first engagement between an African American Union Regiment and irregular Confederate guerrillas. This battle occurred in 1862, prior to the time President Lincoln or his Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, gave any authority to organize black troops into fighting units. Jim Lane mustered the 1st Kansas Colored after being specifically requested not to do so. This battle was featured in Harper's magazine and became a national symbol of the willingness of black troops to fight for the Union cause. The site is nationally significant and is important to Missouri and Kansas history.
State Parks plan would be to acquire the site and then develop an interpretive plan as well as a site development plan. The Missouri State Parks Foundation is eager to help State Parks raise the money to make this happen. We hope to launch this campaign in the near future.
