Moberly, MO - On April 26, 1865, about two weeks following Lee's surrender, some women who worked in a hospital in Columbia, S. Carolina, decorated the graves of soldiers who had died during the Civil War. This date has been taken in many states to commemorate Confederate Memorial Day.

The William T. Anderson Camp No. 1743, Sons of Confederate Veterans gathered in Keytesville Saturday at the foot of the Gen. Sterling Price memorial statue and recounted some aspects of Missouri's role in the Civil War, especially men from this area. A list of names was read that included some of those from Chariton County who died during the war.

Neil Block, camp commander, led the service. He gave a brief history of the secession of states and the reason for Missouri taking part in the war.

Under the Missouri Compromise, Missouri entered the Union as a slave state. Block said about 80 percent of Missouri residents felt there was no reason to secede. However, people from Iowa and Illinois, states firmly against slavery, began to "occupy" each county seat in Missouri. Block said Missouri wanted to stay out of the war but it eventually had to resist the occupation.

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An important part of the country's history soon will return to life in Clay County. The annual reenactment of the Battle of Chalk Bluff will be held at the state park located at the historic site. The event will encompass the entire weekend of Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4.

This year's event will coincide with historic dates, as the actual battle took place from May 1 through May 2, 1863. This year's event celebrates the 145th anniversary of the most famous Civil War battle in Northeast Arkansas.

This year also is important for Civil War enthusiasts, as 2008 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

One of the event's coordinators, W. Danny Honnoll of Jonesboro, has been hard at work making preparations for this year's event.

Honnoll, a Civil War historian, has been a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans organization for the last 28 years. He also is president of the Arkansas Civil War Heritage Trails Foundation.

"The history of the Civil War and its impact on our state and country as a whole is something I've always been interested in," Honnoll said. "This is a big part of our history and it's important that we do what we can to honor that and keep it relevant in our minds."

Honnoll says this year's event is shaping up to be one of Chalk Bluff's largest celebrations.

"I think we'll have more reenactors and cannons this year," Honnoll said. "Right now, it looks like we'll have six to eight cannons that take part in the battle. It also looks like we'll have right at 100 reenactors and camp followers involved, as well."

Honnoll also said he expects to have more cavalry troops on horseback for this year's event than were present in year's past.

"I think having more cavalry and more cannons will help the reenactment. I think that adds more excitement for the crowd. The cannons especially help draw in people."

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Members of the Turner Brigade and friends from the Civil War Roundtable of Cape Girardeau gathered at Fort D Saturday and will be there today to deliver living history as part of the weekend's Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive.

The Civil War re-enactors talked with a few local youngsters visiting the fort who stopped to watch the costumed men of Fort D Bissell's Engineers of the West, Company G.

Bark was shaved from logs with a carpenter's hatchet by Turner Brigade member Scott House for use in making a chevaux de friese, or horse fence. Linked together, the structures provided a good defense against horses and infantry. As re-enactors drilled holes into the logs with an auger, visitors Omar Wiley, 13, of Cape Girardeau, Tyler Park, 12, of Southern Illinois and Vario Bry, 5, of Cape Girardeau, all got a chance to turn the auger and create the hole to be occupied by a log.

Created by Union forces for the four years of the Civil War, Fort D protected the city of Cape Girardeau from attack.

"Fort D was an engineer troop. They were trained to be fighters but primarily built roads, bridges and rebuilt railroads," House said.

Nearby a camp was set up where men ate and women sewed by hand, weaved and prepared food.

Women's roles

Jennifer Litteken of Cuba, Mo., embroidered initials on a soldier's quilt. Women used American Indian weaving sticks, a hand-held weaving device, to produce narrow strips of woven material that could be joined to make larger items.

During the Civil War, women served as laundresses and nurses. But there was a group of about 400 Union women known to have disguised themselves to serve in the Civil War, said Diane Zelinske, a member of the Turner Brigade. "They figure about 250 Confederate women served, but it's almost sure there were more because they wrote no letters for fear of being found out." And many papers were burned before and after the war, she said.

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