Civil War Saint Louis

AN INTERESTING WEB SITE, Civil War St. Louis, documenting the tragedy of the war in the deeply divided city:

The meeting at Planter's House hotel between Gov. Claiborne F. Jackson, Gen. Sterling Price (accompanied by Col. Thomas L. Snead) and Nathanial Lyon, Frank Blair (accompanied by Maj. Conant). It ended with Lyon making the famous proclamation as recorded by Snead:

"Finally, when the conference had lasted four or five hours, Lyon closed it, as he had opened it, Rather,' said he (he was still seated, and spoke deliberately, slowly, and with a peculiar emphasis), 'rather than concede to the State of Missouri the right to demand that my Government shall not enlist troops within her limits, or bring troops into the State whenever it pleases, or move its troops at its own will into, out of, or through the State; rather than concede to the State of Missouri for one single instant the right to dictate to my Government in any matter however unimportant, I would (rising as he said this and pointing in turn to every one in the room) see you, and you, and you, and you, and every man, woman, and child in the State, dead and buried.'

"Then turning to the Governor, he said: 'This means war. In an hour one of my officers will call for you and conduct you out of my lines.'