Civil War Battle Myth Debunker to Speak at Westminster About Callaway County’s Battle of Moore’s Mill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fulton, MO ‒ March 20, 2023: Myths surrounding Callaway County’s bloody Battle of Moore’s Mill during the U.S. Civil War will be the subject of a lecture by archaeologist Dr. Douglas D. Scott from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in the Coulter Science Center Lecture Hall at Westminster College.
The lecture — which is free and open to the public — is co-sponsored by the Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society.
“Debunking Iconic Myths: Using Archaeology to Reinterpret Civil War Sites’ Stories in Missouri” will examine forensic and ballistic evidence found 10 years ago at the Moore’s Mill battle site in Calwood, Missouri.
In March 2013, Scott led battlefield detectives from Westminster College, Lindenwood University, and Missouri Valley College in unearthing artillery shells, small-arms bullets, fragments, and other objects that were distinct to Union and Confederate troops.
Findings from the 2013 Moore’s Mill excavation will be on display in the back of the lecture hall.
Scott will discuss how the findings led to careful analysis and mapping of the battle site, allowing Scott and others to identify artillery positions during both sides of the conflict.
Dr. Nichol Allen, Assistant Professor of Museum Studies at Westminster, said Civil War buffs and many more will learn a lot from Scott’s presentation.
“There were many myths about how involved Missouri was in the Civil War, which is why Dr. Scott’s research is so interesting, and important, to this state,” Allen said.
Famous for his original research in the early 1980s on the Battle of Little Big Horn, Scott is the author and co-author of a number of books on Civil War battlefield archaeology. His research is also the subject of the Battlefield Detectives series by the History Channel.
The Battle of Moore’s Mill involved hundreds of soldiers during a four-hour period in the afternoon of July 28, 1862.
Allen, whose area of expertise is African American and American history, said she is excited this lecture is open to the public.
She reflects, “Because a decade has passed since the archaeological dig, my hope is to bring the research back to life and create a collaborative connection again between Westminster College and the Callaway County community.”
In addition to the Moore’s Mill archaeological findings display, a traveling exhibit celebrating the Ulysses Grant Bicentennial in Missouri will be located in the back of the Coulter Science Center Lecture Hall. After March 21, the display will be located through March 31 in Reeves Library on Westminster’s campus. The Ulysses Grant Traveling Exhibit is sponsored by the Missouri Humanities Council.
ABOUT WESTMINSTER COLLEGE: Founded in 1851 and home of Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech, Westminster College in Fulton is ranked prestigiously by U.S. News & World Report as the only National Liberal Arts College in Missouri. Westminster is listed as one of the top institutions in the country for economic mobility and return on investment, placing in the top 16 percent for graduate earnings with a more than 90 percent placement rate. Westminster also is a Forbes Best Value College that focuses on educating and inspiring students to make an impact on the world around them.
To find out more about Westminster College, please visit our website at WCMO.edu.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please contact Sarah Backer at 573-220-9038 or [email protected].
