Art News

Weekend Search may Help Map Civil War Site in Missouri

ST. LOUIS (AP).- One of the nation’s leading battlefield archaeologists fanned out with volunteers in central Missouri Friday in hopes of pinpointing the exact spot of a Civil War battle that ended one of the divisive war’s most famous and longest raids. Those involved say the search could be a boon for Missouri’s quest to draw in Civil War buffs as the 150th anniversary of the divisive conflict between the North and South fast approaches. Led by forensic archaeologist Doug Scott, they hope to find bullets, pieces of horse harnesses and other evidence from the 1863 Battle of Marshall — a skirmish that happened 147 years ago next Wednesday. Missouri’s place in the war is undeniable: The state trails only Virginia and Tennessee in the number of Civil War battles fought. Those states, along with Pennsylvania, have been savvy in erecting battlefield monuments that lure thousands of visitors each year, boosting their tourism revenues. As anniversary observances of the war loom, “ever