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MALDEN, Mo. — Civil War researcher and historian Paul Arnold shared the little-known story of the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry and its unconventional commander, Col. Edward Daniels, highlighting their significance in the Battle of Chalk Bluff in southeast Missouri during the Bootheel Youth Museum’s Third Thursday series in Malden. Arnold, who grew up in Stoddard County, said the Civil War was a constant presence in his childhood. “The first thing I ever heard about the Civil War was that ‘Lisa ran the answer,’” he joked, recalling early family conversations. “We always talked about my Confederate ancestors a lot more than my Union ancestors.” His academic focus shifted in college when he discovered a cache of letters from Union soldiers in the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry whose stories had never been properly recorded. “The lives these folks lived, the things they saw, and the impact they had on our little part of the world—it fascinated me,” he said. That research eventually led him to a small library in Fairfax County, Virginia, where he located the only known photograph of Col. Daniels. “I couldn’t believe no one had written about him,” Arnold said. “With all the resources I found, it shocked me that his story was still untold.” Daniels, an outspoken abolitionist before the war, had run weapons to John Brown’s forces in Kansas by disguising Sharps carbines in crates marked as Bibles. Despite having no military experience, he later served in Abraham Lincoln’s frontier guard and eventually commanded the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry. Arnold noted that Daniels’ strong moral convictions sometimes interfered with his battlefield strategy. “He was such a fundamentalist that it would get in the way of his tactics,” Arnold said. “You see it at Chalk Bluff, and you see it throughout the war.” Arnold recounted the events leading to the Battle of Chalk Bluff, fought April 30–May 1, 1863, after Confederate Gen. John Marmaduke launched his second raid into Missouri. Hoping to draw Union troops away from Vicksburg, Marmaduke led a poorly supplied force northward before being turned back at Cape Girardeau and retreating through a series of skirmishes. “If Marmaduke hadn’t invaded, the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry would have gone straight to Vicksburg,” Arnold explained. “In that sense, his raid really did divert Union troops.” At Chalk Bluff, Confederate troops under Jeff Thompson constructed a makeshift bridge across the St. Francis River by hollowing out giant logs and swinging them across the current. A critical mistake—crossing exhausted horses without loosening their girths—led to the drowning of about 40 animals. Union cavalry pressed south on May 1, battling through Confederate positions at Four Mile, Gravel Hill, and the historic Taylor Hotel. As Confederates retreated across the river and positioned themselves atop the high Arkansas bluffs, Union forces missed a key opportunity. “If they had attacked that night, they would have annihilated the Confederates,” Arnold said. “But they didn’t—and that hesitation let Marmaduke escape.” The next day, Union troops attempted to cross the river after Confederates burned the ferry and cut the bridge. With no cover, they faced devastating fire from above. “It was a turkey shoot,” Arnold recalled, sharing stories passed down through his own family. “My great-grandfather talked about how they could see every movement the Federals made.” Although the battle did not alter the ultimate outcome of the Civil War, Arnold said it was pivotal for the region. “As a turning point for southeast Missouri, absolutely,” he said. After the battle, Union forces gained permanent control of the Chalk Bluff crossing, securing a vital supply route from St. Louis into Arkansas. Arnold holds a bachelor’s degree in historic preservation and a master’s degree in history from Southeast Missouri State University. He has taught at Richland R-1 Schools in Essex for 20 years and was named the 2009 Missouri History Teacher of the Year, the 2014 Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year, and a 2022 DESE Missouri Teacher of the Year finalist. He lives in Stoddard County with his wife, Rebecca, also a teacher at Richland Schools. They have three daughters and two granddaughters. The Bootheel Youth Museum said it was honored to host Arnold for its Third Thursday program and praised his dedication to preserving and sharing southeast Missouri’s Civil War history.