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Arriving at Bellefontaine Cemetery, the group learned the agenda for the day from Master Guide Dan Fuller. He told the group how the cemetery houses significant actors in Missouri's Civil War history.

Last Friday, March 2, the Civil War and Reconstruction class took a field trip to Bellefontaine Cemetery and the Missouri Civil War Museum.

The trip highlighted the class curriculum which involves Missouri’s integral involvement in the Civil War.

Civil War and Reconstruction teacher Vincent DeBlasi said “Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the importance that Missouri played during the Civil War. As a matter of fact, President Lincoln kept a close eye on the events and people integral in keeping our state and city, St. Louis, out of the hands of the Confederacy.”

At Bellefontaine Cemetery, the group toured grave sites of important Civil-War era people.

“For instance, Frank Blair kept an eye on the state for Lincoln. Frank was a brother to Montgomery Blair, Lincoln’s Postmaster General and confidant,” DeBlasi said.

The next leg of the field trip took place at the Missouri Civil War Museum at Jefferson Barracks.

Museum Founder and CEO Mark Trout was the group’s liaison throughout the day, and he even demonstrated a live firing of a Civil War era 1856 Enfield rifle.

“The coolest part of the demo was that one of my students actually got to fire the weapon with the aid of Mr. Trout,” DeBlasi said. “The weapon was loaded with a blank!”

The students were given an activity to use names from Bellefontaine Cemetery and research their actions in the Civil War.