During the Civil War men from Oregon County marched off to fight for the Confederate States of America on three separate occasions.
In July, 1861 the Second Infantry Regiment of McBride's Seventh Division, Missouri State Guard was formed. Oregon County men made up Companies A, D, F, and G. On August 10, 1861 they fight at the Battle of Wilson's Creek near Springfield, Missouri and are victorious.
In early 1862 the Missouri State Guard is disbanded and regular Confederate Army units are formed. During February and March of 1862 Oregon County men are mustered into companies D and I of the 4th Missouri Infantry. The Fourth Missouri is sent to Mississippi where they engage in the Battle of Cornith, on October 3 & 4, 1862. The valiant Oregon County men suffer heavy losses to disease and battle causalities and finally surrender with 30,000 other Confederates at the Siege of Vicksburg, on July 4, 1863.
In the late winter and spring of 1864 Major Matthew G. Norman began organizing another regiment of troops. These men would join Northern Arkansas men led by Lt. Colonel James H. Tracy to form FRISTOE'S REGIMENT, MISSOURI CAVALRY. Colonel Edward T. Fristoe of Rappahannoch, Virginia would lead his command on the ill-fated Missouri invasion of General Sterling Price in the fall of 1864.
Oregon County men also joined FREEMAN'S REGIMENT, MISSOURI CAVALRY, and the 15th Missouri Cavalry Regiment from neighboring Ripley County. Other CSA Regiments with ties to Oregon County are: 8th Missouri Infantry, 10th Missouri Infantry and Coleman's Regiment.
Only a handful of Oregon County men joined the Union Army. The county suffered greatly during the war from raids of Union troops as well as the atrocities of bushwhackers.
