HRES 1419

Whereas Jefferson Barracks was established on July 10, 1826, as the first Infantry School of Practice of the Army, replacing Fort Bellefontaine, and remains the oldest operational military installation west of the Mississippi River;

Whereas the post was named in honor of President Thomas Jefferson and was founded on 1,702 acres acquired from residents of the former French Village of Carondelet, serving initially to provide hands-on training complementing academic instruction at West Point;

Whereas during the 1820s and 1830s, troops from Jefferson Barracks played a key role in westward expansion;

Whereas on March 2, 1833, Congress authorized the U.S. Regiment of Dragoons at Jefferson Barracks, the first permanent cavalry unit in the U.S. Army, which later evolved into the 1st Cavalry and served as a precursor to modern armored forces;

Whereas during the Mexican-American War from 1846 to 1848, Jefferson Barracks functioned as a rest and supply station, recruiting center, and staging ground, with troops under General Zachary Taylor distinguishing themselves in battle;

Whereas by the 1840s, Jefferson Barracks had grown into the largest military installation in the United States, expanding its roles to include an ordnance depot, engineer base, cavalry post, general hospital, induction and separation center, and basic training facility;

Whereas during the Civil War from 1861 to 1865, over 100 general officers from both the Union and Confederacy served at Jefferson Barracks, and it hosted the first Union action in Missouri with the capture of Camp Jackson on May 10, 1861, under Captain Nathaniel Lyon;

Whereas the installation became a major hospital during the Civil War, treating over 18,000 soldiers, supplemented by floating hospitals, and serving as a burial site for many, while also functioning as a recruitment depot;

Whereas during World War I from 1917 to 1918, Jefferson Barracks became an enlistment and deployment center for recruits from 12 Midwestern States, housing over 12,000 recruits at its peak and contributing an estimated 200,000 men to the war effort through training and troop movements;

Whereas Dwight D. Eisenhower began his military career at Jefferson Barracks in 1911, preparing for West Point entrance exams, before later becoming Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II and President of the United States;

Whereas after World War II, Jefferson Barracks was declared surplus and decommissioned in 1946, with facilities transferred to the State of Missouri for the Missouri National Guard, marking its ongoing role in the reserve components;

Whereas Jefferson Barracks was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, and today serves as a county park, historic site, and museum district, including the Missouri Civil War Museum founded in 2002, the POW/MIA Museum, and the Ordnance Museum;

Whereas the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, established in 1827, is the final resting place for over 200,000 veterans from all U.S. wars, including 16,000 soldiers of the Civil War, and continues to operate with memorials and daily burials;

Whereas Jefferson Barracks remains an active military installation, home to units of the Missouri Air National Guard and Army National Guard, a Veterans Affairs hospital complex, and recreational amenities like trails, disc golf, and archery, offering free public access and symbolizing 200 years of dedication, resilience, and remembrance;

Whereas in the present day, Jefferson Barracks continues to support national security through Reserve and National Guard operations, historic preservation, veteran services, and community engagement, making it an invaluable cornerstone of Missouri’s military heritage and the defense of the United States: Now, therefore, be it