Editing Nathaniel Lyon (section)

===St. Louis Arsenal===
[[File:St-louis-arsenal.jpg|thumb|A monument to Nathaniel Lyon with the [[St. Louis Arsenal]] in the background]]

In March 1861, shortly before the outbreak of the [[American Civil War]], Lyon arrived in [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]] in command of Company B of the 2nd U.S. Infantry. At the time the population and state of Missouri were relatively neutral in the dispute between North and South, but Governor [[Claiborne F. Jackson]] was a strong Southern sympathizer, as were many of the state legislators. Lyon guessed correctly that Jackson would seize the [[St. Louis Arsenal|federal arsenal in St. Louis]] if the state seceded and that the Union had insufficient defensive forces to prevent the seizure.<ref name=Downhour />

He attempted to strengthen the defenses, but came into opposition from his superiors, including [[Brigadier General|Brig. Gen.]] [[William S. Harney]] of the [[Department of the West]]. Lyon employed his friendship with [[Francis P. Blair Jr.]], to have himself named commander of the arsenal. When the Civil War broke out and President [[Abraham Lincoln]] called for troops to put down the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]], Missouri was asked to supply four regiments. Governor Jackson refused the request and ordered the [[Missouri State Guard]] to muster outside St. Louis under the stated purpose of training for home defense.<ref name=Downhour />