During the American Civil War, the secession of Missouri from the Union was controversial because of the state's disputed status. Missouri was claimed by both the Union and the Confederacy, had two rival state governments, and sent representatives to both the United States Congress and the Confederate Congress. Despite sporadic threats from pro-Confederate irregular armies, the Union government had established permanent control of Missouri by the end of 1861, with the Confederate government functioning only as a government in exile for the duration of the war. Missouri Constitutional Convention In the aftermath of the 1860 election, the governor of Missouri was Claiborne Fox Jackson, a Southern sympathizer who favored secession. At his inauguration, during the so called Secession Winter Jackson had requested the authorization of a state constitutional convention to consider the relationship between Missouri and the Federal government. A special referendum approved the Missouri Constitutional Convention and delegates were elected. Contrary to Jackson's expectations, no avowed secessionist delegates were elected. In February, Jackson unsuccessfully argued for Missouri's secession before the State Constitutional Convention convened to debate the issue under the leadership of former governor Sterling Price. Most of Missouri, like Price, held "conditional Unionist" beliefs at this point, meaning they neither favored secession nor supported the United States warring against the Confederacy. They voted against secession on March 1, 1861. St. Louis Arsenal In early February, United States Army Captain Nathaniel Lyon, was transferred to Missouri and stationed at the St. Louis Arsenal. The arsenal was under the command of Brevet Major Peter V. Hagner and supervised by Brigadier General William S. Harney, commander of the U.S. Army's Department of the West. Both men were considered moderates on the issues of slavery and sectional conflict by pro-slavery and southern sympathizer President James Buchanan's administration. Both men believed a policy of appeasement would keep Missouri in the Union, with Harney in particular having deep ties to the Missouri elite through his wife's family. Lyon on the other hand believed conflict was inevitable in Missouri, and that appeasement was a dangerous mistake. He came to this position from his experience with the violence carried out by Missouri "border-ruffians" during Bleeding Kansas. The St. Louis Arsenal, containing one of the largest caches of military supplies in the West, was of great strategic importance to any coming conflict in the state. During the Secession Winter a number of Southern States seceded from the