STARS AND STRIPES TAKES ROOT IN BLOOMFIELD

In 1861, the first year of the Civil War, a group of journalists and printers in the Union Army gathered in Bloomfield, Mo., and printed the first copy of the Stars and Stripes. In the years to come, this paper grew to have a world-wide distribution network, being distributed to U.S. servicemen and women.

Bloomfield is home to the new Stars and Stripes Museum, which was dedicated in October 1999 to honor the origin and history of the paper. Dr. Frank Nickell, professor of history at Southeast Missouri State University, is one of the many who helped with the opening of the museum.

"The Stars and Stripes," said Nickell, "is put out by the AFIS, the Armed Forces Information Systems. Today, it keeps tabs on the president, sport scores, world events, etc. Imagine, if you were overseas in a place where you couldn't watch the news or get a local paper. The Stars and Stripes would be your only means of getting the information about what's going back in the U.S. It means a lot to those in the service."

The official Stars and Stripes Web site, located at www.sheltonbbs.com, says that on Nov. 2, 1861, a division of the Union army led by Col. J. Oglesby received orders from Brigadier General U.S. Grant to disperse Confederate troops that were in Stoddard County. Oglesby and his troops camped in Bloomfield, where they found the abandoned Bloomfield Herald.

"The Union soldiers moved the Confederates out and occupied the town," said Nickell. "They found the printing press and some of the men had been printers in Fairfield, Ill. So they just said hey, we could print up a newspaper. So they printed that one, the only issue to be printed during the war, stayed in the town for a few days, fell back to Cape Girardeau and the Confederates moved back in."

Today's Stars and Stripes differs from the first issue. The first issue contained news about the Union army's recent battles and positive letters to boost the morale of its readers. Currently, the Stars and Stripes tries to inform its readers about military and global issues.

With the addition of the new museum in Bloomfield, the history of the Stars and Stripes will live on. The Stars and Stripes Museum/Library Association feels that the paper's significance would be lost if the materials were placed in a large museum.