A History of the University of Missouri-- Part 2: The Fighting "Tigers" and Occupation

From Wikipedia.

The coming of the Civil War forced the university to close for much of 1862.  Residents of Columbia formed a Union "home guard" militia that was known as the "Fighting Tigers of Columbia."    They were given that name because of their readiness to fight for and protect the city and university.

In 1890, the universities newly formed football team took the name "Tigers" after the Civil War militia unit.

******************************************

From Archives of Univ. of Missouri  "The Military and Mizzou:  1861-1946."

The role of the University of Missouri-Columbia, in the military began during the Civil War in 1862.  Missouri was a border state so there were those in Columbia who favored the Confederacy, so the town fell under the watchful eye of the federal government.

On January 2, 1862, a group of Missouri volunteers known as Merrill's Horse" arrived in Columbia.  They pitched tents on campus and garrisoned  the school.  Academic Hall , the former administrative building  that burned down in 1892, was used to house soldiers.

These troops also interned Confederate prisoners  in the main library's third floor.

--Old Secesh