During the Civil War, Bloomfield, Missouri was a strategically important point due to its location atop Crowley's Ridge. Both Union and Confederate forces fought for control of the town, which changed hands sixteen times during the war. The town was raided, occupied, and burned by various forces, including guerrillas led by Polk Conyers. In 1865, Bloomfield residents began constructing a fort on the courthouse square for protection against guerrilla attacks, but work ceased when the war ended. In 1863, there was a mutiny among Union officers in Bloomfield, but the ringleader was dismissed from the army and the others were court-martialed. After the war, Major Samuel Montgomery, who had married a Confederate sympathizer, remained in Bloomfield and served as a judge, school board member, and town mayor.
