The Missouri Historical Society (MHS) was founded in St. Louis in 1866 “for the purpose of saving from oblivion the history of the city and the state“. As one of our nation’s most awarded institutions, MHS is committed to sharing the stories, giving us a greater understanding, of our community, the people who live here, and those who have enriched our history. They serve the community with award-winning exhibits that over 400,000 people attend yearly, they have over 175,000 artifacts (including Archer Alexander’s gold watch), and over 4,500 members.

On Thursday, June 16th, 2022 their blog History Happens Here shared Archer Alexander, American Hero

On a cold winter night in 1863, Archer Alexander was visiting his wife Louisa when he overheard some area men in a meeting in the back room of Naylor’s Store. Besides Louisa’s enslaver James Naylor, there was also Archer’s enslaver, Richard Hickman Pitman. The men were plotting the destruction of the wooden bridge over Peruque Creek—a vital and important link for the Union Army—on which hundreds of troops and essential supplies were moved daily

See https://mohistory.org/blog/archer-alexander