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Veteran Affairs

2012-08-01 13:26:30

Civil War battle summaries by state-series

A- Sure. I found several sites from which to put this information together. One of the best is http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/bystate.htm. Last issue, we featured some more of the battles in Missouri, including the battles of Fredericktown, Glasgow, Hartville and Independence. This month we will continue with more battles in Missouri, the battles of Kirksville, Lexington, Liberty and Little Blue River. Kirksville Other Names: None Location: Adair County Campaign: Operations North of Boston Mountains (1862) Date(s): August 6-9, 1862 Principal Commanders: Col. John McNeil [US]; Col. Joseph C. Porter [CS] Forces Engaged: Combined force (cavalry and artillery) [US]; Missouri Brigade [CS] Estimated Casualties: 456 total (US 88; CS 368) Description: Col. John McNeil and his troops, numbering about 1,000, had been pursuing Col. Joseph C. Porter and his Confederate Missouri Brigade of 2,500 men for more than a week. Before noon on August 6, McNeil attacked Porter in the town of Kirksville, where his men had hidden themselves in homes and stores and among the crops in the nearby fields. After almost three hours of fighting, the Yankees secured the town, captured numerous prisoners, and chased the others away. Three days later, another Union force met and finished the work begun at Kirksville, destroying Porter’s command. Kirksville helped consolidate Union dominance in northeastern Missouri. Result(s): Union victory Lexington Other Names: Battle of the Hemp Bales Location: Lafayette County Campaign: Operations to Control Missouri (1861) Date(s): September 13-20, 1861 Principal Commanders: Col. James A. Mulligan [US]; Maj. Gen. Sterling Price [CS] Forces Engaged: Garrison (approx. 3,500) [US]; Missouri State Guard (12,000) [CS] Estimated Casualties: 1,874 total (US 1,774; CS 100) Description: Following the victory at Wilson’s Creek, the Confederate Missouri State Guard, having consolidated forces in the northern and central part of the state, marched, under the command of Maj. Gen. Sterling Price, on Lexington. Col. James A. Mulligan commanded the entrenched Union garrison of about 3,500 men. Price’s men first encountered Union skirmishers on September 13 south of town and pushed them back into the fortifications. Price, having bottled the Union troops up in Lexington, decided to await his ammunition wagons, other supplies, and reinforcements before assaulting the fortifications. By the 18th, Price was ready and ordered an assault. The Missouri State Guard moved forward amidst heavy Union artillery fire and pushed the enemy back into their inner works. On the 19th, the Rebels consolidated their positions, kept the Yankees under heavy artillery fire and prepared for the final attack. Early on the morning of the 20th, Price’s men advanced behind mobile breastworks, made of hemp, close enough to take the Union works at the Anderson House in a final rush. Mulligan requested surrender terms after noon, and by 2:00 pm his men had vacated their works and stacked their arms. This Unionist stronghold had fallen, further bolstering southern sentiment and consolidating Confederate control in the Missouri Valley west of Arrow Rock. Result(s): Confederate victory Liberty Other Names: Blue Mills Landing, Blue Mills Location: Clay County Campaign: Operations to Control Missouri (1861) Date(s): September 17, 1861 Principal Commanders: Lt. Col. John Scott [US]; “General” D.R. Atchison (Atkinson) [CS] Forces Engaged: Detachments of 3rd Iowa Infantry, Home Guards, and artillery (approx. 600 men) [US]; 4th Division, Missouri State Guard [CS] Estimated Casualties: 126 total (US 56; CS 70) Description: “General” D.R. Atchison left Lexington on September 15, 1861, and proceeded to Liberty where he met the Missouri State Guard. On the night of September 16-17, his force crossed the Missouri River to the south side and prepared for a fight with Union troops reported to be in the area. At the same time, Union Lt. Col. John Scott led a force of about 600 men from Cameron, on the 15th, towards Liberty. He left his camp in Centreville, at 2:00 am on the 17th. He arrived in Liberty, sent scouts out to find the enemy, and, about 11:00 am, skirmishing began. At noon, Scott marched in the direction of the firing, approached Blue Mills Landing and, at 3:00 am, struck the Confederate pickets. The Union force began to fall back, though, and the Rebels pursued for some distance. The fight lasted for an hour. The Confederates were consolidating influence in northwestern Missouri. Result(s): Confederate victory Little Blue River Other Names: Westport Location: Jackson County Campaign: Price’s Missouri Expedition (1864) Date(s): October 21, 1864 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis [US]; Maj. Gen. Sterling Price [CS] Forces Engaged: 1st Division, Army of the Border [US]; Army of Missouri [CS] Estimated Casualties: Unknown Description: Price’s march along the Missouri River was slow, providing the Yankees a chance to concentrate. Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans, commanding the Department of the Missouri, proposed a pincer movement to trap Price and his army, but he was unable to communicate with Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis, commander of the Department of Kansas, to formalize the plan. Curtis was having problems because many of his troops were Kansas militia and they refused to enter Missouri, but a force of about 2,000 men under the command of Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt did set out for Lexington. He met the Confederate troops at Lexington on the 19th, slowed their progress, but was defeated and retreated. On the 20th, Blunt’s troops arrived on the Little Blue River, eight miles east of Independence. The Union force prepared to engage the Confederates again in a strong defensive position on the west bank. Curtis, however, ordered Blunt into Independence while leaving a small force, under Col. Thomas Moonlight, on the Little Blue. The next day, Curtis ordered Blunt to take all of the volunteers and return to the Little Blue. As he neared the stream, he discovered that Moonlight’s small force had burned the bridge as ordered, engaged the enemy, and retreated away from the strong defensive position occupied the day before, crossing the river. Blunt entered the fray and attempted to drive the enemy back beyond the defensive position that he wished to reoccupy. The Yankees forced the Confederates to fall back, at first, but their numerical superiority took its toll in the five-hour battle. The Federals retreated to Independence and went into camp there after dark. Once again, the Confederates had been slowed and more Union reinforcements were arriving. Result(s): Confederate victory