First Battle of Newtonia

Last updated

First Battle of Newtonia
Part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
Stone wall at Ritchey House.jpg
Stone wall near the Ritchey House. Fighting occurred close to this area during the battle.
DateSeptember 30, 1862 (1862-09-30)
Location
Newtonia, Missouri
36°53′01″N94°11′04″W / 36.8836°N 94.1845°W / 36.8836; -94.1845
Result Confederate victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United States (1861-1863).svg United States Flag of the Confederate States of America (1861-1863).svg Confederate States of America
Commanders and leaders
Frederick Salomon
Units involved
Salomon's brigade
Strength
c. 4,000 to c. 4,500c. 5,500
Casualties and losses
245 or over 400 78
USA Missouri location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Newtonia
class=notpageimage|
A map of Missouri showing the location of Newtonia

The First Battle of Newtonia was fought on September 30, 1862, between Confederate soldiers commanded by Colonel Douglas H. Cooper and a Union column commanded by Brigadier General Frederick Salomon near Newtonia, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Cooper's force had moved into southwestern Missouri, and encamped near the town of Newtonia. The Confederate column was composed mostly of cavalry led by Colonel Joseph O. Shelby and a brigade of Native Americans. A Union force commanded by Brigadier General James G. Blunt moved to intercept Cooper's force. Blunt's advance force, led by Salomon, reached the vicinity of Newtonia on September 29, and attacked Cooper's position on September 30. A Union probing force commanded by Colonel Edward Lynde was driven out of Newtonia by Cooper's forces on the morning of the 30th.

Contents

Both sides brought up further reinforcements, and seesaw fighting took place during much of the afternoon. Shortly before nightfall, Cooper's Confederates made an all-out attack against the Union line; this led Salomon to withdraw from the field. Militia commanded by Colonel George Hall covered the Union retreat, although Confederate artillery fire struck the retreating forces. This panicked some of Salomon's men, and the retreat turned into a disorderly rout. Union casualties are variously reported as either 245 or over 400, and Confederate casualties were 78. Blunt's full division began advancing towards Newtonia in early October, leading Cooper to abandon Missouri. A portion of the battlefield was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 as the First Battle of Newtonia Historic District.

Background

As the United States matured during the early 19th century, a large cultural divide developed between the northern states and the southern states over the issue of slavery. By the time of the 1860 United States Presidential Election, slavery had become one of the defining features of southern culture, with the ideology of states' rights being used to defend the institution. With the population of the industrializing North coming to exceed that of the South, the balance of power began to shift, and many southerners decided that secession was the only way to preserve slavery, especially after Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860. Lincoln's candidacy was regionally successful, as much of his support was from the northern states, while he received no electoral votes from the Deep South. Many southerners rejected the legitimacy of Lincoln's election, and promoted secession. [1] On December 20, the state of South Carolina seceded, and the states of Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas followed suit in early 1861. On February 4, the seceding states formed the Confederate States of America; Jefferson Davis became the nascent nation's president. [2]

In Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, the important military installation of Fort Sumter was still held by a Union Army garrison. [3] On the morning of April 12, the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter, beginning the American Civil War. [4] The fort surrendered on April 13. [5] Shortly after Fort Sumter was attacked, Lincoln requested that the states remaining in the Union provide 75,000 volunteers for the war effort. In the coming weeks, the states of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas joined the Confederacy. [6] A Union army commanded by Brigadier General Irvin McDowell moved south into Virginia and attacked two Confederate armies commanded by Brigadier Generals P. G. T. Beauregard and Joseph E. Johnston on July 21. In the ensuing First Battle of Bull Run, the Union army was routed. [7]

Meanwhile, the population of the state of Missouri was badly divided. While Governor Claiborne F. Jackson and the Missouri State Guard, a militia organization, supported the Confederacy, Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon, commander of the St. Louis Arsenal, supported the Union. Lyon drove Jackson and the Missouri State Guard, which was commanded by Major General Sterling Price, into southwestern Missouri, where they were joined by Brigadier General Ben McCulloch's Confederate force. Lyon attacked Price and McCulloch's combined camp on August 10 in the Battle of Wilson's Creek; Lyon was killed and his army defeated. [8] Price then moved north with the Missouri State Guard in a campaign that culminated in the capture of Lexington in September. However, Union forces concentrated against Price, who then retreated back into southwestern Missouri. [9] In February 1862, Union Brigadier General Samuel R. Curtis advanced against Price's position, causing the Confederates to abandon Missouri and enter Arkansas. In March, Price, McCulloch, and Major General Earl Van Dorn joined forces. Under the command of Van Dorn, the Confederates attacked Curtis at the Battle of Pea Ridge on March 7 and 8 but were repulsed. [10] Pea Ridge and another Union victory at the Battle of Island Number Ten led the Union high command to feel secure enough to proclaim that "[there was] no Rebel flag now flying in Missouri". [11]

Prelude

This state of affairs did not last long. Price sent some of his troops into Missouri to obtain supplies and recruit new volunteers. The state was also raided by Confederate forces including the command of Colonel Joseph C. Porter, [12] and was plagued by guerrilla attacks from bushwhackers including William Quantrill. At one point Quantrill's guerrillas combined with a regular Confederate force commanded by Colonel John T. Hughes. This combined force defeated a Union force at the First Battle of Independence on August 11. [13] Union forces suffered another defeat on August 15, at the Battle of Lone Jack. [14] The resurgence in Confederate activity was an embarrassment to the commander of the Union's Department of the Missouri, Brigadier General John M. Schofield, who was replaced by Curtis and relegated to the command of the Army of the Frontier. [15]

This period of increased Confederate activity in Missouri was related to Major General Thomas C. Hindman's efforts to rebuild Confederate strength in Arkansas. [16] While Hindman was successful in forging an army in an underdeveloped region, his methods were unpopular with prominent Arkansas civilians and he was replaced by Major General Theophilus H. Holmes. [17] Hindman retained a field command under Holmes and pushed a 6,000-man force into northwestern Arkansas and the southwestern portion of Missouri. [18] Cavalry forces under Colonel Douglas H. Cooper were positioned in Missouri, with Hindman's infantry component still in Arkansas near Elkhorn Tavern under the command of James S. Rains, [19] a brigadier general in the Missouri State Guard. [20] Hindman himself had been recalled to Little Rock, Arkansas, by Holmes. [21] Cooper's force included the cavalry of Colonel Joseph O. Shelby's Iron Brigade, and a brigade of Confederate-sympathizing Native Americans. [22] A Union force commanded by Brigadier General James G. Blunt and spearheaded by Brigadier General Frederick Salomon began moving south to confront the Confederates. [23]

Cooper sent a scouting force to the Newtonia area on September 27. Commanded by Colonel Trezevant C. Hawpe, it was composed of the 31st Texas Cavalry Regiment and the 1st Cherokee Battalion. Hawpe determined that Newtonia, which was a communications hub, would be a good encampment and had his troops begin operating a grist mill to produce flour. [24] [25] After receiving Hawpe's appraisal of Newtonia's potential as a military base, Cooper ordered him to remain in Newtonia and reinforced him with Captain Joseph Bledsoe's Missouri Battery. [24] [26] On September 28, Hawpe was informed by local residents that Union troops were advancing towards Granby, which was about 7 miles (11 km) away, but Confederate scouts found no evidence of this movement. [24] Meanwhile, Union forces began concentrating in southwestern Missouri. On September 28, two brigades under Colonel William A. Weer and Salomon rendezvoused at Sarcoxie, which was over 10 miles (16 km) from Newtonia; Colonel James Totten's division was expected to leave Springfield on September 29. [27] [28]

Opposing forces

Union

The Union force engaged at Newtonia was a mixture of all three arms of the Union Army: infantry, cavalry, and artillery. Union cavalry consisted of the 6th and 9th Kansas, the 2nd Ohio, and 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiments. Infantry regiments present at the battle were the 10th and 13th Kansas, and 9th Wisconsin Infantry Regiments. Artillery came from the 1st and 2nd Kansas Light Artillery Batteries, and the 25th Ohio Battery, [29] as well as two mountain howitzers attached to Company F of the 9th Kansas Cavalry. [30] Three of the cannons were 3-inch rifles and two were mountain howitzers. [31] Also present was the 3rd Indian Home Guard. [29] The historian Shelby Foote stated that the total strength of the Union column was 4,000 men, [32] although other sources place the overall strength at 4,500. [33] [34]

Confederate

The Confederate forces at Newtonia included the 1st Cherokee Battalion, the 1st Choctaw Regiment, the 1st Choctaw and Chickasaw Mounted Rifles, Colonel A. M. Alexander's 34th Texas Cavalry Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Beal G. Jeans' Missouri Cavalry Regiment, [lower-alpha 1] Hawpe's 31st Texas Cavalry Regiment, the 5th Missouri Cavalry Regiment, Colonel James G. Stevens' 22nd Texas Cavalry Regiment, Bledsoe's Battery, and Captain Sylvanus Howell's Texas Battery. [36] [37] Estimates of Confederate strength vary. Foote gives the total Confederate strength as 5,500 men: composed of 2,500 cavalrymen and 3,000 "Indians and guerrillas". [32] The historian Daniel O'Flaherty provides a range compatible with Foote's estimate, [38] the historian Larry Wood gives a range of 4,000 to 7,000, [33] and other sources provide a range of 6,000 to 7,000. [34]

Battle

Preliminary action

On September 29, Salomon sent out three scouting forces: one to Neosho, one to Granby, and one to Newtonia. While the patrol to Neosho participated in a small action, the men sent to Granby saw no Confederate soldiers. [39] The force headed for Newtonia consisted of 150 men from the 9th Kansas Cavalry, in four companies, [30] [40] commanded by Colonel Edward Lynde of the same unit, and including the regiment's two mountain howitzers. [30] [34] [39] Lynde's men drove Confederate skirmishers back towards Newtonia, and determined that a strong enemy force occupied the town. Hawpe, still commanding the Confederates in Newtonia, reported the Union probe to Cooper, who sent Jean's regiment and the 5th Missouri Cavalry to Newtonia. Cooper had also been informed that Granby had been occupied by Union forces, so he ordered the 22nd Texas Cavalry there. Lynde reached Newtonia and found it held by the Confederates. After realizing that his mountain howitzers lacked the range to shell Newtonia, Lynde ordered a retreat. Two Confederate soldiers were captured, and informed the Union commander that Newtonia was occupied in strength. [39] Meanwhile, Cooper and Shelby's two regiments arrived in Newtonia after the Union retreat; the retreating Union force was not pursued. Cooper then returned to the main Confederate camp. [41] The two reinforcing regiments remained in Newtonia overnight, but were sent back to the main Confederate camp early the next morning. [42] The 22nd Texas Cavalry arrived after the Union patrol had left Granby; the Texans occupied the abandoned town. Salomon noted the sounds of combat coming from the Newtonia area, and sent two companies of the 9th Wisconsin Infantry to support Lynde. [34] [41]

September 30

Map of the First Battle of Newtonia Map of First Newtonia.png
Map of the First Battle of Newtonia

The detachment from the 9th Wisconsin Infantry, joined by two more companies of the regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Jacobi, was reinforced by 45 men of the 6th Kansas Cavalry, 50 men from the 3rd Indian Home Guard, and three guns of the 25th Ohio Battery; the group reached the Newtonia area around 07:00 on September 30. [34] [43] An attempt to cut off the Confederate skirmish line by the men of the 6th Kansas Cavalry failed, and Jacobi's force lost the element of surprise. After some hard fighting, the detachment was joined by Lynde's probing force, who had returned to the Newtonia area. [40] [44] Hawpe responded to the start of the action by reporting the Union advance to Cooper. The Confederates, represented by the 31st Texas Cavalry, the 1st Cherokee Battalion, and Bledsoe's artillery, took up defensive positions near Mathew H. Ritchey's farm. [45] An artillery duel began, [34] which was deadlocked until the Union artillery advanced closer to the Confederate lines, which allowed their fire to become more effective. Some of the men of the 9th Wisconsin Infantry moved to the cover of the houses on the edge of Newtonia; they began sniping at the cannoneers of Bledsoe's battery. Cooper noticed that sounds of battle were coming from Newtonia, and sent the 34th Texas Cavalry there to reinforce Hawpe. [46] [47]

The men of the 31st Texas Cavalry had been taking shelter behind a stone wall, but left its cover to assault the Union line. This charge was quickly repulsed by canister fire from the Union artillery. After this, the Union artillery concentrated on Bledsoe's battery. The Confederate guns ran low on ammunition after about 30 minutes, and when the Union commanders saw the Confederate artillery fire slacken, [48] the 9th Wisconsin Infantry charged the Confederate line. [40] Bledsoe withdrew the pieces some distance, although the guns' silent presence did discourage a small Union cavalry force from advancing against the new Confederate artillery position. [48] [49] At this time, Confederate reinforcements in the form of the 1st Choctaw and Chickasaw Mounted Rifles and the 5th Missouri Cavalry arrived. The fresh units were enough to turn the tide against the 9th Wisconsin Infantry, which conducted a fighting retreat out of Newtonia. Additionally, the 22nd Texas Cavalry arrived from Granby to further strengthen the Confederates. [50] The 22nd Texas Cavalry had planned on assaulting the Union artillery position, but the Missouri cavalry, commanded by Colonel B. Frank Gordon, mistook the Texans for Union troops, and the delay caused by the subsequent confrontation prevented an immediate assault. [50] [51] Lynde and Jacobi decided to withdraw, although a delayed charge by Gordon's cavalry interfered with the process. The Confederate charge was again dispersed with canister fire, after which the Union retreat began. The Confederates pursued, and the retreat soon became disorderly. [52] [53]

Like Cooper, Salomon learned about the fighting by hearing the sounds of battle coming from Newtonia. In response, Salomon sent the rest of the 6th Kansas Cavalry and the 3rd Indian Home Guard towards the town. [54] Additional Union forces would begin moving towards Newtonia later, although Salomon's supply train was left behind in Sarcoxie. [55] The two regiments encountered the Confederates pursuing Lynde's column, and the pursuit ended in the face of these fresh Union troops. [56] In the interim, more Confederate units had reached Newtonia: Jeans' Cavalry Regiment [57] and four cannons under the command of Howell. [58] The Confederates were aware that Union reinforcements were on the way, and Howell placed his cannons in a position where they commanded the road the Union troops were advancing down. Union soldiers sighted Confederate troops positioned in front of Newtonia, and two Union cannons were then unlimbered. They began firing at the Confederate line, which soon retreated. After reaching Newtonia, the Union artillery again fired at the Confederate position, although Howell's guns quickly responded, driving off the Union cannons. [56]

The American Battlefield Protection Program's map of the battlefield Newtonia I Battlefield Missouri.jpg
The American Battlefield Protection Program's map of the battlefield

The repulse of the 6th Kansas Cavalry and 3rd Indian Home Guard had occurred in the mid-morning of the 30th, and no further serious fighting occurred until the early afternoon. Salomon had left Sarcoxie earlier, but did not reach the Union line until about 15:30. He then proceeded to form a defensive line with nine available cannons, as well as the 6th Kansas Cavalry, the 3rd Indian Home Guard, and a portion of the 9th Wisconsin Infantry. Three cannons and their crews that had seen heavy fighting in Lynde's morning action and the 10th Kansas Infantry formed a reserve. [59] [60] The Union guns began an artillery duel with Howell's cannons, [60] and the Confederate cannoneers were soon forced to retreat. [59] An attempt by the Confederates to use the Ritchey barn as a fortification proved futile once the Union guns found the range of the structure. [51] Meanwhile, the Confederates were again reinforced: Bledsoe's battery returned after leaving the field to resupply, and the 1st Choctaw Regiment arrived. [59]

Cooper then sent Jeans' regiment and the 22nd Texas Cavalry to probe the Union line, [61] but artillery fire and the 3rd Indian Home Guard drove them back; [62] [63] the 6th Kansas Cavalry was detached south as a result of this threat. [64] The 3rd Indian Home Guard pursued the retreating Confederates, threatening the stability of the main Confederate line, but a flank attack by the 1st Choctaw Regiment stabilized the situation for the Confederates. The 1st Choctaw and Chickasaw Mounted Rifles also counterattacked. [65] Salomon sent the 10th Kansas Infantry into the fray to support the 3rd Indian Home Guard, but fire from Howell's Confederate artillery, which had moved closer to the Union line, and an advance by the 22nd Texas Cavalry, compelled the Union troops to break off the assault. [62] Cooper responded by initiating an attack with his entire force against the Union line. [66] Salomon then ordered a withdrawal, and the Union troops began to retreat from the field. [67]

A brigade of Unionist Missouri state militia forces commanded by Colonel George Hall arrived on the field as Salomon was ordering his retreat. Hall was ordered to cover the Union withdrawal, and the militia formed a line between Salomon's retreating force and the pursuing Confederates. [68] A few pieces of Union artillery had remained in fighting order, and these guns supported Hall's line. Darkness hampered the effectiveness of the Union cannons, but Howell's artillery responded, using the muzzle flashes of the Union cannons as aiming points. The Confederate fire panicked the Union forces, and the orderly retreat turned into a rout. [65] [69] Some of the Union soldiers fled all the way to Sarcoxie. [28] [66] By this point, darkness had fallen, and neither army wished to bring on a night battle. [70] After Salomon's troops had left the battlefield, Hall's militiamen withdrew in turn, still acting as a rear guard. Around the same time, Cooper called off the pursuit. The 1st Choctaw and Chickasaw Mounted Rifles failed to receive the order; Cooper later sent an officer to retrieve the regiment, ordering it back to the Confederate camp. [71]

Aftermath

Flag of the 6th Kansas Cavalry, showing Newtonia battle honor 6th Kansas Cavalry flag.jpg
Flag of the 6th Kansas Cavalry, showing Newtonia battle honor

During the battle, the Confederates suffered 78 casualties; Union casualties are variously reported as 245 [28] [72] or over 400. [66] Confederate casualties were highest in the 5th Missouri Cavalry, which lost four men killed and 11 wounded. The Confederates saw 15 officers become casualties, including one killed in each of the 1st Choctaw Regiment and the 1st Choctaw and Chickasaw Mounted Rifles. [36] Salomon did not file an official report of his losses. However, he did note that the morning stage of the battle resulted in more Union casualties than the afternoon stage. [73] Four companies of the 9th Wisconsin Infantry were stated to have suffered particularly high losses; [26] those companies had been engaged with Lynde in the morning fight. [73]

Despite defeating Salomon's Union force, the Confederate position around Newtonia was still not secure. Salomon had represented only the advance guard of Blunt's command. [74] On October 2, additional troops of Blunt's division reached the Newtonia area from Fort Scott, Kansas, and Totten's division arrived from Springfield. [75] By October 4, Cooper had decided to abandon Newtonia and southwestern Missouri. Shelby's cavalry was tasked with remaining in Newtonia to serve as a rear guard. However, he did not remain there long, as he soon received word that his line of retreat was in danger of being cut by the Union advance. Shelby fell back, and the Union troops occupied Newtonia after a brief bombardment of the town. [76]

The Confederate Native American troops retreated back to Indian Territory; [74] the others retreated into northwestern Arkansas. [28] As the Confederates engaged at Newtonia retreated from Missouri, other Confederate troops attacked and forced the surrender of a small Union garrison at the Battle of Clark's Mill near Vera Cruz. [77] First Newtonia was the first battle in the American Civil War that saw Native Americans fight on both sides in an organized manner. [26]

On October 28, 1864, the Second Battle of Newtonia was fought near the site of the 1862 battle. In the 1864 battle, a Union army commanded by Blunt attacked and defeated a Confederate army led by Price. The Confederates had been retreating southwards after being defeated at the battles of Westport in Missouri, and Mine Creek in Kansas. [78] [79]

Preservation

The Mathew H. Ritchey House in October 2021 Mathew H. Ritchey House.jpg
The Mathew H. Ritchey House in October 2021

The First Battle of Newtonia Historic District preserves 152.3 acres (61.6 ha) of the battlefield; [80] the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. [81] The separately-listed Mathew H. Ritchey House is located within the district. The site contains the Ritchey barn and barnyard site, a Civil War-era cemetery, the Newtonia Branch stream, the historic Neosho Road, and the battlefield itself. While much of the land in the district is privately owned, the Newtonia Battlefields Protection Association has ownership of 20 acres (8.1 ha). At least nine Union soldiers are buried in the cemetery, although not all of them are related to the First Battle of Newtonia. More war-related burials had previously been located there, as many of the military burials were exhumed and moved to the Springfield National Cemetery in 1869. [82]

The Mathew H. Ritchey House is notable for having served as a headquarters building for both sides during the two battles of Newtonia [83] and was used as a field hospital after the fighting. [26] The American Battlefield Trust has participated in the preservation of 8 acres (3.2 ha) of the battlefield. [84]

The American Battlefield Protection Program has suggested that it may be possible to enlarge the area of the historic district. However, the same study determined that the site did not meet the inclusion criteria for becoming an official unit of the National Park Service, as the cultural features at Newtonia were deemed too similar to those preserved in other National Park Service sites. [85] The Ritchey House and 25 acres of the battlefields including the Old Newtonia Cemetery were added to Wilson's Creek National Battlefield in 2022 by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, despite National Park Service opposition due to the lack of connection, need for protection, or enhancement of public enjoyment. [86] [87]

Notes

  1. ↑ Officially known as the 12th Missouri Cavalry Regiment. [35]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Marais des Cygnes</span> Battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Marais des Cygnes took place on October 25, 1864, in Linn County, Kansas, during Price's Missouri Campaign during the American Civil War. It is also known as the Battle of Trading Post. In late 1864, Confederate Major-General Sterling Price invaded the state of Missouri with a cavalry force, attempting to draw Union troops away from the primary theaters of fighting further east. After several victories early in the campaign, Price's Confederate troops were defeated at the Battle of Westport on October 23 near Kansas City, Missouri. The Confederates then withdrew into Kansas, camping along the banks of the Marais des Cygnes River on the night of October 24. Union cavalry pursuers under Brigadier General John B. Sanborn skirmished with Price's rearguard that night, but disengaged without participating in heavy combat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Mine Creek</span> 1864 battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Mine Creek, also known as the Battle of Little Osage, was fought on October 25, 1864, in Linn County, Kansas, as part of Price's Missouri Campaign during the American Civil War. Major-General Sterling Price had begun an expedition in September 1864 to restore Confederate control of Missouri. After being defeated at Westport near Kansas City on October 23, Price's army began to retreat south through Kansas. Early on October 25, Price's army was defeated at the Marais des Cygnes. After Marais des Cygnes, the Confederates fell back, but were stalled at the crossing of Mine Creek while a wagon train attempted to cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Little Blue River</span> Battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Little Blue River was fought on October 21, 1864, as part of Price's Raid during the American Civil War. Major General Sterling Price of the Confederate States Army led an army into Missouri in September 1864 with hopes of challenging Union control of the state. During the early stages of the campaign, Price abandoned his plan to capture St. Louis and later his secondary target of Jefferson City. The Confederates then began moving westwards, brushing aside Major General James G. Blunt's Union force in the Second Battle of Lexington on October 19. Two days later, Blunt left part of his command under the authority of Colonel Thomas Moonlight to hold the crossing of the Little Blue River, while the rest of his force fell back to Independence. On the morning of October 21, Confederate troops attacked Moonlight's line, and parts of Brigadier General John B. Clark Jr.'s brigade forced their way across the river. A series of attacks and counterattacks ensued, neither side gaining a significant advantage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Marmiton River</span> Battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Marmiton River, also known as Shiloh Creek or Charlot's Farm, occurred on October 25, 1864, in Vernon County, Missouri during the American Civil War. Major General Sterling Price of the Confederate States Army commenced an expedition into Missouri in September 1864, with hopes of challenging Union control of the state. After a defeat at the Battle of Westport on October 23, Price began to retreat south, and suffered a serious defeat at the Battle of Mine Creek early on October 25. The afternoon of the 25th, Price's wagon train became stalled at the crossing of the Marmaton River in western Missouri. A delaying force led by Brigadier General Joseph O. Shelby attempted to hold off Union cavalry commanded by Brigadier General John McNeil and Lieutenant Colonel Frederick W. Benteen. Shelby was unable to drive off the Union force, although fatigue of the Union cavalry's horses prevented close-quarters action. At nightfall, the Confederates disengaged and destroyed much of their wagon train. Price was again defeated on October 28 at the Second Battle of Newtonia, and the Confederate retreat continued until the survivors reached Texas in early December.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Byram's Ford</span> Battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Byram's Ford was fought on October 22 and 23, 1864, in Missouri during Price's Raid, a campaign of the American Civil War. With the Confederate States of America collapsing, Major General Sterling Price of the Confederate States Army conducted an invasion of the state of Missouri in late 1864. Union forces led Price to abandon goals of capturing the cities of St. Louis and Jefferson City, and he turned west with his army towards Kansas City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Battle of Newtonia</span> Battle of the American Civil War

The Second Battle of Newtonia was fought on October 28, 1864, near Newtonia, Missouri, between cavalry commanded by Major General James G. Blunt of the Union Army and Brigadier General Joseph O. Shelby's rear guard of the Confederate Army of Missouri. In September 1864, Confederate Major General Sterling Price had entered the state of Missouri with hopes of creating a popular uprising against Union control of the state. A defeat at the Battle of Pilot Knob in late September and the strength of Union positions at Jefferson City led Price to abandon the main objectives of the campaign; instead he moved his force west towards Kansas City, where it was badly defeated at the Battle of Westport by Major General Samuel R. Curtis on October 23. Following a set of three defeats on October 25, Price's army halted to rest near Newtonia on October 28.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Big Black River Bridge</span> 1863 battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Big Black River Bridge was fought on May 17, 1863, as part of the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. During the American Civil War, the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, was a key point on the Mississippi River. On April 30, 1863, a Union army commanded by Major General Ulysses S. Grant began crossing onto the east side of the Mississippi River. After defeating Confederate forces in several intermediate battles, Grant's army defeated Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton's Confederates at the decisive Battle of Champion Hill on May 16. One division of Pemberton's army, commanded by Major General William W. Loring, had become cut off from Pemberton's main body during the retreat from Champion Hill. Pemberton did not know of the location of Loring's division, and held a bridghead on the east side of the Big Black River on the morning of May 17 to cover Loring's anticipated withdrawal across the river.

The Battle of Old Fort Wayne, also known as Maysville, Beattie's Prairie, or Beaty's Prairie, was an American Civil War battle on October 22, 1862, in Delaware County in what is now eastern Oklahoma.

The 2nd Kansas Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Recruited in May 1861, it formally organized on June 20. Sent into Missouri, it participated in several small actions in the Springfield area before fighting in the Battle of Wilson's Creek on August 10, where it suffered 70 casualties out of about 600 men present excluded a detached cavalry company. Ordered back to Kansas after the battle, it fought in several small actions in Missouri and later mobilized in Kansas after enemy forces captured Lexington, Missouri, as Kansas was believed to be threatened by the Lexington movement. The unit was disbanded on October 31, with some of its men, including its commander, joining the 2nd Kansas Cavalry Regiment. Colonel Robert B. Mitchell commanded the regiment until he was wounded at Wilson's Creek and Lieutenant Colonel Charles W. Blair took command.

The Battle of Van Buren was fought in Crawford County, Arkansas, on December 28, 1862, during the American Civil War. After defeating Confederate forces led by Major General Thomas C. Hindman at the Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7, 1862, Union forces under Brigadiers General James G. Blunt and Francis J. Herron prepared for a raid against the Confederate positions at Van Buren and Fort Smith. Disease, lack of supplies, and desertion had previously forced Hindman to begin withdrawing most of his force from the area. Setting out on December 27, the Union troops struck an outlying Confederate cavalry unit near Drippings Spring, north of Van Buren, on the morning of December 28. The Confederate cavalry fled to Van Buren, which was then overrun by Union troops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Battle of Newtonia Historic District</span> Historic district in Missouri

The First Battle of Newtonia Historic District, near Newtonia, Missouri, is a National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) site that preserves the location of the First Battle of Newtonia, an 1862 battle during the American Civil War. The battle saw Confederate troops under Colonels Douglas H. Cooper and Joseph O. Shelby defeat a Union force commanded by Brigadier General Frederick Salomon. The historic district contains some Civil War-period structures, as well as the Mathew H. Ritchey House, which is listed separately on the NRHP.

Slayback's Missouri Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Originally formed as Slayback's Missouri Cavalry Battalion, the unit consisted of men recruited in Missouri by Lieutenant Colonel Alonzo W. Slayback during Price's Raid in 1864. The battalion's first action was at the Battle of Pilot Knob on September 27; it later participated in actions at Sedalia, Lexington, and the Little Blue River. In October, the unit was used to find an alternate river crossing during the Battle of the Big Blue River. Later that month, Slayback's unit saw action at the battles of Westport, Marmiton River, and Second Newtonia. The battalion was briefly furloughed in Arkansas before rejoining Major General Sterling Price in Texas in December. Probably around February 1865, the battalion reached official regimental strength after more recruits joined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Missouri Field Battery</span> Unit of the Confederate States Army

The 1st Missouri Field Battery was a field artillery battery that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The battery was formed by Captain Westley F. Roberts in Arkansas in September 1862 as Roberts' Missouri Battery and was originally armed with two 12-pounder James rifles and two 6-pounder smoothbore guns. The unit fought in the Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7, as part of a Confederate offensive. Roberts' Battery withdrew after the battle and transferred to Little Rock, Arkansas, where Roberts resigned and was replaced by Lieutenant Samuel T. Ruffner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8th Missouri Infantry Regiment (Confederate)</span> Infantry regiment in the Confederate States Army

The 8th Missouri Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. From May 1861, the war began affecting events in the state of Missouri. In 1862, Confederate recruiting activities took place in Missouri, and a cavalry regiment was formed in Oregon County, the nucleus being former members of the Missouri State Guard. On September 2, the unit entered Confederate service, but it was reclassified as infantry ten days later. After many of the men transferred to other units, the regiment was reclassified as a battalion on October 19 and named the 7th Missouri Infantry Battalion, also known as Mitchell's Missouri Infantry. It participated in a Confederate offensive at the Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7. During the battle, the unit made several charges against the Union lines but was repeatedly repulsed by artillery fire. The regiment spent most of early 1863 encamped near Little Rock and Pine Bluff in Arkansas.

The capture of Sedalia occurred during the American Civil War when a Confederate force captured the Union garrison of Sedalia, Missouri, on October 15, 1864. Confederate Major General Sterling Price, who was a former Governor of Missouri and had commanded the Missouri State Guard in the early days of the war, had launched an invasion into the state of Missouri on August 29. He hoped to distract the Union from more important areas and cause a popular uprising against Union control of the state. Price had to abandon his goal of capturing St. Louis after a bloody repulse at the Battle of Fort Davidson and moved into the pro-Confederate region of Little Dixie in central Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Battle of Newtonia Site</span> United States historic place

The Second Battle of Newtonia Site is a battlefield listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) near Newtonia and Stark City in Missouri. In late 1864, Major General Sterling Price of the Confederate States Army began a raid into Missouri in hopes of diverting Union troops away from more important theaters of the American Civil War. After a defeat at the Battle of Westport on October 23, Price's Army of Missouri began retreating through Kansas, but suffered three consecutive defeats on October 25. By October 28, the retreating Confederates had reached Newtonia, where the Second Battle of Newtonia broke out when Union pursuers caught up with the Confederates. Confederate cavalry under Brigadier General Joseph O. Shelby was initially successful, but after Union reinforcements under Brigadier General John B. Sanborn counterattacked, the Confederates withdrew. The Union troops did not pursue, and Price's men escaped, eventually reaching Texas by December.

Nichols's Missouri Cavalry Regiment served in the Confederate States Army during the late stages of the American Civil War. The cavalry regiment began recruiting in early 1864 under Colonel Sidney D. Jackman, who had previously raised a unit that later became the 16th Missouri Infantry Regiment. The regiment officially formed on June 22 and operated against the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad through August. After joining Major General Sterling Price's command, the unit participated in Price's Raid, an attempt to create a popular uprising against Union control of Missouri and draw Union troops away from more important theaters of the war. During the raid, while under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles H. Nichols, the regiment was part of an unsuccessful pursuit of Union troops who were retreating after the Battle of Fort Davidson in late September.

The 13th Missouri Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry unit that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. In early April 1863, Captain Robert C. Wood, aide-de-camp to Confederate Major General Sterling Price, was detached to form an artillery unit from some of the men of Price's escort. Wood continued recruiting for the unit, which was armed with four Williams guns, and grew to 275 men by the end of September. The next month, the unit fought in the Battle of Pine Bluff, driving back Union Army troops into a barricaded defensive position, from which the Union soldiers could not be dislodged. By November, the unit, which was known as Wood's Missouri Cavalry Battalion, had grown to 400 men but no longer had the Williams guns. In April 1864, Wood's battalion, which was also known as the 14th Missouri Cavalry Battalion, played a minor role in the defeat of a Union foraging party in the Battle of Poison Spring, before spending the summer of 1864 at Princeton, Arkansas. In September, the unit joined Price's Raid into the state of Missouri, but their assault during the Battle of Pilot Knob failed to capture Fort Davidson.

The 10th Texas Field Battery was an artillery battery that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. After being formed in early 1861 by Benjamin H. Pratt, the battery served with a cavalry formation led by Colonel William Henry Parsons for part of 1862. It was called upon to enter Missouri in support of troop movements related to the Battle of Prairie Grove, but this did not occur. It then operated along the Mississippi River in early 1863, harassing enemy shipping. The unit then participated in Marmaduke's Second Expedition into Missouri and the Battle of Pine Bluff in 1863. Late in 1864, the battery, now under the command of H. C. Hynson, served in Price's Raid, participating in several battles and skirmishes, including the disastrous Battle of Mine Creek. One source claims the unit's service ended on May 26, 1865, while a Confederate report dated June 1, 1865, states that it existed but did not have cannons. Confederate forces in the Trans-Mississippi Department surrendered on June 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of McGuire's Store</span> 1862 battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of McGuire's Store was fought at McGuire, Arkansas, near Elkins, between Union forces led by Brigadier General Francis J. Herron and Confederate forces under Colonel Jesse L. Cravens during the American Civil War. The skirmish was the result of an attempt by Union Brigadier General John Schofield to trap a body of Confederate cavalry reported to be at McGuire's Store. In the event, the operation failed when Herron's column took the wrong road and approached from the west instead of the north. Herron's well-equipped troops attacked Cravens' poorly armed and demoralized Texas cavalrymen and drove them off. This minor clash and other events caused Confederate Major General Thomas C. Hindman to suspend his intended advance to recover northwestern Arkansas and withdraw to the Arkansas River. Ironically, most of Schofield's soldiers also retreated to Missouri after the fight. Though the clash was minor, it marked one pulse of the ebb and flow of the war in northwest Arkansas.

References

  1. ↑ Holmes 2001, p. 35.
  2. ↑ Bearss 2007, pp. 22–23.
  3. ↑ Bearss 2007, pp. 23–24.
  4. ↑ Kennedy 1998, p. 4.
  5. ↑ Bearss 2007, pp. 30–31.
  6. ↑ Bearss 2007, p. 34.
  7. ↑ Kennedy 1998, pp. 11–15.
  8. ↑ Kennedy 1998, pp. 19–21, 23.
  9. ↑ Kennedy 1998, pp. 23–25.
  10. ↑ Kennedy 1998, pp. 35–37.
  11. ↑ Gerteis 2012, pp. 138, 141.
  12. ↑ Gerteis 2012, p. 141.
  13. ↑ Gerteis 2012, pp. 144–145.
  14. ↑ Gerteis 2012, pp. 146–147.
  15. ↑ Gerteis 2012, p. 149.
  16. ↑ Shea 2009, pp. 6–7.
  17. ↑ Shea 2009, pp. 7–10.
  18. ↑ Shea 2009, pp. 14–15.
  19. ↑ Bearss 1966, pp. 284, 286.
  20. ↑ Allardice 1995, p. 191.
  21. ↑ Shea 2009, p. 15.
  22. ↑ Gerteis 2012, p. 147.
  23. ↑ Gerteis 2012, pp. 147–148.
  24. 1 2 3 Bearss 1966, pp. 286–287.
  25. ↑ National Park Service 2013, p. 15.
  26. 1 2 3 4 Ostmeyer, Andy (February 19, 2011). "Damnable Time". The Joplin Globe. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  27. ↑ Bearss 1966, pp. 291–292.
  28. 1 2 3 4 Kennedy 1998, p. 134.
  29. 1 2 "Missouri Civil War Battles". National Park Service. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  30. 1 2 3 Official Records 1880, p. 291.
  31. ↑ Bearss 1966, p. 299.
  32. 1 2 Foote 1986, p. 784.
  33. 1 2 Wood 2010, p. 89.
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Spurgeon & Pierpaoli 2013, p. 1400.
  35. ↑ McGhee 2008, pp. 97–99.
  36. 1 2 Official Records 1880, p. 301.
  37. ↑ Bearss 1966, pp. 287, 293, 302.
  38. ↑ O'Flaherty 2000, p. 125.
  39. 1 2 3 Bearss 1966, pp. 292–293.
  40. 1 2 3 "The War in Missouri: The First Fight at Newtonia. Full and Interesting Particulars from an Officer Engaged". The New York Times. October 16, 1862. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  41. 1 2 Bearss 1966, p. 295.
  42. ↑ Official Records 1880, p. 305.
  43. ↑ Official Records 1880, p. 293.
  44. ↑ Official Records 1880, p. 294.
  45. ↑ Bearss 1966, pp. 295–300.
  46. ↑ Bearss 1966, pp. 301–302.
  47. ↑ Official Records 1880, p. 197.
  48. 1 2 Bearss 1966, pp. 303–304.
  49. ↑ McGhee 2008, p. 7.
  50. 1 2 Bearss 1966, pp. 304–305.
  51. 1 2 Hazelwood et al. 2004, p. 16.
  52. ↑ Bearss 1966, pp. 306–308.
  53. ↑ Britton 1922, pp. 93–94.
  54. ↑ Britton 1922, p. 94.
  55. ↑ Bearss 1966, pp. 308–310.
  56. 1 2 Bearss 1966, pp. 310–312.
  57. ↑ McGhee 2008, p. 99.
  58. ↑ Official Records 1880, p. 298.
  59. 1 2 3 Bearss 1966, pp. 313–314.
  60. 1 2 Britton 1922, p. 95.
  61. ↑ Official Records 1880, p. 304.
  62. 1 2 Bearss 1966, pp. 314–316.
  63. ↑ Official Records 1880, pp. 295–296.
  64. ↑ Britton 1922, p. 96.
  65. 1 2 National Park Service 2013, p. 16.
  66. 1 2 3 Spurgeon & Pierpaoli 2013, p. 1401.
  67. ↑ Bearss 1966, pp. 317–318.
  68. ↑ Britton 1922, p. 97.
  69. ↑ Wood 2010, pp. 86–88.
  70. ↑ Hazelwood et al. 2004, p. 17.
  71. ↑ Bearss 1966, pp. 318–319.
  72. ↑ Weeks 2009, p. 47.
  73. 1 2 Bearss 1966, p. 319.
  74. 1 2 O'Flaherty 2000, p. 126.
  75. ↑ Wood 2010, pp. 91–92.
  76. ↑ Wood 2010, pp. 94–96.
  77. ↑ Gerteis 2012, pp. 148–149.
  78. ↑ "Second Battle of Newtonia". American Battlefield Trust . Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  79. ↑ Kennedy 1998, pp. 285–286.
  80. ↑ Hazelwood et al. 2004, pp. 4.
  81. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places 2005 Weekly Lists" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  82. ↑ Hazelwood et al. 2004, pp. 8–9.
  83. ↑ "Newtonia Battlefield". American Battlefield Trust . Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  84. ↑ "Newtonia Battlefield". American Battlefield Trust . Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  85. ↑ National Park Service 2013, p. 34.
  86. ↑ "S. Rept. 117-185 - Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Addition". Congress.gov. October 18, 2022.
  87. ↑ Ostmeyer, Andy (October 15, 2021). "Fight to preserve Newtonia continues, but with new sense of urgency". Joplin Globe. Retrieved December 28, 2022.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.