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Other Names: Pilot Knob Location: Iron County Campaign: Price’s Missouri Expedition (1864) Date(s): September 27, 1864 Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. Thomas Ewing, Jr. [US]; Maj. Gen. Sterling Price [CS] Forces Engaged: Garrison [US]; Army of Missouri [CS] Estimated Casualties: 1,684 total (US 184; CS 1,500) Description: In September 1864, a Confederate army under Maj. Gen. Sterling Price crossed into Missouri with the goal of capturing St. Louis. Union Brig. Gen. Thomas Ewing moved with reinforcements down the railroad to Ironton to retard Price’s advance. On the morning of September 27, the Confederates attacked, driving the Federals back into their defenses anchored by Fort Davidson. In the late afternoon, Price unsuccessfully assaulted the fort repeatedly, suffering heavy casualties. Price, considering the possible time involved, had dismissed the possibility of mounting guns on the high ground to compel the fort to surrender or to shell the garrison into submission. During the night, the Federals evacuated the fort. Price had paid a high price in lives and gave Union forces the necessary time to concentrate and oppose his raid. Result(s): Union victory Other Names: None Location: Madison County Campaign: Operations to Control Missouri (1861) Date(s): October 21, 1861 Principal Commanders: Col. J.B. Plummer and Col. William P. Carlin [US]; Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson [CS] Forces Engaged: Brigade size force (approx. 2,500-3,500) [US]; Missouri State Guard [CS] Estimated Casualties: Total unknown (US unknown; CS 62) Description: Two Union columns, one under Col. J.B. Plummer and another under Col. William P. Carlin, advanced on Fredericktown to overtake Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson and his men. On the morning of October 21, Thompson’s force left Fredericktown headed south. About twelve miles out, Thompson left his supply train in a secure position and returned toward Fredericktown. He then learned that Union forces had occupied Fredericktown, so Thompson spent the morning attempting to discern the enemy numbers and disposition. Unable to do so, he attacked anyway, around noon. Plummer, with his force and a detachment of Col. William P. Carlin’s troops, met the Rebel forces outside town and a two-hour fight ensued. Overwhelming Union forces took their toll, and Thompson’s men retreated. Union cavalry pursued. Fredericktown cemented Union control of southeastern Missouri. Result(s): Union victory Other Names: None Location: City of New Madrid, Missouri; Lake County, Tennessee Campaign: Joint Operations on the Middle Mississippi River (1862) Date(s): February 28-April 8, 1862 Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. John Pope and Flag-Officer Andrew H. Foote [US]; Brig. Gen. John P. McCown and Brig. Gen. William W. Mackall [CS] Forces Engaged: Army of the Mississippi [US]; Garrisons of New Madrid and Island No. 10 [CS] Estimated Casualties: Unknown Description: With the surrender of Forts Henry and Donelson, Tennessee, and the evacuation of Columbus, Kentucky, Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard, commander of the Confederate Army of the Mississippi, chose Island No. 10, about 60 river miles below Columbus, to be the strongpoint for defending the Mississippi River. Nearby was New Madrid, one of the weak points. Brig. Gen. John Pope, commander of the Union Army of the Mississippi, set out from Commerce, Missouri, to attack New Madrid, on February 28. The force marched overland through swamps, lugging supplies and artillery, reached the New Madrid outskirts on March 3, and laid siege to the city. Brig. Gen. John P. McCown, the garrison commander, defended both New Madrid and Island No. 10 from the fortifications. He launched a sortie, under Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson, Missouri State Guard, against the besiegers and brought up heavy artillery to bombard them. On the 13th, the Confederates bombarded the Yankees to no avail. Since it did not appear possible to defend New Madrid, the Confederate gunboats and troops evacuated to Island No. 10 and Tiptonville. On the 14th, Pope’s army discovered that New Madrid was deserted and moved in to occupy it. A U.S. Navy flotilla, under the command of Flag-Officer Andrew H. Foote, arrived March 15 upstream from Island No. 10. The ironclad Carondelet on the night of April 4 passed the Island No. 10 batteries and anchored off New Madrid. Pittsburgh followed on the night of April 6. The ironclads helped to overawe the Confederate batteries and guns, enabling Pope’s men to cross the river and block the Confederate escape route. Brig. Gen. William W. Mackall, who replaced McCown, surrendered Island No. 10 on April 8. The Mississippi was now open down to Fort Pillow, Tennessee. Result(s): Union victory Other Names: Zagonyi’s Charge Location: Greene County Campaign: Operations to Control Missouri (1861) Date(s): October 25, 1861 Principal Commanders: Maj. James Zagonyi [US]; Col. James Frazier [CS] Forces Engaged: Prairie Scouts and Frémont’s Body Guard [US]; Missouri State Guard troops [CS] Estimated Casualties: 218 total (US 85; CS 133) Description: Having accomplished little since taking command of the Western Department, with headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont formulated a plan to clear Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s Rebels from the state and then, if possible, carry the war into Arkansas and Louisiana. Leaving St. Louis on October 7, 1861, Frémont’s combined force eventually numbered more than 20,000. His accompanying cavalry force, numbering 5,000 men and other mounted troops, included Maj. Frank J. White’s Prairie Scouts and Frémont's Body Guards under Maj. Charles Zagonyi. Maj. White became ill and turned his command over to Zagonyi. These two units operated in front of Frémont’s army to gather intelligence. As Frémont neared Springfield, the local state guard commander, Col. Julian Frazier, sent out requests to nearby localities for additional troops. Frémont camped on the Pomme de Terre River, about 50 miles from Springfield. Zagonyi’s column, though, continued on to Springfield, and Frazier’s force of 1,000 to 1,500 prepared to meet it. Frazier set up an ambush along the road that Zagonyi travelled, but the Union force charged the Rebels, sending them fleeing. Zagonyi’s men continued into town, hailed Federal sympathizers and released Union prisoners. Leery of a Confederate counterattack, Zagonyi departed Springfield before night, but Frémont’s army returned, in force, a few days later and set up camp in the town. In mid-November, after Frémont was sacked and replaced by Maj. Gen. Hunter, the Federals evacuated Springfield and withdrew to Sedalia and Rolla. Federal troops reoccupied Springfield in early 1862 and it was a Union stronghold from then on. This engagement at Springfield was the only Union victory in southwestern Missouri in 1861. Result(s): Union victory The Battle of Wilson's Creek (called Oak Hills by the Confederates) was fought ten miles southwest of Springfield, Missouri on August 10, 1861. Named for the stream that crosses the area where the battle took place, it was a bitter struggle between Union and Confederate forces for control of Missouri in the first year of the Civil War. When the Civil War began in 1861, Missouri's allegiance was of vital concern to the Federal Government. The State's strategic position on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and its abundant manpower and natural resources made it imperative that she remain loyal to the Union. Most Missourians desired neutrality, but many, including the governor, Claiborne F. Jackson, held strong Southern sympathies and planned to cooperate with the Confederacy in its bid for independence. When President Lincoln called for troops to put down the rebellion, Missouri was asked to supply four regiments. Governor Jackson refused the request and ordered State military units to muster at Camp Jackson outside Saint Louis and prepare to seize the U.S. Arsenal in that city. They had not, however, counted on the resourcefulness of the arsenal's commander, Captain Nathaniel Lyon. Learning of the governor's intentions, Lyon had most of the weapons moved secretly to Illinois. On May 10 he marched 7,000 men out to Camp Jackson and forced its surrender. In June, after a futile meeting with Governor Jackson to resolve their differences, Lyon (now a brigadier general) led an army up the Missouri River and captured the State Capital at Jefferson City. After an unsuccessful stand at Boonville a few miles upstream, Governor Jackson retreated to southwest Missouri with elements of the State Guard. After installing a pro-Union State government and picking up reinforcements, Lyon moved toward southwest Missouri. By July 13, 1861, he was encamped at Springfield with about 6,000 soldiers, consisting of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Missouri Infantry, the 1st Iowa Infantry, the 1st and 2nd Kansas Infantry, several companies of regular Army troops, and three batteries of artillery. Meanwhile, 75 miles southwest of Springfield, Major General Sterling Price, commanding the Missouri State Guard, had been busy drilling the 5,000 soldiers in his charge. By the end of July, when troops under Generals Ben McCulloch and N. Bart Pearce rendezvoused with Price, the total Confederate force exceeded 12,000 men. On July 31, after formulating plans to capture Lyon's army and regain control of the State, Price, McCulloch, and Pearce marched northeast to attack the Federals. Lyon, hoping to surprise the Confederates, marched from Springfield on August 1. The next day the Union troops mauled the Southern vanguard at Dug Springs. Lyon, discovering he was outnumbered, ordered a withdrawal to Springfield. The Confederates followed and by August 6 were encamped near Wilson's Creek. Despite inferior numbers, Lyon decided to attack the Confederate encampments. Leaving about 1,000 men behind to guard his supplies, the Federal commander led 5,400 soldiers out of Springfield on the night of August 9. Lyon's plan called for 1,200 men under Colonel Franz Sigel to swing wide to the south, flanking the Confederate right, while the main body of troops struck from the north. Success hinged on the element of surprise. Ironically, the Confederate leaders also planned a surprise attack on the Federals, but rain on the night of the 9th caused McCulloch (who was now in overall command) to cancel the operation. On the morning of the 10th, Lyon's attack caught the Southerners off guard, driving them back. Forging rapidly ahead, the Federals overran several Confederate camps and occupied the crest of a ridge subsequently called "Bloody Hill." Nearby, the Pulaski Arkansas Battery opened fire, checking the advance. This gave Price's infantry time to form a battle line on the hill's south slope. For more than five hours the battle raged on Bloody Hill. Fighting was often at close quarters, and the tide turned with each charge and countercharge. Sigel's flanking maneuver, initially successful, lost momentum in the fields of the Sharp farm as it came under Confederate artillery fire. Sigel's attack collapsed altogether when McCulloch's men counterattacked. Defeated, Sigel and his troops fled. On Bloody Hill at about 9:30 a.m., General Lyon, who had been wounded twice already, was killed while leading a countercharge. Major Samuel Sturgis assumed command of the Federal forces and by 11 a.m., with ammunition nearly exhausted, ordered a withdrawal to Springfield. The Battle of Wilson's Creek was over. Losses were heavy and about equal on both sides--1,317 for the Federals, 1,222 for the Confederates. The Southerners, though victorious on the field, were not able to pursue the Northerners. Lyon lost the battle and his life, but he achieved his goal: Missouri remained under Union control. The Battle of Wilson's Creek marked the beginning of the Civil War in Missouri. For the next three and a half years, the state was the scene of savage and fierce fighting, mostly guerrilla warfare, with small bands of mounted raiders destroying anything military or civilian that could aid the enemy. By the time the conflict ended in the spring of 1865, Missouri had witnessed so many battles and skirmishes that it ranks as the third most fought-over state in the Nation. The Confederates made only two large-scale attempts to break the Federal hold on Missouri, both of them directed by Sterling Price. Shortly after Wilson's Creek, Price led his Missouri State Guard north and captured the Union garrison at Lexington. He and his troops remained in the state until early 1862, when a Federal army drove them into Arkansas. The subsequent Union victory at the Battle of Pea Ridge in March kept organized Confederate military forces out of Missouri for more than two years. In September 1864 Price returned to Missouri with an army of some 12,000 men. By the time his campaign ended, he had marched nearly 1,500 miles, fought 43 battles or skirmishes, and destroyed an estimated $10 million worth of property. Yet the campaign ended in disaster. At Westport on October 23, Price was soundly defeated in the largest battle fought west of the Mississippi and forced to retreat south. His withdrawal ended organized Confederate military operations in Missouri. When in the spring of 1861 the slaveholding states of the South started to leave the Union, Missouri became a contested state. Slavery was still legal, but demographic structures had shifted in the 1850s through the influx of many immigrants, predominantly Germans. Prominent among them was a number of exiled leaders of the failed European revolutions of 1848/49. Since they knew from first-hand experience the drawbacks of contemporary Germany with its small independent states and its lack of freedom, they almost unanimously supported the Union, and abhorred the system of slavery. Even before the Civil War, this made them the target of maltreatment and terrorism on the hands of ethnocentric Nativist Missourians. When President Lincoln called for volunteers after the attack on the Union Fort Sumter, it was mostly the immigrant population which formed military units. One of these units was the 3rd Regiment Missouri Volunteers. Few of them were enthusiastic about the prospect of having to fight for freedom and democracy a second time, but the dangers secession posed to their homes and their lives left them with hardly a choice. Commanded by Nathaniel Lyon, an officer in the regular army, the Union volunteers on May 10th 1861 surrounded and disarmed the secessionist militia assembled in Camp Jackson outside of St. Louis. This secured the city, and Missouri remained a Union state. The 3rd Missouri was organised by a former general of the Baden revolutions of 1848 and 1849, Franz Sigel. Proclaiming, in self-ironic immigrant English, "I fights mit Sigel", many of the veterans of the European revolutions rallied around him. Capt. Anselm Albert of the rifle battalion had fought with the Hungarian revolutionary army, Capt. Constantin Blandovsky was a veteran of the Polish insurrections and of Garibaldi's army in Italy. Capt. Adolph Dengler of Co. G had fought with Sigel and Struve in Baden, and among the private soldiers was Friedrich Hecker, the popular figurehead of the German left in 1848. Besides Germans there were Polish, Czech, Hungarian and French immigrants to make up the balance of the 3rd Missouri. The 3rd Missouri fought with Sigel at Carthage and Wilson's Creek. After Sigel had been promoted to General, Major Joseph Conrad led the regiment at Pea Ridge. In 1863, it participated in the capture of Arkansas Post and in Grants campaigns against Vicksburg. This was a trying time for the 3rd MO. When the regiment had been reorganized in the Spring of 1862, four Irish companies had been added. Germans, Poles, French and Irish got along somehow, but the new commanding officers Col. Isaac Shepard, and Lt. Col. Heinrich Bischoff were little qualified for the job, and even less liked by the men. Fortunately, the Colonel moved on, and the diminuitive Bischoff succumbed to disease. After the fall of Vicksburg, the 3rd Missouri now commanded by Col. Theodor Meumann marched through Mississippi in Peter Osterhaus' (another "Fourty-Eighter") Division to the aid of Chattanooga. The division made a significant contribution in the brilliant victories at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, storming seemingly impregnable positions and taking literally thousands of prisoners. The following spring, the 3rd Missouri fought at Resaca and around Atlanta as part of Hugo Wangelin's Missouri Brigade in Sherman's campaigns in Georgia. After the fall of Atlanta, the regiment was gradually mustered out by companies. Few of the surviving soldiers reenlisted. After three years of service under often bad and miserable condition, losing more men to diseases than to enemy fire, the majority of the 3rd MO apparently and justifiedly so believed that they had done their share. In our portrayal of the men of the 3rd MO, we try our best to avoid any glorification of the war. For these men, to fight for the Union and for human rights was no fun but a dire and often bitter necessity. Still, they did it and theirs, fortunately, was not the lost, but the victorious cause. |
