Battle of Mine Creek
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Mine Creek, also known as the Battle of the Osage, was a battle that occurred on October 25, 1864 in Kansas
as part of Price's Raid
during the American Civil War
. In one of the largest cavalry
engagements of the war, two divisions of Major General Sterling Price
's Army of Missouri
were routed by two Federal brigades under the command of Colonel
s Frederick Benteen
and John Phillps. This battle was the second of three fought between Price and the Federals on this day; the first had been earlier that morning at Marais des Cygnes
a few miles away, while the third would be fought a few hours later at the nearby Marmiton River
. Although vastly outnumbered, Union
forces won all three engagements, forcing Price out of Kansas and sealing the fate of his disastrous Missouri campaign.
hoping to capture that state for the Confederacy
, or at least to negatively affect Abraham Lincoln's
chances for reelection in November. After a series of several battles across that state, Union forces under Maj. Gens. Samuel R. Curtis and Alfred Pleasonton
finally defeated Price decisively at the Battle of Westport
, in modern Kansas City, Missouri
. Price withdrew south toward his base in Arkansas
while Pleasonton, commanding a Union cavalry division, pursued him into Kansas
hoping to capture or destroy his army before he could reach Confederate territory.
Price's army was hampered by the presence of a rather large supply train, containing upwards of 500 wagons filled with badly needed war supplies for the South. As he camped along the Marais des Cygnes River
near the town of Trading Post in Linn County, Kansas
, Price's force was attacked by two Union brigades from Pleasonton's Provisional Cavalry Division. Although unable to prevent the escape of most of the Southern force, Pleasonton's men were able to capture around 100 prisoners and two cannon
s, forcing Price to continue his withdrawal. Quickly renewing their pursuit, the Federal cavalry effected their own crossing of the river, which was delayed somewhat due to heavy rain and the swollen condition of the river.
's on the right. Eight cannon were deployed in support of this force. Brigadier General William L. Cabell
's brigade formed up on the south side of Mine Creek in reserve. General Price himself had gone on with the main wagon train toward Ft. Scott
, about twenty miles south, in the company of his third division, under Brig. Gen. Jo Shelby. Price was hoping to capture that post, which held valuable military stores.
The Union troops consisted of Philips's brigade, containing three regiments of Missouri militia cavalry; and Benteen's brigade, which included regiments from Missouri and Iowa, augmented by two companies of the 7th Indiana Cavalry. In all, about 2,600 Federal troops would face around 7,000 Confederates.
Although outnumbered by more than two-to-one, the Union cavalry immediately commenced an attack. Col. Philips initially hesitated in the face of the overwhelming Confederate superiority in numbers, but he was overruled by Benteen (who would later ride to fame at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
), who charged full-tilt into the Confederate center while Philips hit Price's left flank. Faced with this sudden assault, Fagan and Marmaduke ordered their men to remain mounted (rather than dismount, which had been their usual practice), turning the ensuing combat into one of the largest mounted cavalry engagements of the Civil War.
Disaster nearly overtook the Federals, as Benteen's men inexplicably stopped their charge about halfway between their original position and the Confederate lines, refusing to start again until Major Abial R. Pierce of the 4th Iowa galloped ahead of his regiment toward the Southern lines, followed in turn by his own regiment and then the rest of Benteen's brigade. Hitting the Confederates "like a thunderbolt", according to William Forse Scott's The Story of a Cavalry Regiment: the Career of the Fourth Iowa Veteran Volunteers, the Union troopers forced the Confederate line to disintegrate "like a row of bricks". Mass confusion reigned on the battlefield, as many of Price's men had donned captured Union uniforms, making it harder to distinguish between them and real Union soldiers. General Marmaduke was captured by an Iowa trooper named James Dunlavy, as he went to rally what he thought was a group of his own men (but who turned out to belong to Benteen's command). General Cabell similarly became a prisoner, as would nearly 1,000 of Price's army by the time the battle had ended.
Although the Confederates had numerical superiority, they were overwhelmed by the rapid attack and greater Union firepower, which included revolvers and breechloading carbines (the Confederates were mostly equipped with muzzle-loaders). The battle itself lasted barely 30 minutes; by the time General Price arrived on the scene, it was practically over. Although many Southerners fought tenaciously, especially Price's artillery, most chose to flee. General Fagan tried to reform these men south of the creek near the Jones house, but was not able to hold his troops there and retreated to a new position atop a treeless mound still further to the south. However, lacking artillery support (Price's artillery had been captured on the main battlefield) and having lost several of his immediate subordinates, Fagan could not hold this position either. Benteen's brigade began its charge up the hill, supported by Union artillery, and Fagan's command broke and ran for the nearby Ft. Scott road. Coming upon this scene, Price tried to rally his retreating men, to no avail.
later that same afternoon. The Army of Missouri would continue its withdrawal until reaching relative safety in Arkansas, though with only about one half of its original numbers. The great Missouri Raid had been a complete fiasco for Price, and the overall Union victory had precisely the opposite effect from what the Confederates had hoped, helping in Abraham Lincoln's successful campaign for reelection and contributing to the overall Union victory in the war.
The battlefield has been preserved by the Kansas Historical Society
as Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site
, which includes a museum with details of the battle.
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
as part of Price's Raid
Price's Raid
Price's Missouri Expedition, also known as Price's Raid, was an 1864 Confederate cavalry raid through the states of Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War. While Confederate Major General Sterling Price enjoyed some successes during this campaign, he was decisively beaten at the Battle...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. In one of the largest cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
engagements of the war, two divisions of Major General Sterling Price
Sterling Price
Sterling Price was a lawyer, planter, and politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, who served as the 11th Governor of the state from 1853 to 1857. He also served as a United States Army brigadier general during the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate Army major general in the American Civil...
's Army of Missouri
Army of Missouri
The Army of Missouri was an independent military formation during the American Civil War within the Confederate States Army, created in the fall of 1864 under the command of Maj. Gen. Sterling Price to invade Missouri. Price's Raid was unsuccessful, and his army retreated to Arkansas, where it was...
were routed by two Federal brigades under the command of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
s Frederick Benteen
Frederick Benteen
Frederick William Benteen was a military officer during the American Civil War and then during the Black Hills War against the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne. He is notable for being in command of a battalion of the 7th U. S...
and John Phillps. This battle was the second of three fought between Price and the Federals on this day; the first had been earlier that morning at Marais des Cygnes
Battle of Marais des Cygnes
The Battle of Marais des Cygnes took place on October 25, 1864, in Linn County, Kansas during Price's Missouri Raid in the American Civil War. It is also called the Battle of Osage, and the Battle of Trading Post...
a few miles away, while the third would be fought a few hours later at the nearby Marmiton River
Battle of Marmiton River
The Battle of Marmiton River occurred on October 25, 1864, in Vernon County, Missouri during the American Civil War....
. Although vastly outnumbered, Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
forces won all three engagements, forcing Price out of Kansas and sealing the fate of his disastrous Missouri campaign.
Background
In the fall of 1864, Sterling Price led an expedition into MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
hoping to capture that state for the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, or at least to negatively affect Abraham Lincoln's
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
chances for reelection in November. After a series of several battles across that state, Union forces under Maj. Gens. Samuel R. Curtis and Alfred Pleasonton
Alfred Pleasonton
Alfred Pleasonton was a United States Army officer and General of Union cavalry during the American Civil War. He commanded the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Gettysburg Campaign, including the largest predominantly cavalry battle of the war, Brandy Station...
finally defeated Price decisively at the Battle of Westport
Battle of Westport
The Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West," was fought on October 23, 1864, in modern Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Union forces under Major General Samuel R. Curtis decisively defeated an outnumbered Confederate force under Major General...
, in modern Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. Price withdrew south toward his base in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
while Pleasonton, commanding a Union cavalry division, pursued him into Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
hoping to capture or destroy his army before he could reach Confederate territory.
Price's army was hampered by the presence of a rather large supply train, containing upwards of 500 wagons filled with badly needed war supplies for the South. As he camped along the Marais des Cygnes River
Marais des Cygnes River
The Marais des Cygnes River is a principal tributary of the Osage River, about long, in eastern Kansas and western Missouri in the United States. Via the Osage and Missouri rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River...
near the town of Trading Post in Linn County, Kansas
Linn County, Kansas
Linn County is a county located in East Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 9,656. Its county seat is Mound City, and its most populous city is Pleasanton...
, Price's force was attacked by two Union brigades from Pleasonton's Provisional Cavalry Division. Although unable to prevent the escape of most of the Southern force, Pleasonton's men were able to capture around 100 prisoners and two cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
s, forcing Price to continue his withdrawal. Quickly renewing their pursuit, the Federal cavalry effected their own crossing of the river, which was delayed somewhat due to heavy rain and the swollen condition of the river.
Battle
Six miles south of Trading Post, the brigades of Colonels Benteen and Phillips overtook Price's army once more, this time as it was crossing Mine Creek. The heavily laden Confederate wagons were experiencing difficulty with the rain-swollen ford, and Price had accordingly anticipated making a stand at this location. He formed a line on the north side of the stream, with Brig. Gen. James F. Fagan's division on the left, and John S. MarmadukeJohn S. Marmaduke
John Sappington Marmaduke was a career military man and a West Point graduate. He is known for his service as a Confederate Major general during the American Civil War...
's on the right. Eight cannon were deployed in support of this force. Brigadier General William L. Cabell
William Lewis Cabell
-External links:* from the published 1880, hosted by the...
's brigade formed up on the south side of Mine Creek in reserve. General Price himself had gone on with the main wagon train toward Ft. Scott
Fort Scott, Kansas
Fort Scott is a city in and the county seat of Bourbon County, Kansas, United States, south of Kansas City, on the Marmaton River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,087. It is the home of the Fort Scott National Historic Site and the Fort Scott National...
, about twenty miles south, in the company of his third division, under Brig. Gen. Jo Shelby. Price was hoping to capture that post, which held valuable military stores.
The Union troops consisted of Philips's brigade, containing three regiments of Missouri militia cavalry; and Benteen's brigade, which included regiments from Missouri and Iowa, augmented by two companies of the 7th Indiana Cavalry. In all, about 2,600 Federal troops would face around 7,000 Confederates.
Although outnumbered by more than two-to-one, the Union cavalry immediately commenced an attack. Col. Philips initially hesitated in the face of the overwhelming Confederate superiority in numbers, but he was overruled by Benteen (who would later ride to fame at the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Battle of the Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand and, by the Indians involved, as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, was an armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho people against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army...
), who charged full-tilt into the Confederate center while Philips hit Price's left flank. Faced with this sudden assault, Fagan and Marmaduke ordered their men to remain mounted (rather than dismount, which had been their usual practice), turning the ensuing combat into one of the largest mounted cavalry engagements of the Civil War.
Disaster nearly overtook the Federals, as Benteen's men inexplicably stopped their charge about halfway between their original position and the Confederate lines, refusing to start again until Major Abial R. Pierce of the 4th Iowa galloped ahead of his regiment toward the Southern lines, followed in turn by his own regiment and then the rest of Benteen's brigade. Hitting the Confederates "like a thunderbolt", according to William Forse Scott's The Story of a Cavalry Regiment: the Career of the Fourth Iowa Veteran Volunteers, the Union troopers forced the Confederate line to disintegrate "like a row of bricks". Mass confusion reigned on the battlefield, as many of Price's men had donned captured Union uniforms, making it harder to distinguish between them and real Union soldiers. General Marmaduke was captured by an Iowa trooper named James Dunlavy, as he went to rally what he thought was a group of his own men (but who turned out to belong to Benteen's command). General Cabell similarly became a prisoner, as would nearly 1,000 of Price's army by the time the battle had ended.
Although the Confederates had numerical superiority, they were overwhelmed by the rapid attack and greater Union firepower, which included revolvers and breechloading carbines (the Confederates were mostly equipped with muzzle-loaders). The battle itself lasted barely 30 minutes; by the time General Price arrived on the scene, it was practically over. Although many Southerners fought tenaciously, especially Price's artillery, most chose to flee. General Fagan tried to reform these men south of the creek near the Jones house, but was not able to hold his troops there and retreated to a new position atop a treeless mound still further to the south. However, lacking artillery support (Price's artillery had been captured on the main battlefield) and having lost several of his immediate subordinates, Fagan could not hold this position either. Benteen's brigade began its charge up the hill, supported by Union artillery, and Fagan's command broke and ran for the nearby Ft. Scott road. Coming upon this scene, Price tried to rally his retreating men, to no avail.
Aftermath
Confederate casualties were 1,200, including those wounded during the retreat. Union casualties were 100. Benteen and Philips continued their pursuit of Price's diminishing force, joining combat with it again at the Battle of Marmiton RiverBattle of Marmiton River
The Battle of Marmiton River occurred on October 25, 1864, in Vernon County, Missouri during the American Civil War....
later that same afternoon. The Army of Missouri would continue its withdrawal until reaching relative safety in Arkansas, though with only about one half of its original numbers. The great Missouri Raid had been a complete fiasco for Price, and the overall Union victory had precisely the opposite effect from what the Confederates had hoped, helping in Abraham Lincoln's successful campaign for reelection and contributing to the overall Union victory in the war.
The battlefield has been preserved by the Kansas Historical Society
Kansas Historical Society
The Kansas Historical Society is the official state historical society of Kansas.Headquartered in Topeka, it operates as "the trustee of the state" for the purpose of maintaining the state's history and operates the Kansas Museum of History, Kansas State Archives and Library, Kansas State Capitol...
as Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site
Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site
The Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site, located southwest of Pleasanton in eastern Kansas, United States, commemorates the Battle of Mine Creek in the American Civil War. On October 25, 1864, approximately 2,800 Union troops attacked and defeated about 8,000 Confederates along the banks of...
, which includes a museum with details of the battle.