Skirmish at Island Mound
Encyclopedia
The Skirmish at Island Mound was a skirmish of the American Civil War
, occurring from October 27 to October 29, 1862, in Bates County, Missouri
. This Union victory was notable as the first known engagement of an African-American regiment during the Civil War.
, Captain (soon to be Colonel) James M. Williams had been forming a regiment
in Kansas
of former slaves from Missouri
and Arkansas
. In August 1862, these men were mustered into Kansas service as the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers.
The United States was not ready to accept black troops, so they were not mustered into United States service until January 13, 1863. Despite the uncertainty of their future as a federal military force, Kansas ensured the men were armed with a mix of good Austria
n and Prussian musket
s with bayonet
s.
Captain Richard G. Ward's 170-man battalion
and Captain Henry C. Seaman's 70-man battalion were ordered by Maj. B.S. Henning to proceed to Bates County, Missouri
. They were accompanied by members of the 5th Kansas Cavalry
serving as scouts. The objective was to break up a guerrilla army near the Toothman homestead, about nine miles on the other side of the Kansas-Missouri border. John Toothman had been identified as a guerrilla and imprisoned at Fort Lincoln, a Civil War prison camp near Fulton, Kansas
.
As the Kansans approached on Monday, October 27, the scouts identified a large party ahead as local Confederate
guerrillas under Bill Truman and Dick Hancock, as well as Missouri State Guard
recruits under Colonel Jeremiah “Vard” Cockrell
(all mounted.) The guerrillas and recruits had been using nearby Hog Island (also known as Osage Island) as a base of operations.
By Wednesday, October 29, the Kansans’ rations were running low. Amarox died in a fire. Runners had been sent back to Kansas requesting assistance. A foraging party was dispatched while skirmishers pushed forward to create a diversion. When the foragers returned, the men ate.
While the Kansans ate, the guerrillas set a prairie fire south of the camp, driving in the skirmishers. Seaman responded by back burning to prevent the fire from reaching the camp. He sent out a scouting party, consisting of the Cherokee, John Six-Killer, and his slaves, who had enlisted with him. The party was to move beyond the edge of the fire, but remain in sight of the camp. Instead, they were drawn into skirmishing and advanced out of sight. A party under Lieutenant Joseph Gardner (soon accompanied by several other officers) was dispatched to their aid and to recall them. This group also soon became engaged out of sight.
Captain Ward was dispatched to their aid and could soon see the others engaged far from camp in the river bottoms. He called for the rest of the command to be brought up. In response Seaman sent his force forward on the flanks in support.
The mounted guerrillas appeared in force, moving to a point between Gardner and Ward. Gardner's men attempted to make it back to camp. When they could not, they formed a line and fired a volley into the charging cavalry. A general melee ensued, in which most of the Kansans losses occurred. Southern cavalry who swept past Gardner found themselves hemmed in by volleys from the rest of the approaching Kansans. Gardner's detachment moved toward the advancing line, and the guerrillas were forced to withdraw.
The action was reported in the New York Times. On December 13, 1864, the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers were redesignated the 79th United States Colored Troops.
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...
, occurring from October 27 to October 29, 1862, in Bates County, Missouri
Bates County, Missouri
Bates County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population is 16,653. Its county seat is Butler. The county was organized in 1833 and named after Frederick Bates, the second governor of Missouri....
. This Union victory was notable as the first known engagement of an African-American regiment during the Civil War.
Background
Even before the Emancipation ProclamationEmancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with nearly...
, Captain (soon to be Colonel) James M. Williams had been forming a regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
in 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...
of former slaves from Missouri
Missouri
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...
and 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...
. In August 1862, these men were mustered into Kansas service as the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers.
1st Regiment Kansas Volunteer Infantry (African Descent)
The 1st Regiment Kansas Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:...
The United States was not ready to accept black troops, so they were not mustered into United States service until January 13, 1863. Despite the uncertainty of their future as a federal military force, Kansas ensured the men were armed with a mix of good Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n and Prussian musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s with bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
s.
Captain Richard G. Ward's 170-man battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
and Captain Henry C. Seaman's 70-man battalion were ordered by Maj. B.S. Henning to proceed to Bates County, Missouri
Bates County, Missouri
Bates County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population is 16,653. Its county seat is Butler. The county was organized in 1833 and named after Frederick Bates, the second governor of Missouri....
. They were accompanied by members of the 5th Kansas Cavalry
5th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry
The 5th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 5th Kansas Cavalry was organized at Leavenworth, Kansas from July 12, 1861 through January 22, 1862. Companies L and M were organized April through July 1862. ...
serving as scouts. The objective was to break up a guerrilla army near the Toothman homestead, about nine miles on the other side of the Kansas-Missouri border. John Toothman had been identified as a guerrilla and imprisoned at Fort Lincoln, a Civil War prison camp near Fulton, Kansas
Fulton, Kansas
Fulton is a city in Bourbon County, Kansas, United States. The population was 184 at the 2000 census.-History:During the American Civil War, Fort Lincoln was built and operated near Fulton as part of the Fort Scott defense, mostly as a prisoner-of-war camp...
.
As the Kansans approached on Monday, October 27, the scouts identified a large party ahead as local Confederate
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...
guerrillas under Bill Truman and Dick Hancock, as well as Missouri State Guard
Missouri State Guard
The Missouri State Guard was a state militia organized in the state of Missouri during the early days of the American Civil War. While not initially a formal part of the Confederate States Army, the State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at times, under regular Confederate...
recruits under Colonel Jeremiah “Vard” Cockrell
Jeremiah V. Cockrell
Jeremiah Vardaman Cockrell, also known as "Vard" Cockrell, was a U.S. Representative from Texas, after having served as a field commander in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
(all mounted.) The guerrillas and recruits had been using nearby Hog Island (also known as Osage Island) as a base of operations.
Siege and Engagement
Finding the enemy in greater force than anticipated, the Kansans fortified the Toothman homestead and used fence rails to create breastworks. The soldiers dubbed the works, “Fort Africa.” Tuesday passed with occasional skirmishing. The superior range of the Austrian muskets kept the guerrilla cavalry, with lesser arms, at bay.By Wednesday, October 29, the Kansans’ rations were running low. Amarox died in a fire. Runners had been sent back to Kansas requesting assistance. A foraging party was dispatched while skirmishers pushed forward to create a diversion. When the foragers returned, the men ate.
While the Kansans ate, the guerrillas set a prairie fire south of the camp, driving in the skirmishers. Seaman responded by back burning to prevent the fire from reaching the camp. He sent out a scouting party, consisting of the Cherokee, John Six-Killer, and his slaves, who had enlisted with him. The party was to move beyond the edge of the fire, but remain in sight of the camp. Instead, they were drawn into skirmishing and advanced out of sight. A party under Lieutenant Joseph Gardner (soon accompanied by several other officers) was dispatched to their aid and to recall them. This group also soon became engaged out of sight.
Captain Ward was dispatched to their aid and could soon see the others engaged far from camp in the river bottoms. He called for the rest of the command to be brought up. In response Seaman sent his force forward on the flanks in support.
The mounted guerrillas appeared in force, moving to a point between Gardner and Ward. Gardner's men attempted to make it back to camp. When they could not, they formed a line and fired a volley into the charging cavalry. A general melee ensued, in which most of the Kansans losses occurred. Southern cavalry who swept past Gardner found themselves hemmed in by volleys from the rest of the approaching Kansans. Gardner's detachment moved toward the advancing line, and the guerrillas were forced to withdraw.
Casualties and significance
Union casualties were 8 killed (1 white officer, 6 black 1 Cherokee) and 11 men wounded. Among the dead were John Six-Killer and Captain A.G. Crew. Guerrilla losses are unknown, although some Kansans claimed up to 40 killed.The action was reported in the New York Times. On December 13, 1864, the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers were redesignated the 79th United States Colored Troops.
External links
- http://islandmound.tripod.com/index1.htm "The Skirmish at Island Mound" by Chris Tabor
- http://old.mocivilwar.org/history/islandmound.swf Animated battle map with sound.