BGuthrie Photos: KS -- Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site

KS -- Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. MINECK_080419_029.JPG: Battle of Mine Creek memorial
2. MINECK_080419_036.JPG: The Confederate Collapse Continues: Escape or Capture: "I saw some rebels, dressed in the Federal uniform, and mistaking them for Union soldiers, started toward them... When I got within a short distance.. General Marmaduke saw me shooting at the "Butternuts" and mistook me and started towards me, cursing me for shooting at him... I saw.. that I had the advantage of him, so I let him come up... I leveled my carbine upon his breast and ordered him to surrender." -- Private James Dunlavy, 3rd Iowa Cavalry (USA), Congressional Medal of Honor recipient at the Battle of Mine Creek "I had but thirty men left of my brigade... The flag bearer of Gordon's regiment stood up... and waved his regimental flag in defiance. I then told the men to follow me... and we charged through the enemy's line and... scattered hoping... we could cross the creek... and... join our comrades again." -- Brigadier General William L. Cabell, Cabell's Brigade (CSA) General Cabell is not successful in rejoining his command. His horse stumbles and falls as it jumps the creek and he is captured. Told to walk north and turn himself in, he instead attempts to cross the creek again. A second time, he is captured, being pulled form his horse and ordered, again, to go to the rear. A third time, he attempts to escape across the creek. "One man came up and ordered me to surrender... He then stated I had been captured before... One fellow suggested... they had better shoot me... A deserted from one of my regiments...came dashing up to me and said, "Old Tige, we have got you now, and I intend to kill you!" and raised his carbine... at me. Sergeant Young sprang between me and the deserted, and covered him with his pistol and made him drop the gun.... Had not Sergeant Young acted to promptly, that cowardly scoundrel would have shot me." -- Brigadier General William L. Cabell, Cabell's Brigade (CSA) Many Confederate prisoners are not as lucky as Generals Marmaduke and Cabell. "A number of prisoners taken... were dressed in our uniform... and in obedience to existing orders from the Department Headquarters... they were executed." -- Colonel John Philips, 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of the Border (USA) "I called Colonel Cloud's attention to the outrageous conduct of the Kansas Militia. He tried to excuse their conduct by saying ... they only killed our men who had on Federal uniforms... I replied that four-fifths of our men were without uniforms of any kind. He then stated that he would put a stop to their killing my wounded men. Being a prisoner, I could do no more." -- Brigadier General William L. Cabell, Cabell's Brigade (CSA) Private James Dunlavy, along with Sergeant Calvary Young (3rd Iowa Cavalry), were awarded the Medal of Honor for capturing Confederate Generals Marmaduke and Cabell during the Battle of Mine Creek.
3. MINECK_080419_042.JPG: The Aftermath: Continued Pursuit: After the decisive action at Mine Creek, Major General Joseph Shelby's command is Sterling Price's only intact division. During the morning hours, they had been well south of Mine Creek, contemplating an attack on Fort Scott. Now, early in the afternoon, seven miles south of Mine Creek, Shelby's men prepare to meet the victorious Federals at the Little Osage River. "We were ordered to dispute the passage of the enemy... Our first line... coolly witnessed the formation and advance of the enemy, and within ranged commenced firing. The impossibility of loading Enfield rifles on horseback now became apparent again... when the enemy charged... there was nothing to do but retreat." -- Brigadier General M. Jeff Thompson, Thompson's Brigade (CSA) Late in the day, with the wagon train having difficulty crossing the Marmaton River, Price's Confederate army again is forced to protect the plodding train. Here at Charlot's Farm, Federal forces attempt one last attack. "I endeavored to charge... but the utmost exertions of the officers and men could not move the horses at a trot or gallop. I steadily advanced... at a walk toward the enemy, who continued to retire." -- Brigadier General John McNeill, 2nd Brigade (USA) With horses exhausted, Federal forces broke off immediate pursuit. The Confederate Army of Missouri had been all but destroyed,. It would retreat southward, a ragged remnant of the force that had hoped to sack St. Louis. All that is left to show for its march through Missouri is the wagon train and the new recruits that had joined them in Missouri. Later that night, those would be gone as well. :"On Crooked River, half of the train is corralled and burned. The march, however, is kept up and we lose recruits during the night, who, being unused to such overexertion, stray from the ranks and are left behind." -- Private Henry Luttrell, 10th Missouri Cavalry (CSA)
4. MINECK_080419_044.JPG: The Aftermath: On the Battlefield: As the Federal advance continues to pursue the Confederates southward, other Federal troops begin mopping up on the battlefield. Small pockets of resistance are overcome, prisoners are rounded up, and care for the wounded begins. "Just before the battle closed... I noticed a Union soldier, a mere boy... dash up in front of a squad of eight rebels and hurl his revolver at them. My sister called to him: "Oh! Don't shoot." At that moment my attention was called to something else, when I looked back... one was lying on the ground and the other seven had dropped their guns and were marching to the rear." -- Barbara Jane (Palmer) Dolson, Civilian whose home was on the battlefield. "As soon as the firing ceased, Mother and I went to see what we could do for the wounded... They had fallen all about the house and crawled away to fence corners or brush... When all the wounded were taken from the field, we went to the hospital which was established in a... cabin north of the creek... Here... was a sickening scene... Some were bearing their pain without a murmur, some groaning, some crying, some praying and some dying." -- Barbara Jane (Palmer) Dolson, Civilian on the battlefield. The wounded in the hospital was not the only sickening scene: "Fully three hundred horses horribly mangled were running and snorting and trampling the dead and wounded. Their blood had drenched them and added to the ghastliness of it all." -- Henry Trinkle, Civilian on the battlefield.
5. MINECK_080419_049.JPG: Action South of Mine Creek: "Coming to the edge of the timber, I see the level prairie valley... Steep foothill, or rather prairie ridges, rise abruptly along the southern edge of this valley... Confederates on foot and mounted are fleeing to the southward, and coming out from the timber are companies, platoons, and squads of Federals, flushed and elated with victory... on the north side... the rattle of small arms is yet going on." -- Private Henry Luttrell, 10th Missouri Cavalry (VSA) The Confederate artillery has long since been silent. The last booms of the cannon echo from the north. "We advanced so far into the enemy's ranks that Major-General Pleasonton ordered our own battery to shell us, thinking we were the retreating enemy, and my men were obliged to scatter to avoid being cut to pieces by our own shells." -- Major Abial Pierce, 4th Iowa Cavalry (USA) "I see a battleflag hoisted on the side of the ridge... It is a rallying point and every trooper who is yet willing to fight turns his face to the enemy under its fluttering folds." -- Private Henry Luttrell, 10th Missouri Cavalry (CSA) "I received a dispatch from Major General Marmaduke... I immediately...rode back at a gallop... I met the divisions... retreating in utter and indescribable confusion, many of them having thrown away their arms." -- Major General Sterling Price, Commander, Army of Missouri (CSA) "It seems that resistance is all in vain... Stout hearts are growing weak, brave men who were never known to flinch are beginning to waver [sic]... There a cheering sight bursts upon our vision. Solid battle lines loom up in our rear... But... when we approach them they melt away and again show up on the crest of the next ridge, like a mirage... It is our unarmed recruits that Price has formed on the prairie ridges... the enemy becomes cautious... giving us time to place distance between us and them." -- Private Henry Luttrell, 10th Missouri Cavalry (CSA) "We were going to the rear on a dead run, in silence, when a loud laugh was heard... Looking around, Arthur McCoy... with empty revolver and blowing horse, was shaking with jollity, "Arthur, you-- fool, What're ye laughing at?" "I was thinkin' if we -- had -- the yanks like they've got -- us, wouldn't -- it -- be -- f-u-n?" And that laugh was better than a reinforcement. We reformed at once." -- Anonymous solder, as retold by Celsus Price, son of Sterling Price (CSA)
6. MINECK_080419_051.JPG: Price's Army Invades Missouri: By 1864, hopes of a Confederate victory in the Civil War looked bleak. General Robert E. Lee had been forced to dig in around Richmond to protect the Confederate capital and Atlanta, the hub of the Deep South, was soon to fall. With both the armies and the citizens of the Confederacy suffering, Sterling "Old Pap" Price was given command of a mounted force estimated at 12,000 men. This army was to march on St. Louis, recruit new soldiers and capture military supplies. Price hoped to install Thomas Reynolds as the rightful governor of a Confederate Missouri. Even more ambitiously, he hoped his march into Missouri and Kansas would force the Union to transfer troops from the East to repel the invasion. It might even prevent the election of President Lincoln to a second term as President, changing the course of history. The Army of Missouri: Call the Army of Missouri, Price's Confederate force numbered an estimated 12,000 men as it headed into Missouri. It would swell to nearly 17,000 as it marched through the state. It was divided into three divisions commanded by John S. Marmaduke, James F. Fagan, and Joseph O. Shelby. 1. Pocahontas, Arkansas: September 19, 1864: After traversing the state of Arkansas, the Army of Missouri breaks camp and heads north. 2. Missouri Prepares for Invasion: General William Rosecrans concentrates Federal forces around St. Louis. Reinforcements are brought up the Mississippi River to aid in the defense. 3. Pilot Knob: September 27-28, 1864: The Army of Missouri attacks the small Union garrison at Pilot Knob. Fighting surprisingly well, the Federal force inflicts heavy casualties. 4. Price Abandons Plans on St. Louis: Learning that St. Louis has been reinforced and with the costly victory at Pilot Knob fresh in his mind, Price abandons the hope of taking St. Louis. He turns toward Jefferson City, the capital of Missouri. 5. The Army of Missouri Moves North: West of St. Louis, Price's men demolish bridges, telegraph wires, and miles of railroad track. They capture 2,000 weapons and 200 wagons. They are moving slowly, averaging 10 miles a day. 6. Jefferson City, October 7, 1864: With reports that place the Federal garrison at twice its actual number, Price abandons hope of taking the capital and installing Reynolds as governor. If he had moved faster through eastern Missouri, he would have found Jefferson City virtually undefended. 7. Federal Troops Pursue from the East: General Alfred Pleasonton takes command of Federal forces at Jefferson City, then follows the Army of Missouri. 8. Boonville, October 10-12: In Boonville, the Army of Missouri is well received. Estimates of 4,000 men are added to the rolls of Price's army. "Bloody Bill" Anderson, William Quantrill, and their guerrilla bands are ordered to destroy local railroads. Neither complete their assignments. 9. Glasgow, October 14, 1864: Confederate forces attack the Federal garrison at Glasgow. More than 800 prisoners are captured along with 1,200 weapons and a like number of Federal overcoats. 10. Lexington: October 19, 1864: Federal troops from Kansas under General James Blunt confront the Confederates at Lexington but are forced to withdraw toward Kansas City. Blunt's troops are the advance of the Army of the Border. Price now finds his army between two large Federal forces.
7. MINECK_080419_058.JPG: The Confederate Soldier in the West: Confederate soldiers in the Trans-Mississippi faced a much greater supply dilemma than their comrades in the East. Few factories existed to produce the much needed goods. Distribution of uniforms and equipment was made difficult by the lack of railroads and river transports. Good that did reach the soldiers were of poor quality. As a result, the ,men of Price's army were inadequately clothed and armed, forcing many to use captured Union weapons and uniforms. Confederate uniform jackets were cheaply constructed with wooden buttons and wool/cotton blend material. Colored with dye obtained from walnut or butternut hulls, the tint was so common that Confederates were nicknamed "Butternuts" by Union soldiers. Although it did not look military, a wide brim slouch hat was an important part of the soldier's uniform. It protected him from the sun and rain, could be used to carry water, and served as a pillow at night. The British-made Enfield Rifle-Musket was a single-shot muzzle-loader that took a good soldier about twenty seconds to load while standing. Many Confederate soldiers replaced their worn and thread-bare clothing with captured Union uniforms. Gradually, the Confederate cavalrymen took on the appearance of their enemy. "My uniform... is federal all through, except a gray blouse, which my big blue overcoat completely covers." -- Private Henry Luttrell, 10th Missouri Cavalry (CSA) The Confederate Army Gathers Supplies: Hungry Confederate soldiers enjoyed finding Union quartermaster supplies. Crates of hardtack and barrels of salt pork were eagerly distributed, as were sacks of flour, coffee beans, and sugar. Anything that was the property of the United States was considered free for the taking. War was not to be waged on the people of Missouri, but some Confederates disobeyed orders and took goods from private citizens. Homes and stores were robbed of food and clothing as well as silverware, clocks, and other valued materials. This stolen property was loaded into wagons, further slowing the progress of Price's army.
8. MINECK_080419_060.JPG: Missouri and Kansas Prepare for Invasion: With the invasion of Missouri and Kansas, Price's Confederate army would pass through two Federal military departments, complicating Union efforts for the defense of the two states. If regular Federal troops crossed the Kansas-Missouri border, they would immediately take orders from a different department commander. State militia troops were not to cross the border at all.
9. MINECK_080419_064.JPG: Kansas Politics and the Kansas Militia: On October 5, 1864, General Samuel Curtis requests that Kansas Governor Thomas Carney call out the state's entire militia to strengthen his department against Price's on-coming Confederate army. Believing that Price's threat to Kansas is not real and that this request is a ploy by his political opponent, Senator James Lane, to fix the November elections, Governor Carney withholds approval for four days. A newspaper article in the White Cloud, Kansas Chief echoed Governor Carney's sentiments: "People of Kansas, do you know that Gen. Curtis has entered into a conspiracy with Lane, to call out the entire Kansas Militia, to compel their absence at election time? It is the only hope Lane has of succeeding. They admit that the danger is remote, but are determined to make Price's movements a pretext for taking the voters away into Missouri, or from their homes." Colonel Samuel Crawford, serving as an aide to General Curtis, was running for Carney's seat as Kansas governor in the 1864 Kansas elections. This did not inspire trust and cooperation between the military and state officials. On October 9, 1864, Governor Carney finally committed the Kansas Militia to repelling the advancing Confederate army.
10. MINECK_080419_068.JPG: The Kansas Militia Responds to the Call: Governor Carney's proclamation brings nearly 15,000 men into General Curtis's Army of the Border. These men are poorly armed and badly in need of military training and discipline. Within days of arriving at the Kansas border, and not finding Price's army nearby, they begin to question their need to stay. General Blunt spends much of his time preventing desertions and general uprisings of the militia. Many refuse to cross the state line into Missouri. Jayhawker James Montgomery from Linn County, Kansas, was elected commander of the 6th Kansas Militia Cavalry. This regiment was made primarily of troops from the area around Mine Creek. The Kansas militia was not issued a traditional military uniform. Dressed in civilian clothing like many of their enemy, a red badge was ordered pinned to their hats to distinguish friend from foe.
11. MINECK_080419_072.JPG: Kansas Troops Move Into Missouri: With the increase of troops from the Kansas militia, the Army of the Border now numbers approximately 19,000. On October 14, this force crosses into Missouri. Five days later, 2,000 of these men are forced to fall back in heavy fighting with Confederate forces at Lexington, Missouri. It is the beginning of near-constant combat that will not end until October 25. 1. October 21, The Battle of the Little Blue: A predominant Kansas force under General Blunt digs in and defends the west bank of the Little Blue River. It will take two Confederate divisions to dislodge the 3,000 Federal troops in nearly six hours of fighting. 2. October 22, The Battle of the Big Blue: Advancing westward, Confederate troops drive Federal forces from the Big Blue River. Price spends precious time moving his wagon train across the river instead of pressing forward. On the Little Blue River, Federal forces drive Price's rear guard toward the Big Blue. The Confederate army is now in danger of being trapped between two Federal armies. 3. October 23, The Battle of Westport: In hopes of saving the supply-laden wagon train, Price turns the train southward. Marmaduke's division on the Big Blue breaks and flees in the face of Pleasonton's attacking Federals from the east. With the wagon train within Federal grasp, it is saved when unarmed soldiers guarding the train are mistaken for the main Confederate force, and Union troops fail to attack. Early victors at Westport against the Kansans, the tide turns as Shelby's and Fagan's Confederates are forced to fight through the tightening Federal noose to rejoin Price's command to the south near Little Santa Fe.
12. MINECK_080419_078.JPG: Confederate camp at Trading Post, with pieces of beef on skewers, abandoned when Pleasonton attacked at dawn.
13. MINECK_080419_083.JPG: The Confederate Army Moves Into Kansas: On October 24, Price's Confederate army continues to withdraw southward down the Line Road. Crossing over into Kansas, they begin to forage and destroy the Kansas farms. By mid-afternoon, they start to straggle into the area around Trading Post on the Marais des Cygnes River. "... there was little rest all night... John Fickes... owned the Trading Post mills... and stayed in them while the rebels ran every machine to its fullest capacity. Wagons were loaded rapidly as possible." Traveling with Price's Confederate army were numerous civilian refugees. "We lost several hours in getting the train untangled... for in the confusion... men and wagons -- artillery and refugees, were so mixed it was nearly impossible to unravel them." -- General M. Jeff Thompson, Thompson's Brigade (CSA) "Three hundred beeves were slaughtered... Just at daybreak, Pleasonton made so sudden an onslaught on the rebel camp that they fled precipitately, and every little camp fire had beefsteaks on spits, showing that many of the rebels left with empty stomachs... Carcasses of beeves were strewn everywhere." -- Henry Trinkle, Linn County, Kansas, Resident
14. MINECK_080419_086.JPG: Who Was This Little Girl? In the early hours of October 25, Federal troops attacked the Confederates at the mounds north of Trading Post. Driving them southward before dawn, they stopped to eat breakfast. While frying their salt pork and boiling their coffee, they discovered a small girl whimpering in the grass. "Suddenly a little cry was beard quite near at hand... In a moment, it was repeated... and looking about, we found lying in the grass.. a little girl, hardly more than six years old, with blue eyes, and light hair, and very pretty, bare-headed, and in a "homespun" dress. She had a school-book in her hand. .. She hung her head, and was mute to all questions... She must have been there all night... the only human beings near were the men who had just been fighting... across the spot where she was lying." -- Sergeant Major William Forse Scott, 4th Iowa Cavalry
15. MINECK_080419_090.JPG: The little girl whimpering in the grass near Trading Post
16. MINECK_080419_093.JPG: Confederate Weapons at Mine Creek: "My men were armed with long infantry guns, which they were unable to load on horseback, and consequently were unable to oppose successfully the Federal charge, but broke and fled in the wildest confusion." -- Colonel John Q. Burbridge, 4th Missouri Cavalry (CSA) More than 400 single-shot, breech-loading Sharps carbines were captured by Price's army during his march through Missouri. During the battle, those Confederates armed with the Sharps dismounted and fired while resting their carbines across their saddles. Many Confederates were armed with whatever weapon they could get their hands on. Private John W. Halliburton described the wide range of weapons carried by his company: "Probably one-third had not any kind of arm, while two-thirds carried muddle-loading shotguns, muskets, squirrel rifles, and revolves of various kinds and makes, from a navy to a six-inch Smith and Wesson, my gun being one of the latter."
17. MINECK_080419_096.JPG: The Battle of Mine Creek: A little before noon on October 25, 1864, as estimated 2,500 federal troops routed 7,000 Confederate troops along the banks of Mine Creek. The obvious question: how did it happen? One decisive factor was the Federal forces' superior firepower. Civil War Firearms: The Muzzle-Loading Rifle: Although many improvements in weaponry occurred during the Civil War, the muzzle-loader was still commonly used by both sides. It was loaded by putting both the powder and the bullet in the top, or muzzle, of the barrel and pushing them down with a ramrod. This was a time-consuming process that was difficult, if not impossible, to do on horseback. Civil War Firearms: The Breech-Loading Carbine: Improvements in technology during the Civil War inspired the development of many different types of breech-loading weapons. Whether single-shot or repeating weapons, breech-loaders were all loaded at the rear, or breech, of the barrel. This sped up the loading processing. Being shorter than a rifle, the carbine was easier to use on horseback. Both powder and bullet came already wrapped in a paper cartridge. The soldier needed to bite open the paper before pouring it into the muzzle.
18. MINECK_080419_100.JPG: 11th Kansas Cavalry flag. (Reproduction.)
19. MINECK_080419_102.JPG: The Adventures of Samuel J. Reader and the Price Campaign: Few people have left as much to our understanding of Kansas history as has Samuel Reader. An artist who painted watercolors and magic lantern slides, he also kept an illustrated, lifetime diary. Coming to Kansas Territory in 1855, he recorded many early events of Kansas history in word and picture. In 1864, he joined some of his fellow Kansans in the 2nd Kansas State Militia and marched off to defend the state against Sterling Price's Army of Missouri. He fought and was captured at the Battle of the Big Blue on October 22. He spent the next three days as a prisoner of war. Although not a combatant at the Battle of Mine Creek, he witnessed the preparation for the battle as he and his fellow prisoners were being marched south. Later that night, he would make his escape. In 1906, at the age of 70, Samuel Reader rewrote his Civil War adventures in his autobiography. This case displays 23 of the 160 illustrations found in his memoirs of the Price campaign. 1. With many of the militia threatening to return home rather than march into Missouri, Samuel Reader offers his opinion. Friday, October 21, 1864. One of my neighbors came to me and stated that we were likely to be marched across the line into Missouri. He was opposed to any such movement... He asked my opinion. I replied that we had better follow wherever the commissary wagon went, and gave the subject no further thought. 2. After dinner, we were ordered to break camp. We were to invade Missouri after all. I saw no sighs of insubordination; among the men, an account of the proposed movement. 3. Everyone so far as I could see what thoroughly enjoying himself around our roaring fires, when we were startled by the dull boom of distant cannon shots... It was an ominous sound. It evidently meant a forward movement of the rebel forces in our direction. 4. The following morning, Samuel Reader is approached by a fellow militiaman. James Huggins came and sat down by me... The old man appeared grave and anxious. "We are going to get in a fight today, sure!" I expressed my doubts very strongly... We militia would very likely be kept in the background... Huggins shook his head. "No, you're wrong. I've dreamed it all out, three different times. We're going to have a battle, and I'll be killed!" 5. It was noble sight as our battalion crowded swiftly through the narrow lane, with the dust and clatter, and thunder of horses hoofs.
20. MINECK_080419_104.JPG: The Defense of Mound City: In order to protect the interior of Kansas from the Confederates after the Battle of Westport on October 23, nearly 1,000 Kansas cavalrymen marched parallel to Price's retreating Confederates. Realizing that the town of Mound City lay in the path of the Confederate army, Colonel Thomas Moonlight became determined to defend it from attack and destruction. Mound City had much to fear from the advancing Confederates. A center of abolitionist activity during the Bleeding Kansas period, two of its residents, James Montgomery and Charles "Doc" Jennison, had led raids through western Missouri, destroying the property of many men now serving in Price's army. Moonlight reached Mound City around 2:00am on October 25. He was greeted by a small force of local militia that included a company of free Blacks, civilian volunteers, and hospital patients who had left their sickbeds to take up arms. By daybreak, Moonlight would command a force of nearly 1,600 men. A small force of Confederate scouts approached Mound City at dawn but were repulsed by the defenders. In the short skirmish, two Union soldiers were wounded and one killed. Moonlight's timely arrival had saved Mound City. The 11th Kansas Cavalry was engaged in the defense of Mound City. It was common practice to decorate flags with a list of battles fought. To honor the regiment's role in the fight, "Mound City" was painted on its flag. (Reproduction.)
21. MINECK_080419_108.JPG: Federal Weapons at Mine Creek: It has often been assumed that large numbers of Federal troops at Mine creek were armed with the Henry rifle, a 15-shot, lever-action repeater. Yet no Federal report mentions any outfit being issued that weapon. Nonetheless, thirty-six years after the battle, Confederate General William Cabell stated that Federal troops opposite him were armed with the Henry rifle. Missouri militia commander Colonel Bazeal Lazear reported that his Federal troops dismounted on account of being armed with long rifles. Records show that a large number of these Missouri militiamen were armed with the Lorenz rifle musket, an Austrian-made muzzle-loader. In the summer of 1864, the 4th Iowa Cavalry were issued Spencer carbines. With this seven-shot repeater in their hands, Sergeant Major William Force Scott recorded that it improved the morale of the cavalry. "From that time on to the end of the war... [we] not only clearly won in every contest, but we... expected to win." "With pistol we dashed into his disorganized ranks and the scene of death was terrible as the victory was speedy and glorious." -- Colonel John F. Philips, Brigade Commander, Missouri militia troops. Many Missouri militia troops charging with "pistols" carried the Savage Navy revolver. An unpopular weapon, it was not well balanced and difficult to aim. Federal Cavalry Uniform: Compared with the Confederate trooper, the federal cavalryman at Mine Creek was well-armed and well-uniformed. His jacket was made of blue wool and strapped around his waist was a belt fitted with revolver holster and cartridge box. As decisive as his higher quality firearms were in the battle, the cavalry saber that hung from this belt also played an important role in the Federal victory.
22. MINECK_080419_112.JPG: After the Battle of Mine Creek: When the armies moved south, the Mine Creek Battlefield was covered with hundreds of dead and wounded men, discarded weapons and equipment, and horses and mules killed in the fight. Nearby homes were converted into makeshift hospitals, where wounded were treated before being sent to larger hospitals in Mound City, Fort Scott, and Fort Leavenworth. Later, the dead were gathered and buried. Field hospitals were established in six homes near the battlefield. ... Three buildings in Mound City were converted into hospitals. Local citizens donated beds, blankets, food, and bandages and helped nurse more than 100 wounded solders. ... Surgeon Ferdinand Dayton oversaw the medical and burial needs for all the actions of October 25, 1864. "... at no time, to my knowledge, was a property burying party detailed so that I was obliged to use hospital attendants and stragglers for that purpose, and with the aid of citizens I hope that most, if not all, of our killed were interred." -- Surgeon-in-chief Ferdinand V. Dayton. The Union soldiers killed in the battle and those who died of their wounds were buried in cemeteries in Mound City, Fort Scott, and Fort Leavenworth. The use of identity tags, or "dog tags," was not common during the Civil War. As a result, many of the men killed at Mine Creek are buried as unknown soldiers. The Confederate dead were buried on the battlefield by local citizens and Union troops. Out of necessity, hundreds of bodies were thrown into unmarked graves, singularly or in groups, "buried in shallow ditches, piled up like cordwood." (Alonzo McMurphy, 7th Indiana Cavalry) Late in the evening of October 25, after the Battle of Mine Creek, most of the new Confederate recruits deserted and half of the prized wagon train was destroyed to avoid capture. Sterling Price and the Army of Missouri would limp back south, a demoralized remnant of the force the had entered Missouri in September. Following Price's retreat, the Confederate effort west of the Mississippi River was minimal. To the east, the fighting would cease the following April with Lee's surrender at Appomattox. In four years, the Civil War would forever change the course of American history. In less than one hour, 10,000 men would bring the Civil War to this very spot, changing it from prairie farmland to part of that great story that defined our nation. It would forever be the Mine Creek Battlefield. Mine Creek Casualties: Federal Forces at Mine Creek: Total Participants: 2,600 (est.) Wounded: 94 Killed: 15 Captured: 1 Confederate Forces at Mine Creek: Total Participants: 7,000 (est.) Wounded: 250 (est.) Killed: 300 (est.) Captured: 600 (est.)
23. MINECK_080419_114.JPG: Aftermath of the Battle: The Price Campaign left a path of destruction through Kansas. Livestock was stolen, homes vandalized, food and grain confiscated, and haystacks put to the torch. After the war, a commission was formed to investigate damage claims and award compensation. A special receipt or "scrip" was issued to claimants to be used in paying for damages, but few claims were ever paid. Months after the clash of armies, the battle still interrupted the lives of the local citizens as described in two editions of the Mound City Border Sentinel in the spring of 1865. March 10, 1865: Two boys, sons of Mr. Burch, living near the battlefield of Mine Creek, had picked up on the field and carried home a 24-pound shell. The boys were playing with it when it exploded, killing one of them instantly and mangling the other badly. Let this be a warning to those who are picking up relics on the field to deter them from picking up shells. April 21, 1865: These dead horses and mules which have given so much uneasiness are still exhaling their sickening stinks. The military authorities whose duty it was to have removed them long ago have been touching them very lightly, much to the detriment of this town. In the years after the battle, veterans from across the nation returned to Mine Creek to talk about the battle and the war. These reunions were important social occasions. Veterans would recount the story of the battle to crowds of fellow veterans and local residents, and relics from the battle were exhibited. However, as the years past [sic], fewer soldiers were able to return, and finally the reunions ceased. In 1940, when a roadside sign for the Battle of Mine Creek was dedicated, only one veteran, 96-year-old Alonzo McMurphy was able to return.
24. MINECK_080419_117.JPG: Price Raid scrip
25. MINECK_080419_134.JPG: The Adventures of Samuel J. Reader and the Price Campaign: Illustrations 6 to 8. 6. A line was being formed on the little swell of ground... It was done with considerable rapidity. The head of the line was stationed near the fence, and the horseman passed in rear of it, at a trot, and fell in on the left. The absurd idea struck me that they resembled school-boys playing at "crack the whip." 7. At one time, our line became disordered and it threatened to break. I saw Col. Veale ride up and strive by voice and gesture to restore steadiness to the wavering mass. I heard him cry out in a tone of stern entreaty: "For God's sake, men, keep your places in line!" 8. their color-bearer was cut down by one of the discharges... in a short time, the field [rebels] fell back...
26. MINECK_080419_137.JPG: The Adventures of Samuel J. Reader and the Price Campaign: Illustrations 9 to 11. 9. I saw that the enemy had fallen back out of sight... My instant thought was that we had whipped them, and that they were seeking safety by a hasty retreat. 10. there came the quivering notes of a bugle call from over the prairie... A long line of horsemen seemed to rise up in front of us. First the rebel's heads appeared; then their shoulders, and the horses... The line broke into a trot, then a gallop, and a wild yell arose that resembled a scream, rather than a cheer. It was the... "Rebel Yell." 11. two Confederates halted beside me... One of them had slipped from his horse, and confronting me with a double-barreled shot gun.... He was a small, middle-aged man; in Butternut homespun, and an old cloth cap... The other man... clapped his revolver to my temple. "What are you going to do with me?" I cried in sudden alarm. "You're not going to be hurt, if you surrender," called out the man with the shotgun. "We don't shoot prisoners like you fellows do. Drop that -- gun! Surrender!" "Yes, I surrender." I was a prisoner of war.
27. MINECK_080419_140.JPG: The Adventures of Samuel J. Reader and the Price Campaign: Illustrations 12 to 14. 12. "Hand over that haversack." A light haired, slender-built youth had spurred his horse alongside... he cried out: "Stop! Pull off that overcoat." That was something I had not bargained for... the weather was severely cold for October. I dreaded the keen frosty nights... He became highly exasperated, and... beside himself with rage... I made haste to give up the coat. 13. I joined the other prisoners, and with them was driven in the lane.. There were about thirty of us... one shouted: "March!" We started down the lane. "Double-Quick, you ----!," shouted the mounted men on either side of us. We obeyed promptly, and it seemed to delight the Johnnies to see us run. 14. We soon reached the end of the lane. About fifty rebel soldiers were guarding us. Others were now and then coming toward us. Among them was one I took as an officer. He came tearing along at full speed, his black eyes flashing with anger. "Shoot them! Kill them! They shoot our boys down in cold blood every time." But the officer in command... to his horror be it said -- interposed: "No, these men shall not be harmed as long as I have charge of them." There appeared to be... discussion among out captors. Our bloodthirsty enemy no doubt... insisted on our massacre... But... I felt no alarm; although we were actually in a very critical situation.
28. MINECK_080419_144.JPG: The Adventures of Samuel J. Reader and the Price Campaign: Illustrations 15 to 17. 15. Reader spends his first night as a prisoner of war without a coat or blanket by the rebel fire. Dawn at last appeared, and as its light increased, our surroundings began to take shape. Off to the east were army [Confederate] camp-fires, with their slender columns of blue smoke rising. 16. About sunrise, I heard a sound off to the west, like the violent slamming of a heavy door... A cannon shot, and the explosion of a shell -- It was the opening of the Battle of Westport Sunday, October 23, 1864 The road in front... was now crowded with mounted men, all hurrying forward... all seemed eager to get to the front... But no doubt there were... men in the motley throng whose hearts chilled at the sound of those murderous engines of war. 17. Here I noticed the wagons ahead of us were turning south, and going at a lively rate. In a few minutes, we also were led southward... My relief was immense. I said to those about me: "They must be getting whipped."
29. MINECK_080419_146.JPG: The Adventures of Samuel J. Reader and the Price Campaign: Illustrations 18 to 20. 18. On both October 23rd and 24th, the Confederate Army of Missouri covered much ground as they withdraw to the south. Reader and his fellow prisoners are moved along at an exhausting rate. We were now being forced onward at a fearful rate. Many of the prisoners were utterly unable to walk as fast as we were being driven... Occasionally, we halted for a few minutes rest. At the word we fell prone to the earth... All too soon would come the dreaded; "Forward, March!" 19. On October 24th, Reader sees a Federal force to his right. This was very likely Colonel Moonlight's force hurrying to defend Mound City. We marched over a long stretch of prairie... I noticed our guards were watching something in that direction. One of them asked: "What is it?" "Yankees," was the reply. I looked and saw something that resembled the shadow of a cloud, resting on the slope of the hill. By close watching I could see that it was moving south. 20. Reader spends the night before the Battle of Mine Creek just north of the Marais des Cygnes River. Tuesday, October 25, 1864 Long before daylight we were aroused and started on our way. It was exceedingly dark, and a misty rain added to the obscurity as well as our general discomfort. We waded the stream--which seemed to me rather wide and shallow.
30. MINECK_080419_149.JPG: The Adventures of Samuel J. Reader and the Price Campaign: Illustrations 21 to 23. 21. Near mid-day, Reader crosses Mine Creek and sees the Confederate preparation for the coming battle. About noon we crossed the creek... We scrambled up a very steep bank... found a number of cannon placed in position... and a line of battle forming. We were hurried on over the open prairie to the south. We met numerous parties of rebels returning at a trot... After a while, we heard the thunder of artillery, and knew that the battle was begun. We heard firing, off and on, for several hours afterward. It was a running fight... the rebels were seemingly hard pressed by our forces... Some of the Federals were quite close to us at one time. John P. Majors expresses the wish that they would charge right over us all. "I would be willing to die right here to see it done," he said. My own feelings just then, were less self-sacrificing. 22. Late that night, Samuel Reader sees a chance to escape from his Confederate captors. It was quite dark... and we were now back in Missouri... A man rode up to me and inquired, "What have you got there?," he asked... Up to this moment I had believed that escape would be next to an impossibility... My questioner evidently took me for a rebel. I could encourage that belief and perhaps gain my liberty... The contending emotions of hope and fear rushed over me... I could scarcely control my voice as I answered: "Yankee prisoners." I then asked "How did the battle go today?" The rebel lowered his voice: "It went against us." 23. Commenting that he was going to get a drink of water from a nearby creek, Reader nervously heads toward the stream and makes his escape. I ran north, under the creek bank... when I saw several foot-men coming down a cowpath. I had to meet them, unless I turned back... In sheer desperation, I rushed up to them and called out: "O say! have you seen a loose horse run by? ... I've lost mine," I cried as I ran past them up the bank. Samuel Reader would chase his "lost" horse through the rest of the Confederate lines, finally making it into the open. Cold and hungry, he wandered back into Kansas where he had to convince a Union sergeant that he was not a Confederate soldier, but a citizen of Kansas. Back home in Shawnee County, he continued to record his life in word and drawing into the twentieth century. Post script: James Huggins was wounded but did not die in the Battle of the Big Blue.
31. MINECK_080419_152.JPG: The Battle Begins... Again: As the leading force of the Federal attack falters, troops directly behind him are still charging forward and nearly collide into the rear of the frozen troops. To prevent this collision and continue the attack, the commander of the 4th Iowa Cavalry, Major Abial Pierce, leads his troops to the left and around the halted soldiers. "Pierce and the men nearest him struck the enemy's line like a thunderbolt, and broke it wholly away... the other companies struck it in succession from left to right, and it fell away like a row of bricks." -- Sergeant Major William Force Scott, 4th Iowa Cavalry (USA) In a few short moments, the battle has changed from a stalemate to a rout. All along the Federal line, in a chain reaction from left to right, the charge has been renewed. The Confederate collapse follows in the same direction. Colonel Colton Greene, commanding the Confederate reserve, find himself trying to rally his men among a swarm of Confederate soldiers rushing to cross the creek and make a run southward. "Suddenly the first and second lines gave away, and rushing in great disorder ran over... my regiment. The same wild panic seemed to seize everything." -- Colonel Colton Greene, Third Missouri Cavalry (CSA) With the destruction of the Confederate right, a number of Federal forces are behind the Confederate line. Some are pursuing Confederates across the creek. Others are sweeping up the rear of the Confederate line. Many of the Federal forces coming up from the rear are mistaken for Confederate reserves, as many of the Confederate soldiers are wearing blue uniforms they confiscated on their march through Missouri. Escape for many of the Confederate soldiers will mean fighting through these Federal forces. "Charge! is the order... To our surprise, not a shot is fired by the Federal line; But, when we are within twenty steps of them, their sabres flash from their scabbards with a clatter." Henry Luttrell finds a Federal force between him and escape: "the two lines hang together, then break into whirling eddies, in groups of twos, fours, and sixes, the Federals cutting and slashing with their sabres, the Confederates ... using their guns to ward off sabre blows." Out of ammunition, or nearly so, it's either fight on or surrender: "To my right is a Confederate riding knee to knee with a Federal, with his empty pistol at his head admonishing him to throw up his hands.. a few steps further... I come upon a Federal trooper.. deliberately firing revolver at a Confederate... lying on the ground resting upon one elbow and holding up the other hand. Remembering... I had one shot left in my old navy I quickly drew it and fired." -- Private Henry Luttrell, 10th Missouri Cavalry (CSA)
32. MINECK_080419_156.JPG: The Federal Forces Approach: "After moving three or four miles across the prairie at a trot and a gallop, my skirmishers reported the enemy formed in a line of battle in my front. ... My skirmish line was ordered to open fire... and the enemy opened on my command with two pieces of artillery." -- Lt. Colonel Bazel F. Lazeur, 1st Missouri State Militia Cavalry (USA) The first Federal forces to see the Confederate battle line are about 1,400 men of the Missouri State Cavalry, commanded by Colonel John Philips. They open fire, but halt and do not charge, waiting for other Union troops to come to their support. The Confederate artillery not only opens fire on the Missouri Militia troops but also fires blindly over a hill on their right. Advancing through that fire would soon be 1,200 men under the command of Lt. Colonel Frederick Benteen. "Seeing the position in which he had his artillery, I immediately surmised that the rebel commander had committed a fatal blunder ... and immediately sounded the charge." -- Lt. Colonel Frederick Benteen, 10th Missouri Cavalry (USA) Through the barrage of artillery rounds thunder Benteen's men. "The 10th Missouri started forward with their 'yell' and their bugles sounding but when they'd covered half the distance, the enemy showing no signs of breaking, they hesitated and stopped.... The enemy opened fire with small arms from their horses all along their lines." -- Sergeant Major William Forse Scott, 4th Iowa Cavalry (USA) Lt. Colonel Frederick Benteen ordered the charge on the Union left. His own 10th Missouri Cavalry regiment led the charge, but, surprisingly, froze in its tracks before closing with the enemy. Benteen's entire front regiment has reined up their horses and have frozen in their tracks. "Again and again, Benteen ordered the charge... He persisted... He rode directly in front of his men within pistol-shot of the enemy, hatless, white with passion, waving his sword and shouting the order to charge. His trumpeters repeated it, and all the trumpeter's answered with the same piercing notes. Then, for a few moments, the two opposing lines of men simply stood, glaring at each other." -- Sergeant Major William Forse Scott, 4th Iowa Cavalry (USA)
33. MINECK_080419_160.JPG: The Confederate Army is Forced To Make A Stand: "We were now well out on a prairie that seemed boundless... We retired at a trot, the enemy in close pursuit... when we came suddenly upon the train halted, the delay occasioned by a deep ravine, the enemy not more than five hundred yards in our rear." -- Brigadier General John B. Clark, Jr. Clark's Brigade (CSA) The delaying action of the Confederate forces has not worked. A number of wagons are congested at the crossings of Mine Creek. Although this is the tail end of the wagon train, there are still many wagons that need to cross the creek. "There was no time to make but the most rapid dispositions for battle. To attempt to dismount and send the horses to the rear was inevitable destruction, as the enemy... would have been upon us. There was no alternative but to abandon the train or to fight on horseback." -- Brigadier General John B. Clark Jr, Clark's Brigade (CSA) An estimated 7,000 Confederates have rumbled over the ridge and into the end of the wagon train. The ranking officer on the field, General John Marmaduke, conferring with his staff, quickly decides to stand and fight. Although mounted, the Confederate cavalry is mostly armed with muzzle-loading weapons. To withstand an attack, they need to dismount and fight on foot with one in every four soldiers leading the horses to the rear. With the Federal force closing fast, they do not have time for this maneuver. They will have one shot in their rifles before relying on their short-ranged revolvers. Most do not have sabers. "A solid battle line is in our front, reaching to a fringe of timber on a small stream to the eastward.... Shells are flying thick and fast as we take position on the left. So rapid have been the movements of the enemy our whole line is instantly engaged." -- Private Henry Luttrell, 10th Missouri Cavalry (CSA)
34. MINECK_080419_164.JPG: Events at Trading Post: Prelude to Battle, October 25, 1864: On the afternoon of October 24, 1864, a large Confederate force under the command of General Sterling Price has moved into the area around the small hamlet of Trading Post, Kansas (eight miles north of this visitor center). After three days of heavy fighting in the Kansas City area, they have withdrawn southward along with 500 wagons filled with goods they have confiscated in their march through Missouri. Shortly after midnight of the 25th, they become aware that Federal forces are near and would be closing soon. Orders are given to move out, with 2,300 men staying behind on two high mounds north of Trading Post to slow the coming Federal advance. Before dawn, 900 Federal troops supported by artillery fire begin to approach the mounds. "Suddenly a line of flashes burst across the front, and there was a rattle of small arms which seemed very near. But the flashes were surprisingly high... and no balls were heard to whistle. A gain and again, a line of fire high in front but no z-z-zip of bullets." -- Sergeant Major William Forse Scott, 4th Iowa Cavalry (USA) Although unsuccessful at stopping the Federal advance, Confederate forces on the mounds have allowed the 500 wagons and the remainder of the army to cross the Marais des Cygnes River and start southward. The Confederate rear guard would have to continue to delay the on-coming Federal forces. "At daylight, a heavy fog prevails with the drizzling rain, and the rattle of musketry tells us that the enemy is at hand...The rattle of small arms grows louder... Now the wind rises and the fog and drizzling rain disappear, and the sun casts a sickly smile through the breaking clouds... Soon our regiment is busy... steadily we give ground: for we are contending against overwhelming odds." -- Private Henry Luttrell, 10th Missouri Cavalry (CSA) A number of times the Confederate rear guard under the command of General John Marmaduke form battle lines to slow the Federals only to break off before decisive action occurs. "We saw another line of battle formed upon a high eminence... two miles off, but as we approached it, after firing a few shots... they moved off rapidly again to the rear." -- Colonel Charles Blair, 14th Kansas Cavalry (USA)
35. MINECK_080419_168.JPG: The Story of Mine Creek: By October 24, 1864, after three and a half years of fighting, the Civil War had begun to wind down. A Federal force under General Grant was laying siege to Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia, and Atlanta was soon to fall to General Sherman's Federal army. Yet the Army of Missouri, a Confederate army, had crossed into Kansas. The Army of the Border, a Federal force, was in close pursuit. This is the story of these two armies and what happened on this battlefield. Headquarters Trans-Mississippi Department Shreveport, Louisiana, August 4, 1864 Major General Sterling Price, Commanding District of Arkansas: General: You will make immediate arrangements for a movement into Missouri with the entire cavalry force of your district... weak brigades should be filled by the regiments raised in Missouri... avoid all wanton acts of destruction and devastation... their aim should be... a just and holy cause and not to gratify personal feeling and revenge. Rally the loyal men of Missouri... Make St. Louis the objective point to your movement, which... will put you in possession of ... its supplies... Should you be compelled to withdraw from the state, make your retreat through Kansas and Indian Territory, sweeping that country of its mules, horses, cattle, and military supplies of all kinds. By command of General E. Kirby Smith, W.R. Boggs Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff
36. MINECK_080419_175.JPG: Stop F: The Fort Scott Road: The Fort Scott Road ran in a north/south direction just east of the fence line. As it approached Mine Creek, it veered to the southwest. This road roughly paralleled the route of present-day US 69 Highway. Because this was a "running" engagement, the road played a central role in Price's raid generally and in the Battle of Mine Creek particularly.
37. MINECK_080419_178.JPG: Stop ???: Two Mounted Armies Collide: Captain Richard Hinton was with the Union soldiers as they approached from the north. As the "timber of Mine Creek" came into view, Hinton wrote, "the enemy were discovered in great force formed in line of battle upon the north side of the stream.... From our front to the rebel lines, the ground formed a gentle descent. On the right and a little to our front, was a farm house and fences. To our extreme left and front was a slight swale, the timber and the creek, then a rising corn field with a log cabin at the top." In this vicinity Colonel John F. Philips prepared his brigade of Missouri State Militia for the attack. On [???] the left was Colonel Benteen, commanding a brigade of Iowa, Missouri, and Indiana cavalry regiments. The Union forces were made up of about two thousand five hundred well-armed soldiers. Having won a victory a couple of days before at the Battle of Westport, these men were battle-hardened and confident. At about 11 o'clock in the morning, the mounted Union forces closed on the rebel line and hit them with a "furious charge." With sabers drawn, Philips' troops were the first to slam into the the [sic] Confederate left flank. Philips wrote, "the fighting became general and terrific. The impetuosity of the onset surprised and confounded the enemy. He trembled and wavered and the wild shouts of our soldiers rising about the din of battle told that he gave way." The initial charge of Benteen's Tenth Missouri and Marmaduke's position stalled. However, Major A.R. Pierce and the Fourth Iowa "struck the enemy's line like a thunderbolt." The Fourth Iowa pierced the Confederate line then turned back and rolled up the rebel defensive position. "Being mostly a prairie country, the troops of both armies were in full view," reported Major General Samuel R. Curtis, "and the rapid onward movement of the whole force presented the most extensive, beautiful, and animated view of hostile armies I have ever witnessed.. Spread over vast prairies, some moving at full speed in a column, some in double lines, and others as skirmishers, groups striving in utmost efforts, and shifting as occasion required, while the great clouds of living masses moved steadily southward, presented a picture of prairie scenery such as neither man nor pencil can delineate." The battle that occurred when these two mounted armies collided was brief, lasting only about thirty minutes, but bloody. Colonel Charles W. Blair, Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, described the engagement as "A rush, a scramble, and all was over." Colonel Philips wrote, "The scene of death was as terrible as the victory was speedy and glorious." The colonel's Union soldiers lost only eight dead and less than one hundred wounded. The routed Confederates suffered terribly; well over one thousands soldiers were dead, wounded, or captured. At least three hundred killed or badly wounded horses littered the battlefield.
38. MINECK_080419_215.JPG: Battle of Mine Creek Upon this rolling prairie and across Mine Creek occurred the largest Civil War battle in Kansas. It also was one of the largest cavalry battles of the Civil War. Nearly 8,000 Confederate soldiers clashed with 2,500 Union troops. The battle lasted less than one hour. Many Confederates were captured and more than 600 were killed or wounded. Union casualties numbered approximately 120. This decisive Union victory contributed to the defeat of the 1864 Confederate invasion of Missouri and Kansas. This hallowed ground has been preserved so that present and future generations of Americans may remember the sacrifices of the soldiers of the Blue and Gray. This monument is placed in commemoration of the brave soldiers who fought and died in the Battle of Mine Creek on October 25, 1864.
39. MINECK_080419_286.JPG: The Setting: Mine Creek and the Surrounding Area: Roads South: After the Battle of Westport on October 23, 1864, Sterling Price moved his men south along the Fort Leavenworth-Fort Gibson Road. This road was also known as the Line Road. Three miles south of the Marais des Cygnes River, the road branched into three main routes. Most of the Confederate Army took the middle road: the Fort Scott Road. Mine Creek: The Stream to be Crossed: "Mine Creek runs through the Kansas prairie with a streak of timber 100 to 200 yards wide; in some places there were holes of water in the creek and in other places, it was dry." -- Private James H. Campbell, Wood's 14th Battalion (CSA) Mine Creek is a tributary of the Marais des Cygnes River that joins the Little Osage in Missouri to form the Osage River. Mine Creek is not a deep or swift slowing stream. It was, nonetheless, a difficult stream to cross in 1864 before and bridge spanned its banks. "Mine Creek... a lightly wooded stream with abrupt, caving banks." -- Colonel Colton Greene, 3rd Mission [sic] Cavalry (CSA) Civilians on the Battlefield: Three families made their homes on what became the Mine Creek Battlefield. The W.H. Ragains house sat toward the northwest of the battlefield. It is unknown whether anyone was home during the battle. The Lathrop Cabin was located just north of the creek and east of the Confederate line. It is believed that the Lathrups were not home at the time of the battle. South of Mine Creek, sat the Palmer house. John Palmer and his son-in-law Melville Dolson were not at home. They, like other local men, had joined the militia to defend their homes against invasion. They were in the pursuing Federal Army and would miss the battle. Mrs. Palmer, her two daughters, and her granddaughter were not so fortunate. Barbara Jane Dolson survived the battle in her mother's home just south of the creek. After the battle, she and her mother helped care for the wounded. "Just before the battle began, while the men and wagons were hurrying along, I noticed an old man riding a poor tired-looking horse, with his long hair streaming in the wind. On the back of his saddle, he had tied a live goose and two hens and they would flop their wings every time the old horse made a jump. As he passed the house, the old man leaned forward and urged on his horse with a stout stick. I heard him say to a companion: 'We must hurry up or they will get us yet.' Although it was not a time or place for mirth, I had to laugh." -- Barbara Jane (Palmer) Dolson, Civilian on the battlefield
40. MINECK_080419_291.JPG: Aftermath (continued): As time moved on, the land that had been the scene of the Battle of Mine Creek returned to Kansas farmland. The Lathrops continued to farm toward the east and the Palmers south of creek. The land directly north of Mine Creek did not come into cultivation until a few years after the war. On this land, a small two-room farmhouse was built around the 1870s. Over time, additions to the house as well as a barn and other outbuildings were added. Although probably always a rental, or sharecropper's property, someone added a small orchard near the house that consisted of pear, peach, apple, and cherry trees Little evidence of the farmstead presently exists. The Fort Scott Military Road that was the north-south route through this area in 1864 would lose significance after the war. In 1923, grading began on what would become U.S. Highway 69 about a mile east of the battlefield. It is today the north-south artery between Kansas City, Kansas and points south. In 1938, Highway K-32 was first paved directly north of the battlefield. Because of culverts built under the highway, increased drainage occurred on the battlefield. Today, a large Y-shaped ravine, which did not exist in 1864, runs through the battlefield. By the 1970s, the need to preserve the battlefield became apparent. Led by the research of Lumir Buresh of the Civil War Round Table of Kansas City, interest in acquiring the battlefield and placing it on the National Register of Historic Places began to grow. With the efforts of the Round Table and the Linn County Historical Society, this was accomplished in 1973. Continued effort by these organizations led to the establishment of the battlefield as a state historic site. In 1975, with a forty-acre donation by the Linn County Commissioners and an acquisition of eighty acres of land south of Mine Creek, the Kansas State Historical Society came into possession of the Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site. Three years later, 160 acres were added north of the creek. In 1989, a series of archeological studies was begun on the site and adjoining properties by the Kansas State Historical Society. The extensive metal detector surveys, similar to those done at the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument, were completed in 1991. Today the battlefield has been reseeded to native grasses while the creek bottom and the property south, untouched by cultivation, is in timber. A trail connects the native prairie battlefield with the timbered creek. We encourage you to walk this path, imagining the clash of Union and Confederate forces on October 25, 1864, amidst the more pleasant sounds of meadowlarks, bobwhites, and other Kansas songbirds.
41. MINECK_080419_494.JPG: An expanding intersection and road extension near the battlefield
42. MINECK_080419_504.JPG: More road expansion on the way to Fort Scott. The various swales were used by Confederate rear-guard groups.
Wikipedia Description: Battle of Mine Creek
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Battle of Mine Creek, also known as the Battle of the Osage, was a cavalry battle that occurred in Kansas as part of Price's Raid during the American Civil War.

About six miles south of Trading Post, site of the Battle of Marais des Cygnes, the brigades of Col. Frederick W. Benteen and Col. John F. Phillips, of Union Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton's Provisional Cavalry Division, overtook the Confederates as they were crossing Mine Creek. The Confederates, stalled by their wagons crossing the ford, had formed a line on the north side of Mine Creek, with Brig. Gen. James F. Fagan's division on the left, John S. Marmaduke's on the right, and eight cannons on the prairie.

The Federals, although outnumbered, commenced the attack as additional troops from Pleasonton's command arrived during the fight. Benteen attacked Marmaduke's center in a column of regiment's, mounted. Supported later by Philips who hit Fagan's left. The speed of the attack did not allow time for the cavalrymen to dismount, making this one of the largest mounted cavalry fights of the war. Although the Confederates had numerical superiority, they were overwhelmed by the rapid attack and greater Federal firepower, which included revolvers and breechloading carbines. The battle lasted only 30 minutes, resulting in the capture of about 600 men and two generals, Marmaduke and Brig. Gen. William L. Cabell. The Confederate casualty figure of 1,200 includes those captured as well as soldiers injured during the retreat. Having lost this many men, Price's army was doomed. Retreat to friendly territory was the only recourse.
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