Price's Raid - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Price's Missouri Expedition, also known as Price's Raid, was an 1864 Confederate

Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...

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...

raid through the states of 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 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...

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...

. While Confederate Major General

Major General

Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

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...

enjoyed some successes during this campaign, he was decisively beaten 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...

by Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis and subsequently driven back into 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...

by 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...

cavalry under Maj. Gen. 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...

. Price's expedition proved to be the final significant Southern operation west of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

. Its failure contributed to 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...

reelection, and cemented Federal control over the hotly-contested border state of Missouri.

Background

After three years of bloody and inconclusive fighting, Confederate authorities were becoming desperate as the U.S. presidential election approached in the fall of 1864. Although the fortunes of war had largely favored the South prior to 1863, events since that time were starting to swing the Union's way. Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...

had Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....

bottled up in the Siege of Petersburg

Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...

; Jubal A. Early had been driven back from the outskirts of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, while Philip Sheridan

Philip Sheridan

Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...

was now pursuing him in the Shenandoah Valley

Valley Campaigns of 1864

The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864. Military historians divide this period into three separate campaigns, but it is useful to consider the three together and how they...

; and William T. Sherman had recently captured

Atlanta Campaign

The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...

Atlanta

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

. With foreign recognition for the Confederacy not forthcoming, Southerners realized that the re-election of President

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

Abraham Lincoln would be disastrous for their cause.

Earlier that summer, the Confederacy ordered its commander of forces in the Trans-Mississippi, Lt. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith

Edmund Kirby Smith

Edmund Kirby Smith was a career United States Army officer and educator. He served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, notable for his command of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy after the fall of Vicksburg.After the conflict ended Smith...

, to send a corps

Corps

A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...

under Richard Taylor

Richard Taylor (general)

Richard Taylor was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He was the son of United States President Zachary Taylor and First Lady Margaret Taylor.-Early life:...

east across the Mississippi River to assist in the defense of Atlanta and Mobile

Mobile, Alabama

Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...

. Such a crossing, whether by ferries or what would have been history's longest pontoon bridge

Pontoon bridge

A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...

, was deemed infeasible because of frequent Union gunboat patrols on the river, and Taylor was reassigned to other pursuits.

Kirby Smith had a backup plan, inspired in part by preparations to divert Union attention from Taylor's proposed crossing. Smith decided to capture (or re-capture, in his view) Missouri for the Confederacy, believing it might turn Northern public perception against Lincoln. To accomplish this, he ordered Sterling Price to invade Missouri, in the direction of St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

. Price's mission was to capture St. Louis and its warehouses full of military supplies, but if that turned out to be heavily defended, he was to bypass it and swing west to capture the state capital, Jefferson City

Jefferson City, Missouri

Jefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...

. This would prove an obvious psychological blow and would provide some late justification for the Confederate flag's

Flags of the Confederate States of America

There were only three flag designs adopted, with later, minor variants made to those designs, that served as the official national flags of the Confederate States of America and used during its existence from 1861 to 1865...

inclusion since 1861 of a star for Missouri. Price was then to continue to the west, cross into Kansas and head south through the Indian Territory

Indian Territory

The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...

, "sweeping that country of its mules, horses, cattle, and military supplies".

Opposing forces

Price assembled a force which he named the 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...

, consisting of 12,000 men and fourteen pieces of artillery. His army included three divisions

Division (military)

A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...

, under Maj. Gen. James F. Fagan, Maj. Gen. John S. Marmaduke

John 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...

, and Brig. Gen. Joseph O. "Jo" Shelby

Joseph O. Shelby

Joseph Orville Shelby was a noted Confederate cavalry general in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War.-Early life and education:...

. Infantry units originally allotted to Price were ordered elsewhere prior to the campaign's start, changing his mission from a full-scale invasion of Missouri to a cavalry raid. Price's men formed a rather motley crew, with a quarter of his force being deserters. Hundreds of Price's men were barefoot, and most had no basic personal equipment such as canteen

Canteen (bottle)

A canteen is a drinking water bottle designed to be used by hikers, campers, soldiers and workers in the field. It is usually fitted with a shoulder strap or means for fastening it to a belt, and may be covered with a cloth bag and padding to protect the bottle and insulate the contents...

s or cartridge

Cartridge (firearms)

A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...

boxes; many carried jug

Jug (container)

A jug is a type of container used to hold liquid. It has an opening, often narrow, from which to pour or drink, and nearly always has a handle. One could imagine a jug being made from nearly any watertight material, but most jugs throughout history have been made from clay, glass, or plastic...

s for water, and stuffed ammunition in shirt

Shirt

A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers...

and pants

Trousers

Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...

pockets. However, Price continued to plan for an invasion, expecting the people of Missouri to join his force; in this he was very mistaken, as the people of Missouri were largely pro-Union and had voted 3-1 against secession. Only the pro-Confederate Guerrillas joined his army in any number(up to 6,000).

In contrast, the Union fielded thousands of Missouri militia, who would play a key role in defeating Price's raid, and the XVI Corps

XVI Corps (ACW)

The XVI Army Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. The corps rarely fought as one unified unit, as its divisions were often scattered across the country.-Creation and Vicksburg:...

of Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Smith, augmented by Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton

Alfred Pleasonton

's cavalry division, detached from William S. Rosecrans's Department of Missouri. As Price commenced his campaign, Smith's corps was on naval transports leaving Cairo, Illinois

Cairo, Illinois

Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, an American Civil War fort that was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant...

to join General William T. Sherman's army in Georgia

Georgia (country)

Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...

; Rosecrans requested that these troops be assigned to Missouri to deal with the threat, and Army Chief of Staff Henry W. Halleck immediately complied. By mid-October, more troops had arrived from the Kansas border under Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis, Price's old adversary at the Battle of Pea Ridge

Battle of Pea Ridge

The Battle of Pea Ridge was a land battle of the American Civil War, fought on March 6–8, 1862, at Pea Ridge in northwest Arkansas, near Garfield. In the battle, Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis defeated Confederate troops under Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn. The outcome of the...

; now commander of the newly-activated Army of the Border

Army of the Border

The Army of the Border was a Union army during the American Civil War. It was created from units in the Department of Kansas to oppose Sterling Price's Raid in 1864. Samuel R. Curtis was in command of the army throughout its duration.Major General James G...

. Curtis had the divisions of Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt

James G. Blunt

James Gillpatrick Blunt was a physician and abolitionist who rose to Union major general during the American Civil War.-Early life & career:...

(cavalry), Maj. Gen. George W. Dietzler

George Dietzler

George Washington Deitzler was a Union Army General during the American Civil War.-Biography:Deitzler was born in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania where he received a common school education and then moved to Kansas, and “grew up with the state.” He was a farmer and realtor...

(Kansas Militia), Pleasonton's cavalry, and two infantry

Infantry

Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

divisions from Smith's Corps under 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 Joseph J. Woods and David C. Moore–about 35,000 men in all.

Battles

Price departed on his horse, "Bucephalus", from Camden, Arkansas

Camden, Arkansas

Camden is a city in and the county seat of Ouachita County in the southern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. Long an area of American Indians villages, the French also made a permanent settlement here because of its advantageous location above the Ouachita River. According to 2007 Census...

, on August 28, 1864. The following day he linked up with two divisions in Princeton, and a third in Pocahontas

Pocahontas, Arkansas

Pocahontas is a city in Randolph County, Arkansas, United States, along the Black River. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, its population of the city is 6,765. The city is the county seat of Randolph County....

on September 13. His combined force entered Missouri on September 19; though Missouri militia skirmished with the invading force almost daily, Price's first full battle did not come until September 27, at Pilot Knob

Pilot Knob, Missouri

Pilot Knob is a city in Iron County, Missouri, United States. The population was 697 at the 2000 census. It lies eight miles south of Belgrade and thirteen miles east of Centerville.-History:...

, southwest of St. Louis in Iron County

Iron County, Missouri

Iron County is a county located in the Lead Belt region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 10,697. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 9,918. The largest city and county seat is Ironton...

.

Battle of Fort Davidson

Battle of Fort Davidson

The Battle of Fort Davidson, also known as the Battle of Pilot Knob, was the opening engagement of Price's Missouri Raid during the American Civil War. This engagement occurred on September 27, 1864, just outside of Pilot Knob in Iron County, Missouri...

(September 27, 1864)

Union Brig. Gen. Thomas Ewing, Jr.

Thomas Ewing, Jr.

Thomas Ewing, Jr. was an attorney, the first chief justice of Kansas and leading free state advocate, Union Army general during the American Civil War, and two-term United States Congressman from Ohio, 1877-1881. He narrowly lost the 1880 campaign for Ohio Governor.-Early life and career:Ewing...

moved with reinforcements down the railroad from St. Louis to Ironton

Ironton, Missouri

Ironton is a city in Iron County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,471 at the 2000 census and is 12 Miles South Of Belgrade. It is the county seat of Iron County.-Geography:Ironton is located at...

to retard Price's advance. On the morning of September 27, Price attacked, driving the Federals back into their defenses anchored by Fort Davidson, near Pilot Knob. After maneuvering elements of his army onto the hills surrounding the fort, Price finally launched repeated assaults in the late afternoon hours, suffering horrific casualties. During the night, the Federals evacuated the structure and blew up its powder magazine. Price had paid a high price in lives and gave Union forces the necessary time to concentrate and oppose his raid, while gaining little of any lasting military value.

That same day, west of St. Louis, a band of Confederate guerrillas

Guerrilla warfare

Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...

led by Lieutenant

Lieutenant

A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...

William "Bloody Bill" Anderson

William T. Anderson

William T. "Bloody Bill" Anderson was a pro-Confederate guerrilla leader in the American Civil War.Anderson was known for his brutality towards Union soldiers, and pro Union partisans, who were called Jayhawkers. Anderson participated in Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, Kansas on August 21, 1863...

sacked Centralia

Centralia, Missouri

Centralia is a city in Audrain and Boone counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 3,774 at the 2000 census.The Boone County portion of Centralia is part of the Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Audrain County portion is part of the Mexico Micropolitan Statistical...

, murdering several unarmed Union soldiers in the infamous Centralia Massacre

Centralia Massacre (Missouri)

The Centralia Massacre was an incident during the American Civil War in which twenty-four unarmed Union soldiers were captured and executed at Centralia, Missouri on September 27, 1864 by the pro-Confederate guerrilla leader William T. Anderson...

. Anderson, an associate of the notorious Col. William C. Quantrill

William Quantrill

William Clarke Quantrill was a Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War. After leading a Confederate bushwhacker unit along the Missouri-Kansas border in the early 1860s, which included the infamous raid and sacking of Lawrence, Kansas in 1863, Quantrill eventually ended up in...

, was accompanied by Frank

Frank James

Alexander Franklin "Frank" James was a famous American outlaw. He was the older brother of outlaw Jesse James.-Childhood:...

and Jesse James

Jesse James

Jesse Woodson James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, and murderer from the state of Missouri and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. He also faked his own death and was known as J.M James. Already a celebrity when he was alive, he became a legendary...

. In response to these events, XVI Corps was moved to St. Louis, reinforced by Pleasonton. Seeing that his primary target–St. Louis–was too strong to take, Price veered westward toward Jefferson City. However, he discovered that the state capital was also too heavily fortified for him to take; he bypassed it and continue further west, toward 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...

and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Fourth Battle of Boonville

Battle of Boonville

The First Battle of Boonville was a minor skirmish of the American Civil War, occurring on June 17, 1861, near Boonville in Cooper County, Missouri. Although casualties were extremely light, the battle's strategic impact was far greater than one might assume from its limited nature...

(October 11)

Price's army arrived in Boonville

Boonville, Missouri

This page is about the city in Missouri. For other communities of the same name, see Boonville Boonville is a city in Cooper County, Missouri, USA. The population was 8,202 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cooper County. The city was the site of a skirmish early in the American Civil...

, a small town on the Missouri River, on October 10. Though the town was largely sympathetic to the Confederacy and turned out to welcome him, Price's troops engaged in a two-day orgy of looting that caused a delay in their advance, gave Federal commanders time to plan a strategy to defeat them, and turned local opinion against them. Federal Brig. General John S. Sanborn, whose brigade

Brigade

A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...

formed a part of Rosecrans' force, had been pursuing Price from Jefferson City, and collided with his rear guard on the outskirts of town on October 11. He was repulsed by Marmaduke and Fagan, and withdrew south of Saline Creek. Price and his troops abandoned the town the next day.

On October 11, the same day as the skirmish between Sanborn and Price, Bloody Bill Anderson and his bushwackers arrived in Boonville with Union scalp

Scalp

The scalp is the anatomical area bordered by the face anteriorly and the neck to the sides and posteriorly.-Layers:It is usually described as having five layers, which can conveniently be remembered as a mnemonic:...

s dangling from their horses' bridle

Bridle

A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary, the "bridle" includes both the headstall that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit....

s. Appalled by this atrocity

Evil

Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...

, Price ordered Anderson to remove the scalps immediately and refused to speak to him until he did. Once Anderson complied, Price ordered him and his command northward to break up the North Missouri Railroad. However, Anderson's activities earlier that summer (including the massacre at Centralia—see above), together with those of George Todd

George M. Todd

George M. Todd was a Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War who served under the infamous William C. Quantrill...

, had already brought rail traffic to a halt. Anderson's men accordingly attacked and looted small towns and depot

Train station

A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...

s north of the river, killing soldiers and civilians, but this had no positive effect on Price's operation. Todd's guerrilla unit was engaged by Price to be scouts and outrider

Outrider

Outrider may refer to:* Outrider by Jimmy Page* Outrider , Dash Rendar's YT-2400 freighter in the Shadows of the Empire multimedia campaign.* motorcycle outrider, in a law enforcement escort...

s for his main army, rather than being given missions of their own that might have used their mobility to harass and "spread out" Federal forces, retarding their ability to concentrate against him.

Battle of Glasgow

The Battle of Glasgow was fought on October 15, 1864, in and near Glasgow, Missouri as part of Price's Missouri Expedition during the American Civil War...

(October 15)

Price decided to send a detachment under Generals Shelby and John Bullock Clark, Jr.

John Bullock Clark, Jr.

John Bullock Clark, Jr. was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and a postbellum five-term U.S. Congressman from Missouri.-Biography:...

to Glasgow

Glasgow, Missouri

Glasgow is a city in Chariton and Howard counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 1,263 at the 2000 census.The Howard County portion of Glasgow is part of the Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

to "liberate" weapons and supplies in an arms storehouse purported to be there. Before dawn on October 15, Confederate artillery opened up and Shelby's troops advanced on Glasgow, forcing the defender to fall back toward their fortifications on nearby Hereford Hill, where they formed a defensive line in the face of the relentless Confederate advance. Convinced that he could not defend against another attack, Union Col. Chester Harding surrendered around 1:30 p.m.. Although Harding was able to destroy some stores, Price's men were still able to locate rifles, overcoats, and horses. The Confederates remained in town for three days before rejoining the main column marching on Kansas City. The victory and captured materiel proved a boost to Price's army's morale, but Price's dalliance at Glasgow, together with his slow rate of movement along the Missouri River, gave his enemies valuable time to organize their forces and to close the gap between themselves and him.

Battle of Sedalia

Sedalia, Missouri

Sedalia is a city located about south of the Missouri River in Pettis County, Missouri. U.S. Highway 50 and U.S. Highway 65 intersect in the city. As of 2006, the city had a total population of 20,669. It is the county seat of Pettis County. The Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of...

(October 15)

While Shelby and Clark were engaged in Glasgow, Price sent Brig. General M. Jeff Thompson

M. Jeff Thompson

Meriwether Jeff Thompson was a brigadier general in the Missouri State Guard during the American Civil War. He served the Confederate Army as a cavalry commander, and had the unusual distinction of having a ship in the Confederate Navy named for him.-Early life:*Father: Meriwether Thompson b....

and elements of Shelby's Iron Brigade

Shelby's Iron Brigade

Shelby's "Iron Brigade" was a Confederate cavalry brigade in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War.The brigade originally formed under orders from Major General Thomas C. Hindman following a successful recruiting expedition into Missouri by Joseph O. Shelby, John T. Coffee, and...

—around 1500 men in all—to attack the town of Sedalia, Missouri

Sedalia, Missouri

. This force overpowered Missouri militia guarding the town from two fortified redoubt

Redoubt

A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...

s, and began to sack the town. Upon realizing what his men were doing Thompson ordered them to stop, keeping only weapons, equipment and horse

Horse

The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...

s he had already seized while paroling the captured defenders. Thompson and his force then abandoned Sedalia to rejoin Price's main force, leaving the town once more in Union hands, where it would remain for the rest of the war.

Second Battle of Lexington

Battle of Lexington II

The Second Battle of Lexington was a minor skirmish during the American Civil War, taking place on October 19, 1864, in Lexington, the county seat of Lafayette County, Missouri. It formed a part of Confederate Maj. Gen...

(October 19)

As Price continued to crawl westward, Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans (commanding the Department of the Missouri

Department of the Missouri

Department of the Missouri was a division of the United States Army that functioned through the American Civil War and the Indian Wars afterwards.-Civil War:...

) proposed a pincer movement

Pincer movement

The pincer movement or double envelopment is a military maneuver. The flanks of the opponent are attacked simultaneously in a pinching motion after the opponent has advanced towards the center of an army which is responding by moving its outside forces to the enemy's flanks, in order to surround it...

to trap his army. However, he was unable to communicate with Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis (commander of the Department of Kansas

Department of Kansas

The Department of Kansas was a Union Army command department in the Trans-Mississippi Theater during the American Civil War. This department existed in three different forms during the war.-1861:...

) to formalize his plan. Curtis was having problems of his own, because many of his troops were Kansas militia and they refused to enter Missouri. However, a force of 2,000 men under the command of Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt

James G. Blunt

James Gillpatrick Blunt was a physician and abolitionist who rose to Union major general during the American Civil War.-Early life & career:...

did finally set out for Lexington, Missouri

Lexington, Missouri

Lexington is a city in Lafayette County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,453 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lafayette County. Located in western Missouri, Lexington lies about 40 miles east of Kansas City and is part of the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area...

, about thirty miles east of Kansas City. On October 19, Price's army approached Lexington, collided with Union scout

Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....

s and picket

Picket (military)

In military terminology, a picket refers to soldiers or troops placed on a line forward of a position to warn against an enemy advance. It can also refer to any unit performing a similar function...

s about 2:00 p.m., drove them back, and engaged in a battle with the main force. The Federals resisted at first, but Price's army eventually pushed them through the town to the western outskirts and pursued them along the Independence Road until nightfall. Without Curtis's entire force, the Yankees could not stop Price's army, but they did further retard their slow march. Blunt also gained valuable information about the size and disposition of Price's army.

Battle of Little Blue River

The Battle of Little Blue River was a minor battle of the American Civil War, occurring on October 21, 1864 in Jackson County, Missouri during Price's Missouri Expedition of that year. It became the opening round of the Second Battle of Independence, which began on this same day and was...

(October 21)

On October 20, Blunt's retreating troops arrived on the Little Blue River

Little Blue River (Missouri)

Little Blue River is a stream in Jackson County, Missouri, USA, that gave its name to the Battle of Little Blue River during the American Civil War. It rises in the southern Jackson County town of Grandview and empties into the Missouri River just west of the town of Sibley. Despite its name, it...

, eight miles (13 km) east of Independence

Independence, Missouri

Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...

. The Union force turned to engage the Confederates again, using a strong defensive position on the west bank. General Curtis, however, ordered Blunt to return to Independence while leaving a small force, under Col. Thomas Moonlight

Thomas Moonlight

Thomas Moonlight was a United States politician and general.-Birth:Thomas was baptised on 30 September 1833 in St Vigeans, Angus, Scotland with birth record number 319/0040 0169...

, on the Little Blue. The next day, Curtis ordered Blunt to take all of his volunteers and return to the river. As Blunt neared the stream, he discovered that Moonlight’s brigade had engaged Price's advance guard just after sunup, burning the bridge

Bridge

A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

as previously ordered. Price's main force had arrived by this time and was fiercely engaging Moonlight's unit, which was stubbornly guarding every available ford in the area. Blunt quickly entered the fray, attempting to drive Price back beyond the defensive positions he wished to reoccupy. A five-hour battle ensued, as Union troops forced the Confederates to fall back at first, entrenching themselves behind several rock walls as they awaited an inevitable Southern counterattack. Although witnesses reported that the outnumbered Federals compelled their enemy to fight for every inch of ground, Confederate numerical superiority slowly took its toll. Gradually, the Northerners were forced to retreat, and the focus of the battle shifted to Independence itself.

Second Battle of Independence (October 21–22)

As Blunt's forces at the Little Blue retreated westward toward Kansas City, they passed through Independence, where Union rearguard units attempted to cover their retreat by engaging Price's oncoming troops in the city streets. Brisk fighting raged throughout the town all afternoon, with the Federals slowly being forced to give way. On the night of October 21, Price camped along an unfinished railroad cut just west of Independence, having taken the city itself. However, Price was by this time being pursued by 10,000 Union cavalry under Maj. Alfred Pleasanton, who caught up with Price in Independence at dawn the following day. Pleasanton crossed the Little Blue and attacked the city from the northeast, thus hitting Price in his rear as he undertook to continue his westward march. Two of Fagan's brigades were roughly handled by the attacking Federals, being pushed back through the city toward the west, where the main Union force lay. Yet another Confederate brigade attempted to stem the onslaught on the grounds of what is now the Community of Christ

Community of Christ

The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...

's Independence Temple

Independence Temple

The Temple in Independence, Missouri, is a house of worship and education "dedicated to the pursuit of peace". It dominates the skyline of Independence, Missouri, USA, and has become the focal point of the headquarters of the Community of Christ...

, but was practically annihilated by Pleasonton's force, with only a few Rebels escaping. Nevertheless, victory would elude the Union. Marmaduke’s division engaged Pleasonton about two miles west of Independence, managing to push the Federals back and hold them until the morning of the 23rd. The focus of activity now shifted westward from Independence to Westport, in modern Kansas City.

Battle of Byram's Ford (October 22–23)

The Battle of Byram's Ford actually comprised two separate skirmishes, one fought on the 22nd of October, and the other the next day. As Price neared Kansas City, he learned that General Curtis' Army of the Border had assembled in and around Westport

Westport, Kansas City

Westport is a historic neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Originally its own town, it was annexed by Kansas City in 1897. Today, it is one of Kansas City's main entertainment districts.-Background:...

, and was blocking his way west. Furthermore, Pleasanton's cavalry division was pressing Price's rear, and indeed was heavily engaged with elements of his force in Independence on the 22nd (see above). Price had nearly 500 wagon

Wagon

A wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....

s with him, and he required a good ford over the Big Blue River

Blue River (Missouri)

The Blue River is a stream that flows through Johnson County, Kansas and Jackson County, Missouri in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The river rises in Johnson County near the border of the states of Kansas and Missouri...

to facilitate the passage of his supplies. Byram's Ford was the best in the area, and thus became a strategic point during the fighting that was about to ensue around Westport. On October 22, Blunt's Union division held a defensive position on the Blue River's west bank. Around 10:00 a.m., parts of Shelby's division conducted a frontal attack on Blunt's men. This attack was a ruse because the rest of Shelby's men flanked

Flanking maneuver

In military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver succeeds, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which significantly reduces the maneuverability of the outflanked force and its...

Blunt's hasty defenses, forcing the Federals to retire to Westport. Price's wagon train and about 5,000 head of cattle

Cattle

Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...

then crossed the Blue River at Byram's Ford, and headed southward toward Little Santa Fe and temporary safety.

The second skirmish at Byram's Ford took place on the 23rd, forming a part of the larger Battle of Westport

Battle of Westport

, which was raging nearby. Having dislodged Blunt's division the day before, Confederates under Marmaduke now held the west bank of the Big Blue to prevent Pleasanton from attacking Price's rear. Pleasonton began his assault on Byram's Ford around 8 a.m. Initially the Confederates held their own. One of the Union brigade commanders, Brig. Gen. Egbert B. Brown

Egbert B. Brown

Egbert Benson Brown was a Union general in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War.-Early life and education:...

, stalled his attack and was arrested by Pleasonton for disobeying orders. Another of Pleasonton's brigade commanders, Col. Edward F. Winslow, was wounded and succeeded by Lt. Col. 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...

, who later rode to fame at 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...

. Despite these setbacks, Federal troops gained the west bank by 11 a.m. and Marmaduke retired. Price now faced two Federal armies, one to his front, and one to his rear, each of which outnumbered his beleaguered force. The outcome of the Battle of Westport was sealed, although the fighting would continue until that evening.

Battle of Westport

(October 23)

Spurning the idea of any retreat southwards, Price decided that he would deal with Curtis and Pleasonton, to his front and rear respectively, by attacking them one at a time. Pleasanton was coming hard after the previous day's fighting in Independence (see above), so Price decided to strike Curtis' Army of the Border

Army of the Border

at Westport first, then turn to deal with Pleasanton. However, Curtis held strong defensive positions and despite numerous charges during the four-hour battle, Price was unable to break the Union line. Once Pleasanton had crossed the Blue River at Byram's Ford (see above; "second skirmish"), Price's fate was sealed. His army retreated south through Kansas, pursued by Pleasanton's cavalry; it would never recover. This battle, known afterwards as "the Gettysburg of the West", effectively ended Price's campaign.

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...

(October 25)

Price withdrew south, and Pleasonton pursued him into Kansas. He caught up with Price's army as it camped on the banks of 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 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...

. After an artillery bombardment that began at 4:00 a.m., Pleasonton's men launched a furious assault. Price ordered his troops to cross the swollen river, leaving Fagan to hold off the Federals until he could get his wagon train across. Although the Union captured two cannon and several prisoners, they were unable to prevent the escape of Price's force. Pleasanton continued his pursuit of Price, catching up with him again later that morning, at Mine Creek (see below).

Battle of Mine Creek

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...

(October 25)

About six miles (10 km) south of Trading Post, the brigades of Col. Frederick W. Benteen and Col. John Philips

John Finis Philips

John Finis Philips was a U.S. Representative from Missouri.Born in Thralls Prairie, Missouri, Philips attended the common schools, the University of Missouri, and was graduated from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, in 1855.He studied law.He was admitted to the bar in 1857 and commenced...

, of Pleasonton's division, overtook Price's Confederates as they were crossing Mine Creek. The Southerners had been stalled as their wagons crossed the swollen ford, and they formed their line of battle on the north side of Mine Creek. Although outnumbered, the Federals commenced a mounted attack which one participant described as bursting upon the Confederates "like a thunderbolt", causing Price's line to disintegrate "like a row of bricks". Superior Union firepower and the ferocity of their attack made up for their inferior numbers, and Pleasanton's cavalry forced Price to retreat once more. Approximately 600 of Price's men and two of his generals, Marmaduke and Brig. Gen. William L. Cabell, were captured, together with six cannon.

Battle of Marmiton River

The Battle of Marmiton River occurred on October 25, 1864, in Vernon County, Missouri during the American Civil War....

(October 25)

Price continued his cartage towards Fort Scott, Kansas

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...

. In the late afternoon of October 25, Price's supply train had difficulty crossing the Marmiton River ford and just as at Mine Creek earlier that afternoon, Price had to make another stand. Brig. Gen. John McNeil

John McNeil

John McNeil was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was most noted for his role in the Palmyra Massacre and other acts of alleged brutality.-Early life and career:...

, commanding two brigades of Pleasonton's cavalry, engaged troops that Price and his officers had rallied from the earlier battles, including a sizable contingent of unarmed men. Observing the large Confederate force and not knowing that many were unarmed, McNeil refrained from an all-out assault. After about two hours of skirmishing Price recommenced his retreat, while McNeil could not mount an effective pursuit. Price's army was utterly broken by this time; now it was simply a question of whether he could escape, and how many men he could successfully evacuate to friendly territory.

Second Battle of Newtonia

Battle of Newtonia II

The Second Battle of Newtonia was fought on October 28, 1864, in Newton County, Missouri, as part of Major General Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of the American Civil War....

(October 28)

The tattered remnants of Price's army stopped to rest about two miles (3 km) south of Newtonia, Missouri

Newtonia, Missouri

Newtonia is a village in Newton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 199 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. Newtonia was the site of the Battles of Newtonia. Newtonia has some Antebellum houses, such as the Ritchey Mansion, as well...

. Soon afterward, Blunt's Union cavalry surprised the Confederates and engaged them. With many of Price's troops in pell-mell retreat, Jo Shelby's division–including his Iron Brigade

Shelby's Iron Brigade

–rode to the front, dismounted, and engaged the Federals while the remaining Southerners retreated towards the Indian Territory

Indian Territory

The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...

. Brig. Gen. John Sanborn

John B. Sanborn

John Benjamin Sanborn was a lawyer, politician, and soldier from the state of New Hampshire who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...

later appeared with Union reinforcements, convincing Shelby to retire. Union troops had once again forced the Confederates to retreat, but failed to destroy or capture them. This would prove to be the final battle in Price's Missouri campaign.

Aftermath

Needing to avoid Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...

, Price swung west into Indian Territory and Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

before returning to Arkansas on December 2 with only 6,000 survivors from an original force of 12,000, including thousands of guerrillas who joined him later. He reported to Kirby Smith that he "marched 1,434 miles (2,308 km), fought 43 battles and skirmishes, captured and parole

Parole

Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...

d over 3,000 Federal officers and men, captured 18 pieces of artillery ... and destroyed Missouri property ... of $10,000,000 in value." Nevertheless, Price's mission had been a complete failure and contributed, along with Union successes in Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

and Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, to the re-election of President Lincoln. Moreover, Price had wound up doing the Federals' job for them: he cleared Missouri of the Guerrillas, all those who joined him were either killed or left the state with him. Price's Raid proved to be the final Confederate offensive in the Trans-Mississippi region during the war.

A modern assessment

In his paper Assessing Compound Warfare During Price's Raid, written as a thesis for the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Major

Major

Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

Dale E. Davis postulates that Price's Missouri Raid failed primarily due to his inability to properly employ the principles of "compound warfare", which requires an inferior power to effectively utilize regular and irregular forces in concert (such as was done by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong against the French and Americans during the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

) to defeat a superior army. He also blamed Price's slow rate of movement during his campaign, and the close proximity of Confederate irregulars to his regular force, for this outcome.

Davis observes that by wasting valuable time, ammunition and men in his relatively meaningless assaults on Fort Davidson, Glasgow, Sedalia and Boonville, Price offered Union General Rosecrans time he might not otherwise have had to organize an effective response. Furthermore, he says, Price's insistence on guarding an ever-expanding wagon train

Wagon train

A wagon train is a group of wagons traveling together. In the American West, individuals traveling across the plains in covered wagons banded together for mutual assistance, as is reflected in numerous films and television programs about the region, such as Audie Murphy's Tumbleweed and Ward Bond...

of looted military supplies

Materiel

Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....

and other items ultimately became "an albatross to [his] withdrawal". Price, wrote Davis, ought to have used Confederate bushwackers to harass Federal formations, forcing the Unionists to disperse significant numbers of troops to pursue them over wide ranges of territory–which in turn would have reduced the number of effectives available to fight against Price's main force. Instead, Price kept many guerrillas close to his army, even incorporating some into his ranks, largely negating the value represented by their mobility and small, independent formations. This in turn allowed Union generals to ultimately concentrate a force large enough to trap and defeat Price at Westport

Battle of Westport

, effectively ending his campaign.

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