First Battle of Independence
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The First Battle of Independence was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring on August 11, 1862, in Jackson County, Missouri.
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[edit] Background
During the summer of 1862 many Confederate and Missouri State Guard recruiters were dispatched north from Arkansas into Missouri to replenish the depleted ranks of the Trans-Mississippi Confederacy. In Western/West-Central Missouri these included then Captain Jo Shelby, Colonel Vard Cockrell, Colonel John T. Coffee, Upton Hays, John Charles Tracy, John T. Hughes, Gideon W. Thompson, and DeWitt C. Hunter. Various guerrillas and bushwhackers, most notably those under William Quantrill had remained in Missouri and assisted the recrutiers as they entered the region. For example, Upton Hays was assisted by 30 men from Quantrill's command under the infamously brutal George Todd. [1] By August 1, Hays was encamped near Lee's Summit with 150 men.
Colonel Hughes intended to cross the Missouri River to recruit around his home of Clinton County, Missouri. He and Gideon Thompson rode to Hays's camp with 75 men and 25 more men with Quantrill soon arrived. The officers conferred. Desperate for ammunition and needing a victory to stir recruiting efforts they determined to make a surprise attack against Buel before he attacked them. Cole Younger and another man conducted successful scouts of the town the day before the attack.
Buel had sent Captain Breckenridge scouting for eleven days, but Breckenridge found nothing. Buel however was aware of Hays's camp and prepared to attack it, confiscating weapons in Independence in advance. On the evening of August 10 several citizens warned Buel of an impending attack and some Union citizens had fled the city in previous days. Buel ignored the warnings, but one of his officers, Captain Rodewald, did not.
The federals were positioned in three main concentrations: a camp near a rock wall, the bank serving as Buel's headquarters, and the jail.
[edit] Battle
Col. John T. Hughes’s Confederate force, including the partisan leader William Quantrill, attacked Independence, Missouri, before dawn, in two columns on different roads. They drove through the town to the Union Army camp delivering a deadly volley to the sleeping men. Captain Breckenridge suggested surrender but Captain Axline formed the men behind a rockwall and ditch while Confederates rifled through the camp for ammunition. The Rebels made many attacks against the wall but were unsuccessful in taking it. Here Colonel Hughes was killed, Thompson and Hays wounded. Two majors were also killed.
Lt. Col. James T. Buel, commander of the Union garrison, attempted to hold out with part of his force in the bank building he used as headquarters. He was forced to surrender after the building next door was set are. Buel then, by means of a flag of truce, arranged a meeting with the new Confederate commander, Col. Gideon W. Thompson, who had replaced Colonel Hughes, killed earlier. Buel surrendered and about 150 of his men were paroled; the others had escaped, hidden, or been killed.
[edit] Murders by Todd
The men defending the jail quickly realized that they would be overwhelmed, fired a volley and fled. George Todd freed the prisoners at the jail and among them found City Marshall Jim Knowles (jailed for the killing of a rowdy citizen.) He also had captured Captain Thomas. Both men had successfully ambushed Todd's men in an early engagement, killing. Todd and his men murdered both of them.
[edit] Casualties & aftermath
Much of the Union command in Independence was captured with a few commands making good their escape. The Confederate victory was costly, resulting in the death of ten experienced officers and the wounding of Colonels Hays and Thompson. Among the dead officers was General/Colonel John T. Hughes. Having taken Independence, the Confederate force headed for Kansas City. Confederate dominance in the Kansas City area continued, but not for long.
Lt. Col. Buel's performance and failure to heed warnings of impending attack by prominent citizens were widely condemned. Captain Breckenridge's inability to find any guerrillas in the preceding 11 days, then his eagerness to surrender were also considered disgraceful. Both men were court-martialled and the men who were captured were mustered out of service. Since the two officers had been dismissed with their men, nothing came of the court martial proceedings.
[edit] Order of battle
USA Lt. Col. James T. Buel
- 7th Missouri Cavalry (2 companies)
- 2nd Battalion Missouri Provisional Militia (3 companies) - Capt. Jacob Axline
- 6th Regiment Missouri Enrolled Militia (1 company) - W.H. Rodewald
CSA Col./Acting Brigadier John T. Hughes
- Hughes Recruiters
- Hays Regiment
- Quantrill's Guerrillas
[edit] References
- ^ Eakin, Joanne Chiles, Battle of Independence, August 11, 1862, Two Trails Publishing, 2000, page 4
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