Battle of Mount Zion Church, December 28, 1861

  150th Anniversary of the Battle of Mount Zion Church

Brig. Gen. Benjamin M. Prentiss led a Union force of 5 mounted companies and 2 companies of Birge’s sharpshooters into Boone County to protect the North Missouri Railroad and oversee secessionist sentiment there. After arriving in Sturgeon on December 26, Prentiss learned of a band of Rebels near Hallsville. He sent a company to Hallsville the next day that fought a Confederate force under the command of Col. Caleb Dorsey and suffered numerous casualties, including many taken prisoner, before retreating to Sturgeon. On the 28th, Prentiss set out with his entire force to meet Dorsey’s Rebels. He routed one company of Confederates on the road from Hallsville to Mount Zion and learned that the rest of the force was at Mount Zion Church. Prentiss headed for the church. After a short battle, the Confederates retreated, leaving their killed and wounded on the battlefield and abandoning many animals, weapons, and supplies. This action and others curtailed Rebel recruiting activities in Central Missouri.  Mount Zion Chruch was a Union Victory.

Union Forces:  440
Confederate Forces:  900
Total:  1340
 
Killed/Wounded/Captured:
Union Forces:  70
Confederate Forces:  235
Total:  305

The Battle was fought around the Church and cemetary.  The Church was used as a field hospital after the fight.

Cheers

Mac

Battle of Belmont, November 7, 1861

150th Anniversary of the Battle of Belmont

On November 6, 1861, Brig. Gen. U.S. Grant left Cairo, Illinois, by steamers, in conjunction with two gunboats, to make a demonstration against Columbus, Kentucky. The next morning, Grant learned that Confederate troops had crossed the Mississippi River from Columbus to Belmont, Missouri, to intercept two detachments sent in pursuit of Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson and, possibly, to reinforce Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s force. He landed on the Missouri shore, out of the range of Confederate artillery at Columbus, and started marching the mile to Belmont. At 9:00 in the morning, an engagement began. The Federals routed the Confederates out of their Belmont cantonment and destroyed the Rebel supplies and equipment they found because they did not have the means to carry them off. The scattered Confederate forces reorganized and received reinforcements from Columbus. Counterattacked by the Confederates, the Union force withdrew, reembarked, and returned to Cairo. Grant did not accomplish much in this operation, but, at a time when little Union action occurred anywhere, many were heartened by any activity.  Belmont was a Union Victory.

Union Forces:  3,114
Confederate Forces:  5,000
Total:  8,114
 
Killed/Wounded/Captured:
Union Forces:   607
Confederate Forces:  641
Total:  1248

Map of The Battle of Belmont, Missouri.

Cheers
Mac

Battle of Ball's Bluff, October 21, 1861

150th Anniversary of the Battle of Ball's Bluff

Confederate Brig. Gen. Nathan “Shanks” Evans stopped a badly coordinated attempt by Union forces under Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone to cross the Potomac at Harrison’s Island and capture Leesburg. A timely Confederate counterattack drove the Federals over the bluff and into the river. More than 700 Federals were captured. Col. Edward D. Baker (a U.S. Senator) was killed. This Union rout had severe political ramifications in Washington and led to the establishment of the Congressional Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War.  Ball's Bluff was a Confederate Victory.
 
Union Forces: 2,000
Confederate Forces: 1,600 
Total: 3,600
 
Killed/Wounded/Captured:
Union Forces: 1002
Confederate Forces: 155
Total: 1157

Map of Harrison's Landing (Ball's Bluff)

This cemetery is the third smallest National Cemetery in the U.S.  The 25 graves contain 54 Union dead from the battle.

 

Federal firing line at the 2010 Ball's Bluff reenactment

Cheers
Mac

First Post!

Want to see if this "blog thing" will work.

First Post!  Testing one, two, three!

Cheers

Mac