Osceola, MO

[Robtweb1]

Following Sterling Price's secessionist Missouri State Guard victory over General Nathaniel Lyon's Union army at the Battle of Wilson's Creek, Price began initiatives to "clean out" opposition in Kansas and retake the state of Missouri.
James H. Lane organized 1,200 troops to resist the Price invasion into Kansas. Price defeated Lane in the Battle of Dry Wood Creek near Fort Scott, Kansas. Lane retreated and Price continued his offensive further into Missouri to the Siege of Lexington.
While Price moved North, Lane launched an attack behind him. After crossing the Missouri border at Trading Post, Kansas on September 10, Lane began an offensive moving East on Butler, Harrisonville, Osceola and Clinton, Missouri.
Osceola

The climax of the campaign was on September 23, 1861, at Osceola, where Lane's forces drove off a small Southern force and then looted and burned the town. An artillery battery under Capt. Thomas Moonlightt shelled the St. Clair County courthouse, According to reports, many of the Kansans got so drunk that when it came time to leave they were unable to march and had to ride in wagons and carriages. They carried off with them a tremendous load of plunder, including as Lane's personal share a piano and a quantity of silk dresses. Hundreds of slaves followed Lane to Kansas and freedom. The troops moved Northwest and arrived at Kansas City, Missouri, on September 29, to pursue Price as he retreated south through the state.
Osceola was plundered with Lane's men taking 350 horses and 200 slaves, 400 cattle, 3,000 bags of flour, and quantities of supplies from all the town shops and stores as well as carriages and wagons. Nine local men were rounded up, given a quick drumhead court-martial trial, and executed. All but three of the town's 800 buildings burned; the town never fully recovered.

 

[TerryB]

Lexington may be the only "siege" the Confederates ever won.

 

[Robtweb1]

Lexington may be the only "siege" the Confederates ever won.

Probably because the hemp bales were involved, lol.

 

[TerryB]

Probably because the hemp bales were involved, lol.

Almost forgot about them hemp bales. Wonder if they went up in smoke?

 

[Robtweb1]

Almost forgot about them hemp bales. Wonder if they went up in smoke?

I visited the battlefield once, years ago. The way I understand it, there was quite a bit of smoke as the bales caught on fire from the bullets going into them.

 

[Battalion]

Lexington may be the only "siege" the Confederates ever won.

Harper's Ferry

 

[TerryB]

Harper's Ferry

Yes, but? Did that last long enough to qualify?

 

[Borderruffian]

The Sack of Osceola

http://www.civil
warstlouis.com/History2/casteljayhawking.htm


http://www.legendsofamerica.com/mo-osceola2.html


http://www.rulen.com/partisan/osceola.htm

http://www.osceolamochamber.com/theburning/index.htm

http://www.mhmvoices.org/2008SummerFeature3.php

First Battle of Lexington Missouri:

http://www.civilwaralbum.com/misc/lexington1.htm


http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/mo006.htm

http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1861/october/battle-of-lexington.htm

http://www.visitlexingtonmo.com/index.cfm?Page=BattleofLexingtonStateHistoricSite

http://www.missouridivision-scv.org/baug1998.htm

http://stripedpot.com/2011/06/25/battle-of-lexington-state-historic-site-lexington-missouri/

 

[Rebel]

Quantrill's retaliatory Raid on Lawrence seems justified, if you consider an eye for an eye. I'm new to the site and love reading the posts. Lots of perspective and well thought dialogue.
Since were in discussing Missouri, what reason did Lane use to send his Kansas Home Guards to Washington and Louisiana. Also, why did he leave Washington to commit suicide at Fort Leavenworth? Just looking for insight and prospective.

 

[Rebel from Finland]

Stupid question, but is the place named Osceola after that famous Seminole Chief?

 

[Lazy Bayou]

Chief Osceola must have been quite a "travelin' man." There's Osceola, MO, Osceola, AR, Osceola, IA and there may be one in Florida.

 

[Robtweb1]

Stupid question, but is the place named Osceola after that famous Seminole Chief?

Yes it was. An interesting bit of trivia, at one point the town was populated mostly by Osage Indians, displaced from central Missouri. I don't know the timeline on that.

 

[Rebel from Finland]

Yes it was. An interesting bit of trivia, at one point the town was populated mostly by Osage Indians, displaced from central Missouri. I don't know the timeline on that.

Thank You! I remember reading a book when I was little boy, that was telling about Seminoles.. If I recall correctly he stabbed peace treaty, that would have sent him to reservation, with his knife so hard that the whole table was cut in half. Quick check on wikipedia tells me that he was buried in Fort Moultrie with military honors(!) in 1838, so nice little link to ACW there too.

 

[Rebel]

Just curious about Kansas Senator Lane's suicide in '66 - why would a man who reaped so much death on Southerners turn the gun on himself? Was it a guilty conscious or threats from the remnants of Quantrill's Raiders to kill Lane and his family, if he didn't stop pursuing the rebel fighters in Texas? The Outlaw Josey Wales gives a Hollywood version.
I've been told that Clell Miller and a man claiming to be Bloody Bill Anderson's brother led a group of Rebels from Texas to Kansas. I'm interested to learn if anyone else has heard a similar account of why Lane took his own life.

 

[Borderruffian]

Lane had been charged with abandoning the Radical Republicans as a Senator and there were charges of financial "problems" with money entrusted to him.

Clell Miller and Jim Anderson had nothing to do with it.

 

[KLSDAD]

I seem to recall reading that he was sufferring from some sort of illness as well.

 

[Borderruffian]

I seem to recall reading that he was sufferring from some sort of illness as well.

Rumor was a social disease.

 

[Borderruffian]

Yes it was. An interesting bit of trivia, at one point the town was populated mostly by Osage Indians, displaced from central Missouri. I don't know the timeline on that.

By about 1825 the Osage (Wahazhe) were pretty much gone from Missouri and had moved into what is now Oklahoma and Southern Kansas. Their current Nation Capitol is Pawhuska Oklahoma in Osage County. During the Oil boom the Osage had alot of oil claims and how that worked out is an interesting read.

http://arkarcheology.uark.edu/indiansofarkansas/index.html?pageName=The%20Osage%20Indians

http://www.osagetribe.com/