Significant Missouri Home Guard Battle

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A rendering of the topography of the area and the probable site of the fort. I believe, due to some first hand accounts I have read, that only this section of the fort was present. I'm not done with the map, but thought it would be a neat share.
 
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A rendering of the topography of the area and the probable site of the fort. I believe, due to some first hand accounts I have read, that only this section of the fort was present. I'm not done with the map, but thought it would be a neat share.

I think you're just a tad too far to the east where you have placed the earthen fort, (fort Cameron, I think they called it). We have a map of that fort made by one of the soldiers garrisoned there after the battle which shows some of the surrounding
topography and it's relationship to the fort, especially that "Y" shaped ravine that empties into the river. Also, I think the river ran real close to the bluff then, and was later "pushed away" from the bluff when they put the railroad in, (in the 1890's?). The railroad also destroyed some of the bluff too. On a aside, I think the left side of the "Y" is where Hanna Cole had her windlast to draw water out of the river when her fort was build somewhere close by in 1814. IIRC, Lewis and Clark also mentioned a part of the bluff which overhung the river on their 1804 trip, which is the windlast was later erected.

Patrick H put up that soldiers map of the fort here on the forum some time ago, which overlaid the soldiers map on the modern topography. I'll try and find it. One of the problems is the topography of the ground, (the site of Hanna Coles' fort and the Union fort), has been changed so much over the years. Until sometime in the 1970's, there was a hospital (built around 1920) which was located there. When it was removed, they recontoured the area to make it look natural, but I highly suspect it was not put back to what it looked like in the 1860's

But I do agree the fort was expanded, maybe doubled in size with another section after the battle. I would guess the need to increase it's size was needed as more troops were garrisoned there?
 
I think you're just a tad too far to the east where you have placed the earthen fort, (fort Cameron, I think they called it). We have a map of that fort made by one of the soldiers garrisoned there after the battle which shows some of the surrounding
topography and it's relationship to the fort, especially that "Y" shaped ravine that empties into the river. Also, I think the river ran real close to the bluff then, and was later "pushed away" from the bluff when they put the railroad in, (in the 1890's?). The railroad also destroyed some of the bluff too. On a aside, I think the left side of the "Y" is where Hanna Cole had her windlast to draw water out of the river when her fort was build somewhere close by in 1814. IIRC, Lewis and Clark also mentioned a part of the bluff which overhung the river on their 1804 trip, which is the windlast was later erected.

Patrick H put up that soldiers map of the fort here on the forum some time ago, which overlaid the soldiers map on the modern topography. I'll try and find it. One of the problems is the topography of the ground, (the site of Hanna Coles' fort and the Union fort), has been changed so much over the years. Until sometime in the 1970's, there was a hospital (built around 1920) which was located there. When it was removed, they recontoured the area to make it look natural, but I highly suspect it was not put back to what it looked like in the 1860's

But I do agree the fort was expanded, maybe doubled in size with another section after the battle. I would guess the need to increase it's size was needed as more troops were garrisoned there?

An account of the told of Poindexter's men getting slowed down at a fence/palisade. If you take a look at the referenced image Pat shared, you see lots of small areas marked "gate." I believe this is what is referred to in that account.

It further states that Poindexter's men took fire from a brick building, but that they drove the Union soldiers from it and were actually able to use it themselves.

I believe this is why you see the expanded earthworks that include the brick building and stables later on. I do not believe Poindexter carried earthworks and a building. It explains the odd shape of the fortifications on the map.
 
OK, Here's the map I spoke of, (from a Jan 2017 thread).

After looking a the relation of the fort to the ravine, do you see where the ravine on the soldier's map sort of bisects the eastern portion (left side on the map) of the fort? If you don't have a copy of the map I can get one to you. Realize that on the soldiers map, South is at the top, so you're looking at the map from the river, looking south.
The "Road to Boonville" is modern day East Morgan Street. Around the top left side of the map, the soldier wrote, "farm House." This house still exists, and is the house where Patrick H grew up. Just to the west of this house is present day Pawnee Street which extends and dead ends between approximately between "Y" of the ravines. I think the part of the fort that was in existence at the time of the battle is the part that's furthest to the east, (left side on the map). This part of the fort contains the Indian mound, which plays a part in the battle. The other side of the fort, the part that's closest to Boonville, would have been added after the battle.

A couple of other things;
The natural amphitheater I think still exists, although part of it has been filled in with rubble, but its at the end of the modern day street that runs along the river, (Rural Street?). Just to the east of the amphitheater is a passage from the river to the top of the bluffs. It's no longer there as it's been filled with rubble, but along the present days' rivers edge there remains what was called a limestone quarry or kiln, that I think had a limestone shelf that ran along the edge of the river where steamboats could dock. The warehouses listed on the map would have been part of the Mo. State 1856(?) Fair Grounds and perhaps that was where the States' armory were located prior to the 1st Battle of Boonville.

And the soldier who made the map, Pvt. John B. Fergeson of Co. C, 37th Ill. Infantry, if I'm not mistaken, the 37th was called the Illinois Grayhounds.

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An account of the told of Poindexter's men getting slowed down at a fence/palisade. If you take a look at the referenced image Pat shared, you see lots of small areas marked "gate." I believe this is what is referred to in that account.

It further states that Poindexter's men took fire from a brick building, but that they drove the Union soldiers from it and were actually able to use it themselves.

I believe this is why you see the expanded earthworks that include the brick building and stables later on. I do not believe Poindexter carried earthworks and a building. It explains the odd shape of the fortifications on the map.

I'm in agreement; Pointdexter approached the fort from the west along present day Waters/Rural Street which run along the river and overran the (state fair) warehouses to the west of the fort. After the battle, when the fort was extended, at least one of them was incorporated into the fort.

If you look at the soldiers map, there a fence corner that runs close to the south east edge of the original fort. IIRC, wasn't one of the Brown brothers shot behind a corner fence post? Perhaps this was the spot. The farmhouse listed on the soldiers map was the Lilly farmhouse, (Pat's boyhood home), the area where the fort was construct was, I believe call "Lilly's field" for years, and the Indian mound that the fort was built around was the Lilly family burial plot. I've seen a letter somewhere where Mrs. Lilly complained tot he Union authorities about the soldiers disturbing the graves.

In something sort of related, earlier this week I came across an article in the Columbia Tribune, their "150 years ago today" series they ran a few years ago, concerning a Capt. Poindexter, and if I knew how to send it to you, I would have as I'm sure you would be interested. It seem that in June or July of 1861, a Capt. Poindexter either at or from Allen, Mo. (wasn't that the early name of Moberly?) captured two bank officials from the Fayette Mo branch of the Mo. State Bank, and took from them $100,000. The money was recovered, (but it wasn't stated how), and returned to the St. Louis home bank. The article did state the directors of the Fayette Branch were all southern men, and seemed to imply that there may have been some collusion between the Fayette directors and Poindexter as a way of funneling the money to the southern cause. I've read a thesis about just such a thing happening early in the war where southern men would take out loans from a bank, give the money to the MSG to finance them, and expected to be repaid by the state after the expected short war. Of course the war lasted much longer than expected, the borrowers were never repaid by the state and could pay on their loan, and for many of them it lead to financial ruin
 
I don't know how to link an old post to this one, but the discussion we had on this forum when the soldiers map was first found, and Pat's overlay of the map to modern features was called, "Soldier's map of fortifications" started on Sept. 27, 2016, in the gen. history discussion.
 
Great research. I've lived all over Arkansas, so I'd like to see a map of Missouri that pinpoints the engagement.
 
Colonel Brown called for his forces to be split. Poindexter's battalion would approach from the west. Captain George Mason Brown was to "detour down the river and attack from the east, while Colonel Brown moved on them from the South."

All were to converge on the earthworks at the sound of Brown's hunting horn.

From the text when discussing the palisade. "The entrenchments at the fairground were surrounded with a palisade some eight feet high, made of plank, nailed upright on horizontal stringers." I am not certain if this is really how high it was, but it was obviously big enough and sturdy enough to slow down a battalion of men.

Poindexter's battalion was delayed getting through the fence/palisade and were not up in time for a simultaneous advance. Colonel Brown charged, what to me - even considering terrain changes - was the most exposed portion of the field in what amounted to a frontal assault. He fell mortally wounded. Captain Brown charged up close to the earthworks - probably the weakest point - but the delay of Poindexter caused the Home Guard to be able to concentrate on the forces attacking from the East and the South. When the Captain heard his brother's hunting horn again, he redirected his troops, marching to support his brother in an attack from a more southerly - and exposed - course, where he himself was mortally wounded.

It was probably by this time that Poindexter gained the field and drove the Home Guard out of the Brick House. The brick house, according to Pat's map, had a pretty good angle on the earthworks. It may be the reason why the hostages were sent out under flag of truce.

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Great research. I've lived all over Arkansas, so I'd like to see a map of Missouri that pinpoints the engagement.

We're talking about the second battle of Boonville, MO which took place on the eastern side of the town, in Sept. '61. If you were to look at a present day map, the fort would have been located across East Morgan street across from the prison, and partially over present day Pawnee street.

We had four "engagements" in and around Boonville, (none of which developed into a marriage--a little CW humor.)
First Battle of Boonville, June '61 along the Rocheport road east of town.
Second Battle of Boonville Sept '61 and the subject of this thread
Sometimes called the Third Battle of Boonville which was a short-term take over of the town during Shelby's '63 raid.
Sometimes called the Forth battle of Boonville or simply, Prices Raid, when Price occupied the town for three days in '64
 
We're talking about the second battle of Boonville, MO which took place on the eastern side of the town, in Sept. '61. If you were to look at a present day map, the fort would have been located across East Morgan street across from the prison, and partially over present day Pawnee street.

We had four "engagements" in and around Boonville, (none of which developed into a marriage--a little CW humor.)
First Battle of Boonville, June '61 along the Rocheport road east of town.
Second Battle of Boonville Sept '61 and the subject of this thread
Sometimes called the Third Battle of Boonville which was a short-term take over of the town during Shelby's '63 raid.
Sometimes called the Forth battle of Boonville or simply, Prices Raid, when Price occupied the town for three days in '64

There was a sharp action during Price's Raid a year to the date after Shelby occupied the town. I believe I read that it occurred in the area of Wal-Mart and the Route B Car Wash.
 
Or, using Pat's Map - this is what I envision. More next week. Off to a reenactment at Athens, then moving next week. See you when I'm back on-line!

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It's fairly easy to imagine a significant palisade as described in the reading on the south and westward facing portion of the old fairgrounds. We know Poindexter was slowed, but Colonel Brown seems to have gotten himself into place rather quickly. I have no way of accounting for this unless they arrived with an open gate or the south end of the grounds was a sturdy, yet not impregnable defense.

The eastern and southeast sections were agricultural pieces of land - orchards, wheat, mule yards, etc. These were probably fenced, though likely not a palisade. They might not have been as difficult for Captain Brown's troops to cross.

Additionally, heavy rains had commenced the previous evening. The MSG forces had moved from the Lamine River Bridge to Boonville in the downpour. This probably did not contribute to the inefficiency of the shotguns and hunting rifles that would have been used by Colonel Brown's men.

This is a battle that just seemed to have odds going against it from the start.
 
Or, using Pat's Map - this is what I envision. More next week. Off to a reenactment at Athens, then moving next week. See you when I'm back on-line!

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I'm glad you posted your version of the soldiers map. It may clear up some of my confusion.
Are you saying the initial earthern fort is the one you have outlined, the one that encloses the brick house?------ After rereading your post I think you agree with me that the area you have outlined is the latter addition to the fort and was open ground at the time of the battle.

From my limited knowledge of the battle, I would say the initial fort is the 5 sided one that was furthest east. That portion of the fort contained the powder magazine, which was probably an earthen mound, and the Indian mound that was also the Lilly family cemetery. On top of one of those two mounds is probably where Hayne was shot. The Brown brothers approached the fort through the grove of trees to the south which is the present day penitentiary, with Col. Brown attacking north and using Lilly's lane, home and out buildings for cover, (which is present day Pawnee Lane) then past Lilly's house deployed at least part of his troops to the west, facing north. Perhaps he made it as far as the fence corner that is the nw corner of the orchard, and in that general area is where he was shot. While moving through the woods, Capt. Brown swung around further to the east and right of Col. Brown and was to attack the fort from the east. I'm guessing he went as far east as present day Mohawk Street before he changed his facing to the west. The reason for this is his movement on the fort would have been shielded by the hill that Pawnee lane and Mohawk sits upon, and he could have gotten his men in line using the cover of that hill. When Capt. Brown reached the crest of the hill he would have had under 200 yards to cross before he reached the pointed end of the fort, and perhaps join his line of troops, to that of his brother at a 45 degree angle. Poindexter came through Boonville and headed east to the fort either on present day Rural Street, or a block south of Rural street to present day Commercial Street. It's interesting that on the soldiers map, he's labeled "gates" at points that would correspond to where the present day Rural and Commercial streets met the old fairgrounds/fort complex. Poindexter used the warehouse and brick building outside the fort to attack heading East. It seems that the MSG, even though being raw troops were using cover and concealment as much as possible to get as close to the fort as they could and attack the narrowest portions of the fort. I can't imagine Col. Brown, a veteran of the Mexican war, would have attacked the fort's long side that faced the parade ground.

Enjoy the Athens event, and check often for ticks!
 
It's fairly easy to imagine a significant palisade as described in the reading on the south and westward facing portion of the old fairgrounds. We know Poindexter was slowed, but Colonel Brown seems to have gotten himself into place rather quickly. I have no way of accounting for this unless they arrived with an open gate or the south end of the grounds was a sturdy, yet not impregnable defense.......

Palisade or fence? The West and South side of the Union complex I'm guessing would have been part of the pre-war fairgrounds that faced Boonville, so perhaps it had a rather stout fence. Did the Union reinforce this fence? Yet there were gates along this fence where the roads to Boonville met the complex.

Acting as a Monday morning general, I'm thinking that the difference was in the leadership of the opposing forces. The union forces were Union home guards, with how much training (?), but probably more than the MSG. And they were fighting behind cover which with the rain had to have been a muddy mess, and they were local, so there is the "fighting for home" factor. And they had military weapons. The MSG outnumbered the home guard by what ratio? 5/1?, 7/1? but probably were fairly new recruits with little to no training and once the bullets started to whistle around their ears, were content to hug a tree rather than close with the enemy. They were largely armed with squirrel rifles and shotguns and attacking a fortified position where they couldn't see their enemy. I'm thinking with these factors, the odds were pretty even.

So it falls to the commanders:
Eppstein, from his actions at the fort and later in the war seemed to have proven himself a capable and decisive commander. Brown was perhaps more excitable, a firebrand, emotional, (witness his actions at the first Battle of Boonville), not as patient or capable as to what was needed in operation with raw troops attacking from different directions. He didn't lack courage though, and lead from the front, but he needed someone behind him urging his men forward to overwhelm the fort. A well trained man can get off 3 rounds a minute with a musket. How fast can a man run a 100 yards? If Col. Brown could have massed his men in the orchard, he may have been able to get them up to the base of the fort before the home guards a second shot off.
And Poindexter failed him in failing to appear in time, and we don't know why he was late. So, perhaps the better battle plan would have been for Brown to have waited to until Poindexter started the battle, pin the home guard down to the West side of the fort, then he and his brother begin their joint attack at the East end. Or, have his brother, someone he could trust, take half/some his men and join with Poindexter as the second in command and attack the fort with him. So then Poindexter/Capt. Brown attack from the Boonville side, and Col. Brown attacks from the Lilly orchard. I think the MSG could have taken the fort, if it was a combined and coordinated attack from both ends. At this point in the war, the MSG didn't have the training to do this.

BTW, We have to assume that Brown and Poindexter rode to Boonville, We know Browns men left their horses at the Stevens home. Where did Poindexter "park" his horses?
 
I'm glad you posted your version of the soldiers map. It may clear up some of my confusion.
Are you saying the initial earthern fort is the one you have outlined, the one that encloses the brick house?------ After rereading your post I think you agree with me that the area you have outlined is the latter addition to the fort and was open ground at the time of the battle.

What I outlined is what I believe to be the original fort. The accounts of Poindexter's men capturing the brick house make no mention of him carrying earthworks, which he would have had to do. When I look at the design, the section resembling an elongated home plate stands out to me as the original design. It is the section that houses the magazine and Indian mound.

The earthworks, in my opinion, were put around those buildings after the experience of their capture during the battle.
 
I can't imagine Col. Brown, a veteran of the Mexican war...

This is another thing I find strange. William Brown did serve in the Mexican War. But, near as I can tell - his service was in California with Fremont. He did serve as an escort to return communications to the east and did serve as a witness at Fremont's court martial and trial - but I see no real combat experience.

Conversely, his older brother, George Mason Brown, served as a Second Lieutenant and was wounded as well as decorated during combat in Mexico fighting with Taylor's army (in a company commanded by Cassius Clay - the man responsible for maiming the Brown's father).

William Brown was hot tempered, bold, and reckless.

George Mason Brown seemed to have the better credentials for command, yet he is the Captain and his younger brother the senior officer.

All-in-all an interesting set-up.
 
BTW, We have to assume that Brown and Poindexter rode to Boonville, We know Browns men left their horses at the Stevens home. Where did Poindexter "park" his horses?

There was a lady in town who was absolutely convinced that there was a Cavalry charge at this battle. I have never bought that story for a minute.

But...

Suppose Poindexter's troubles came from a decision to not dismount?

William Brown handled the palisades/gate/fence issue without any real difficulty.

Why couldn't John Poindexter do the same? Maybe that was part of the delay? Just spitballing - but that could be something. Maybe he failed to dismount initially and found forward movement impossible...he would have had to have left his horses in East Boonville or on the grounds between it and the larger city, then come back and form his men.
 
There was a lady in town who was absolutely convinced that there was a Cavalry charge at this battle. I have never bought that story for a minute.

But...

Suppose Poindexter's troubles came from a decision to not dismount?

William Brown handled the palisades/gate/fence issue without any real difficulty.

Why couldn't John Poindexter do the same? Maybe that was part of the delay? Just spitballing - but that could be something. Maybe he failed to dismount initially and found forward movement impossible...he would have had to have left his horses in East Boonville or on the grounds between it and the larger city, then come back and form his men.

I read a diary last night from an Iowa soldier who was briefly stationed in Boonville just after the fight. He mentioned there were 3,500 troops here at the time and his troops were encamp in a "lovely" walnut Grove, which must have been the present day prison. He and his fellow soldiers worked a couple of days on the fortifications. I took that to mean that they were expanding the fort, though he did not say that.
 
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