Английская Википедия:Battle of Clark's Mill

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Шаблон:Infobox military conflict The Battle of Clark's Mill was fought on November 7, 1862, near Vera Cruz, Missouri, as part of the American Civil War. Confederate troops led by Colonels Colton Greene and John Q. Burbridge were recruiting in the Gainesville area. Federal Captain Hiram E. Barstow commanded a detachment at Clark's Mill near Vera Cruz, and heard rumors of Confederate depredations around Gainesville. In response, Barstow sent patrols towards Gainesville and Rockbridge, personally accompanying the latter. Confederate forces were encountered before reaching Rockbridge, and Barstow fell back to Clark's Mill. The Confederates arrived from multiple directions, and after a skirmish of five hours, surrounded the Federal position. With night falling, the Confederates offered Barstow surrender terms that were accepted. The Federal soldiers were paroled and their blockhouse destroyed; both Barstow and the Confederates left the area after the skirmish. A Federal counterstroke left Ozark the next day.

Background

Early in the American Civil War, the state of Missouri was a contested battleground. The state's citizens were divided between Confederate sympathizers and those loyal to United States federal forces. A coalition of Confederate and Missouri State Guard (a pro-Confederate state militia) forces defeated Federal forces in the Battle of Wilson's Creek in August 1861, and Missouri State Guard troops drove to the Missouri River later that year, but by the end of the year, were restricted to southwestern Missouri. Missouri had two competing governments: a Union government, and the competing Confederate government of Missouri, which was unable to exercise territorial control of the state.Шаблон:Sfn

In early March 1862, Confederate and Missouri State Guard forces were defeated in the Battle of Pea Ridge in northern Arkansas; the battle secured Missouri for the Federals.Шаблон:Sfn The Missouri State Guard was mostly merged into the regular Confederate army after the battle, and both sides transferred troops out of the Ozarks region.Шаблон:Sfn Federal leadership, including regional commander John M. Schofield, viewed the area as a now-quiet theater of the war. By the middle of the year, increased Confederate activity in the state proved this perception to be wrong.Шаблон:Sfn Besides guerrilla warfare, Confederate Major General Thomas C. Hindman had led some of his forces into southwestern Missouri from Arkansas.Шаблон:Sfn While Hindman's regular Confederate troops withdrew in early October not long after the First Battle of Newtonia, a guerrilla presence remained in the Ozarks.Шаблон:Sfn

Battle

Some of the Confederate troops included men recruited by Colonels Colton Greene and John Q. Burbridge.Шаблон:Sfn Burbridge's command was what later became the 4th Missouri Cavalry Regiment, while Greene's became the 3rd Missouri Cavalry Regiment.Шаблон:Sfn Greene and Burbridge were operating in the vicinity of Gainesville. There was a Federal presence in the area, about Шаблон:Convert north of Gainesville. Under the command of Captain Hiram E. Barstow, this force was based at Clark's Mill near Vera Cruz. Historian Louis Gerteis credits Barstow with about 100 men, roughly half of whom were from the 10th Illinois Cavalry Regiment and the rest of whom were militiamen,Шаблон:Sfn while historian Bruce Nichols places Barstow's strength at about 200 men.Шаблон:Sfn Barstow's post-battle report stated that he had about 110 men.Шаблон:Sfn The militiamen were from the 2nd Missouri Militia Cavalry.Шаблон:Sfn Barstow had previously been informed of Confederate activities in the region, but previous scares had turned out to be false alarms. On the morning of November 7, Barstow sent twenty men to Gainesville in response to rumors of Confederate depredations there, while he personally led a similarly-sized force in the direction of Rockbridge.Шаблон:Sfn

Around Шаблон:Convert from Rockbridge, Barstow's patrol encountered Confederate troops.Шаблон:Sfn According to Barstow's post-battle report, this clash resulted in nine Confederate dead and four Federal casualties, two of whom were dead.Шаблон:Sfn Outnumbered and aware of Confederates approaching from multiple directions,Шаблон:Sfn Barstow fell back to Clark's Mill.Шаблон:Sfn Most of his troops were only armed with handguns,Шаблон:Sfn although the Federals did have a 2-pounder cannonШаблон:Sfn or two. Barstow sent one messenger to the twenty men sent to Gainesville, and another to the Federal outpost at Marshfield, but the latter was unable to get through Confederate lines.Шаблон:Sfn

Arriving from several directions, Confederate forces surrounded Barstow's post. Gerteis places Confederate strength at over 1,500,Шаблон:Sfn preservationist Frances E. Kennedy attributes Confederate strength as about 1,750 men,Шаблон:Sfn and a battle summary prepared by Ohio State University estimates the Confederate strength as being about 1,000 men. The Confederates also had four 6-pounder cannons.Шаблон:Sfn Fighting at Clark's Mill opened at 11:00 am.Шаблон:Sfn The action lasted for five hours,Шаблон:Sfn which Barstow described as periodic firing until the Federal picket line was driven in.Шаблон:Sfn Local historian Danny Keller describes the action as an artillery duel that ended with the Confederates surrounding the Federal position and cutting its line of retreat. During the course of the battle, the Federals used up their available ammunition. With night falling, Burbridge sent a message under flag of truce offering Barstow surrender terms; the Federal officer accepted. The Federal soldiers were paroled and the blockhouse at Clark's Mill was destroyed.Шаблон:Sfn According to historian James E. McGhee, the Confederates capture 200 stand of arms, two cannon, roughly $40,000 of supplies, and many horses.Шаблон:Sfn Barstow's post-battle report claimed that the Confederates had promised the Federal prisoners that they would retain their personal property, but then took their horses.Шаблон:Sfn

Aftermath

Barstow's report claimed that the Federals lost seven men killed and two wounded, while the Federal officer believed that 34 Confederates had been killed in action, with more wounded.Шаблон:Sfn Burbridge, in turn, acknowledged Confederate casualties of four wounded. Nichols places Federal losses as four killed and roughly 150 captured.Шаблон:Sfn Kennedy places Federal losses as 119, of whom 113 were captured.Шаблон:Sfn McGhee states that about 150 Federals were captured.Шаблон:Sfn Following the battle, Barstow made his way to Marshfield,Шаблон:Sfn while the Confederates moved on from the Clark's Mill area,Шаблон:Sfn withdrawing up Bryant Creek.Шаблон:Sfn More troops from the 14th Missouri State Militia CavalryШаблон:Sfn made a counterstroke the day after the battle, moving from Ozark into Douglas County, and then heading to Dubuque, Arkansas, killing or capturing about 30 Confederates along the way.Шаблон:Sfn

Sources

• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book

• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book
• Шаблон:Cite book

External links

• The Battle of Clark's Mill, Watersheds.org