Battle of Athens (1861)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Athens was an American Civil War
skirmish that took place in northeast Missouri
in 1861 near present Revere
and southeast Iowa
along the Des Moines River
across from Croton (3 miles southeast of Farmington
). The Union victory has the distinction of being the most northerly of Civil War Battles fought west of the Mississippi, and also of being the only such battle fought along the Iowa
border.
Nathaniel Lyon
pursued the secessionist Missouri State Guard
to the southwest portion of the state, loyal Home Guard
companies were forming throughout the state, while at the same time stranded secessionists were still attempting to organize. At Kahoka, Missouri
David Moore was elected colonel
of the 1st Northeast Missouri Home Guard Regiment.
Colonel Martin E. Green
called up the 2nd Division of the Missouri State Guard to a training camp on the Horseshoe Bend of the Fabius River
. There he formed the 1st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Division, Missouri State Guard. The lieutenant colonel
was Joseph C. Porter
and the major
was Benjamin W. Shacklett.
Moore was faced by a growing secessionist force and by dissension in his own command. He determined to strike local secessionists, then fall back to Athens, Missouri where he would be close to the Croton, Iowa supply depot and Iowa militia support. On July 21, with the help of a company of Illinois militia and a company of Iowa Home Guards he attacked the village of Etna
in Scotland County, Missouri and drove off Shacklett's MSG cavalry. He then fell back to Athens.
Colonel Green responded by entering Edina
in Knox County, Missouri
on July 31--stampeding the local Home Guards. He then proceeded toward his target, Moore's Unionist regiment in Athens. Meanwhile, several hundred of Moore's regiment received Springfield rifled muskets.
On August 4 Green bivouaced seven miles west of Athens. While Moore attempted to prepare for attack, several of his company commanders allowed men to visit home. Moore called for reinforcement from Croton and Keokuk, Iowa
, but they would not cross the river in time to participate in the engagement.
smen with three cannons tried to capture the town from about 500 Missouri Home Guard. Moore's pickets warned of the secessionists' advance at 5 AM, and Moore called out the regiment to begin assembling it for battle. Between men still absent on weekend leaves and removing the sick across the river, Moore had only 333 men in line.
Green's much larger force surrounded the town on three sides, with the river behind the Unionists. Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Callihan commanded the Union left flank. He found himself facing Major Shacklett's cavalry and James Kniesley's three gun battery. The Unionists had no artillery. Fortunately for them, Kniesley's guns were a motley assortment (a 6-pounder, a 9-pounder, and a hollowed log) supplied with only a few solid shot and improvised canister.
While the artillery spooked a cavalry scout, it had little other impact on the battle. The first shot from the artillery passed over the defenders, across the river and into the Croton railway depot. Another passed through the Benning house and into the river. Predictably, the log cannon flew apart on its first fire and played no further part in the battle.
As the secessionists advanced, firing became general. Other than the lack of artillery, Moore's small force was much better armed with rifled muskets and bayonets versus shot guns and squirrel rifles. Green's force contained many poorly equipped, untrained and untested recruits.
Captain Hackney's Home Guard drove the rebels away from Stallion Branch. However, Callihan was unnerved by the sight of Major Shacklett's large force advancing. Callihan fled toward the river with one of the Home Guard's cavalry companies. Other troops held their positions.
The advance faltered as they approached through a cornfield. Shacklett was wounded in the neck and his demoralized men began falling back. Seeing this, Moore commanded his men to fix bayonets. Then he ordered, "Forward! Charge! Bayonets!" This counterattack sent the Missouri State Guardsmen into headlong retreat. Kniesley withdrew his artillery. Most of the Union force was on foot so the pursuit was very short.
Although a few shots were fired at long range across the river by some Iowa militia, they played no real part in the battle. By the time a relief force reached Athens the rebels had already begun a general retreat.
What is known is that Moore captured 450 horses with bridles and saddles, hundreds of arms, and a wagon load of long knives. The defeat was demoralizing for the state guard's efforts in Northeast Missouri. They lost the initiative and were obliged to continue avoiding capture by pursuers. Had they captured Moore's force they would have obtained a supply of high quality muskets from their captives, and they would have retained the initiative versus the Missouri Unionists.
The war was hard on the town of Athens; and the emergence of rail transport after the war led to the demise of this river port. The state of Missouri
maintains Battle of Athens State Historic Site
in the ghost town of Athens.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
skirmish that took place in northeast Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in 1861 near present Revere
Revere, Missouri
Revere is a village in Clark County, Missouri, United States. The population was 121 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town. It is part of the Fort Madison–Keokuk, IA-MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and southeast Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
along the Des Moines River
Des Moines River
The Des Moines River is a tributary river of the Mississippi River, approximately long to its farther headwaters, in the upper Midwestern United States...
across from Croton (3 miles southeast of Farmington
Farmington, Iowa
Farmington is a city in Van Buren County, Iowa, United States. The population was 756 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Farmington is located at , on the east bank of Des Moines River....
). The Union victory has the distinction of being the most northerly of Civil War Battles fought west of the Mississippi, and also of being the only such battle fought along the Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
border.
Background
As Brigadier GeneralBrigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Nathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War and is noted for his actions in the state of Missouri at the beginning of the conflict....
pursued the secessionist Missouri State Guard
Missouri State Guard
The Missouri State Guard was a state militia organized in the state of Missouri during the early days of the American Civil War. While not initially a formal part of the Confederate States Army, the State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at times, under regular Confederate...
to the southwest portion of the state, loyal Home Guard
Home Guard (Union)
In the American Civil War the Home Guard or Home Guards were local militia raised from Union loyalists.-Missouri:In Missouri after the start of the Civil War there were several competing organizations attempting to either take the state out of the Union or keep the state within it...
companies were forming throughout the state, while at the same time stranded secessionists were still attempting to organize. At Kahoka, Missouri
Kahoka, Missouri
Kahoka is a city in Clark County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,241 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clark County. The city was founded in 1857 and is named for the Cahokia tribe of the Illiniwek or Illinois Confederacy....
David Moore was elected colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of the 1st Northeast Missouri Home Guard Regiment.
Colonel Martin E. Green
Martin E. Green
Martin Edwin Green was a Confederate brigadier general in the American Civil War, and a key organizer of the Missouri State Guard in northern Missouri.-Early life:...
called up the 2nd Division of the Missouri State Guard to a training camp on the Horseshoe Bend of the Fabius River
Fabius River
The Fabius River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in northeastern Missouri in the United States. It is formed near its mouth by the confluence of the North Fabius River and the South Fabius River. The North Fabius River also flows through southeastern Iowa...
. There he formed the 1st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Division, Missouri State Guard. The lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
was Joseph C. Porter
Joseph C. Porter
Joseph Chrisman Porter was a Confederate officer in the American Civil War, a key leader in the guerrilla campaigns in northern Missouri, and a figure of controversy. The main source for his history, Joseph A...
and the major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
was Benjamin W. Shacklett.
Moore was faced by a growing secessionist force and by dissension in his own command. He determined to strike local secessionists, then fall back to Athens, Missouri where he would be close to the Croton, Iowa supply depot and Iowa militia support. On July 21, with the help of a company of Illinois militia and a company of Iowa Home Guards he attacked the village of Etna
Etna, Missouri
Etna is a village in Scotland County, Missouri. It lies at an elevation of 755 feet ....
in Scotland County, Missouri and drove off Shacklett's MSG cavalry. He then fell back to Athens.
Colonel Green responded by entering Edina
Edina, Missouri
Edina is a city in Knox County, Missouri, United States, between the North and South Forks of the South Fabius River. The population was 1,176 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Knox County.-Geography:Edina is located at...
in Knox County, Missouri
Knox County, Missouri
As of the census of 2010, there are 4,131 people in the county, organized into 1,791 households and 1,217 families. The population density is 9 people per square mile . There are 2,317 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...
on July 31--stampeding the local Home Guards. He then proceeded toward his target, Moore's Unionist regiment in Athens. Meanwhile, several hundred of Moore's regiment received Springfield rifled muskets.
On August 4 Green bivouaced seven miles west of Athens. While Moore attempted to prepare for attack, several of his company commanders allowed men to visit home. Moore called for reinforcement from Croton and Keokuk, Iowa
Keokuk, Iowa
Keokuk is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa and one of the county seats of Lee County. The other county seat is Fort Madison. The population was 11,427 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Sauk Chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park...
, but they would not cross the river in time to participate in the engagement.
The battle
On 5 August of 1861, Colonel Martin Green's force of about 2,000 Missouri State GuardMissouri State Guard
The Missouri State Guard was a state militia organized in the state of Missouri during the early days of the American Civil War. While not initially a formal part of the Confederate States Army, the State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at times, under regular Confederate...
smen with three cannons tried to capture the town from about 500 Missouri Home Guard. Moore's pickets warned of the secessionists' advance at 5 AM, and Moore called out the regiment to begin assembling it for battle. Between men still absent on weekend leaves and removing the sick across the river, Moore had only 333 men in line.
Green's much larger force surrounded the town on three sides, with the river behind the Unionists. Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Callihan commanded the Union left flank. He found himself facing Major Shacklett's cavalry and James Kniesley's three gun battery. The Unionists had no artillery. Fortunately for them, Kniesley's guns were a motley assortment (a 6-pounder, a 9-pounder, and a hollowed log) supplied with only a few solid shot and improvised canister.
While the artillery spooked a cavalry scout, it had little other impact on the battle. The first shot from the artillery passed over the defenders, across the river and into the Croton railway depot. Another passed through the Benning house and into the river. Predictably, the log cannon flew apart on its first fire and played no further part in the battle.
As the secessionists advanced, firing became general. Other than the lack of artillery, Moore's small force was much better armed with rifled muskets and bayonets versus shot guns and squirrel rifles. Green's force contained many poorly equipped, untrained and untested recruits.
Captain Hackney's Home Guard drove the rebels away from Stallion Branch. However, Callihan was unnerved by the sight of Major Shacklett's large force advancing. Callihan fled toward the river with one of the Home Guard's cavalry companies. Other troops held their positions.
The advance faltered as they approached through a cornfield. Shacklett was wounded in the neck and his demoralized men began falling back. Seeing this, Moore commanded his men to fix bayonets. Then he ordered, "Forward! Charge! Bayonets!" This counterattack sent the Missouri State Guardsmen into headlong retreat. Kniesley withdrew his artillery. Most of the Union force was on foot so the pursuit was very short.
Although a few shots were fired at long range across the river by some Iowa militia, they played no real part in the battle. By the time a relief force reached Athens the rebels had already begun a general retreat.
Aftermath
Moore's small force succeeded in driving off a much larger force with few casualties. Moore reported three dead and twenty wounded. The full extent of Missouri State Guard losses are unknown although Moore captured twenty men, most of them wounded. Moore estimated 31 Missouri State Guard killed and wounded. Others claimed large numbers of dead.What is known is that Moore captured 450 horses with bridles and saddles, hundreds of arms, and a wagon load of long knives. The defeat was demoralizing for the state guard's efforts in Northeast Missouri. They lost the initiative and were obliged to continue avoiding capture by pursuers. Had they captured Moore's force they would have obtained a supply of high quality muskets from their captives, and they would have retained the initiative versus the Missouri Unionists.
The war was hard on the town of Athens; and the emergence of rail transport after the war led to the demise of this river port. The state of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
maintains Battle of Athens State Historic Site
Battle of Athens State Historic Site
Battle of Athens State Historic Site is located in Clark County, Missouri along the banks of the Des Moines River. It is the site of the Battle of Athens.-History:...
in the ghost town of Athens.