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Battle of Lexington I
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Operations to Control Missouri |
|---|
| Boonville – Carthage – Wilson's Creek – Dry Wood Creek – 1st Lexington – Liberty – Fredericktown – 1st Springfield |
The First Battle of Lexington or the Battle of the Hemp Bales was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring from September 13 to September 20, 1861, in Lafayette County, Missouri. The engagement bolstered Southern sentiment and consolidated Confederate control in the Missouri Valley west of Arrowrock.
Following the victory at Wilson's Creek, the Confederate Missouri State Guard, having consolidated forces in the northern and central part of the state, marched, under the command of Maj. Gen. Sterling Price, on Lexington. Col. James A. Mulligan commanded the entrenched Union garrison of about 3,500 men. Price’s men first encountered Union skirmishers on September 13 south of town and pushed them back into the fortifications.
Price, having bottled the Union troops up in Lexington, decided to await his ammunition wagons, other supplies, and reinforcements before assaulting the fortifications. By September 18, Price was ready and ordered an assault. The Missouri State Guard moved forward amidst heavy Union artillery fire and pushed the enemy back into their inner works. On September 19, the Confederates consolidated their positions, kept the Federals under heavy artillery fire and prepared for the final attack. Early on the morning of September 20, Price’s men advanced behind mobile breastworks, made of hemp, close enough to take the Union works at the Anderson House in a final rush. Mulligan requested surrender terms after noon, and by 2:00 p.m. his men had vacated their works and stacked their arms.
Price lost only 100 men while inflicting 1,774 Federal casualties.
