The Battle of Mine Creek: Gen Price vs Gen Pleasonton and a cast of thousands

The Battle of Mine Creek, also called the Battle of the Osage and the Battle of the Marais des Cygnes, occurred on Oct 25, 1864, 2 1/2 miles southwest of current-day Pleasanton KS, on the banks of Mine Creek.  

Union Col Frederick W. Benteen (the same Benteen who later rode with Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn) and Col John H. Philips led the attack in one of the largest cavalry battles of the Civil War.   The 2,500 troops of the 2 Union brigades defeated the 7,000 troops of Confederate Gen Sterling Price's Army of the Missouri.   

Confederate division commanders were Gen John S. Marmaduke and Gen James F. Fagan. (An Iowa connection:  Gen Marmaduke was captured at the Battle of Mine Creek by Private James Dunlavy, Company D, 3rd Iowa Cavalry. Pvt Dunlavy was awarded the Medal of Honor on April 4, 1865 for "Gallantry in capturing Gen Marmaduke in the battle of Mine Creek at Osage, Kansas, 25 Oct 25,1864.")

In August 1864, Gen Price received orders to invade Missouri. He was to bring Missouri into the confederacy and weaken Lincoln’s chance for reelection. Price was elected Missouri’s 11th governor in 1852. He also served as Speaker of the Missouri House and US Congressman from Missouri prior to his service with the Confederacy. As a former governor of the state, Price, had grandiose plans for the invasion of his home state. First he was going to capture and occupy St. Louis, then move to Jefferson City and capture and occupy the capital and reinstate the Governor-in-exile, Thomas Reynolds.  With Missouri were leaning to the South, Price planned to recruit soldiers and amass provisions and weapons for the confederacy. 

Price abandoned his plan to reinstate the former governor when he found St Louis and Jefferson City both in Union hands.  However, his plan to gather goods and supplies resulted in a supply train of 500 wagons.

Near Kansas City, Union troops met Price’s army in a series of battles:  Oct 19 in Lexington, 2 days later at the Little Blue River, the following day at the Big Blue River, and Westport on Oct 23. 

Union troops from the Provisional Cavalry Division, Department of the Missouri, commanded by Gen Alfred Pleasonton (best known for leading the Army of the Potomac’s Cavalry Corps in the Gettysburg Campaign) moved on Price's troops from the east while the Army of the Border, commanded by Gen Samuel R. Curtis, approached from the west.  With their sights set on stopping Price, Union troops caught up with him and on Oct 23 at Westport KS, defeated Price. He fled south with much of his force still intact.   

Although the mission to take Missouri for the confederacy failed, Price had a wagon train full of supplies, ammunition, and plunder he had "acquired" on his raid across Missouri.  His mission, now, was to get the 'spoils of war' to Arkansas or Texas.  On October 24 the Confederates moved toward Fort Scott, Kansas. Price took one division and went ahead.  The other 2 divisions protected the 10-mile-long wagon train.

Three separate battles were fought October 25th when Union forces caught Price’s rearguard.  Early morning they fought the Battle of the Marais des Cygnes River, followed by the Battle of Mine Creek shortly before noon and late in the afternoon of the same day, the Battle of the Marmiton River.  All 3 were Union victories, but Mine Creek was the most significant.

Early on the morning of October 25 a skirmish developed over the 9 miles between Trading Post and Mine Creek near the area where the Marais de Cygnes massacre had occurred, May 19, 1858. After hitting the rebel rear guard in the morning at the Marais des Cygnes River and capturing over 100 prisoners and 2 artillery pieces, the Union forces resumed their pursuit.  The brigades of Benteen and Philips, with 2,500 men, overtook the Confederates as they were crossing Mine Creek. 

Although the end of the supply train had not yet reached the crossing, the Confederates were forced to stop and fight. The Confederate rear guard delayed the Union troops long enough for the 7,000 men in the two Confederate cavalry divisions to establish a line of defense. 

The field was wet and muddy from the rain the night before.  At 10:30 AM Confederate artillery opened fire, the Union replied. The Confederate forces, stalled by their wagons crossing the creek, had formed a line on the north side of Mine Creek.

The Union charge started at 11AM. The Tenth Missouri Cavalry started forward, bugles blaring.   Half-way down the slope the men hesitated and stopped, intimidated by a force three times their size.  Benteen rode out front, shouting and waving his sword for his men to continue, the Tenth Missouri faltered, troops behind still charged forward. 

The Fourth Iowa Cavalry, pushed through the stalled lines of the Tenth Missouri; the charge was renewed. It was difficult to determine friend from foe. The poorly clothed Southerners had confiscated blue Union uniforms on their raids and many wore blue uniforms during the battle at Mine Creek. 

When they arrived at the creek there was chaos. The 4-5 feet high creek bank was slippery and crumbling from the recent rain, the rushing water was deep. Wagons and horses got mired down and the creek was blocked with broken, overturned wagons unable to get free from the muddy creek. The Confederate troops were caught between the wagons and on-coming Union forces.

The Confederate's long muzzle-loading rifles were no match for the Union's shorter breech-loading carbines. Union troops could fire several times while the Confederate soldiers were reloading.

The rebel line disintegrated; they took over 1,200 casualties, including between 200-300 men who were murdered by Union soldiers in retaliation for atrocities committed earlier in Price’s campaign. They soon surrounded Price's men, resulting in the capture of about 600 men and 2 generals, Gen John S. Marmaduke and Gen. William L. Cabell.

Price's Army lost too much manpower and most of the wagon train that day, they were no longer an effective force.  His only option now was to retreat to friendly territory.  By 11:30AM the Confederates were in full retreat. 

The Union caught up to the Army of the Missouri again in the afternoon.  There was a smaller battle as the Confederates crossed the Marmiton River.  Although a federal victory, both forces were exhausted by the constant fighting that day.

After the battle Union forces continued their pursuit of the remnants of Price's Army. Late in the evening, October 25, Price gave orders to burn half of the wagons for speedier travel.  The Union troops pushed the Confederates into Missouri and chased them through Arkansas and into Indian Territory.  Only a small contingent made it back to Texas and Arkansas. The Confederates never again threatened Kansas.

Pleasonton could have destroyed Price’s force if he had maintained the chase.  But he chose to head west to Fort Scott for rest, telling the command that "further pursuit was needless."  The commanding general had to "persuade" Pleasonton to rejoin the march.  Stating “the effects of a severe fall and exhaustion” had left him paralyzed, he left the campaign on October 27.  He returned to St. Louis on medical leave.  It was felt, by the command, that his lethargy and performance after October 25 was responsible for the escape of Price and the remainder of his Army. 

Pleasonton’s career after Mine Creek was lack-luster.  Known as a ‘bully’ by his men, and disliked by fellow officers for his self-promotion, he never returned to the eastern theater and failed to gain advancement.  Finishing out the war as commander of the District of St. Louis, Pleasonton resigned on January 1, 1868.  He tried and failed at several civilian jobs. Maintaining he deserved more recognition for his service, he retired to a life of poverty, obscurity, and poor health in Washington,DC.  He died on February 17, 1897.

When Price commenced his invasion of Missouri, he had several objectives. At the campaign’s conclusion, not a single objective had been met.  He had to destroy the huge wagon train of much needed supplies, and most of the new recruits deserted on the retreat from Mine Creek.   The battle was one of the last significant engagements fought in the west. Following Price’s retreat, the Confederate effort west of the Mississippi River diminished severely. Price returned to Arkansas and set up his headquarters at Laynesport (Little River County). Price did not actively serve in the field again during the war. 

With the end of the war, Price led some of his men to Mexico where he planned to join Emperor Maximilian rather than surrender. After living in Mexico for a few years, he and his family returned to St. Louis, where he died on September 29, 1867.