Newtonia, MO I
Date(s):
September 30, 1862
Location:
Please click on link below for map.
Newtonia, Newton, Missouri, United States
Campaign(s):
Operations North of Boston
Mountains [1862]
Battles in
Campaign:
Situation:
-
Following the Battle of Pea Ridge, in March 1862,
most Confederate and Union troops left northwestern Arkansas and southwestern
Missouri.
-
By late summer, Confederates returned to the area,
which caused much apprehension in nearby Federally-occupied Springfield,
Missouri, and Fort Scott, Kansas.
Commanders:
-
Union:
Brig. Gen. Friedrich Salomon
-
Confederate:
Col. Douglas H. Cooper
Principal Forces:
-
Union:
Two brigades, Army of Kansas
(1,500)
-
Confederate:
Cooper's Division
Description:
-
Confederate Col.
Douglas Cooper reached the area on the 27th and assigned two of
his units to Newtonia where there was a mill for making breadstuffs.
-
In mid-September, two brigades of
Brig. Gen. James G. Blunt’s Union Army of
Kansas left Fort Scott for Southwest Missouri.
-
On the 29th, Union scouts approached Newtonia but
were chased away.
-
Other Union troops appeared in nearby Granby where
there were lead mines, and Cooper
sent some reinforcements there.
-
The next morning, Union troops appeared before
Newtonia and fighting ensued by 7:00 am.
-
The Federals began driving the enemy, but
Confederate reinforcements arrived, swelling the numbers.
-
The Federals gave way and retreated in haste. As
they did so, some of their reinforcements appeared and helped to stem their
retreat.
-
The Union forces then renewed the attack,
threatening the enemy right flank. But newly arrived Confederates stopped that
attack and eventually forced the Federals to retire again.
-
Pursuit of the Federals continued after dark.
Union gunners posted artillery in the roadway to halt the pursuit.
-
As Confederate gunners observed the Union
artillery fire for location, they fired back, creating panic.
-
The Union retreat turned into a rout as some ran
all the way to Sarcoxie, more than ten miles away.
-
Although the Confederates won the battle, they
were unable to maintain themselves in the area given the great numbers of Union
troops. Most Confederates retreated into northwest Arkansas.
-
The 1862 Confederate victories in southwestern
Missouri at Newtonia and Clark’s Mill were the South’s apogee in the area;
afterwards, the only Confederates in the area belonged to raiding columns.
Slide Presentation:
None
Classification2:
C
Casualties3:
-
Union:
245
-
Confederate:
100
Results:
 Confederate
Victory
Battlefield Websites:
Recommended Resources:
1 National Park
Service summary.
2
Classification:
-
A
- having a decisive influence on a
campaign and a direct impact on the course of the war
-
B -
having a direct and decisive influence on their campaign
-
C -
having observable influence on the
outcome of a campaign
-
D
-
having a limited influence on the
outcome of their campaign or operation but achieving or affecting important
local objectives
3 Casualties are
someone killed, injured, wounded, captured or missing.
Revised
03/05/2012 |
