Action at Springfield, also known as the Battle of First Springfield, was a battle of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

that took place on October 25, 1861, in

Greene County, Missouri Greene County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, its population was 298,915. making it the fourth most-populous county in Missouri. Its county seat and most-populous city is Springfield. The county was organized i ...

. It was the only Union victory in southwestern

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

in 1861.

Prelude

Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont commanded the Union

Department of the West The Department of the West, later known as the Western Department, was a major command (Department) of the United States Army during the 19th century. It oversaw the military affairs in the country west of the Mississippi River to the borders of ...

, with headquarters in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

. He formulated a plan to clear Confederate forces from the state, and then, if possible, carry the war into

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the ...

and

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

. His force left St. Louis on October 7, 1861; it eventually numbered more than 20,000. He had 5,000 cavalry, which included

Maj. Maj may refer to: * Major, a rank of commissioned officer in many military forces * '' Máj'', a romantic Czech poem by Karel Hynek Mácha * ''Máj'' (literary almanac), a Czech literary almanac published in 1858 * Marshall Islands International A ...

Frank J. White's Prairie Scouts and Frémont's Body Guards under Maj. Charles Zagonyi. Maj. White became ill and turned his command over to Zagonyi. These two units scouted in front of the army. By December, the army had advanced into southwest Missouri. Opposing them was the main body of the pro-Confederate

Missouri State Guard The Missouri State Guard (MSG) was a military force established by the Missouri General Assembly on May 11, 1861. While not a formation of the Confederate States Army, the Missouri State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at variou ...

under Major General

Sterling Price Major-General Sterling "Old Pap" Price (September 14, 1809 – September 29, 1867) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western and Trans-Mississippi theaters of the American Civil War. Prior to ...

, at

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estima ...

. With his force heavily outnumbered, Price withdrew from Springfield. Other MSG forces organizing nearby attempted to link up with Price's army at Springfield, only to find the place had already been abandoned.

Opposing forces

Union

* Fremont's Bodyguards: Major Charles Zagonyi * Major Frank White's Prairie Scouts

Confederate

: Colonel Julian Frazier

Battle

As Frémont neared Springfield, the local state guard commander,

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

Julian Frazier, sent out requests to nearby localities for additional troops. Frémont camped on the Pomme de Terre River, near Bolivar, Missouri. Zagonyi's scouting column, though, continued on to Springfield, and Frazier's mixed force of 1,000 to 1,500 infantry and cavalry prepared to meet it. Zagonyi's combined force of 326 men approached Springfield on the Mt. Vernon Road. Frazier set up an ambush along the road that Zagonyi traveled. Zagonyi ordered a charge from the timbered bottomland of today's Jordan Creek, exhorting his men with "We have been called holiday warriors for the pavements of St. Louis...Let the watchword be 'Fremont and the Union.'" After three charges the Confederates fled in disorder. Zagonyi's men continued into town, hailed Federal sympathizers and released Union prisoners, tore down the Confederate flag flying over the courthouse and hoisted Union colors. Leery of a Confederate counterattack, Zagonyi departed Springfield before night, but Frémont's army returned, in force, a few days later and set up camp in the town.

Casualties

Union casualties were reported as 15 killed, 27 wounded, and 10 missing/captured for Fremont's Body Guard, and 33 killed, wounded and missing/captured for White's command, for a total of 85. Confederate casualties are unknown but estimated as 133.NPS/ABPP

Aftermath

In mid-November, after Frémont was sacked and replaced by Maj. Gen.

David Hunter David Hunter (July 21, 1802 – February 2, 1886) was an American military officer. He served as a Union general during the American Civil War. He achieved notability for his unauthorized 1862 order (immediately rescinded) emancipating slaves ...

, the Federals evacuated Springfield and withdrew to Sedalia and Rolla. Federal troops reoccupied Springfield in early 1862 and it was a Union stronghold from then on. This small engagement was the only Union victory in Southwestern Missouri in 1861.

Notes

References

* Banasik, Michael E., ''Confederate Tales of the War in the Trans-Mississippi Part One: 1861'', 2010 * Miller, Robert E., "Zagonyi", '' Missouri Historical Review'', October, 1982, Vol. 76, No. 2
National Park Service battle description

Civil War Sites Advisory Committee Report Update and Resurvey

Roll of Honor of Captain Foley's 5th Independent Company Ohio Volunteer Cavalry aka "Fremont's Bodyguard"
pp. 147–152; 566 {{DEFAULTSORT:Springfield, Action At 1861 in the American Civil War 1861 in Missouri Springfield I Springfield I Springfield I History of Greene County, Missouri History of Springfield, Missouri October 1861 events Springfield I