Price's Raid
One of the most significant events to happen in Missouri, during the Civil War, was General Sterling Price's Raid into Missouri in 1864. This was the last major campaign of the Civil War West of the Mississippi. It was the longest cavalry action in the war, covering over 1500 miles and lasting almost three months.
On July 18, 1864, Thomas C. Reynolds, Missouri's Confederate Governor in exile, wrote to Price and suggested a raid into Missouri. The purpose of the raid was three-fold. First it would boost the moral of pro-southern sympathizer in the state and if successful would capture Missouri for the Confederacy prior to the election of 1864. Secondly it would pull Union troops from Georgia and Virginia giving their Confederate brothers a better chance of succeeding. Finally it would help to recruit troops for the Confederate Army from the many guerrilla , partisan rangers and other southern sympathizing men across the state.
Over 12,000 Confederate troops gathered at Pocahontas, Arkansas where they spent four days preparing for the raid into Missouri. The "Army of Missouri", as they were now referred, were divided into three columns under the command of Major General James Fleming Fagan, Brigadier General John Sappington Marmaduke and Brigadier General Joseph Orville Shelby.
Maj. Gen James Fagan Brig. Gen. John Marmaduke Brig. Gen. Jo Shelby
The Right Column was made up of Marmaduke's Division which arrived in Pocahontas on the 18th of September. They swam across Black River and proceeded up it's West bank 15 miles before crossing it again and camping in Ripley County, MO. They continued on to Poplar Bluff, MO then made a reconnaissance of the country and the enemy's position at Bloomfield then on through Dallas (Marble Hill) and Patton, eventually meeting the other columns at Fredericktown.
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The Middle Column was Fagan's Division with Price's Headquarters attached. On September 19, 1864 they entered Missouri and camped at Indian Ford on the Current River, six miles above Pitman's Ferry. They crossed the Current River where they got on the old military road and traveled through Martinsburg (Oxly), Ponder's Mill and Reeves' Station. They proceeded through Greenville and on to Fredericktown to join the other columns.
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The Left Column was Shelby's Division which arrived in Doniphan on the 19th, finding that the town had been burned. He sent a company in pursuit of the enemy which caught up with them at Ponder's Mill. The Division left Doniphan for Patterson where it destroyed the Federal property in town and at Fort Benton, before meeting the other divisions at Fredericktown.
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General Price and the Army of Missouri began their raid by entering Missouri through Ripley County. Villages or spots in Ripley County and neighboring counties which saw Confederate or Federal troops during the raid are as follows:
Pocahontas, AR
Shelby's Division Fagan's Division Marmaduke's Division
Bollinger's Mill Indian Ford (Current River) Ripley County, MO
Doniphan Martinsburg (Oxly) Poplar Bluff
Ponder's Mill (Company) Ponder's Mill Bloomfield (Company)
Patterson (Ft. Benton) Reeves' Station Indian Ford (St. Francis River)
Cane Creek Dallas (Marble Hill)
Greenville Patton
Cedar Creek
As the Army of Missouri marched into Missouri many of the federal troops garrisoned in the small outpost and forts near or along the route were pulled back to the safety of the larger fort at Fort Davidson. Some of those smaller forts in neighboring counties were:
Fort Lincoln at Van Buren in Carter County
Fort Barnesville at Ellington in Reynolds County
Stockade at Centerville in Reynolds County
Once the three columns of the Army of Missouri came together at Fredericktown, General Price received word that St. Louis was heavily defended and that Brig. Gen. Thomas Ewing was at Pilot Knob. Price decided to forgo the plans of taking St. Louis and decided that a quick and easy victory at the fort at Pilot Knob would boost the spirits of his men. On September 26, 1864 the Army of Missouri continued up the Arcadia Valley to engage the Federal troops at Pilot Knob.
