Battle of Athens (1861) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Athens |
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| Part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States |
 Missouri (Confederate) |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Col. David Moore | Col. Martin E. Green | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1st Northeast Missouri Home Guard (333–500) | II Division Missouri State Guard (~2,000 men plus 3 cannon) | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 3 killed 20 wounded |
31 killed & wounded | ||||||
The Battle of Athens was a small fight, called a skirmish, during the American Civil War. It happened in northeast Missouri on August 5, 1861. The battle took place near what is now Revere. It was also close to the Des Moines River and the border with Iowa.
The Union army won this battle. It is special for two reasons. It was the northernmost Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River. It was also the only Civil War battle fought right along the Iowa border.
Contents
What Led to the Battle?
As the Civil War began, different groups formed in Missouri. General Nathaniel Lyon was chasing a group called the Missouri State Guard. This group supported the Southern states.
At the same time, people loyal to the United States (the Union) were forming their own groups. These were called Home Guard companies. In a town called Kahoka, Missouri, a man named David Moore was chosen to lead the 1st Northeast Missouri Home Guard Regiment. He had experience from the Mexican–American War.
The Missouri State Guard Gathers
Another leader, Colonel Martin E. Green, gathered his soldiers. These were part of the 2nd Division of the Missouri State Guard. They set up a training camp. Here, they formed a cavalry regiment, which is a group of soldiers on horseback.
Colonel Moore faced a growing number of Southern supporters. He also had some disagreements within his own group. He decided to attack local Southern groups first. Then, he planned to move his forces back to Athens, Missouri. Athens was close to a supply center in Croton, Iowa. It was also near where Iowa soldiers could help.
On July 21, Moore attacked the village of Etna. He had help from soldiers from Illinois and Iowa. They drove away some of Green's cavalry. After this, Moore's forces moved back to Athens.
Green's Plan to Attack Athens
Colonel Green responded by going into Edina on July 31. This caused the local Home Guards to run away. Green then headed towards Athens, planning to attack Moore's Union soldiers. Meanwhile, many of Moore's soldiers received new, powerful rifles called Springfield rifled muskets.
On August 4, Green's army camped seven miles west of Athens. Moore tried to get ready for the attack. But some of his officers let their men go home for visits. Moore asked for more soldiers from Croton and Keokuk, Iowa. However, these extra soldiers could not cross the river in time to help.
The Battle Begins
On August 5, 1861, Colonel Martin Green's force attacked Athens. He had about 2,000 Missouri State Guardsmen and three cannons. They tried to capture the town from about 500 Missouri Home Guard soldiers.
Moore's lookouts warned him at 5 AM that the Southern forces were coming. Moore quickly called his soldiers to get ready for battle. Many men were still away on weekend leave. Others were sick and had to be moved across the river. Because of this, Moore only had 333 men ready to fight.
Forces and Positions
Green's much larger army surrounded Athens on three sides. The river was behind the Union soldiers. Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Callihan led the Union's left side. He faced a large group of cavalry and three cannons. The Union soldiers had no cannons at all.
However, Green's cannons were not very good. They were a mix of different sizes. One was even a hollowed-out log! They also had only a few cannonballs and some makeshift ammunition.
The cannons did not do much damage. The first shot flew over the defenders and landed in a train station in Croton, Iowa. Another shot went through a house and into the river. As expected, the log cannon broke apart when it was fired the first time. It could not be used again.
The Fight in the Cornfield
As the Southern soldiers moved forward, the fighting became widespread. Moore's small group had better weapons, even without cannons. They had good rifles and bayonets. Green's soldiers often had only shotguns and hunting rifles. Many of Green's men were new recruits, not well-trained or equipped.
Captain Hackney's Home Guard pushed some of the Southern rebels away. But Lieutenant Colonel Callihan became scared when he saw a large group of enemy cavalry. Callihan ran towards the river with some of his cavalry. Other Union soldiers stayed and held their ground.
The Southern attack slowed down as they moved through a cornfield. A Southern leader was wounded in the neck. His men became discouraged and started to fall back. Seeing this, Colonel Moore told his men to get their bayonets ready. Then he shouted, "Forward! Charge! Bayonets!" This counterattack made the Missouri State Guardsmen run away quickly. The Southern cannons were also pulled back. Most of the Union soldiers were on foot, so they could not chase the enemy for long.
Some Iowa soldiers fired a few shots from across the river. But they did not play a real part in the battle. By the time more Union soldiers arrived to help Athens, the Southern forces were already retreating.
What Happened Next?
Moore's small Union force successfully drove away a much larger enemy. They had very few losses. Moore reported that 3 of his men were killed and 20 were wounded.
We do not know the exact number of losses for the Missouri State Guard. Moore captured 20 of their men, most of whom were wounded. He estimated that 31 Missouri State Guard soldiers were killed or wounded. Some people claimed the number of dead was much higher.
Moore's soldiers captured many things from the retreating enemy. They took 450 horses with their saddles, hundreds of weapons, and a wagon full of long knives. This defeat was very bad for the Southern efforts in Northeast Missouri. They lost their advantage and had to keep trying to avoid being captured. If they had won, they would have gotten many good rifles from Moore's men.
The war was tough on the town of Athens. Later, trains became more common for transport. This caused Athens, which was a river port, to decline. Today, the state of Missouri keeps the Battle of Athens State Historic Site in what is now a ghost town.
Images for kids
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Missouri Home Guard Col. David Moore
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Defeated commander Martin E. Green.
