Skirmish at Blackwater Creek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Skirmish at Blackwater Creek
Part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
Date December 19, 1861 Location Johnson County, Missouri Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States of America	Missouri State Guard
Commanders and leaders
John Pope	Franklin S. Robertson
Strength
~2,000 of the 1st Brigade (engaged) ~2,000 of 2nd Brigade (unengaged)	750+ Robertson's MSG Recruit Regiment
Casualties and losses
2 killed 8 wounded	684+ captured killed and wounded unknown

The Skirmish at Blackwater Creek, also called the Skirmish at Milford, was a small battle during the American Civil War. It happened in central Missouri on December 19, 1861. The battle took place near what is now Valley City. The Union Army, also known as the North, won this fight.

Why This Battle Happened

After the Siege of Lexington, Missouri, the Southern-supporting Missouri State Guard moved to the southwest part of Missouri. Some Southern recruiters, like Colonel Franklin S. Robertson, stayed behind. They tried to gather more soldiers for their side. Robertson was a store owner from Saline County, Missouri. He had been given his military rank by Major General Sterling Price at Lexington.

Meanwhile, Union Brigadier General John Pope was in charge of the central Missouri area. He wanted to stop the Southern side from getting new soldiers there. Pope moved southwest from Sedalia. Then, his main group turned north toward Warrensburg.

Robertson's Recruits Gather

Robertson gathered his new soldiers at Grand Pass. There, the men chose their officers. On December 16, 1861, about 750 men began marching south. Their plan was to meet up with Colonel J.J. Clarkson's new soldiers near Warrensburg, Missouri. After that, they would continue south to join General Price. They could not meet Clarkson's group. However, they were joined by Colonel Ebenezer Magoffin. Magoffin had been captured earlier while trying to recruit his own soldiers. He was released but had promised not to fight again. Ebenezer Magoffin was also the brother of Kentucky Governor Beriah Magoffin.

General Pope found out on the evening of December 18 that Robertson's group would be camping at Milford.

The Fight at Blackwater Creek

Early the next morning, General Pope's soldiers marched toward Knob Noster, Missouri. Pope told Colonel Jefferson C. Davis's group to go to the Blackwater bridge. They were ordered to take control of the bridge. At the same time, a group of the 2nd Missouri Cavalry, called "Merrill's Horse," moved northeast. This move was meant to surround Robertson's forces.

Robertson realized his soldiers were in a dangerous spot. He quickly formed a line of about 250 men ready to fight. Colonel Magoffin was sent with a few dozen men to take the bridge before the Union soldiers arrived.

Union Soldiers Attack

Robertson's plan was not enough. Colonel Davis ordered three companies of the 4th U.S. Cavalry to move forward. Lieutenant Charles Copley Amory led them, with the 1st Iowa Cavalry supporting them. Amory's men got off their horses and fired two rounds at the bridge's defenders. This made the defenders hesitate. Amory then ordered a charge, and the Southern defenders ran away.

The Union soldiers, now back on their horses, chased them. They met the second line of Southern soldiers and had some injuries. The Union soldiers held their ground as their infantry (foot soldiers) arrived. The plan to surround Robertson's men was completed. Robertson's soldiers saw they were trapped and asked for a short break in the fighting before surrendering.

Who Was Lost and Captured

The Union Army had very few losses. Only two soldiers were killed, and eight were wounded. General Pope said they captured "1,300 men," along with three colonels and other officers. He also claimed they took about 500 horses and mules, 73 wagons full of supplies, and 1,000 guns. However, these numbers seem too high. Records show that "684 guardsmen and several civilians" actually ended up in prison.

What Happened Next

This battle led to the capture of a whole new group of Missouri State Guard soldiers. This made it much harder for the Southern side to recruit new fighters in that area.

John Pope later had another big success at the Battle of Island Number Ten. There, he captured about 4,500 Confederate soldiers. President Lincoln then made him commander of the Union Army of Virginia. However, Pope suffered a major defeat at the Second Manassas.

Franklin Robertson's military career did not fully recover. He rejoined the army as a captain after being exchanged at Vicksburg in the summer of 1862.

Other Important People Captured

Among the 684 known prisoners sent to Sedalia and then by train to St. Louis were a few other notable people. These included Ebenezer Magoffin, William Goff Caples, and Bartholomew W. Keown. All three of them died before the war ended.

Two of these men were especially interesting to people in Missouri. William Goff Caples was a passionate minister who supported the Southern cause. He was also the president of a church group called the Missouri Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. After six weeks in prison, he promised to support the Union. He even became a supervisor for the telegraph guard near Glasgow for a while. In a strange turn of events, he was killed there by an artillery shell from Jo Shelby's attack on October 15, 1864.

Bartholomew W. Keown (also known as Keon or McKeown) was from South Carolina. He had become the sheriff of Benton County, Missouri. It was believed that as sheriff, he gathered detailed information about the Union-supporting Benton County Home Guard. He then supposedly shared this information with Southern soldiers in Warsaw. This led to a successful attack by the Southern side, known as the Battle of Cole Camp (1861). Keown died from disease in Alton Prison before he could be put on trial.