Mine Creek Union order of battle

Of the brigades listed below, only Philips' and Benteen's brigades, and a small part of Sanborn's brigade from the Union Army of the Border fought in the Battle of Mine Creek of the American Civil War.^[1] The Confederate order of battle is listed separately. The entire organization of the Army of the Border is shown.

Command disputes

By order of MG James G. Blunt (General Field Orders No. 2) the militia regiments of William H. M. Fishbeck, Brigadier General of Militia, were placed under the command of Charles W. Blair, Colonel of Volunteers; Fishbeck was infuriated that his command had been subordinated to a volunteer officer. Because Kansas law stated that militia should be kept under the command of militia officers, Fishbeck disregarded Blunt's order. Blunt had Fishbeck arrested and held until released by order of MG Samuel Curtis. Upon his release, Fishbeck resumed command of the Kansas Militia regiments, with orders to obey directives that came from MG Blunt. This rather cumbersome arrangement had BG Fishbeck in direct command of the militia units attached to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, and Col Charles Blair in overall command of the brigade. Howard N. Monnett describes the arrangement as a "brigade within a brigade". Blair and Fishbeck led the militia into action at Westport (accompanied onto the field by MG George W. Dietzler), and then in the subsequent pursuit of Price until MG Curtis ordered the militia to return home.^[2]

Abbreviations used

Military rank

• MG = Major General
• BG = Brigadier General
• Col = Colonel
• Ltc = Lieutenant Colonel
• Maj = Major
• Cpt = Captain
• Lt = 1st Lieutenant
• 2Lt = 2nd Lieutenant

Army of the Border

MG Samuel Ryan Curtis

Escort:

• 2nd Kansas Cavalry (battalion): Maj Henry Hopkins
• Company G, 11th Kansas Cavalry: Cpt C. L. Gove
• Company H, 15th Kansas Cavalry
• Mountain howitzer battery: Lt Edward Gill

Notes

The list shown is the entire Army of the Border. Of this army, only Philip's and Benteen's Brigades were present at this battle. Other brigades from this army fought other battles during Price's Raid.

1. ↑ Official Records: Series 1, vol 41, Part 1 (Price's Missouri Expedition) p. 337
2. ↑ Monnett p.44-45
3. ↑ Official Records, Series 1, vol 41, Part 1 (Price's Missouri Expedition), p. 539

References

• Buresh, Lumir F. October 25 and the Battle of Mine Creek (Kansas City, MO: The Lowell Press), 1977. ISBN 0-913504-40-8
• Monnett, Howard N. Action Before Westport: 1864 (Niwot, CO: University Press of Colorado), 1995. [revised edition]

External links

• Artist Rendition of Battle
• Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site
• Sanborn, General John B.; The Campaign in Missouri in September and October 1864

Kansas in the American Civil War
Pre-War	Kansas–Nebraska Act Bleeding Kansas Sacking of Lawrence Pottawatomie massacre Battle of Black Jack Battle of Osawatomie Marais des Cygnes massacre Wakarusa War
September 1861	Battle of Dry Wood Creek Sacking of Osceola
August 1863	Lawrence massacre General Order No. 11 (1863)
October 1863	Baxter Springs massacre
October 1864	Battle of Marais des Cygnes Battle of Mine Creek