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Subject: [ILCLINTON] Re: [StL-Metro] Battle of Pacific, Mo. [includes IL troops]
Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 11:02:29 EDT

Scott Williams is very active in the accumulation and preservation of Civil
War memorabilia as well as details of the war. He is involved in a new museum
being established near the Jefferson Barracks area in South St. Louis County.
The following is his entry to the StL-Metro List and it includes Illinois
troops. His email is:
Gloria
> Battle of Pacific, Missouri. This 1/2 hour skirmish was fought Oct. 1, 1864
> on the St. Louis-Franklin County line.
>
> Gen. Sterling Price had sent Gen. William L. Cabell who commanded a brigade
> of Arkansas Cavalry to cut the RR east of Pacific. This
> was most likely a section of track 1 1/2 to 2 miles east of town. There may
> even be a small bridge over a creek that was burned as
> Confederate reports allude to that act being accomplished successfully. At
> any rate I believe this would be the only real Civil War
> battle (skirmish) fought in St. Louis County, even though it only began
> there and moved with greater intensity into Franklin County.
>
> In the battle reports, there is no mention of the town of Pacific. What is
> mentioned is the town of Franklin. Today there is no town
> of Franklin in Franklin County. That is because it is now called Pacific.
> But at the time of the Civil War both Federal and
> Confederate troops most commonly referred to it as Franklin, even though
> officially it changed names by 1858. The Federals arrived
> via RR cars in which they could take no further west than 1 1/2 to 2 miles
> east of the town.
>
> The Confederate attack included firing their artillery, but it did not stop
> the Federals who went down on the ground to avoid much
> of the fire. Then the Federals continued their advance into town as the
> Confederates burned the town's RR depot on their way out.
> Although the Confederates heavily outnumbered the Federals the Confederates
> were not interested in being delayed on their movement
> toward Jefferson City. The Federal commander was Col.Edward H. Wolff, who
> commanded an Infantry brigade of Indiana and Illinois
> troops. The causalities: Federals: 7 wounded, two severely; no known
> Confederate losses.
>
> The Federal units involved were the 54th Illinois Vol. Infantry; 117th
> Illinois Infantry and the 52nd Indiana Vol. Infantry. There
> may have been others but this is all I could find in the battle reports
>
> Cabell's Brigade consisted of the following:
>
> 1st Arkansas Cavalry; 4th Arkansas Cavalry; Morgan's 2nd Arkansas Cavalry;
> 7th Arkansas Cavalry; Gunter's Arkansas Cavalry
> Battalion; Harrell's Arkansas Battalion; Witherspoon's Arkansas Cavalry; and
> Hughey's Artillery Battery.
>
> If anyone has information to add about this engagement I would appreciate
> hearing it.
>
> Scott K. Williams
>

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