THE BATTLE OF BOONVILLE

J. C. Walden

Missouri State Guard

Monday, June 17, 1861, the report came to the state's quota of "rebels" gathered at Boonville under the orders of General Price that General Lyon was landing his men on the Cooper county side of the Missouri River.

General Price had been placed in command of the Southern troops in Missouri after Governor Jackson, incensed at the breaking of the truce made with General Lyon, had ordered them mobilized. Orders were sent for 50,000 men to gather at Boonville and Sunday, June 16, they began to arrive, with their leaders, Governor Jackson and General Price, stationed at the old City Hotel.

Sunday afternoon General Price, receiving word General Lyon was approaching from Jefferson City with a strong force of Federal troops, gave orders for the retreat to Lexington. Capt. William Brown of Saline county, a firebrand, got up before the men and told them he was going to fight if he had but a handful to face the Federals. Some decided to cast their lot with Brown and the others retreated with Price to Lexington.

Monday morning our scout brought word Union troops were landing three miles east of Boonville on the south side of the river. We immediately were ordered to advance and meet them. Our equipment was poor; most of us had poor rifles, if any, but all went forward with the idea that the enemy soon would be vanquished.

We formed in a wheat field and waited quietly. When we heard the clank of the cannon on the road below us we were told to be ready. "When I raise my hand -- fire!” the captain said. As the enemy went by us on the road below us, we saw the signal and fired. The Federal column paid little attention and didn't even break ranks. We fired a second volley, when someone yelled retreat. I don't know whether it was the captain -- but we retreated.

I started for the camp at the old fairgrounds where we had left our knapsacks. I found our things taken by the enemy and I ran and hid under the riverbank. Finally two other Howard County men and I found our way into Boonville and went to Mrs. Beck's shop on Main Street to get some ginger cake and cider. While we were there, I heard the clanking of the Federal cavalry up the street and we hiked without food for the river.

A boat was just leaving for Howard county, and the gangplank was thrown down for us. The Federals fired and the captain would have stopped if it had not been for the insistence of Captain Cooper, who was ready to "blow out somebody's brains."

Kansas City Times, June 21, 1929.