Here is an update to my earlier post on the location of the Battle of Lexington II, October 19, 1864.

CWSAC – Battle of Lexington II

On October 19, Price's army approached Lexington, collided with Union scouts and pickets about 2:00 pm, drove them back, and engaged in a battle with the main force. The Yankees resisted at first, but Price's army eventually pushed them through the town to the western outskirts and pursued them along the Independence Road until night fall.

OFFICIAL RECORDS

41-1-573. MG Blunt writes about the forthcoming Battle of Lexington on October 19, 1864: “Enemy advancing (westward from Waverly) in two columns, driving in my pickets (about 11 a.m.). … Command was put in line of battle southeast of the city (Lexington), facing a section of open and undulating country, with cultivated fields extending from one to two miles in our front (to the east, toward Dover/Waverly) with the Independence road in our rear (to the west ) upon which I intended to fall back whenever it became necessary.”

41-1-633. MG Price’s Expedition report notes: “On the 19th I moved from Waverly in the direction (westward) of Lexington. Hearing that the enemy was at Lexington, … , fearing that they (Blunt’s command) might make a junction with McNeil and A.J. Smith, who were (south of Price) at Sedalia and Salt Fork, I made a flank movement to the left (southwest) after crossing the Tabo, so as to intercept their (McNeil and Smith) line of march. The advance, under Shelby met them (Blunt’s command in line of battle) about 2 p.m., drove them well past Lexington, and pursued them on the road to Independence.”

41-1-646. (Itinerary of Price’s Army). LC L.A. Maclean (AAG) adds to Price’s report (above): “Met the enemy about four miles from Lexington on Salt Pond Road; Shelby in front.”

Price would have made his left flanking maneuver off the Lexington-Dover-Waverly road just west of Tabo Creek, about three miles west of Dover and about 7 miles east of Lexington. The countryside from the Tabo crossing (for about ten miles) to the Independence road around the south and west of Lexington remains today as Price described it in 1864: open and undulating country with cultivated fields.

CONCLUSIONS

1. The battle of Lexington on October 19, 1864 was not in Lexington, MO.

2. The battlefield was about three miles south of town in open and undulating country having cultivated fields. Today, the land still is very similar, but with better roads.

3. Tabo Creek is still identified on modern electronic maps. An abandoned MP railroad bridge spanning Tabo Creek can still be identified along the northside of MO 13 about 7.5 miles SE of Lexington. The battlefield was between Lexington and the creek.

4. The main body of General Blunt's command moved out several miles southeast of Lexington. Later, his retreat from Shelby's advance was along Missouri highway 13 running east-west three miles south of Lexington. This M 13 ends at the new highway to Sedalia (also a M 13) running parallel to the old Higginsville Road. It seems that Shelby's advance had been marching west along Lick Fork Road (same east-west alignment as M 13), pushed through Blunt’s advance picket line with ease, and then ran into Blunt' s main defense line about where the old Higginsville Road intersected Lick Fork Road. It seems Blunt eventually realized that he was greatly outnumbered with much heavier metal, as Shelby's numerous regiments continued to arrive on the field, overlapping his 1,600-man line on both flanks. Blunt also realized that no Federal help from Sanborn or Pleasonton was coming from the south in time to reinforce him, so he wisely retreated west along Missouri 13 to the Independence Road (M 224). His recon job to find and reveal Price's Army was complete!