Home Guard Against Home Guard

Confederate victory at the Battle of Cole Camp on June 19^th 1861 in Benton County, Missouri allowed the Missouri governor and the State Guard to flee from the Union troops.

Union Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon took over the Jefferson City, Missouri on June 15^th 1861, the state capitol.  Two days later Lyon fought with some of the Confederate Missouri State Guard near Boonville, Missouri.  A part of the Confederate State Guard along with the pro–secession Missouri Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson fled southwest toward Benton County with the Union troops behind them.

Most residents of Benton County, Missouri were of Confederate sympathies, but the German immigrants in the area were pro-Union.  They formed the Benton County Home Guard in early June 1861 under the command of Captain Able H W Cook at Cole Camp.  At the same time in nearby Warsaw, Missouri Confederate leaning Captain Walter S O’Kane and Captain Thomas W Murray organized the Warsaw “Grays” and “Blues”.

On June 18^th 1861 O’Kane’s men left Warsaw and marched toward Cole Camp.  A local citizen John Tyree reported the movement to officers at Cole Camp.  After making this report he was captured by some of the Confederates, tied to a tree and shot.  Despite the warning the men of the Benton Home Guard were caught sleeping in the early morning hours of June 19^th 1861.  O’Kane’s men hit a portion of the Home Guard to the east of Heisterberg barn, firing a volley into the men.  A company of Home Guard to the north of the barn; under Captain Elsinger fired into O’Kane’s flank, but quickly ran out of ammunition and were forced to withdraw.

The Union had 34 men killed, 60 wounded and 25 men taken prisoner.  The Confederates lost 7 killed and 25 wounded.  More importantly O’Kanes men captured 362 muskets that would be used at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek.

A Blast Rocked The Fort

Fort or Camp Lyon in Alexandria, Virginia was rocked by an explosion on June 9^th 1863 that killed 21 Union soldiers.

Fort Lyon was constructed just south of Alexandria, Virginia, named for Union Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon.  It was a timber and earthworks fort, built in the weeks after the Union defeat at First Bull Run.  Union General Samuel P Heintzelman was the commander of Fort Lyon from October 27^th 1862 to October 13^th 1863, and was in charge of the defense of Washington, DC.

The fort was shook by a massive explosion of black powder on June 9^th 1863.  Men from the 3^rd New York Artillery were refilling shells with powder, when a spark from one of the cast iron shell cases caused the explosion.  It destroyed some eight tons of black powder, and a couple thousand rounds of ammo, as well as killing 21 Union soldiers and wounding another 10.  One witness to the explosion described it as “a most violent thundering explosion, followed by another, in quick succession, the earth shook and trembled... I was so frightened...a shell burst very near, for a little stream of blue smoke came in one door and passed out the other... I looked up at Fort Lyon, which at that moment went up with a tremendous shock.”

Following the blast many civilian, military and political leaders, including President Abraham Lincoln visited the site.

A Great Man Of Texas

Confederate Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch of Texas was killed during the Battle of Pea Ridge March 7^th 1862.

Benjamin McCulloch was born in Rutherford County Tennessee the son of Alexander and Frances Fisher (LeNoir) McCulloch.  The family was part of old Virginia planter stock, but McCulloch’s father moved the family west often.  They settled finally in Dyersburg, Tennessee were McCulloch’s neighbor was David Crockett.  In 1835 when Crockett went to Texas, McCulloch and his brother Henry head for the state.  Because of Ben contracting measles the brothers had to hold up for a few weeks, and were saved from being in the Alamo when it fell.

McCulloch fought for Texas under Sam Houston as part of the artillery.  He received 960 acres of land for his service.  He took up land surveying for the Republic of Texas, before joining the Texas Rangers as a lieutenant under Captain John Coffee Hays.  In 1839 McCulloch was elected to the Texas House of Representatives.  By 1842 McCulloch was back fighting Indians and Mexican with the Texas Rangers.  During the Mexican American War he was appointed Chief of Scouts under United States General Zachary Taylor with the rank of Major.  When gold fever struck in 1849 McCulloch traveled to California, where he would become a sheriff in Sacramento.  He was back in Texas by 1852.

With the coming of the Civil War, Texas seceded from the Union on February 1^st 1861 and on the 14^th McCulloch received a commission from Confederate President Jefferson Davis to Colonel.  McCulloch met with Union General David E Twiggs on the morning to February 16^th 1861 and demanded his surrender.  McCulloch was promoted to Brigadier General.  He put together the Confederate Army of the West with men from Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Indians from the Creek, Cherokee and Choctaw nations.  Their first action was at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek on August 10^th 1861, where they defeated Union General Nathaniel Lyon.

McCulloch was in command of the Confederate right wing at the Battle of Pea Ridge.  His troops, after much maneuvering over took a Union artillery battery on March 7^th 1862.  The fight continued through the morning and McCulloch who was riding out in front to scout positions was shot out of his saddle.  He died instantly.  He was buried on the field at Pea Ridge, but was later moved to the battle cemetery in Little Rock.  McCulloch’s remains would be moved finally to the State Cemetery in Austin, Texas.

First Union General Killed

Union General Nathaniel Lyon was killed August 10th 1861 during the Battle of Wilson’s Creek.


Nathaniel Lyon was born on the family farm July 14th 1818 in Ashford, Connecticut, the son of Amasa and Kezia [Knowlton] Lyon. He applied to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Lyon graduated in 1841. He served with the 2nd United States Infantry during the Seminole and Mexican - American Wars. Following these wars Lyon was posted on the frontier, where he fought in several Indian battles. He was serving at Fort Riley in Kansas in 1861.

When the Civil War started Lyon was in command of Company D of 2nd United States Infantry. He received a promotion to Brigadier General after a fight to hold the arsenal in St Louis, and given command of the Army of the West. A few miles south of Springfield, Missouri Lyon’s army met up with the Confederate troops on August 10th 1861 bring on the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. Lyon’s men were greatly out numbered. He was shot in leg, chest and head; the first Union General to be killed, while he was trying to rally his troops. When the Union troops retreated from Wilson’s Creek Lyon’s body was left behind. He was buried near a farm outside of Springfield. Lyon’s body would latter be moved to the family plot in Eastford, Connecticut.

The Thanks Of A Nation

Union General George Gordon Meade and the Army of the Potomac received a “Thanks of Congress” January 28th 1864 for their part in the Battle of Gettysburg.

Originally a formal governmental thanks, the “Thanks of Congress” was a series of resolutions passed by the United States Congress for victories or impressive military actions. These “Thanks of Congress” began during the American Revolutionary War, and were often accompanied by a commemorative medal. “Thanks of Congress” during the Civil War were published in Statutes at Large. Fifteen Union Army officers and fifteen Union Navy officers were named in these act during the Civil War. The first “Thanks of Congress” to be awarded during the Civil War was for "the gallant and patriotic services of the late Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon, and the officers and soldiers under his command at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek on 10 Aug. 1861."

The United States Congress awarded five “Thanks of Congress” on January 28th 1864. They were given to Nathaniel P Bank, Ambrose E Burnside, Joseph Hooker, Oliver Otis Howard, and George G Meade.

One Of Four Generals

An Officer in the United States Cavalry William Selby Harney died May 9th 1889.


William Selby Harney was born August 27th 1800 in Haysboro Davidson Tennessee. While visiting his brother Dr Benjamin F Harney who was an Army Surgeon in Baton Rouge Louisiana in 1817 met some high military officers. Harney was so impressed by these men that he worked to get a commission to Second Lieutenant through President James Monroe. He began his military carrer in the 1st Unites States Infantry under Andrew Jackson. He saw action in the Seminole and Blackhawk Wars. With an appointment to Colonel with command of the 2nd Dragoons he was a member of General Winfield Scott’s Army at the Battle of Cerro Gordo during the Mexican American War. After this Harney found himself fighting Indians in the west, at the Battle of Ash Hollow and with a then Captain George E Pickett serving under him in the Dept of Oregon.

Harney received a promotion to Brigadier General June 14th 1856 and was one of the only four generals serving in the regular army at the start of the Civil War [the other three being Lieutenant General Winfield Scott, and Brigadier Generals John E Wool and Edwin Vose Sumner]. He was in command of the Department of the West, stationed in St Louis Missouri at the out break of the Civil War. Although Missouri vowed neutrality at the beginning of the war, the “Camp Jackson Affair” where Union General Nathaniel Lyon captured some Missouri State Militia, and fired on a crowd, causing the Missouri General Assembly to authorize attacks on any Army North or South end the neutrality. Harney struck a deal with the Missouri State Guard and Governor Claiborne Jackson to remain neutral and finaly to swear allegiance to the Union. Harney was ordered to Washington DC April 1861 over the affair and was captured by Confederates at Harper’s Ferry Virginia on the way. The Confederates offered him a command, he refused it but found himself relieved of command when he reached Washington and was replaced by Lyon. Harney retired from military service in 1863.

Harney died May 9th 1889 in Orlando Florida. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.