Mine Creek Battlefield State Hist Site

Location:  From Pleasanton, take Hwy. US 69 South 2 miles, then West 1/2 mile on Hwy K-52.  From Mound City, take Hwy K-52 East about 5 miles.

Nearest Towns:  Pleasanton, Mound City

Contact:  Ph.   913/352-8890

Hours: Currently open on weekends ONLY.

On this prairie meadow in East Central Kansas, the third largest cavalry battle of the Civil War took place.  The year was 1864, and the War was winding down.  Doomed, but not defeated, the Confederacy carried out a bold military campaign into the Border State of Missouri led by Gen. Price.  The Border States were states which had Southern sympathies, but had decided not to withdraw from the Union.  Price's Missouri Campaign had lofty goals; among them the capture of Ft. Leavenworth, capturing much needed military supplies and recruiting men to fight for the South.  The campaign was not a military success, but it did manage to recruit about 2000 men and capture 500 wagons of supplies.  These wagons would prove to be Price's undoing.  The Price campaign had turned into a series of minor skirmishes as the Confederates were retreating South with their wagons of military supplies.  At Mine Creek, they were forced to stop as the wagons struggled to cross this large creek and climb it's steep banks which were made even more slippery with recent rains.  With their backs to the creek the Confederates were compelled to turn and face the Union Army.   The Confederates committed about 7500 horse mounted soldiers in a battle line that extended for about one mile.  They were challenged by a force of 2500 Union Cavalry.   The Southern soldiers were equipped with rifles which, incredible as it sounds, required them to dismount to reload after each shot.  Add to this that they had been defeated at Westport (Kansas City) two days before, and it's understandable why they were defeated by such a small group of Union soldiers.

The recently constructed museum has a very helpful staff, and some interesting displays.  Included are some great interpretive materials which are helpful to get an understanding of the battle.

As good as the museum is, I recommend you take the interpretive trail from there to Mine Creek..  It's a nice walk of about 1/2 mile with informational signs along the way, ending at the picturesque creek..  As you walk amidst the swaying prairie grass, you can almost hear the shouts of officers, the "Rebel Yell" of the Confederate soldiers, and the cries of the wounded. 

It was a costly loss for the Confederates, but the battle did succeed in all stalling the Union forces long enough to allow most of the supply laden wagons to cross the creek, however   General Price had most of them burned the next morning so that they would not further slow his retreat South.

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