The Battle of Carthage: Border War in Southwest Missouri

“The first major land engagement of the Civil War has finally been rescued from obscurity. Authors Hinze and Farnham have painstakingly reconstructed the important Battle of Carthage and the 1861 Missouri Campaign in fascinating detail.”—Jeff Patrick, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

The battle of Carthage, Missouri, was fought more than two …

“The first major land engagement of the Civil War has finally been rescued from obscurity. Authors Hinze and Farnham have painstakingly reconstructed the important Battle of Carthage and the 1861 Missouri Campaign in fascinating detail.”—Jeff Patrick, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

The battle of Carthage, Missouri, was fought more than two weeks before First Bull Run and was the culmination of the first major land campaign of the Civil War. The fight began with Federal officer Nathaniel Lyon’s capture of the ammunition-packed St. Louis Arsenal. Gov. Claiborne F. Jackson unleashed the call for war and hastily formed militia units to defeat the Federals. In a bold campaign designed to destroy the vaunted state guard, Lyon and Federal Col. Franz Sigel launched a two-pronged attack. Ten miles north of the small town of Carthage, Jackson met Sigel and heavily outnumbered the Federal colonel’s force. Sigel was forced to improvise a series of remarkable rearguard actions designed to save his supply wagons and his army.

The Battle of Carthage is the first book devoted to this influential, early war battle. The book features detailed tactical coverage of the battle and in-depth biographical sketches, with critical evaluations of both sides’ major participants. The authors’ exhaustive battle analysis contains new interpretations of how and why the fighting evolved. This story of the battle of Carthage includes comprehensive original maps, photos and illustrations, a detailed discussion of casualties, explanatory end notes, an order of battle, and an interview with coauthor David C. Hinze.