Search just our sites by using our customised search engine

Unique Cottages | Electric Scotland's Classified Directory

Click here to get a Printer Friendly PageSmiley

War between the States
Mine Creek Confederate Cemetery


The battlefield of Mine Creek, Kansas, is the final resting place to a number of Confederate prisoners murdered in October 1864.
 
Mine Creek was a devastating defeat for the Confederate force of General Sterling Price, former governor of Missouri and Mexican American war hero.   Price was turned back from capturing Fort Leavenworth at the Battle of Westport (now Kansas City).    Bickering among the Union commanders caused a delayed pursuit.   However, Federal cavalry caught the Confederate force trying to cross Mine Creek on the morning of 25 October 1864.   Many Confederates were unarmed and poorly equipped.   The Federal cavalry over-ran much of the Confederate force on the north side of Mine Creek.  
 
Confederate prisoners were herded together and then systematically shot down in a war-crime which has been largely overlooked.   Confederate dead were quickly buried on the battlefield, mostly in a mass grave which is unknown to this day.
 
The significance of this action is that it did not occur between the irregular forces of both sides.   Mine Creek is the only major battle fought between "regular" (volunteer / "regular" Army) Confederate and Union forces in Kansas.  The wholesale slaughter of prisoners by uniformed members of the Federal Army was never investigated, nor were leaders prosecuted.   The war ended less than a year later and the event was covered up and forgotten, except by those who were directly involved. 
 
The number of Confederate dead can only be speculated.   However, numbers as high as 100 can be extrapolated from the prisoner returns and number reportedly killed in battle.   The rationalization provided by the Federals was that the Confederates were captured wearing "Union uniforms".   Not unlikely in the cold weather of the early morning and the complete lack of supplies that the Confederates suffered from in the Trans-Mississippi Theater.   Many Confederates had few cold weather clothes having begun their march in August.   They were supplied by captured materiel.    More likely however, it was murder out of vengence, pure spite, and hate.   Although Kansas militia troops were not present in organized units, they were seen at the battle and their complete prejudice against Southerners (Missourians) was likely the cause of sanctioned murders in the guise of "military executions".   
 
This shameful episode of American military history tarnishes the reputation of the US Army under which these units were organized.  While they were not "regulars", they wore the blue uniform of the United States and consequently acted under the law and authority of the US government.
 
LtCol Edwin L. Kennedy,  Jr
US Army (retired)
former associate professor of history, US Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
(913) 651 - 7685

  Return to Civil War Index


 


This comment system requires you to be logged in through either a Disqus account or an account you already have with Google, Twitter, Facebook or Yahoo. In the event you don't have an account with any of these companies then you can create an account with Disqus. All comments are moderated so they won't display until the moderator has approved your comment.

comments powered by Disqus

Quantcast