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Tour Added: Battle of Boonville
A new tour has been added for the Battle of Boonville. Little more than a skirmish, the Battle of Boonvile took place on June 17, 1861. It was Federal victory that took place more than a month before the First Battle of Bull Run and did much to keep the State of Missouri within the Union.
The Battle of Boonville took place on June 17, 1861, more than a month before the First Battle of Bull Run, and is considered by many to be the first battle of the American Civil War. In fact, the fighting east of Boonville, Missouri was little more than a skirmish and lasted only about 30 minutes. But this skirmish had a long lasting impact on the struggle for the State of Missouri in 1861. The rapid mobilization by Union Brigadier-General Nathaniel Lyon surprised and defeated the secessionists who had to abandon the Missouri River and flee south towards Arkansas. Except for a brief occupation of Lexington later in the year, Southern forces would never regain control of the State of Missouri for the duration of the Civil War.
The Battle of Boonville took place on the Rocheport Road a few miles east of Boonville, Missouri 65233. The actual battlefield sites are located on private property and therefore are not accessible. But you can get a feeling for the events of the fighting because the tour follows the approximate route taken by the Federals in their advance towards Boonville as they moved against the Missouri State Guard.
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