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Tour: The Battle of Carthage (1861)

Battle of Carthage from Harpers Weekly.

| Waypoints | Google Earth Placemarks (kmz) |

This online tour takes you to battle sites in and around Carthage, Missouri, 64386. You can stay virtual, but should you decided to visit Carthage, we provide directions to key spots on the battle field. Please note that most of the battlefield is on private property and is not accessible. Please respect the property owners and do not trespass on their land. Only the last stop of the tour is located on public property. What's fortunate about the area is that it's relatively undeveloped and much of the battlefield appears as it did in 1861. This tour begins about 10 miles north of Carthage, Missouri.

On July 5, 1861 ten miles north of Carthage, Missouri, a Union Infantry Brigade (1,100 men) under the command of Colonel Franz Sigel fought the Missouri State Guard (4,000 armed, 2,000 unarmed) under the command of Missouri Governor Claiborne Jackson. Recognizing that he was outnumbered and in danger of being flanked and captured, Sigel began an organized withdrawal from the field of battle. A running battle raged for the rest of the day and Sigel was able to escape to Sarcoxie, Missouri.

One note of interest is that this fight took place 16 days prior to the The First Battle of Bull Run (First Battle of Manassas) which occurred on July 21, 1861.



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