The Battle of the Mules

At the beginning of September 1861, the town of Fort Scott was seriously threatened by Confederate forces for the first time in the Civil War. On Sunday, Sept. 1, a small engagement occurred a mile or so east of Fort Scott in which a Confederate "Reconnaissance in Force" of approximately 75 mounted troopers captured and absconded with the small herd of 86 Kansas mules. The troopers were part of the lead units of a small Confederate army of 7,500 troops that was marching north through western Missouri to the Missouri River. The Confederate army was commanded by Maj. Gen. Sterling price who had established headquarters at Montevallo in southern Vernon County on Aug. 31, 1861. the surprise attack and capture of the Kansas mules is described on page 280 of the 1887 "History of Vernon County" as follows: "The 75 rebel troopers swept down suddenly, got between the herd and the (Union) camps and yelling like comanches, chased away the herders and drove 86 head of mules off into Missouri and ultimately into General Price's camp." Most of the Kansas troops were attending "church" and were completely surprised by the attack. A mule rescue mission was hastily organized that consisted of approximately 250 Jayhawkers commanded by Col. James Montgomery and H. P. Johnson, but the rescue mission failed to bring their long eared companions home! After a brief encounter with the Confederate "Reconnaissance in Force," the Jayhawkers who were part of the infamous "Lane Brigade" returned to their camp near Fort Scott and planned another "rescue mission" for the next day.

The Battle of the "mules" or "Drywood" occurred on Monday, Sept. 2, 1861, on the open prairie near Deerfield, Mo. The Kansans were defeated again, failed to rescue their mules and were lucky to escape back to the land of the Jayhawkers. However, they did fight well and Capt. Thomas Moonlight described the Battle of the Mules in his memoirs, as follows:

"Next morning early a cavalry command started in pursuit, numbering 445 men; myself with howitzer (cannon) and nine men, under command of Col. Montgomery, started in pursuit of Col. Stein. By noon we struck Drywood Creek and at the same time a regiment of rebel cavalry, supposed to be Stein's. No time was lost in forming line but at them we went, pell mell, and away they went helter skelter through the timber across the creek, and on to the rolling prairie, a distance of about two miles & us close at their heels.

Into battery I came, loaded with canister [tin cylinder filled with (78) 3/4 inch lead balls, like a shotgun when fired], for I was in advance of our line [a very dangerous place for artillery] & not over 200 yards from the regimental flag, expecting to extinguish the entire line of (enemy) cavalry at one discharge! When to my astonishment, right in front of me and hidden by the rolling nature of the ground, was a whole rebel battery of 9 guns (cannon) ranging from a 12 pdr. field piece down to a 4 pdr. (Note: cannon were identified by the weight of the projectile they fired.) During the time I was coming in to battery, lading and c., our cavalry ranged up on each side and dismounted and before a shot could be fired on our side, the rebel batteries open with all kinds of shot. Fortunately for us they overshot their mark (or there would have been a very large number of dead jayhawkers)! I shall never forget the look of consternation depicted on the faces of all around, for not one man from the colonel commanding down knew the presence of the enemy was in greater force than the cavalry we had been pursuing, and but a very few of our command had ever stood before the muzzles of an enemy battery! Our position was as trying one and for one I acknowledge I felt doubtful of ever seeing my 6 pdr. (left) with Bickeron. Having judged the terrain difficult, I felt my discharge of canister was useless, but to give courage and cheer up our side of the fight and show the rebels that we could sport a better, 'Bang, Whish!' sent the canister in the direction of the enemy at least.

The Sharps (carbines) of our men began to crack lively on every side and from that moment until the retreat was ordered no man ever thought of his personal safety. May 1, discharge of a shell dismounted (knocked the cannon barrel off it's frame) a 6 pdr. of the enemy, thus reducing their number to 8 guns (cannon.) The fight lasted for one hour and one half, during which time I changed position with my gun 12 times and fired 39 shells and canister shots with killing effect on the enemy, as the distance was exactly united to a mountain howitzer, but too close for the enemy's longer ranged guns; the distance between us was about 330 yards and it is owing to this alone that we were not cut to pieces The rebels suffered terribly and soon (our) retreat was ordered; his battery was silenced, for as we afterwards learned, their artillery officers were all killed or wounded as well as their cannoneers, and they had not a horse left to drag their pieces off out of range.

We just retreated in time, for (enemy) infantry and cavalry were surrounding us on all sides and we lost a number of men before we could effect our retreat. There was General Sterling Price with his whole army of 7,500 men, infantry, cavalry and artillery and against that entire army did (our) 448 cavalrymen and 9 artillerymen with one mountain howitzer fight for one hour and one half, having only some 20 killed, wounded and taken prisoner besides a number of horses, while the enemy buried 55 men on the field, left some 47 dead horses, besides hundreds of sounded slightly and seriously which were carried off and left at different farm houses on the march to Lexington, (Mo.)." (Note: Initially the Kansas troops were nearly evenly matched in numbers, though not artillery, but became increasingly outnumbered as the battle progressed." After the "Battle of the Mules" the captured Kansas mules became part of Price's army and probably pulled supply and ammunition wagons all the way to Lexington, Mo. and beyond.