Of the brigades listed below, only Philips' and Benteen's brigades, and a small part of Sanborn's brigade from the Union Army of the Border fought in the Battle of Mine Creek of the American Civil War.Official Records: Series 1, vol 41, Part 1 (Price's Missouri Expedition) p. 337 The Confederate order of battle is listed separately. The entire organization of the Army of the Border is shown.
Command disputes
By order of MG James G. Blunt (General Field Orders No. 2) the militia regiments of William H. M. Fishbeck, Brigadier General of Militia, were placed under the command of Charles W. Blair, Colonel of Volunteers; Fishbeck was infuriated that his command had been subordinated to a volunteer officer. Because Kansas law stated that militia should be kept under the command of militia officers, Fishbeck disregarded Blunt's order. Blunt had Fishbeck arrested and held until released by order of MG Samuel Curtis. Upon his release, Fishbeck resumed command of the Kansas Militia regiments, with orders to obey directives that came from MG Blunt. This rather cumbersome arrangement had BG Fishbeck in direct command of the militia units attached to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, and Col Charles Blair in overall command of the brigade. Howard N. Monnett describes the arrangement as a "brigade within a brigade". Blair and Fishbeck led the militia into action at Westport (accompanied onto the field by MG George W. Dietzler), and then in the subsequent pursuit of Price until MG Curtis ordered the militia to return home.Monnett p.44-45
Abbreviations used
Military rank MG = Major General BG = Brigadier General Col = Colonel Ltc = Lieutenant Colonel Maj = Major Cpt = Captain Lt = 1st Lieutenant 2Lt = 2nd Lieutenant
Army of the Border MG Samuel Ryan Curtis
Escort: 2nd Kansas Cavalry (battalion): Maj Henry Hopkins Company G, 11th Kansas Cavalry: Cpt C. L. Gove Company H, 15th Kansas Cavalry Mountain howitzer battery: Lt Edward Gill
Division Brigade Regiments and OthersFirst Provisional Cavalry Division
MG James G. Blunt Escort: Company E, 14th Kansas Cavalry: 2Lt William B. Clark 1st Brigade
Col Charles R. Jennison (Brigade did not participate in Battle of Mine Creek) 2nd Brigade
Col Thomas Moonlight (Brigade did not participate in Battle of Mine Creek) 3rd Brigade [Kansas State Militia Division]
Col Charles W. Blair BG William H. M. Fishback (Brigade did not participate in Battle of Mine Creek) 4th Brigade
Col James Hobart Ford (Brigade did not participate in Battle of Mine Creek)
Division Brigade Regiments and OthersSecond Division
MG Alfred Pleasonton Escort: Company A, 11th Kansas Cavalry: Cpt Henry E. Palmer 1st Brigade
Col John Finis Philips 1st Missouri State Militia Cavalry: Ltc Bazel F. Lazear 4th Missouri State Militia Cavalry: Maj George W. Kelly 7th Missouri State Militia Cavalry: Ltc Thomas Theodore Crittenden 2nd Brigade
BG John McNeil 17th Illinois Cavalry: Col John Lourie Beveridge 7th Kansas Cavalry: Maj Francis M. Malone 2nd Missouri Cavalry: Cpt George M. Houston 13th Missouri Cavalry: Col Edwin C. Catherwood 3rd Missouri State Militia Cavalry: Ltc Henry M. Matthews 5th Missouri State Militia Cavalry: Ltc Joseph A. Eppstein 9th Missouri State Militia Cavalry: Ltc Daniel M. Draper Battery B, 2nd Missouri Light Artillery Mountain howitzer battery (4 12-pdr)
(Brigade arrived after conclusion of the Battle of Mine Creek, but was in the Battle of Little Osage and the Battle of Marmiton River immediately following the Battle of Mine Creek)Official Records, Series 1, vol 41, Part 1 (Price's Missouri Expedition), p. 539 3rd Brigade
BG John Benjamin Sanborn 2nd Arkansas Cavalry: Col John Elisha Phelps 6th Missouri State Militia Cavalry: Maj William Plumb 8th Missouri State Militia Cavalry: Col Joseph J. Gravely 6th Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia: Col John F. McMahan 7th Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia: Maj W. B. Mitchell Battery H, 2nd Missouri Light Artillery: Cpt William C. F. Montgomery Battery L, 2nd Missouri Light Artillery: Cpt Charles H. Thurber
(Battery L, 2nd Missouri Light Artillery fought at the Battle of Mine Creek, remainder of Brigade arrived after conclusion of Battle of Mine Creek) 4th Brigade
Ltc Frederick William Benteen 7th Indiana Cavalry: Maj S. W. Simonson 3rd Iowa Cavalry: Maj Benjamin S. Jones 4th Iowa Cavalry: Maj Abial Richmond Pierce 4th Missouri Cavalry (detachment): Cpt Charles D. Knispel [command combined with the 7th Indiana Cavalry] 10th Missouri Cavalry: Maj William H. Lusk
Notes The list shown is the entire Army of the Border. Of this army, only Philip's and Benteen's Brigades were present at this battle. Other brigades from this army fought other battles during Price's Raid.
References Buresh, Lumir F. October 25 and the Battle of Mine Creek (Kansas City, MO: The Lowell Press), 1977. Monnett, Howard N. Action Before Westport: 1864 (Niwot, CO: University Press of Colorado), 1995. [revised edition] Hinton, Richard Josiah. Rebel invasion of Missouri and Kansas, and the campaign of the army of the border against General Sterling Price, in October and November, 1864 (Chicago: Church and Goodman)
External links Artist Rendition of Battle Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site Sanborn, General John B.; The Campaign in Missouri in September and October 1864