Gideon W. Thompson (February 28, 1823 – January 8, 1902) was a colonel in the Missouri State Guard and the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He assumed command on the field after the fall of Brigadier General John T. Hughes at the First Battle of Independence.
Early life Gideon W. Thompson was born in Todd County, Kentucky, to Robert C. Thompson and Eveline (Roberts).Annals of Platte Co., p. 804 They relocated to Howard County, Missouri, while Gideon was a toddler.Eakin, Battle of Independence, p. 79 Gideon became a farmer and livestock trader in Platte County, Missouri.Allardice, p. 370
Civil War At the outbreak of the Civil War, Thompson was elected captain of a company in the 5th Division of the Missouri State Guard.Allardice, p. 370 Serving in the major battles of Price's 1861 Missouri campaign he was elected major then colonel in November 1861.Sterling Price's Lieutenants, Rev. ed., p. 292 In August 1862 he was recruiting a new regiment in Missouri and suffered a wound to the foot or leg at the First Battle of Independence.Eakin, Battle of Independence, p. 77Eakin, Battle of Lone Jack, p. 10
Thompson was appointed Colonel of the 6th Missouri Cavalry (Confederate) November 9, 1862, as a result of John T. Coffee's removal from command on charges of drunkenness. The regiment participated in three large Missouri raids in 1863, including the Battle of Hartville and the defense of Little Rock, Arkansas. At the Battle of Hartville, he was reported as doing his duty "well and nobly"“Marmaduke’s Expedition into Missouri”. Index to the Miscellaneous Documents of the House of Representatives. Congressional edition, Volume 2580. United States Congress. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1889, p. 204. while commanding his regiment. After the Battle of Hartville, he was mistakenly reported dead in enemy communications by Union Brigadier General Fitz Henry Warren.“Marmaduke’s Expedition into Missouri”. Index to the Miscellaneous Documents of the House of Representatives. Congressional edition, Volume 2580. United States Congress. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1889, p. 188. After his many exploits during these campaigns, a command reorganization in December 1863 resulted in his replacement by another commander.McGhee, Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, pp. 94,95
Post-war At the close of hostilities, Thompson returned to his farm in Platte County, Missouri. He died January 8, 1902, and is buried in the Barry Cemetery in Clay County, Missouri.Allardice, p. 370
References
See also Allardice, Bruce S., Confederate Colonels: a Biographical Register Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 2008. Eakin, Joanne Chiles, Battle of Independence, August 11, 1862, Independence, MO: Two Trails Publishing, 2000 Eakin, Joanne Chiles, Battle of Lone Jack, August 16, 1862, Independence, MO: Two Trails Publishing, 2001 Peterson, Richard C.; McGhee, James C.; Lindberg, Kip A.; & Daleen, Keith I., Sterling Price's Lieutenants, Rev. Ed., Independence, MO: Two Trails Publishing, 2007 McGhee, James E., Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, 1861-1865, University of Arkansas, 2010 Paxton, William M., Annals of Platte County, Missouri: From its Exploration Down to June 1, 1897, Platte County, MO: Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Co., 1897