I just watched the movie Gladiator for the first time in a long time. Talk about a masterclass of cinematic action. And when the tigers are unleashed from the hidden pits? Get out of here! Maximus is the man.
Speaking of Maximus, remember when he and the rest of Proximo’s crew have their first gladiator battle in the Colosseum? Yeah, the one with the chariots and the person getting halved by the wheel blades. That is supposed to be a reenactment of an actual battle between Rome and Carthage during the 2nd Punic War (3rd century BC).
It was during this war that Hannibal of Carthage famously crossed the Alps with his army and elephants. Carthage ultimately lost this war (and the 1st Punic War before it). During the 3rd Punic War, the Battle of Carthage (or Siege of Carthage) saw the end of the Carthaginian city-state and Rome’s rise to domination.
By now, you must think that this post is about that battle. Get ready to be as shocked as Commodus was when Maximus unmasked himself. There is another Carthage where a battle took place. One that is (probably) much closer to home. This is the story of the Battle of Carthage…Missouri.
Leading Up to the Battle
The year is 1961. In April, the first shots of the Civil War were exchanged at Fort Sumpter. By summer, both the Union and Confederacy still believe the war will be short with minimal casualties. However, tensions ran high in border states such as Missouri. Though Missouri was a slave state, it did not secede from the Union.
Although it remained in the Union, the population was split in its sympathies. The two people that most exemplified this split were Governor Claiborne Jackson and US Army Colonel Franz Sigel.
Claiborne Jackson won election as the Missouri governor in 1860 based on his stance for Missouri’s neutrality in the impending conflict between the North and South. Despite his initial stance, Jackson’s actions suggested he favored secession. In May 1861, he called for the formation of a state militia to resist federal authority, leading to heightened tensions in Missouri.
Franz Sigel was born in Germany and was a prominent leader in the failed German democratic uprisings, which aimed to establish a unified and democratic Germany. After the defeat of the revolutionaries, Sigel fled to Switzerland and eventually immigrated to the United States in 1852. By 1861, Sigel was living in St. Louis. When the Civil War broke out, he leveraged his military education in Germany getting a commission as a Colonel in the Union Army.
The Camp Jackson Affair
With Brigadier General Daniel Frost in command, Governor Jackson set up a training camp for the militia near St. Louis. Franz Sigel’s soon-to-be commanding officer Nathaniel Lyon perceived this as a threat to the strategically important St. Louis Arsenal.
On May 10, 1861, Lyon led a force of Union troops to surround and arrest the militia at Camp Jackson. This preemptive strike aimed to prevent the militia from attacking the arsenal or supporting a Confederate takeover of Missouri. The vastly outnumbered militia quickly surrendered.
As Lyon’s troops marched the captured militia through St. Louis, pro-Southern civilians clashed with Union soldiers, resulting in the deaths of several soldiers and civilians. This further deepened the divide in the state.
Governor Jackson fled St. Louis seeking the safety of the state capital in Jefferson City. Lyon marched on the capital and seized it only to find that Jackson fled further south towards Arkansas. Lyon then sent Sigel to chase him.
The Battle of Carthage
Sigel tracked Jackson and the Missouri State Guard to Carthage. On a sweltering 4th of July, Sigel’s men set up camp at James Spring on the outskirts of the town. As the camp was still lighting fires, word came from scouts and sympathetic locals that the Missouri State Guard were close.
On July 5, 1861, Sigel advanced toward Carthage, seeking to engage the Missouri State Guard. His aim was to disrupt their efforts and maintain Union control over the region. At around 7 am, Jackson and the Missouri State Guard marched in the general vicinity of Sigel’s men.
Just before 10 am, the first cannon shots rang out. Despite being outnumbered, Sigel’s well-trained troops initially held the advantage due to their superior discipline and artillery.
As the day progressed, the larger numbers of the Missouri State Guard began to take a toll on Sigel’s forces. Concerned about being surrounded and recognizing the disparity in numbers, Sigel ordered a tactical withdrawal. The retreat was conducted in good order, preventing a rout and minimizing Union casualties.
In total, Sigel’s force of 1,100 soldiers sustained 44 casualties. Jackson’s 4,500 men sustained 200 casualties. Both sides claimed the battle a success. Sigel felt his troops conducted themselves well against a vastly superior number of troops. Jackson believed he ran off the Union troops despite a sharp disadvantage. What Sigel didn’t know was about a third of the Missouri State Guard were unarmed.
The Battle’s Legacy
The Battle of Carthage is remembered as one of the earliest engagements of the Civil War. It showcased the divided loyalties and fierce fighting that characterized Missouri’s role in the conflict. Although the casualties were relatively few, it thus served as a precursor of what would transpire in the Civil War as a whole. In less than three weeks, the Battle of Bull Run (aka the Battle of Manassas) exemplified this on a grander scale.
A Civil War Battlefield Pit Stop
On our way to Arkansas to see the solar eclipse, I noticed several signs for nearby battlefields. Through some quick historical and geographical deductions, I reasoned these were Civil War battle sites. Very smart I know.
I naturally have a Point A to Point B mentality so stopping at one of these sites wouldn’t have occurred to me in the past. The blog has changed how I think about stuff like this. I was determined to visit one of these sites on the way home. Talk about spontaneous!
It was just an hour pit stop at a scenic spring on an already impromptu trip. From that hour, I got the opportunity to learn something new and share it with you. It was nice. Let’s all do that more. And maybe we should all rewatch a great movie too!
One last quick note about something I’ve come across often over the last few months. When searching for a battle that occurred on US soil, one of the first results is always the American Battlefield Trust. I know little about this organization outside that it seeks to preserve American battlefields. Please let me know in the comments if you know more about this organization.