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| Thursday June 13, 1861 |
Hundreds of pro-Southern militia-men began assembling along
Rock Creek near Independence, Mo., in the western part of the
state. These raw, undisciplined troops had barely learned the
rudiments of military drill when their pickets reported at 5:00 P.M.
that 200 Union cavalrymen were just two miles away and fast
approaching. The horsemen, commanded by Capt. David Stanley,
were under orders to locate the Rock Creek camp and make a
show of force, but not to bring on a general engagement.
Before long, the two forces were eyeing each other from opposing
ridges. Stanley rode out alone into the middle ground carrying a
white flag. Soon Col. Edmonds B. Holloway of the Missouri State
Guard and an aide rode out to meet with Stanley. They had
spoken only a few minutes when Stanley pointed out to Holloway
that some of his men were advancing despite the truce,
apparently trying to get into closer range of the Union troopers.
Holloway and his aide immediately turned,and galloped back
toward their lines to recall the men, only to be mortally wounded
by their own jittery soldiers, who did not recognize them. The
Union soldiers obeyed their orders and withdrew. The first shots
of the Civil War fired by Missouri secessionists had been "into
their own foot."