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| Wednesday June 19, 1861 |
In Cole Camp Missouri a small battle occurred between the
pro-Union German settlers and pro-southern Missourians. The
Civil War was to create turmoil in this small Missouri community.
Relations between the Anglo-American settlers and Germans had
been good in spite of cultural differences. This was to change
with the coming of the war when the community became bitterly
divided.
The Germans hated slavery and were fervently loyal Unionists
while many of the Anglo-Americans retained their sympathies for
their Southern heritage. Cole Camp, being at the hub of four
major roads at that time, was to become the scene of one of the
first battles of the Civil War.
A force of around 700 Home Guards were mobilize on June 13
and were to have their baptism of fire six days later. The pro
Confederate Missouri Governor, Claiborne Jackson, was fleeing
from his defeat at Boonville but the Home Guards were blocking
his escape route which would have brought him through Cole
Camp. A force of Confederates was organized at Warsaw and
on June 19 launched an early morning attack on the Home Guard
encampment. The Home Guard was routed and the way cleared
for Governor Jackson to escape.