Early in September 1861 General Sterling Price was on his way to Lexington Missouri encountered Federal troops under Colonel (Senator) James H. Lane in what is know as the Battle of Dry Wood Creek. The encounter took place on September 2, 1861. Lane had approximately 600 Federal troops while Price had about 6,000 Confederate troops of the Missouri State Guard.
The reason that Price was on his way to Lexington was because he planned to raid Fort Scott just across the Kansas border in Bourbon County. His plan was to stop raids into Missouri from Kansas led by Kansas Jayhawkers, Charles Jennison and James Montgomery. Price sent the cavalry from Brigadier General James S. Rains’ Division to clear out Lane’s “marauding and murdering bands.”
Kansas Senator James H. Lane, early in 1861, raised a brigade of around 1,200 Kansas volunteer cavalry. This unit would be known as the Kansas Brigade. Lane was charged with protecting Kansas. Lane stationed the Kansas Brigade at Fort Lincoln, Kansas about 12 miles north of Fort Scott (near present day Fulton, Kansas). When he received word that Price was headed for Fort Scott, Lane took 600 cavalrymen from the Kansas Brigade east to meet the enemy.
On the day of the battle, the 600 troops of the Kansas Brigade met up with Price’s Missouri State Guard about 12 miles east of Fort Scott in and around Big Dry Wood Creek. Lane’s Federal cavalry had surprised a division of the Confederate Missouri State Guard cavalry led by Brigadier General James S. Rains. Lane was severely outnumbered. After a two hour skirmish, he had to withdraw back to Fort Scott. Lane secured the fort and then retreated towards Kansas City. The Missouri State Guard captured 84 mules from Lane’s Kansas Brigade which has led many to refer to this engagement as the Battle of the Mules. The Confederates continued on towards Lexington, which Price reached on the 12th. Price was able to recruit more soldiers. The Confederates began to force the Federals to abandon southwestern Missouri and to concentrate on holding the Missouri Valley. However Price would eventually be forced to withdraw.
Casualties on the Union side were estimated at 14 and on the Confederate side were 20 (4 killed and 16 wounded).
