"Battle of the Hemp Bales"

5fish

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September 13, 1861 - The Siege of Lexington, MO, by Brig. Gen. Sterling Price, CSA. (Sep 13-20)
Here a siege and battle that got a cool nickname... There was a Medal of Honor winner and the battle actually ended in confusion so both Generals had to figure out who was surrendering... Do not forget the hemp too...


The Battle of Lexington, Missouri, fought on September 18-20, 1861, was a victory for the Missouri State Guard (MSG) in the early stages of the Civil War. In the short term, the victory boosted the spirits of Missouri secessionists, but the State Guard failed to leverage any long-term gains from the “Battle of the Hemp Bales,” so called because the MSG used hemp bales to encircle the federal position at Lexington.

Snip...

The MSG arrived on September 12 and skirmished inconclusively with the federals. Price decided to try one attack on Mulligan’s fortifications, which failed and convinced Price his men needed rest and more ammunition. With few supplies close by, Price had the men bivouac south of town on the Lexington fairgrounds to await supply, ammunition trains, and reinforcements. Both sides held councils of war on the night of the 12th. The federal commanders voted to abandon Lexington, but Mulligan overruled them. The MSG leaders voted to surround the federals, but not to attack. By September 18, Price received ammunition and reinforcements, bringing the State Guard’s strength to between 15,000 to 20,000 men. Price waited no more.

Snip... Medal Of Honor winner... A bugler leading an attack...

It was during this struggle over the Anderson House that bugler George Henry Palmer, of Company G, 1st Illinois Cavalry, won a Medal of Honor. Palmer volunteered to lead the assault party despite not being a member of the 23rd Illinois. Eventually Price ordered the Anderson House re-taken, and later in the day the MSG attacked with overwhelming force and evicted the federals for good.

Snip...

With their lone water source cut off, the only chance the federals had of keeping Lexington was if the State Guard encirclement was broken. Major General John C. Frémont, who commanded the Union Department of the West, which included Missouri, ordered three different detachments from various parts of Missouri and Kansas to relieve the Lexington garrison. None of their efforts were strong enough to break through and lift the State Guard’s encirclement. With no water and no reinforcements, it was only a matter of time

Snip...

The federals dug two wells within their defensive perimeter in a desperate search for water. Both came up dry. On the evening of the 19th, MSG Brigadier General Thomas Harris, or someone in his 2nd division, originated the idea of using hemp bales as a moving fortification. Soaked in water, the hemp bales were very heavy, but they were also fireproof and impervious to cannon and small arms fire. Other division commanders quickly adopted the idea, and soon a hemp ring surrounded the federal position atop College Hill. The ring gradually tightened, and the Unionists were powerless to stop the MSG’s advance. The situation looked bleak for the federals as the sun went down on September 19th.

The battle ends but in a oddly each side thought the other side was surrendering but you will have to read the the article and learn the ending...
 

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5fish

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Here is an Irish man's story that starts at this battle but his fame later comes from the Third Battle of Winchester... Col. James A. Mulligan... At this battle, a Confederate Irish regiment fought a Union Irish regiment...


I knew Col. Mulligan was famous for organizing a regiment of Irish and Irish-Americans known variously as “The Chicago Irish Brigade”, “The Western Irish Brigade” and “Mulligan’s Irish Brigade”, which was designated the 23rd Illinois Infantry. I also knew that he was forced to surrender at Lexington when no relief arrived, and his men ran out of ammunition, and they and their horses ran out of water.

In one of that anecdotal brother-against-brother moments the Civil War is known for, the soldiers of the Western Irish Brigade defended the Union position while being assaulted by “Kelly’s Irish Brigade” of Price’s Army. Kelly’s unit was the portion of the Washington Blues that went with Price into Confederate service. The Blues were a St. Louis-based “Irish” militia unit whose colors proclaimed “What Washington did for America – We will do for Ireland”. The Union supporters in the Blues formed the nucleus of the 7th Missouri Infantry, known as the “Irish Seventh”.

On September 19, 1864, Jubal Early, commanding Confederate troops in the Shenandoah Valley, misread the actions of General Phil Sheridan. Sheridan had been ordered by Grant to stay on the defensive until reinforcements sent to Early by Lee had returned to Richmond. Early saw only a reluctance of his opponent to fight. Perhaps “believing his own press releases”, he was known to be an aggressive and hard-hitting General, and he attacked, bringing on the Third Battle on Winchester. Col. James A. Mulligan’s command, a Brigade that included his beloved Irishmen, took the brunt of the attack. The other Regiments in the brigade began to collapse under the pressure of Early’s attack; Mulligan’s Irish Brigade held. Mulligan was wounded and his Irishmen rushed to his side and began moving him to the rear. Mulligan saw that the colors of the 23rd Illinois were about to be captured, and he gave his men an order, “Lay me down, and save the flag”. The colors were saved; Mulligan was captured and soon died of his wounds in Confederate captivity. He rests under a monument crowned by a Celtic cross at the main gate of Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Chicago. He was promoted to Brigadier General of U.S. Volunteers posthumously.
 
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