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The First Battle of Lexington, also known as the Battle of the Hemp Bales or the Siege of Lexington, was an engagement of the American Civil War, occurring from September 12 to September 20, 1861,〔Wood, p. 38. Skirmishing and first push were on Sept. 12, not Sept. 13. Discrepancy is due to a timeline error in Price's report.〕 between the Union Army and the pro-Confederate Missouri State Guard, in Lexington, the county seat of Lafayette County, Missouri. The State Guard's victory in this battle bolstered the already-considerable Southern sentiment in the area, and briefly consolidated Missouri State Guard control of the Missouri River Valley in western Missouri. This engagement should not be confused with the Second Battle of Lexington, which was fought on October 19, 1864, and also resulted in a Southern victory. ==Prelude== Prior to the Civil War, Lexington was an agricultural town of over 4,000 residents〔Gifford, Douglas L., ''Lexington Battlefield Guide'', Instantpublisher (self-published), 2004, page 8.〕 and county seat of Lafayette County, occupying a position of considerable local importance on the Missouri River in west-central Missouri. Hemp (used for rope production), tobacco, coal and cattle all contributed to the town's wealth, as did the river trade. Many residents were slaveowners, like those of adjacent counties; slaves comprised 31.7% of the Lafayette County population.〔1860 United States Census〕 Thus, most whites were openly pro-Confederate at the start of the conflict. Following the battle at Boonville in June of 1861, Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon ordered the 5th Regiment of the United States Reserve Corps to occupy Lexington. The regiment was composed primarily of Germans from St. Louis and it had participated in the Camp Jackson Affair. Arriving on the steamer ''White Cloud'' on July 9, they were commanded by Colonel Charles G. Stifel. Stifel's second in command was Lt. Col. Robert White, who was often the primary point of contact with the local civilians. Stifel selected the defunct Masonic College as his headquarters and the soldiers began entrenching and fortifying the position. 〔Wood, p. 18-21.〕 Stifel's command began scouting, and securing or destroying boats that could be used to cross the river. They also collected about 200 kegs of gunpowder, 33 muskets, and two 6-pounder cannon from the area. The cannon were placed under the charge of Charles M. Pirner. Several local home guard companies were raised and placed under the command of Major Frederick W. Becker.〔Wood, p. 21-22.〕 In mid-August the 90 day enlistments of Stifel's regiment were expiring and they were to return to St. Louis. Lt. Col. Robert White had been organizing a new regiment locally, but left for several weeks. During this time Major Becker had command of the post. Meanwhile, on the Southern side, self-styled Colonel Henry L. Routt of Clay County was attempting to raise a regiment in the area and had collected around a thousand men. Routt had led the force that seized the Liberty Arsenal in April.〔Wood, p. 25-26.〕 Col. Routt arrested several prominent Union men, including former Missouri governor Austin A. King and surrounded the post. He demanded Becker's surrender but this was refused. One night, two of Becker's men, Charles and Gustave Pirner tested some rounds they had fabricated for two mortars that had come into their possession. With one of the mortars they lobbed three shells into Routt's encampment, causing a panic but no real damage. Later, learning of the approach of Col. Thomas A. Marshall's 1st Illinois cavalry, Routt withdrew from the area. Lt. Col. Robert White returned at the end of August and briefly assumed command of the post from Becker until the Illinois cavalry arrived a few days later. White resumed organization of the 14th Home Guard Regiment.〔Wood, p. 26-27.〕 Following their victory at Wilson's Creek on August 10, the main body of the pro-Confederate Missouri State Guard under Maj. Gen. Sterling Price marched toward the Missouri-Kansas border with around 7,000 men to repel incursions by Lane's Kansas Brigade. On September 2, the Guard drove away Lane's Kansans in the Battle of Dry Wood Creek, sending them back beyond Fort Scott. Price then turned north along the border and toward Lexington to break Federal control of the Missouri River and to gather recruits from both sides of the river. As Price proceeded he collected recruits, including Col. Routt and several hundred of his men then at Index in Cass County.〔Wood, pp 30-34〕 Federal reinforcements arrived in Lexington on September 4--the 13th Missouri Infantry commanded by Col. Everett Peabody and a battalion of the United States Reserve Corps under Maj. Robert T. Van Horn. To prevent rebel Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson from obtaining any funds from local banks, Gen. John C. Frémont gave orders to impound their funds. On September 7, Col. Marshall removed approximately $1,000,000 from the Farmers' Bank in Lexington while Col. Peabody was dispatched to Warrensburg to do the same there. On arriving in Warrensburg, Peabody's detachment found itself in Price's path and made a hasty retreat back to Lexington.〔Wood, pp. 27-28, 35-36〕 Finally, on September 10, Col. James A. Mulligan arrived to take command with his 23rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment known as the "Irish Brigade" and a detachment of the 27th Missouri Mounted Infantry under Lt. Col. Benjamin W. Grover.〔MHR Vol. 8, Iss 1, p. 20〕 On September 11, the 13th Missouri Infantry and Van Horn's battalion arrived back in Lexington.〔 Mulligan now commanded 3,500 men, and quickly proceeded to construct extensive fortifications around the town's Masonic College, cutting down trees to make lines of fire and erecting earthworks around the dormitory and classroom buildings. His superiors dispatched further reinforcements under Samuel D. Sturgis, with which Mulligan hoped to hold his enlarged position, but they were ambushed by pro-Confederate forces (alerted by a secessionist telegraph tapper) and compelled to retreat.〔http://cw-chronicles.com/anecdotes/?p=77. Retrieved on July 29, 2008.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「First Battle of Lexington」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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