First Battle of Newtonia 1862
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 30 September 1862 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1862 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | 19th century (1800–1913) | derived from year |
| Location | United States | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | North America | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Trans-Mississippi theater of the American Civil War | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 36.8836, -94.1845 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The First Battle of Newtonia was fought on September 30, 1862, between Confederate soldiers commanded by Colonel Douglas H. Cooper and a Union column commanded by Brigadier General Frederick Salomon near Newtonia, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Cooper's force had moved into southwestern Missouri, and encamped near the town of Newtonia. The Confederate column was composed mostly of cavalry led by Colonel Joseph O. Shelby and a brigade of Native Americans. A Union force commanded by Brigadier General James G. Blunt moved to intercept Cooper's force. Blunt's advance force, led by Salomon, reached the vicinity of Newtonia on September 29, and attacked Cooper's position on September 30. A Union probing force commanded by Colonel Edward Lynde was driven out of Newtonia by Cooper's forces on the morning of the 30th.
Both sides brought up further reinforcements, and seesaw fighting took place during much of the afternoon. Shortly before nightfall, Cooper's Confederates made an all-out attack against the Union line; this led Salomon to withdraw from the field. Militia commanded by Colonel George Hall covered the Union retreat, although Confederate artillery fire struck the retreating forces. This panicked some of Salomon's men, and the retreat turned into a disorderly rout.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article First Battle of Newtonia (revision 1370618836), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Second Battle of Newtonia 1864 · 1 km
- Battle of Carthage, Missouri 1861 · 34 km
- Battle of Pea Ridge 1862 · 50 km
- Battle of Baxter Springs 1863 · 52 km
- Battle of Old Fort Wayne 1862 · 71 km
- Battle of Wilson's Creek 1861 · 73 km
Other battles of the Trans-Mississippi theater of the American Civil War
- Battle of Carthage, Missouri 1861
- Battle of Wilson's Creek 1861
- Engagement at Fredericktown 1861
- First Battle of Lexington 1861
- First Battle of Springfield 1861
- Battle of Cane Hill 1862
- Battle of Moore's Mill 1862
- Battle of St. Charles 1862
- Skirmish at Island Mound 1862
- Battle of Cape Girardeau 1863
All 16 battles of the Trans-Mississippi theater of the American Civil War →
Browse more: battles in United States · North America · 19th century battles