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The Battle of Mount Zion Church was a battle of the American Civil War, which occurred on December 28, 1861, in Boone County, southeast of Hallsville, Missouri. The resulting Union victory here and elsewhere in central Missouri ended Confederate recruiting activities in the region and pushed conventional Confederate forces out of the area until the desperate fall 1864 invasion by General Sterling Price and his Missouri State Guard.
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Brig. Gen. Benjamin M. Prentiss led a Union force of 5 companies of the Third Missouri Cavalry [Federal] and 2 companies of Birge's Western Sharpshooters into Boone County to protect the North Missouri Railroad, disrupt the organization of the secessionist Missouri State Guard, and generally overawe secessionist sentiment in the region. Prentiss's forces left the Northern Missouri headquarters in Palmyra, Missouri, on December 24.[1]
After arriving in Sturgeon on December 26, Prentiss learned about a concentration of State Guard near Hallsville. He sent a company to Hallsville the next day that fought a State Guard detachment under the command of Col. Caleb Dorsey and, in a 10 minute skirmish about one half mile north of Mount Zion Church, itself situated about 3 miles southeast of Hallsville and 15 miles northeast of Columbia.[1] Prentiss's troops suffered casualties, including men taken prisoner, before retreating back to Sturgeon by 6 p.m.[2]
| "Report of Brig. Gen Benjamin M. Prentiss, U.S. Army,
Headquarters Army of Northern Missouri, Palmyra, Mo., Jan 4, 1862 " |
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[To] Capt. John C. Kelton, Assistant Adjutant-General Department of Missouri In pursuance of a special order, received on the evening of December 23, 1861, I proceeded from Palmyra for Sturgeon on the morning of the 24th day of December, with five companies of the Third Missouri Cavalry, Col. John M. Glover commanding. I arrived at Sturgeon on the evening of the 26th. During the following day, having learned that there was a concentration of rebels near the village of Hallsville, in Boone County, I sent forward one company of cavalry, commanded by Capt. Howland, to reconnoiter in that vicinity. Capt. Howland proceeded to Hallsville, but found no rebels. After proceeding about two miles beyond, his advance guard encountered the rebels in force, commanded by Col. Caleb Dorsey. Capt. Howland endeavored to draw off his company, having taken nine prisoners, but was overpowered. Being wounded, and having lost his horse, he was taken prisoner, with one private of his company. The remainder of his men made good their retreat, arriving at Sturgeon at nine o'clock P.M. Having learned the position of the enemy, I immediately ordered five companies of cavalry, Col. John M. Glover, commanding, and five companies of [Birge’s Western] sharpshooters, Col. [John Ward] Birge commanding, numbering in all four hundred and seventy, to march at two o’clock A.M., at which hour I started, and after marching a distance of sixteen miles, at eight o'clock a.m. of the 28th instant I found one company of rebels, commanded by Capt. Johnson, in a position to the left of the road leading from Hallsville to Mount. Zion. I ordered two companies of sharpshooters to pass to the rear of the enemy, and one of cavalry to dismount and engage them in the front, it being difficult for the sharpshooters to attain their position unperceived, the enemy manifesting a disposition to retire. Col. Glover opened fire, and succeeded in killing five, and capturing seven prisoners, from whom I learned the number and position of the main force. The enemy being posted at a church, known as Mount Zion, in Boone County, and one mile and a half in advance, numbering near nine hundred men, I ordered the cavalry under Col. Glover forward, accompanied by two companies of Birge's [Western] Sharpshooters, Col. Birge with them. Arriving near the encampment, one troop of cavalry were ordered to dismount and engage the enemy. The sharpshooters were afterwards ordered through a field on our right to skirmish with the enemy's left, and if possible drive them from the woods. The firing being heavy, these three companies not being able to drive the enemy from his cover, Col. Glover, with his available force, moved in double-quick to the aid of the three companies engaged, and for half and hour longer the battle raged and became a hand-to-hand fight. Capt. [William S.] Boyd's company of sharpshooters were in the midst of the rebel camp, also Major Carrick, with Company C, Third Illinois Cavalry, when Col. Glover arrived. The rebels could not stand the fire of our rifles and retreated, leaving in our hands ninety (90) horses and one hundred and five (105) stand of arms. The battle was brought to a close about eleven A.M. The reserve of two companies coming into action at the moment the enemy gave way, our victory was complete. After collecting our wounded, we proceeded to collect those of the enemy, placed them in the church, and sent for farmers and friends in the vicinity to render assistance. I collected wagons, made our wounded as comfortable as possible, and at four P.M. started for Sturgeon, where we arrived at nine P.M. Our loss in the battle of Mt. Zion and in the engagement of the evening previous is as follows: Killed three; slightly wounded forty-six; severely wounded, seventeen; Rebel loss: Killed, twenty-five; wounded one hundred and fifty. I have not been able to get a correct report of the rebel missing; but having taken thirty prisoners from them, their punishment is a severe one. Sixty of the rebels, with Capt. Howland and four of our men as prisoners, arrived at the camp at night, twenty miles distant from the field of battle. Permit me to mention that our entire force behaved gallantly. I make special mention of the following officers: Col. John M. Glover, Maj. Carrick, Lieuts. Yates and Kirpatrick of the Third Missouri Cavalry; Col. Birge, Capt. Boyd, and Adjt. Temple of Birge's [Western] Sharpshooters, and Lieut. Edwin Moore, my aide. I also assure you that the men behaved with coolness and daring during the engagement. Annexed please find the names of our killed and wounded, and list of rebel wounded, left by us at Mt. Zion. I have the honor to be, Captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, B.M. Prentiss, Brigadier General[3] |
On December 28 at about 2 a.m., Prentiss set out with his entire force to meet Dorsey's force. While the State Guardsmen numbered around 900, most appear to have been local volunteers, many of whom were not armed with military weapons (although many had personal civilian firearms or various types). A detachment of Prentiss' force routed one company of Gurdsmen on the road from Hallsville around 100 yards east of Mount Zion Church and learned that the rest of the force was in the churchyard, situated on a high hill. The main campground was actually in a thicketted hollow immediately east of the church. Prentiss advanced on the State Guard positions, making three charges.[1] At the third, the Confederates exhausted their ammunition, fell back to their wagons, and were overrun. The battle ended around 11 a.m.[2][4]
The Missouri State Guard was effectively routed from northern Boone county to Columbia. Dorsey's forces lost 25 dead, 150 wounded, and an additional 60 captured, including an officer. Additionally, the Guardsmen lost wagons, 90 horses, an 105 arms. The remainder dispersed, with Dorsey heading westward into Perche township, the northwest section of Boone County towards the Missouri River. After negotiation and exchange of prisoners, Dorsey made camp near Everett, Missouri.[1] Within days Dorsey received orders from State Guard commander, Major General Sterling Price to scatter his forces. Mount Zion, and the associated battle of Roan's Tan Yard effectively ended attempts at formal State Guard organization in Central Missouri.[2] Remaining elements of Dorsey's command crossed the Missouri and joined General Pierce in February 1862. While guerrilla warfare reappeared to the south and west of Columbia, Confederates did not thereafter face Union forces in conventional battle in the area until Price's_Raid in the autumn of 1864.