Battle of Yellow Creek (1862)
| Battle of Yellow Creek | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of American Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 CSA (Confederacy)
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Odon Guitar, Benjamin F. Loan | John A. Poindexter | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| ~700 | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Two Wounded | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Yellow Creek (also known as Skirmish at Yellow Creek) was an action during the American Civil War, occurring August 13, 1862, along the Yellow Creek in Chariton County, Missouri.
The Battle of Yellow Creek followed an earlier battle at Compton's Ferry, on August 11. During that action Colonel John A. Poindexter and his force of 1200 to 1500 Confederate recruits were caught by Federal forces under Union Colonel Odon Guitar while crossing the Grand River. Poindexter's forces suffered significant losses and continued to retreat to Chariton County.
Union forces including the 9th Missouri State Militia Cavalry and Merrill's Horse (2nd Missouri Volunteer Cavalry) under Guitar and Brigadier General Benjamin F. Loan pursued Poindexter, intercepting his force two days later at Yellow Creek. Poindexter's force was routed and effectively ceased to exist. Poindexter was wounded in the action, but escaped. He was later captured on September 1, 1863 while wearing civilian clothes.
Federal authorities debated executing Poindexter (who held a Confederate commission) as a spy or guerrilla (because he had been captured within Federal lines out of uniform), but instead released him on parole after he publicly disavowed guerrilla warfare.
The strategic result of the battle was its culmination of a campaign which led to the effective suppression of Confederate recruiting efforts and major guerrilla operations north of the Missouri River in the northwest Missouri.
The battle also led to a unique law, enacted by the Missouri State Legislature the next year (1863), for the benefit of a trooper of Colonel Guitar's 9th Missouri State Militia Cavalry:
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