Prelude
Prior to the Civil War, Lexington was an agricultural town of over 4,000 residents 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. Thus, most whites were openly pro-Confederate at the start of the conflict.
John C. Fremont, commander of the Federal Department of the West, desired to control the river and retard Southern sympathizers in the area. To this end, he established a garrison in Lexington in July 1861 under Colonel Charles Stifel and his 5th Regiment of the United States Reserve Corps, composed of Germans from St. Louis. Stifel and his command were soon replaced by five companies of Lafayette County Home Guards under Captain (or "Major") Frederick W. Becker. These were later supplemented by the 14th Home Guard Regiment under Lt. Col. Robert White, who assumed command. White was followed in turn by Colonel Thomas A. Marshall, who had arrived with the 1st Illinois Cavalry.
Following their victory at Wilson's Creek on August 10, the pro-Confederate Missouri State Guard, having consolidated its forces in the northern and central portions of the state, marched on Lexington under the command of Maj. Gen. Sterling Price.
On September 10, 1861, Col. James A. Mulligan arrived to take command with his 23rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. On September 11, the 13th Missouri Infantry (USA), Van Horn's Battalion of the United States Reserve Corps, and the 27th Missouri Mounted Infantry arrived, after having evacuated Warrensburg in the face of Price's relentless advance. 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.
Read more about this topic: First Battle Of Lexington
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