PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPLETION WEST OF JEFFERSON CITY, 1864 (an update)
AND COMMENTARY
Official Records
As the following references to the Official Records, Series 1 will show, the Pacific Railroad west of Jefferson City was completed and operational by August 1864, and was fully operational until at least October 1, 1864, from Warrensburg through Sedalia and California to Jefferson City. Most dispatches given below were written by/for BG E. G. Brown, while at Warrensburg.
1. 4-20-1864, Vol. 34, Part 3, Page 238. Finished to Dresden, 7 miles west of Sedalia, by April 1, 1864. Expect to be finished to the Knobs, 12 miles west of Dresden, between Sedalia and Warrensburg, by May 1, 1864. Some military assigned to track laying at an additional $2/day and now laying ½ mile of rail per day on completed roadbed. Railroad expect to be completed west to Warrensburg by June 1, 1864.
2. 6-14-1864, Vol. 34, Part 4, Page 365. Finished to Warrensburg by June 1, 1864. Working hard on track laying on Pacific Railroad between Warrensburg and Hobson’s (Centerview), 6 miles west of Warrensburg. Providing additional troops from Warrensburg west to Hobson’s for protection of the workers “laying the iron.”
3. 6-20-1864, Vol. 34, Part 4, Page 474. Bringing in replacement troops to Holden (8 miles west of Hobson’s) used for protecting railroad workers laying iron on Pacific Railroad west of Warrensburg thru Hobson’s (Centerview) to Holden.
4. 7-20-1864, Vol. 41, Part 2, Page 291. Since April, built 24 miles of railroad plus 75 miles of road. This 24 miles of completed railroad (west of Dresden since April) would put the completed railroad about two miles southwest of downtown Warrensburg by August 1, 1864.
5. 9-23-1864, Vol. 41, Part 1, Page 344. Dispatches show that the Pacific Railroad was operational in late September at least from Warrensburg east to Sedalia and on to Jefferson City. BG E. G. Brown moved his army from Warrensburg to Sedalia by railroad and wagon as ordered on 9-23-64; moved wagon train east on the 28th and troops on 29th with all safely arriving in Jefferson City by 10-1-64.
6. 9-30-1864, Vol. 41, Part 3, Page 695. Guards riding on railroad cars between Jefferson City and at least Warrensburg reportedly have been firing at people and animals along the Pacific Railroad, so says MG W. S. Rosecrans. Command at Warrensburg told to put a stop to it.
7. 10-7-1864, Vol. 41, Part 3, Page 695. Dispatch to MG Curtis indicates that Pacific Railroad between Warrensburg and Jefferson City was believed operational and that Confederates were planning on attacking it.
8. 10-10-1864, Vol. 41, Part 3, Page 759. The Pacific Railroad will be repaired to the La Mine bridge tomorrow and, if that is not burned, all the way through to Warrensburg (Pleasonton). {The La Mine bridge was partially burned on 10-7, and completely burned on 10-9 by elements of Shelby’s Iron Brigade}.
9. 10-18-64 @ 12:45 p.m. from Sedalia. Vol. 41, Part 4, Page 85. Party of men, just in from Warrensburg, state no enemy (rebels) seen there. Citizen guards in the bush waiting for them. The hay (was) not destroyed, nor the railroad. This looks as if they (rebels) wanted us to go there. A. Pleasonton.
Modern (2015) Reference
Kyle S. Sinisi recently published a fine book entitled: "The Last Hurrah--Sterling Price's Missouri Expedition of 1864." The Pacific Railroad west of Jefferson City and Sedalia is shown as being completed to Warrensburg prior to Price's operations in central Missouri during October 1864. See Figure 2.1 on page 28, and Figure 6.1 on page 112, therein.
Questions?
Had Price not completely burned the La Mine River railroad bridge on the second try, on October 9, 1864, how would the Federal attempt to entrap Price along the southern side of the Missouri River been different, given that Federal infantry (A.J. Smith) and late arriving Federal cavalry (Winslow) could have been hauled by rail direct to Warrensburg (or perhaps even Holden), 25 or more miles west of Sedalia??
Would Sedalia (and Georgetown) still have been the Missouri Federal’s supply outpost for their troops and horses, which seemed to have caused Sanborn, Pleasonton and Smith to always be at least one day behind Price? Rosecrans and his HQ were usually about two days behind.
Commentary
While good wagon roads lead from Georgetown northward to Lexington, Dover and Waverly, with telegraph lines down from Georgetown north to the Missouri River at Lexington while Price was in the area, there was no way Pleasonton, Rosecrans, or Smith could reach Price’s flank or head of his column, if Price marched westward from Keiser’s Farm (and Waverly) toward Independence. It appears that the Missouri Federals under MG Rosecrans were satisfied to simply push Price out of Missouri, one way (Kansas) or the other (Arkansas).
I suppose MG Rosecrans would not have left Jefferson City for the front (with Smith now at Sedalia on the 18th) if MG Curtis of Kansas had not dispatched Rosecrans late that day that MG Blunt’s small Kansas army had just arrived at Lexington, Missouri. Curtis informed Rosecrans that his Missourians (at least Sanborn’s Third Brigade) were being requested by Blunt to join them. However, Rosecrans did not move west (even with Pleasonton arriving at Sedalia on the 19th) until Rosecrans heard the next morning (20th) that Price’s whole army was seen on the morning of the 19th moving west from Waverly toward Blunt. Rosecrans knew that Blunt (and his Kansas command) would surely have fought Price at Lexington yesterday all alone. Rosecrans knew that he had ordered his southern Federal defense line back south from Cook’s Store to resupply, reorganize (under Pleasonton) and remain along the Blackwater (some 30 miles southeast of Lexington) waiting further developments, and they did.
MG Blunt’s stand against Price at Lexington on the 19th of October, 1864 was bravely conducted, but it was Blunt's safe withdrawal from the battlefield that saved Rosecrans. There could be only one Iuka! Grant would have had enough, and Rosecrans knew it.
Pleasonton also knew Grant's expectations, and the reason Pleasonton was also now in Missouri with Rosecrans. Fortunately for Pleasonton, he was one day closer to Price, “his cavalry” well-armed, and he was on a fresh horse. And a brave and wise Federal commander from Kansas prepared well for Price’s arrival.
Fortunately for Curtis and Kansas, Pleasonton finally caught up and got hot on Price’s heels as Price’s army crossed the Big Blue. It was just enough! Price had to divide his army’s three divisions: Shelby’s division (in the lead) and half of Fagan’s fought Curtis's Kansas command near the Kansas state line at Westport, Marmaduke’s rear guard fought Pleasonton coming up at Byram’s Ford of Big Blue, and the other half of Fagan’s division (under Cabell) with Tyler’s recruits defended Price’s wagon train near Hickman Mills against McNeil's Second Brigade of Pleasonton's Cavalry Division.
Rosecrans and A.J. Smith’s infantry were still one day behind the battle. Rosecrans never crossed the Kansas state line; Smith never crossed the Big Blue. Price escaped and headed south toward Texas.
MY FINAL QUESTON
Would a brave old soldier from Iowa, who fought a massive and desperate battle in Missouri to save Kansas, ever be so honored?? I hear that Professor Sinisi is writing a new book on Major General Curtis. I trust it will do him justice and provide him the country's honor he so richly deserves.