| Battle of Clark's Mill | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War | |||||||
 Map of Clark's Mill Battlefield core and study areas by the American Battlefield Protection Program | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 CSA (Confederacy) | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Hiram E. Barstow |
John Q. Burbridge Colton Greene | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
10th Illinois Cavalry 2nd Missouri State Militia Cavalry |
3rd Missouri Cavalry Regiment 4th Missouri Cavalry Regiment | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 100 to 200 | At least 1,000 | ||||||
The Battle of Clark's Mill was fought on November 7, 1862, near Vera Cruz, Missouri, as part of the American Civil War. Confederate troops led by Colonels Colton Greene and John Q. Burbridge were recruiting in the Gainesville area. Federal Captain Hiram E. Barstow commanded a detachment at Clark's Mill near Vera Cruz, and heard rumors of Confederate depredations around Gainesville. In response, Barstow sent patrols towards Gainesville and Rockbridge, personally accompanying the latter. Confederate forces were encountered before reaching Rockbridge, and Barstow fell back to Clark's Mill. The Confederates arrived from multiple directions, and after a skirmish of five hours, surrounded the Federal position. With night falling, the Confederates offered Barstow surrender terms that were accepted. The Federal soldiers were paroled and their blockhouse destroyed; both Barstow and the Confederates left the area after the skirmish. A Federal counterstroke left Ozark the next day.