The Battle of Hallsville
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(BLUE CIRCLE) - Looking at the Map above, starting from the West near the old town of Middleton (Middletown), there was a camp of the Western Sharpshooters, known as Birge's Western Sharpshooters (66th Illinois). This camp was used often in the Winter of 1861 by the troops. A small skirmish happened here in the days before the Mt. Zion Battle.
(RED CIRCLE) - Rev. Elijah E. Chrisman's Residence was located on present day Rt. Z and during this time State Guard troops made themselves at home getting food as they passed by to Mt. Zion. (RED/BLUE SQUARE W/STAR) - First Contact between the Capt. Howland (US) and Col. Dorsey's (CS) Rear Guard pickets. Shots were fired and there were some prisoners taken including Capt. Howland (US). The US troops started moving West towards Hallsville, Dorsey's men met up with the rest of the rear guard in Rev. Chrisman's Lane (Rt. Z) to get reinforcements. |
(RED SQUARE) - Mt. Zion Church and the land surrounding was used by the State Guard as camping grounds. December 27th there would have been almost 900 men flowing into camp from Grandview and local areas. Here they were at the Robinson Cabin and Points farm as well as the Flynt Farm using any shelter they could to stay warm.
(RED HEXAGON) - This is Grandview, there was a store here that was opened in the mid 1850s called Sneed's Store, and was then known as Grandview for its Grand View of the Two Mile Prairie. This was a known stop for families traveling West in the early years from St. Charles. Here Col. Caleb Dorsey and others from Pike, Montgomery, and St. Charles County gathered to elect officers in the Missouri State Guard. They traveled SW to Mt. Zion the 27th to camp and recruit locally. (RED STAR & BLUE STAR) - The Battle of Hallsville - This is the site of the main "Skirmish" between the forces of Capt. Howland (US) and Col. Dorsey (CS) took place near the cabin of Peter Carter, just East of the current OO bridge and Hecht Rd. Here the Federal troops turned and stood against the Guard troops. Being close to dark, many of the shots were too high, and went over the heads of both sides. |