Kirksville Notes 150th Anniversary Of Battle
By Nancy Simpson
CREATED Aug. 3, 2012
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. (AP) - Kirkville is planning a weekend of events to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Kirksville during the Civil War.
Historians say the battle on Aug. 6, 1862, helped to eventually solidify Union control of Missouri.
Most of the 700 citizens of Kirksville fled or hid when Confederate Col. Joseph C. Porter and about 2,000 men - many unarmed - stationed themselves around the downtown square.
Union forces led by Col. John McNeil eventually routed the Confederate troops. The Adair County Historical Society says about 150 Confederate soldiers were killed and 300 to 400 wounded, while five Union soldiers died and 32 were wounded.
The Kirksville Daily Express reports the battle will be re-enacted Saturday, with a series of events scheduled to coincide with the re-enactment.
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