Editing This Month in History 12-14-18 (section)

== The Lost Battle of the Civil War: Mine Creek  ==
When people consider the American Civil War, they usually think of battles such as Antietam, Shiloh, Fredricksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, or Vicksburg. All of these battles are located to the east of the Mississippi. However, one of the most important battles of the Civil War took place in Kansas, which is west of the Mississippi, on October 25, 1864. The Battle of Mine Creek was the climax of a series of battles which started on October 19th.  


The two sides were: 7,000 Confederates under Major Generals John S. Marmaduke and James F. Fagan and 2,500 Federals under Colonel John F. Philips and Lieutenant Colonel Frederick W. Benteen. Unable to get across Mine Creek fast enough with their cumbersome wagon train, the Confederates were forced to engage in battle with the Federals. What followed would determine the outcome of the Civil War.Federal commanders Colonel Philips and Lieutenant Colonel Benteen launched a huge cavalry charge which proved so successful that the Confederate line collapsed within 30 minutes. Confused and unable to fire more than one shot because the battle was so short, many Confederates fled. Most of those who remained were killed in the fierce hand-to-hand combat that followed the cavalry charge. In contrast, the Federals were confident and could fire their weapons at a rapid rate.


In this battle, Confederate losses were 250 wounded, 300 killed, and 600 captured. Meanwhile, Federal losses were only 94 wounded, 15 killed, and 1 captured. The Federal victory at Mine Creek effectively ended the Civil War in the west and helped lead to the end of the war less than a year later. Although Mine Creek is not a well-known American Civil War battle, it is no longer the Lost Battle of the Civil War.  
----That's all for this month! If you have any possible topics for a future article, please contact me through FirstClass.  
----'''Sources:''' 

A&E Television Networks. Secrets of the Civil War: The Stories of Lost Battles and Covert Missions Finally Revealed. New Video, 2008. 

"Mine Creek Battle - October 25, 1864 ." Kansas Historical Society, <nowiki>https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/mine-creek-battle-october-25-1864/18168</nowiki>  
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