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25 Oct 61, 1st Springfield, Mo - Battleground 4: Shiloh

25 Oct 61, 1st Springfield, Mo Image
Black Powder Ladder

25 Oct 61, 1st Springfield, Mo

By Curt Cabbage
CSA 0 - 0 - 0 Union
Rating: 0 (0)
Games Played: 0
SM: 2
Turns: 7
Type: Custom
First Side: CSA
Second Side: Union
Downloads: 18
25 October 1861, 1st Springfield, Mo [Curt Cabbage]

ZAGONYI’S CHARGE At 4:30 in the afternoon, Zagonyi and his men
arrived at the city’s edge. Here they left the Mount Vernon Road
and rode down a lane that seperated the city fairgrounds from
dense grove of trees. They came to a narrow lane bordered by
a rail fence that ran at the base of the slope where the State
Guard was formed. Zagonyi decided to lead the bodyguard down
the lane, across Jordan Creek, to the base of the slope, where
he could form his men and initiate a charge. The lane became
littered with fallen horses and wounded men as the bodyguard
swept forward, receiving volleys of heavy fire from State Guard
infantry. With two companies, Zagonyi pressed on, crossed Jordan
Creek, and found cover at the bottom of the slope. Zagonyi’s
third company dismounted at the beginning of the lane and tore
down a section of fence in an attempt to attack the State Guard
in the flank. Beaten back, with a loss of 13 men, they returned
to the lane and reached cover with the rest of the bodyguard.
Meanwhile White’s Prairie Scouts, bottled up in the chaos of
the narrow fenced lane, instead turned north and rode past the
fairgrounds to cut off a State Guard retreat. From a creek bottom,
Zagonyi gathered the three battered companies for the main assault
up the slope. Charging first the State Guard cavalry, then infantry,
the bodyguard scattered the poorly trained guardsmen in several
directions. After winning the field, small groups of the bodyguard
pursued retreating guardsmen through the city and killed many
with their revolvers and sabers. Zagonyi’s bodyguard suffered
at least 52 casualties in the charge, including 16 killed, plus
the loss of 45 horses. For the 130 Prairie Scouts, casualties
numbered 31. The State Guard toll was also heavy, roughly 23
dead and 100 wounded. Zagonyi’s troops rode into Springfield’s
square to cheers and flag-waving from Unionist citizens. But
the bodyguard only controlled the city for a few hours. Zagonyi
decided to leave before a stronger force returned to chase him
out, so he and his cavalry rode north and joined Gen. Sigel south
of Bolivar. In the county courthouse he left behind his wounded
with a detachment of 24 to care for them.