Atlas of Battles

battle, nineteenth century

Battle of Cape Girardeau

Battle of Cape Girardeau was a battle fought on 26 April 1863 at Cape Girardeau County, in what is now Missouri, United States. It was part of the Trans-Mississippi theater of the American Civil War. The recorded result: Strategic (Union) victory. Recorded strength: 4,000 against 5,000.

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Identifier: soldierinourcivi01lesl (find matches) Title: The soldier in our Civil War : a pictorial history of the conflict, 1861-1865, illustrating the valor of the soldier as displayed on the battle
Identifier: soldierinourcivi01lesl (find matches) Title: The soldier in our Civil War : a pictorial history of the conflict, 1861-1865, illustrating the valor of the soldier as displayed on the battle. Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought26 April 1863
WhereCape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States37.313N, 89.551W
OutcomeStrategic (Union) victory
BelligerentsUnited States (Union)againstCSA (Confederacy)
Casualties and losses12and325
Battlefield todayCape Girardeau battlefieldNPS site MO020, 9,915 acres studied, 928 core
Part ofTrans-Mississippi theater of the American Civil War

Where it sits in the Trans-Mississippi theater of the American Civil War

Siege of Lexington, 1861Engagement near Carthage, 1861Battle of Wilson's Creek, 1861Action at Blue Mills Landing, 1861Engagement at Fredericktown, 1861Action at Springfield, 1861Battle of Belmont, 1861Battle of St. Charles, 1862Battle of Moore's Mill, 1862First Battle of Newtonia, 1862Skirmish at Island Mound, 1862Battle of Cane Hill, 1862Battle of Cape Girardeau, 1863Battle of Devil's Backbone, 1863Second Battle of Cabin Creek, 186418611864Battle of Cape Girardeau, 1863
15 placed engagements of the Trans-Mississippi theater of the American Civil War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date26 April 1863
PlaceCape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States
37.313N, 89.551W
KindBattle, nineteenth century
Strength4,0005,000
Casualties and losses12325
Commanders
  • John McNeil
Battle of Cape GirardeauBattle of Cape GirardeauCape Girardeau20 km37.313N, 89.551W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. The dashed outline is the battlefield study area mapped by the NPS American Battlefield Protection Program. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1863

The National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program maps this as the Cape Girardeau battlefield (site MO020): a study area of 9,915 acres, with a core area of 928 acres where the fighting was concentrated.

Battle of Cape Girardeau is one of 3,507 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 1,148 in present-day United States (42 in Missouri).

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2795589, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Cape Girardeau, revision 1370436178, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Battlefield boundary and area from the National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program (public domain). Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.