Atlas of Battles

battle, nineteenth century

Engagement at Fredericktown

Engagement at Fredericktown was a battle fought on 21 October 1861 at Madison County, in what is now Missouri, United States. It was part of the Trans-Mississippi theater of the American Civil War. The recorded result: Union victory. Recorded strength: 2,500–3,500 against 1,500.

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Map of battlefield core and study areas. The 1993 Study Area was revised to include the routes of approach used by the two columns of Union troops (one from Cape Girardeau and the other from Pilot Kno
Map of battlefield core and study areas. The 1993 Study Area was revised to include the routes of approach used by the two columns of Union troops (one from Cape Girardeau and the other from Pilot Kno. American Battlefield Protection Program, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought21 October 1861
WhereMadison County, Missouri, United States37.543N, 90.297W
OutcomeUnion victory
BelligerentsUnited States (Union)againstMissouri (Confederate)
Casualties and losses67and145 total; 25 killed; 40 wounded; 80 captured
Battlefield todayFredericktown battlefieldNPS site MO007, 1,753 acres studied, 406 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, 186418611864Engagement at Fredericktown, 1861
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

Date21 October 1861
PlaceMadison County, Missouri, United States
37.543N, 90.297W
KindBattle, nineteenth century
Strength2,500–3,5001,500
Casualties and losses67145 total; 25 killed; 40 wounded; 80 captured
Commanders
  • Joseph B. Plummer
  • William P. Carlin
Engagement at FredericktownEngagement at FredericktownBattle of Fort DavidsonBattle of Fort Davidson20 km37.543N, 90.297W
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 1861

The National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program maps this as the Fredericktown battlefield (site MO007): a study area of 1,753 acres, with a core area of 406 acres where the fighting was concentrated; 709 acres retain enough integrity to be potentially eligible for the National Register.

Engagement at Fredericktown 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 Q2618945, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Engagement at Fredericktown, revision 1370616883, 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.