Battle of Kirksville The Battle of Kirksville was a battle in the American Civil War , fought in the town of Kirksville , Missouri , on August 6 , 1862 . The Union victory helped consolidate Federal control over northeastern Missouri . Battle . Confederate Col . Joseph C . Porter had been recruiting in the Macon area , to the south of Kirksville . He had assembled a brigade of between 1 , 500 and 2 , 500 ill - trained and poorly equipped troops , but his irregulars had harried and recruited as far north as Memphis . Confederate sympathies in the Kirksville area were high ( though Union sentiment was stronger than in surrounding counties ) , due to the Southern heritage of most of the residents . Porter had been urged to come to Kirksville by Confederate Captain Tice Cain , an Adair County farmer who claimed to be holding Kirksville with 500 fresh recruits . ( In one of the battle ' s mysteries , Cain disappeared and was never heard from again , according to a descendant . ) Union Colonel John McNeil of the 2nd Missouri Cavalry and his troops , totalling about 1 , 000 , had been pursuing Porter for more than a week . Before noon on August 6 , McNeil attacked Porter in the town of Kirksville , where the Confederates had concealed themselves in homes and stores and among the crops in the nearby fields , especially in the county courthouse and the commercial buildings on the square . Their presence was discovered by a Union detachment that volunteered to ride around the square in order to draw fire and cause the Confederates to reveal themselves — an act of courage which cost two Union soldiers their lives . McNeil deployed his artillery before moving in a broad line towards the town square . The subsequent cannon fire demoralized the defenders , some of whom retreated behind a rail fence , west of the square . The Union troops then advanced in two wings , with Lt . Col . William F . Shaffer ( Merrill ' s Horse ) in command of the Union right wing and Major Henry Clay Caldwell of the 3rd Iowa in charge of the left . As the two wings met , they succeeded in driving the Confederates from the courthouse . Porter ' s remaining forces yielded ground and joined the others behind the rail fence . From this position , the Confederates poured heavy fire into McNeil ’ s men , but were ultimately overwhelmed . The battle began at 11 a . m . and was over by 2 p . m . The Federals then secured the town , capturing numerous prisoners , and driving away the remaining Confederates . Three days later , another Union force arrived and finished the work begun at Kirksville , virtually destroying Porter ' s command . Aftermath . According to a letter by resident J . Martin , written a week after the battle , Confederate dead numbered about 200 , Union 30 ; McNeill ’ s official tally was 150 Confederates killed ( 300 - 400 wounded ) against 6 Union deaths ( 32 wounded ) . Two civilian casualties were noted : James Dye , a sixty - year - old farmer with two sons in the Union army , was held overnight by Porter during his approach to the town , then told to be on his way , but shot as he left . The other was Mrs . Elizabeth Cutts ( also given as " Kutz " and " Coots " ) . Most Kirksville residents had heeded Porter ’ s warning to depart , but Cutts was shot when two Confederate soldiers attempted to enter the cellar where she was hiding , and she was hit by a Union bullet meant for them as she ran out . John L . Porter , a prominent local citizen ( no relation to the Confederate leader ) , asked for and was granted permission to treat the Confederate wounded . McNeil supplied a surgeon and instruments , the departed Porter having previously commandeered all medical equipment . The Confederate dead were deposited in several mass graves in Forest Llewellen Cemetery ; a monument now marks the spot . Some were later recovered by their families . Fifteen Confederates were quickly court - martial ed on McNeil ' s orders and executed for having violated previous parole agreements not to take up arms again until exchanged . Although the execution was permissible within military norms , it was seldom done and McNeil has been criticized for both the justice and necessity of the proceedings , by John L . Porter ( see Kirksville Daily Express , 1912 , below ) and Joseph Mudd ( see references to Palmyra Massacre ) , among others . A number of other questionable shootings followed , including those of Dr . John Davis ( said by some to have been told to run and then shot when he did ) and Lt . Col . Frisby McCullough — a subordinate of Porter who was tried and sentenced to death as a bushwhacker , even though he was captured wearing a regular Confederate uniform and carrying letters authorizing him to recruit troops . He was granted permission to give the order to fire , and his final words were , “ May God forgive you for this cold - blooded murder . Aim at the heart . Fire ! ” A second volley was necessary . McNeil ’ s reputation would be darkened further by the “ Palmyra Massacre ” on October 18 , but he would go on to serve two terms as Sheriff of St . Louis County , dying June 7 , 1891 . Porter died February 18 , 1863 , of wounds received in an engagement at Hartville . The victory at Kirksville helped consolidate Union dominance in northeastern Missouri . Memorial Park ( the approximate location of the Union artillery ) commemorates the battle .