The print depicts the Battle of Carthage, July 5, 1861, between Union forces under the command of Colonel Franz Sigel and the Missouri State Guard under the command of Governor Claiborne Jackson.
Colonel Sigel marched from Rolla, Missouri in an attempt to prevent the retreating State Guard from reaching extreme southwestern Missouri and possible Confederate assistance. Sigel’s forces collided with the State Guard north of Carthage, and in an all-day, running battle, the Federals were pushed south into town and were forced to retreat by nightfall.
Sigel’s outnumbered command inflicted higher casualties than it suffered and managed an orderly withdrawal. Sigel’s popularity soared, further cementing his reputation among German-Americans. On the other hand, the badly equipped Missouri State Guard drove their adversaries from the field, proving their ability to fight under adverse conditions.
Image Courtesy Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield; WICR 11281
