A few miles southwest of this location, the Second Battle of Newtonia was fought on Oct. 28, 1864, near the end of Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s invasion of Missouri. After Price’s army had entered Missouri from northeastern Arkansas in September 1864 with 12,000 men, fought at Pilot Knob, abandoned plans to attack St. Louis and Jefferson City, moved west through the state, and been defeated at Westport on Oct. 21-23 and again at Mine Creek on Oct. 25, it retreated southward with Joseph Shelby repeatedly protecting its rear. After crossing the Marmaton River, Price abandoned most of his supply train, marched to Carthage and then to Newtonia, where his battered army halted near the old Camp Coffee campground to rest and gather provisions. On the morning of Oct. 28, Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson’s “Iron Brigade” charged across the prairie in an unsuccessful attempt to surprise two Federal companies at Newtonia, which fled, and during the pursuit Lt. Robert Christian was killed. Later that day, Maj. Gen. James Blunt, leading two brigades in renewed pursuit from Ft. Scott, reached Newtonia and, believing reinforcements were close behind him, attacked Price’s rear guard with fewer than a thousand men. Shelby quickly formed about 2,000 men, drove the Federals back toward Newtonia, and nearly flanked them. At twilight, Brig. Gen. John Sanborn arrived with fresh Federal troops and covered Blunt’s retreat, and Shelby, whose forces were dismounted, did not continue the pursuit. Both sides claimed victory. Federal pursuit of Price ended at Newtonia, the remnants of Price’s army retreated into northwest Arkansas unmolested, and the Second Battle of Newtonia was the last battle in the Trans-Mississippi theater of the Civil War.
