On January 22, 1864, 527 Union soldiers of the First and Second Arkansas Cavalry and Eighth Missouri State Militia Cavalry (U.S.), with one mountain howitzer, fought Col. A.R. Witt's Confederates in St. Joe. After an initial skirmish, the Confederates fell back to high ground above Tomahawk Creek, where the Missouri militia opened fire as the Arkansas troopers struck their flank and drove them from the field. Two or three Confederates were killed and four were wounded, while two Union men were slightly wounded in the combat.