Scott Williams is very active in the accumulation and preservation of Civil War memorabilia as well as details of the war. He is involved in a new museum being established near the Jefferson Barracks area in South St. Louis County. The following is his entry to the StL-Metro List and it includes Illinois troops. His email is: mocsa@earthlink.net Gloria > Battle of Pacific, Missouri. This 1/2 hour skirmish was fought Oct. 1, 1864 > on the St. Louis-Franklin County line. > > Gen. Sterling Price had sent Gen. William L. Cabell who commanded a brigade > of Arkansas Cavalry to cut the RR east of Pacific. This > was most likely a section of track 1 1/2 to 2 miles east of town. There may > even be a small bridge over a creek that was burned as > Confederate reports allude to that act being accomplished successfully. At > any rate I believe this would be the only real Civil War > battle (skirmish) fought in St. Louis County, even though it only began > there and moved with greater intensity into Franklin County. > > In the battle reports, there is no mention of the town of Pacific. What is > mentioned is the town of Franklin. Today there is no town > of Franklin in Franklin County. That is because it is now called Pacific. > But at the time of the Civil War both Federal and > Confederate troops most commonly referred to it as Franklin, even though > officially it changed names by 1858. The Federals arrived > via RR cars in which they could take no further west than 1 1/2 to 2 miles > east of the town. > > The Confederate attack included firing their artillery, but it did not stop > the Federals who went down on the ground to avoid much > of the fire. Then the Federals continued their advance into town as the > Confederates burned the town's RR depot on their way out. > Although the Confederates heavily outnumbered the Federals the Confederates > were not interested in being delayed on their movement > toward Jefferson City. The Federal commander was Col.Edward H. Wolff, who > commanded an Infantry brigade of Indiana and Illinois > troops. The causalities: Federals: 7 wounded, two severely; no known > Confederate losses. > > The Federal units involved were the 54th Illinois Vol. Infantry; 117th > Illinois Infantry and the 52nd Indiana Vol. Infantry. There > may have been others but this is all I could find in the battle reports > > Cabell's Brigade consisted of the following: > > 1st Arkansas Cavalry; 4th Arkansas Cavalry; Morgan's 2nd Arkansas Cavalry; > 7th Arkansas Cavalry; Gunter's Arkansas Cavalry > Battalion; Harrell's Arkansas Battalion; Witherspoon's Arkansas Cavalry; and > Hughey's Artillery Battery. > > If anyone has information to add about this engagement I would appreciate > hearing it. > > Scott K. Williams >