Battle of Charleston (1861)
| Battle of Charleston | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Union Army | Missouri State Guard | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Col. Henry Dougherty | Col. J. H. Hunter | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 11th & 22nd Illinois Infantry (250 men) | Missouri State Guard Cavalry (500 men) | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
1 killed 7 wounded |
13 killed unknown wounded | ||||||
The Battle of Charleston, also known as the Battle of Bird's Point, was a minor clash in Charleston, Missouri, United States during the American Civil War. On August 19, 1861, Union forces led by Col. Henry Dougherty were able to destroy a Confederate camp. There had been a number of clashes in the Charleston and Bird's Point area for the previous week between pro-Union forces and secession groups.