- For other uses, see Battle of Athens (disambiguation).
The Battle of Athens was a small American Civil War battle that took place in Northeast Missouri (near present Revere) and southeast Iowa (at Croton, 3 miles southeast of Farmington) along the Des Moines River) in 1861. It has the distinction of being the most northerly of Civil War Battles fought west of the Mississippi, and also of being the only such battle fought in Iowa. The battle is accounted a Union victory.
In 5 August of 1861, a force of about 2000 Missouri State Guard (which were loyal to the Confederacy), led by Colonel Martin Green, tried to liberate the town from 500 troops loyal to the Union. The Union troops, led by Colonel David Moore, had better training and arms, and the battle lasted for about two hours.
Union sharpshooters fired across the Des Moines River from the Iowa side into the main battlefield site across the river in Missouri.
The state of Missouri maintains Battle of Athens State Historic Site in the ghost town of Athens, Missouri.
See also
External links
- The Making of Iowa, The Battle of Athens
- Battle of Athens State Historic Site General Information
- Civil War in Missouri Facts
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