The Surprising History of the Only Civil War Battle in Iowa

It's April, 1861, and the Civil War was only a few months old. But that didn't stop the bloody conflict from reaching the southeast corner of Iowa.

Although the state of Iowa had the highest enlistment rate in the entire conflict (North or South), no battles were ever fought within its borders... Well, except one.

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The Battle of Athens, Missouri - August, 1861

By the time this battle took place, a total of 11 southern states had already seceded from the Union, plunging the Untied States into the bloodiest conflict in its history. The Confederate States of America spanned from Virginia to Texas, and everywhere in between. However, Missouri was not one of those states.

The "Show Me State" was known as a Border State during the war and was deeply divided. While the state legislature voted to remain in the Union, many sympathized with the Confederacy. Because of this, Missouri saw erupted in countless battles throughout the war, some big, some small. But the Battle of Athens was unique, as it was not only the most northern battle of the entire war fought west of the Mississippi, but it was also the only time the war spilled over into the state of Iowa.

On August 5, 1861, a Confederate force made up of around 2,000 Missouri State Guardsmen (with three cannons) attempted to capture the town where 500 Pro-Union members of the Missouri Home Guard were located.

Despite being severely outnumbered, the Union forces had one thing on their side, technology. The Union militia had recently received the modern 1861 Springfield Rifle-Muskets. These were far superior to the older, smoothbore muskets the Confederates were using.

So, how did it spill over into Iowa? Two words: poor marksmanship. During the battle, Confederate artilleryman repeatedly overshot the town of Athens with their cannons, with several of the cannonballs landing in the small Iowa town of Croton. One of which famously hit the Croton Railway Depot. Others landed in a field just outside of town, making this the only time the Civil War bled into the Hawkeye State. Had the Confederate forces won this battle though, their plan was to drive further into Iowa, with the goal of capturing a major shipment of Union Arms in the southeast Iowa town of Keokuk (25 miles northeast of Athens).

Not only did Confederate artillery land in Iowa, but the Iowa State Militia was also actively involved in the conflict. A group known as the Keokuk Rifles positioned themselves on the Iowa side of the river and fired repeatedly on Confederate forces, helping in driving off the far larger army.

In the battle's aftermath, several Confederates were captured. It is estimated that the Union lost three men and over twenty were wounded. On the Confederate side, at least 31 soldiers were killed or wounded. The Union forces also captured over 450 horses and a large amount of arms and artillery after driving the Confederates off.

Although not widely remembered, the small Battle of Athens was a crucial moment in the early part of the war that gave the Union a decisive advantage. These days, the town of Athens is a ghost town, but there is a state park and memorial there, commemorating the historic battle.