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> Newtonia Battlefield
Site Name Newtonia Battlefield Street Address 520 Mill Street City / State / Zip Newtonia MO, 64853 Phone number 417-437-5974 Ask for Tom Web Page   Admission Fee Free. Hours Daily during daylight hours; Ritchey Mansion, by appointment only. Visitor services Information, tours by appointment; trails. Regular Events April and September, open house.     Directions From Missouri I-44 turn south on Highway 59. Near Neosho, turn east on Highway 86, travel approximately 25 miles to Newtonia.
Site Description
Two major Civil War battles were fought at Newtonia: one on September 30, 1862, and the other on October 28, 1864. The first battle pitted Brig. Gen. James Blunt against Col. J.O. Shelby. Confederate forces numbered 4,000; Union forces numbered about 6,500. The 1862 battle was one of the very few Civil War encounters in which Native Americans fought on both sides. Southern forces had Choctaw, Cherokee, and Chickasaw soldiers, while other Cherokee soldiers fought with the North. The 1864 battle was a delaying action by Shelby to protect Gen. Sterling Price's retreat to Arkansas. It was the last battle of the Civil War fought in Missouri. The site includes 20 acres of the battlefield and the Ritchey Mansion, which served as headquarters for both Union and Confederate troops at different points.

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