Coldwater Grove's Post (Miami County, Kansas)
Miami County · Kansas · Civil War
History & Significance
Coldwater Grove existed 13½ miles east of Paola, Kansas, in Miami County, and straddled the Kansas-Missouri border with portions in both states. About June 1863 a Union military post was established on the Kansas side of the community under the command of Lt. Col. Charles S. Clark, who also commanded four nearby posts.
The post gained significant notoriety when on August 20, 1863, Clark learned that Confederate guerrillas under William C. Quantrill were camped nearby and ordered reinforcements from two other posts. Quantrill moved into Kansas in the night, with Clark attempting unsuccessfully to pursue him with only thirty men, as Quantrill was en route to raid Lawrence, Kansas.
The Lawrence Massacre resulted from that incursion. Through at least June 1865 Coldwater Grove was maintained as a Union military post, serving as one of several defensive installations along the volatile Kansas-Missouri border during the conflict.
Key Facts
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coldwater_Grove%27s_Post
- https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=UKS0015RC
- https://civilwaronthewesternborder.org/geographic-subject/miami-county-kansas
- https://www.kansashistory.gov/kansapedia/miami-county-kansas/15284