Fredericktown MO007

supportedunresolved Plummer says his message asking Pilot Knob's co-operation fell into Thompson's hands and revealed his intention to attack on Monday; Thompson reports intercepting the courier. Thompson says he spent the morning trying to learn the Union numbers and positions by spies without success.

Both sides describe the same intercepted message; no message log inspected.

supportedunresolved Plummer marched with twelve days' rations and gave up the pursuit with four days' left. Thompson left his train twelve miles south ready to move, and his 12-pounder fired until its trail-chest ammunition was exhausted before being left on the field.

Supply statements from the two reports; not returns.

supportedunresolved Plummer took the Dallas road to cut off Thompson's retreat south. Thompson says he marched back to occupy the town and fight whichever Union column appeared first.

Stated aims from the two reports.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen and live results read Union victory. Plummer reports the total defeat and rout of Thompson's force; Thompson's October 22 dispatch to Polk asks for troops because the people 'may be discouraged by my defeat'; his October 23 letter says he was victorious though he fell back before an overwhelming force. Plummer says six or seven buildings in the town were burned afterward.

Retain the original result and engagement interval; later movements and campaign contribution are different measures. No new probabilities or individual causal credit.

disputedpost_outcome The frozen casualty text reads total unknown (US unknown; CS 62); the live field reads 62 (US 0; CS 62). Plummer reports 6 killed and 60 wounded, 80 prisoners taken on the field (38 wounded; 42 brought back on October 26) and 158 enemy dead buried. Thompson claims three enemy killed for every man he lost and names the loss of Colonel Lowe and his 12-pounder.

Original casualty returns were not inspected; preserve totals, categories, cutoffs and differences. No canonical reconciliation or casualty-based opening count; related actions must not be added without resolving population overlap. The live US zero is not a measured loss.

supportedunresolved The frozen commanders are Brigadier General M. Jeff Thompson and Colonels J. B. Plummer and William P. Carlin. Plummer says Carlin, who claimed to rank him, reported to him for orders because Plummer had begun the battle. Plummer says Thompson commanded in person on the right; Thompson ordered the retreat by the right wing.

Command roles from the two reports; no automatic sole credit to the listed commanders.

unknownunresolved

No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. Imported numerical estimates remain unchanged; this pass does not validate them as simultaneous opening forces.

disputedunresolved The frozen force field gives the Union a brigade-size force of about 2,500-3,500 (the forces table records 2,500 as both bounds) and the State Guard no figure; the live field reads zero. Plummer says he marched with about 1,500 and found Carlin at Fredericktown with about 3,000, part of whom joined him; he puts Thompson's force at about 3,500 on October 26 and about 4,000 on October 31, some of their wounded saying 6,000. Thompson heard Plummer had 3,000, says the enemy came in more than double his numbers, and calls his own a victorious army of 2,000.

Column sizes and mutual estimates at different dates; no return. The CWSAC range and the table's single value differ. None is adopted as a matched opening strength.

supportedcommander_created Plummer found Thompson about a mile out of town on the Greenville road, with four guns masked on a hill slope about six hundred yards off and the main infantry under Lowe in a cornfield left of the road. Thompson says he placed Lowe's regiment in ambush well in front of his main line.

Positions chosen by Thompson on the day; from the two opposing reports.