Apr. 25. 1825 - Feb. 5. 1899

— Bledsoe's Battery —

One of the finest artillery units of the Civil War was Bledsoe's Battery, commanded by Col. Hiriam [sic] Bledsoe, a resident of Pleasant Hill.
Born in Kentucky, he moved at age 14 to Lexington, Mo. In 1846 he joined the U. S. Army, Missouri Volunteers, to fight in the Mexican War.
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Bledsoe formed an artillery battery and offered it for service in the Missouri State Guard commanded by Major General Sterling Price. The pride of the battery was "Old Sacramento", a large bronze and silver cannon, which Bledsoe had helped capture in the Mexican War. Cast from Chihuahua church bells, "Old Sac" produced a unique ringing sound that echoed across the battlefield.
The unit fought for the Mo. State Guard at the Battles of Carthage, Wilson's Creek, Lexington and Pea Ridge. In 1862 the battery joined the regular Confederate army that was fighting east of the Mississippi. Two-thirds of all the Missourians who crossed the river became casualties. Bledsoe's Battery fought in many major battles including Iuka, Corinth, Vicksburg, Atlanta, Missionary Ridge, Chickamauga and Franklin. After the Confederate defeat at Nashville, Bledsoe volunteered his unit to serve as part of the rear guard. Their desperate fighting halted the advancing Federals and allowed the remnants of Gen. Hood's army to escape. By war's end Bledsoe was a colonel, had served as a chief of artillery in charge of 12 guns and had been wounded six times. He and his famous battery finally surrendered on May 1, 1865 in Hamburg, South Carolina.
After the war, Colonel Bledsoe settled on a farm near Pleasant Hill. He served several terms on the Cass County Court, became County Collector, was appointed to a Civil War battlefield commission and was elected to the Missouri State Senate. He died at the age of 74 and is buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery.

Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.

Show me all markers in:  Pleasant Hill, MO  |  Cass County  |  64080  |  Missouri  |  United States of America

The Civil War in Pleasant Hill
Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot
Memorial Building
Pleasant Hill, Missouri
110 South Lake Street
105 First Street
111 First Street
113 Wyoming Street
117 First Street
100 Veterans Parkway

• GPX
• KML
• LOC

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.