This is Battle of Old Albany in 1864....
they were ordered to return to Richmond, MO., which station was then held by a detachment of Confederates under Captain Hendley.
Skirmishes Before Battle
On the approach of the militia, the rebels (Confederates) withdrew toward Old Albany, in Ray County, and formed a rendezvous in the wooded valley west of Old Albany and east of Fishing River, where they were joined by many recruits.
When the militia from Ray county fell back from Lexington, they left concealed in the thick brush on the river bank much arms and government equipment.
The following morning, Company D, and a part of Company A, wee ordered to proceed to the river and endeavor to recover this property; on arriving at the old camping ground, they found most of the arms and loaded them into the four-horse wagons and sent them back to Richmond. The clothing and other equipments were captured by the enemy, and carried away to the camp at Old Albany.
While the teamsters were loading the arms and equipments, the militia kept up a continued firing on the enemy on the south of the river in Lexington.
The Ray county boys had two men wounded by spent balls from Lexington. The Federal forces learned afterwards that the Confederates lost at least one man shot.
James Crowley A Captive
On the following morning, before daylight, a runner arrived at Richmond and reported to Capt. John Hankins that a body of bush whackers had captured James Crowley, a member of Hankins Company, and that they had him as a prisoner in the timber west of the Crowley farm.
On consultation, it was directed that John Hankins send his company, under the command of Lieutenant J. T. Lamar,and fall in on the west of the guerrilla camp; for Company A under Lieutenant McCowan, to form on the east, and for Company B, under command of Lieutenant Baker, to move up on the main road and to attack the guerrilla camp.
This company was led by the then Sergeant Thomas Hankins as pilot of Baker's command. He found the enemy's camp in heavy woods on the bluff, some distance west of the Crowley farm house.
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