"A Damned Tight Place": General Jeff Thompson Confronts the Federals at Fredericktown, Missouri

Article describes and analyzes the Battle of Fredericktown, fought October 21, 1861. While a relatively small battle, "devoid of long-term strategic importance," it was the only significant battle in southeastern Missouri during the first year of the Civil War. It ended the campaign of Brigadier General M. Jeff Thompson and foreshadowed the Confederacy's eventual loss of the State. Includes information on Colonels Leonrad F. Ross, William P. Carlin, and Joseph Plummmer with portraits.