The First Battle of Boonville is a minor skirmish of the American Civil War, occurring on June 17, 1861, near Boonville in Cooper County, Missouri.
Although casualties are extremely light, the battle's strategic impact is far greater than one might assume from its limited nature.
The Union victory establishes what will become an unbroken Federal control of the Missouri River, and helps to thwart efforts to bring Missouri into the Confederacy.
Four battles are fought at Boonville during the Civil War.
