Editing Second Battle of Springfield (section)

==Preparation==
Late in the afternoon of January 7, 1863, Federals from the Ozark garrison reached Springfield and informed the local commander, [[Brigadier General]] [[Egbert Brown]], that a Confederate cavalry force, with an estimated strength somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000 men, was headed for Springfield. Having only 1343 veteran soldiers, Brown mulled over two options. He could destroy all of the Union Army of the Frontier's winter supplies at Springfield and retreat, or he could defend the town. General Grant on December 23, 1862, had published a major censure of the Union commander and forces stationed at Holly Springs, Mississippi, which had participated in the disgraceful surrender of Grant's Holly Springs supply depot.<ref>''War of the Rebellion: The Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies,'' Ser.1, v.17, part 1, pp. 515–16.</ref>  No doubt, Brown recalling this censure, had a strong reason to favor the defense of Springfield.

Brown's subordinates favored the defense of the city also. The Fourth Military District's commanding general, Colley B. Holland, immediately sent dispatches to the surrounding communities, calling the [[Enrolled Missouri Militia]] to active duty with orders to hurry to Springfield. Brown also ordered the removal of 50,000 rations from Springfield into Fort Number 1 and prepared for the burning of the armory in the event of defeat. Meanwhile, at Dr. Samuel Melcher's suggestion, Captain Byron Carr mounted three cannon onto wagon wheels.

During the following morning, the Federals issued arms and ammunition to soldiers and civilians alike. Although Springfield was lightly garrisoned, it had one distinct advantage. It was surrounded by a network of four nearly completed earthen forts and a stockaded college building. Each of the five points commanded the high ground.