Wilson's Creek, MO
[Battle of Wilson's Creek, by Kurz and Allison, 1893
- Courtesy of Wikipedia.]
Date(s):
August 10, 1861
Location:
Please click on link below for map.
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield (national battlefield), Missouri, United States
Campaign(s):
Operations to Control Missouri
[1861]
Battles in
Campaign:
Situation:
Commanders:
-
Union:
Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon
and Maj. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis
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Confederate:
Maj. Gen. Sterling
Price, Missouri State Guard, and Brig. Gen. Ben McCulloch
Principal Forces:
-
Union:
Army of the West
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Confederate:
Missouri State Guard and
McCulloch’s Brigade
Description:
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Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon’s Army of the West was
camped at Springfield, Missouri, with Confederate troops under the commands of
Brig. Gen. Ben McCulloch approaching.
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On August 9, both sides formulated plans
to attack the other. About 5:00 am on the 10th, Lyon, in two columns commanded
by himself and Col. Franz Sigel, attacked the Confederates on Wilson’s Creek
about 12 miles southwest of Springfield.
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Confederate cavalry received the first blow
and fell back away from Bloody Hill. Confederate forces soon rushed up and
stabilized their positions.
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The Confederates attacked the Union forces three
times that day but failed to break through the Union line.
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Lyon was killed
during the battle and Maj. Samuel D. Sturgis replaced him.
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Meanwhile, the
Confederates had routed Sigel’s column, south of Skegg’s
Branch.
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Following the third Confederate attack, which
ended at 11:00 am, the Confederates withdrew.
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Sturgis
realized, however, that his men were exhausted and his ammunition was low, so
he ordered a retreat to Springfield.
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The Confederates were too disorganized and
ill-equipped to pursue.
-
This Confederate victory buoyed southern
sympathizers in Missouri and served as a springboard for a bold thrust north
that carried Price and his Missouri
State Guard as far as Lexington.
-
In late October, a rump convention, convened by
Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson, met in Neosho and passed an ordinance of
secession.
-
The victory at Wilson’s Creek gave the
Confederates control of southwestern Missouri.
Photo Gallery:2
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Gibson's Mill Site
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Ray Springhouse
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Ray Springhouse
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Ray's House
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Ray's Spring House
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The Ray Family
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Map Showing Location of Troops in Ray's Cornfield
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Ray House
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Ray House
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Ray House
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John Ray Watched Battle from Front Porch
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Map Showing Location of Price's Headquarters
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Desription of Action of te Pulaski Arkansas Battery
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Map Showing Location of Price's Headquarters
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Description of Price's Headquarters
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Pulaski Arkansas Battery
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Pulaski Arkansas Battery
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Pulaski Arkansas Battery
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Early battlefield map showing Sigel's attack
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Description of Sigel's attack on tne Confederate camps
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Location of the Sharp cornfield
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Rout of Sigel's column
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Sigel's Union forces were defeated
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Guibor's Confederate artillery battery
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Guibor's Confederate artillery battery
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Guibor's Confederate artillery battery
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Bloody Hill
Confederate units attacked Union positions on this hill |
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Union artillery battled wit Confederate batteries and Union General Lyon was killed
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Union troops were outnumbered two to one and with their ammunition nearly gone they retreated to Springfield
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Classification3:
A
Casualties4:
-
Union:
1,235
-
Confederate:
1,095
Results:
 Confederate
Victory
Battlefield Websites:
Recommended
Resources:
1 National Park
Service summary.
2 Please click on the image to
enlarge it. You may copy the images if you include the following note and link
with each image: "Courtesy of
civil-war-journeys.org."
3
Classification:
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A
- having a decisive influence on a
campaign and a direct impact on the course of the war
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B -
having a direct and decisive influence on their campaign
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C -
having observable influence on the
outcome of a campaign
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D
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having a limited influence on the
outcome of their campaign or operation but achieving or affecting important
local objectives
4 Casualties are
someone killed, injured, wounded, captured or missing.
Revised
06/05/2008 |
