Wilson Creek Battlefield

 

Our theme for this trip is the Civil War, so our stop for today is Wilson’s Creek, the second major battle of the Civil War. Missouri was a strategic location since on both the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Governor Jackson of Missouri had southern leanings and would not provide troops to the Union Army. Captain Nathanial Lyon, who was in charge of the arsenal outside St. Louis, led his army to Jefferson City and took the capital. The governor created the State Guard and established a camp in Southwestern Missouri. That force of 12000 intended to attack the Federal Army at Springfield Missouri. Lyon hearing of the planned attack instead attacked the State Guard, with a 2-pronged attack at Wilson Creek where they were camped with 4200 soldiers. He hoped the surprise attack would lead to victory. They were stopped by confederate artillery until a defensive line could be formed. In the end, Lyon’s forces endured multiple attacks on “Bloody Hill” before having to retreat. The losses were high: 1300 for the Federals and 1200 for the Southerners. Both armies ran short of ammunition, so even though Lyon’s lost the battle, the Southerners could not pursue them. Thus Missouri remained in Union Control. The exhibits at the Visitor Center included a visual board showing the movement of the troops as well as an excellent movie providing background about the battle. The car tour of the battlefield was anticlimactic. We spent about 2 hours here, as well as having a search for gas on the way to the battlefield. It was almost 7:45 when we reached our campsite at Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee.

Ray House (only original structure on battlefield)