Missouri in the Civil War, 1861- The Battle of Wilson’s Creek

Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon had hoped that with new leadership now in place in the West, Major General John C. Frémont, he would be reinforced and resupplied. However, Frémont’s focus would be along the Mississippi and not the interior of the state. Lyon left Springfield on August 1st headed south making 15 miles.

The following day near today’s Clever, Missouri, at Dug Springs James Rains’ Missouri State Guard ran into the head of the Union column. Rains with 600 men was 10 miles ahead of the rest of the Southern Army and was under orders not to bring on a confrontation. Rains attacked anyway and Captain David S. Stanley’s Federal cavalry charged the State Guard and easily routed them. McCulloch (Confederate commander) was disheartened by the performance of the Missouri troops noting they were scattered by a single cannon shot and were nothing more than an “undisciplined mob”. As a result, he would never trust them in combat. Lyon was very short of supplies and after a council of war among his officers returned to Springfield on the 5th. McCulloch moved forward into the valley of Wilson’s Creek on the 6th where water was plentiful and deployed his men along a 2-mile line (see below). McCulloch established his headquarters at the Joseph Sharp farm and Sterling Price at the Edwards cabin. McCulloch had planned to begin a march to Springfield on the evening of the 9th but postponed it due to rain. Because of the rain they did not put out pickets, a big mistake.

Sigel approached Lyon with a plan for a two-pronged attack. He would move his 1200-man brigade south and east of the Rebel camp (see below) to get in its rear. Lyon with his 4200 men would attack at dawn, which would be the signal for Sigel to launch his assault. The Rebels (12,000 men) would be struck simultaneously in front and rear. It was a risky plan for Lyon to split his smaller force in the face of a larger enemy. Lyon moved out at 6:00 PM and Sigel 30 minutes later on the 9th.

The Battle Begins

At daylight Lyon’s advance was discovered by Southern pickets who warned their camp. As the Federals advanced further at the top of a ridge, that would be known as “Bloody Hill”, they were met by a line of 300 Missouri State Guard cavalry under Colonel DeWitt C. Hunter. The Rebels opened fire and Captain James Totten responded with his artillery. The Union line charged pushing Hunter back to the crest where 600 dismounted cavalry of Rains’ Division supported him. When Lyon reached the ridge he directed 300 regulars under Captain Joseph Plummer and two companies of home guards under Captains Wright and Switzler to cross to the east side of the creek to protect his left flank. The Southern cavalry were pushed off the crest and down the southern slope by the 1st IA, 1st and 2nd KS, and 1st MO. General Rains sent his chief of staff, Colonel Snyder, back to headquarters for reinforcements where McCulloch and Price were eating breakfast. Because the request came from General Rains, initially General McCulloch did not take it seriously, until he saw troops retreating down Bloody Hill and heard the sound of Totten and Sigel’s guns. McCulloch raced across to the eastern side of the creek to organize the troops there, while Price mounted his horse and called for his infantry to form at the bottom of the hill. Lyon had quickly secured the high ground and if his infantry could sweep down the hill and control the Wilson’s Creek fords, before Price could organize his men, with Sigel attacking from the rear, the enemy could be driven from the field. As the 1st KS and 1st MO reached the crest, Captain William Woodruff with his four guns of the Pulaski battery, across the creek on a ridge near the Guinn farm, opened fire enfilading the Federal line. This slowed them enough to allow Price to reform Crawford’s broken line and his infantry at the bottom of the hill.

The Fight in the Cornfield

Union troops led by Plummer finally found a ford and crossed to the east side of the creek entering John Ray’s cornfield. He then led his men south to try and take Woodruff’s guns. Pearce organized his Arkansas troops along the Wire Road on the plain protecting the fords and preparing for an attack from the rear by Sigel. McCulloch ordered Pearce to send the 3rd AR to protect Woodfuff’s guns and his chief of staff, Colonel James McIntosh, to take the brigade of Confederate infantry and attack Plummer in the cornfield. With the 3rd LA and the 2nd AR mounted rifles McIntosh pushed Plummer back to the creek. On “Bloody Hill” Captain Gordon Granger and Lieutenant John DuBois noticed that Plummer was in trouble with his back to the creek and turned their guns on the Southern infantry shattering their lines and sending them retreating in disarray.

Sigel’s Fight

At 5:30 AM Sigel heard the sound of Lyon’s guns and ordered Franz Backoff’s Missouri Light Artillery to open fire. Most of the rounds overshot the Southern camps, but scattered them in a panic. Sigel crossed to the west side of the creek into the southern end of Sharp’s fields and shelled the Southern lines forcing them back to the woods. Sigel reached the Wire Road near the Sharp house where he captured about 100 fleeing enemy soldiers and positioned himself to block the road, the Southern line of retreat. McCulloch decided to deal with this threat himself. He collected about a thousand men and proceeded toward Sigel. Because of the different colored uniforms on the field Sigel initially mistook the Southerners for the 1st IA. He realized his error too late and Sigel’s men were driven from the battlefield and four of Backoff’s guns were captured. Sigel himself escaped by donning a blue-colored blanket and yellow-tinted slouch hat to disguise himself as a Texas Ranger. With the southern end of the battlefield secure McCulloch could now focus his complete attention on Lyon.

The Fight for Bloody Hill

Multiple units under Price fell into line at the base of “Bloody Hill” and he now had about 2800 men to oppose Lyon. Severe fighting ensued with as many as 10,000 men involved at points during the day. The map below shows the units involved.

The severest part of the fight occurred on the Union right and center. The first Southern assault failed by 8:00 AM. By this time Sigel had been routed and McCulloch began the process of sending every available man to the hill. A second assault began around 9:00 AM. A shell exploded near Lyon wounding him in the head and leg, killing his horse. He limped to the rear and sat down. When his chief of staff, Major John Schofield, joined him he stated, “I fear the day is lost.” Schofield persuaded him to continue and Lyon returned to the front. While talking with the commander of the 2nd KS at the head of the column he was shot in the chest by a volley and killed. With Lyon’s death Samuel Sturgis was now in command. The second assault sputtered out after 10:00 AM and both sides regrouped. During this period Pearce’s 3rd and 5th AR arrived at the base of the hill. The 3rd and largest assault commenced. The opposing forces were firing so close to each other that a giant smoke cloud covered the whole southern part of the hill. By 11:00 once again Price was repulsed. By this time Sturgis’ men were running out of ammunition and the Union began to withdraw at 11:30 and returned to Springfield. McCulloch lost 12% of his force- 279 killed and 951 wounded. The Union lost 24% of their force- 258 killed and 873 wounded and 186 missing. Lyon’s body was brought to the Ray farmhouse where a Federal surgeon claimed it and escorted it back to Springfield. Nathaniel Lyon was the first Union General killed in the Civil War. The Union retreated further to Rolla on August 19th. In their rush they left Lyon’s body in Springfield. He was buried there until his family recovered it in late August. On September 5, 1861 Lyon was buried in Eastford, CT. After the battle McCulloch and Pearce returned to Arkansas, while Price with his Missouri State Guard moved north and captured Lexington, Missouri on September 20th.

National Park Service Brochure for a Driving Tour