Battle of Wilson's Creek Facts
Battle of Wilson's Creek Facts
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The Battle of Wilson's Creek took place in Missouri. It was significant in that it was the first major battle of the war to occur west of the Mississippi. The Confederates won but did not achieve its major objective of taking over Missouri, which very likely would have led to its secession from the Union.
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The battle occurred on August 10, 1861.
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It was the first significant battle that was fought west of the Mississippi River.
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It took place 10 miles southwest of Springfield, Missouri and is named for a nearby stream.
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The battle was of utmost importance to the Union because of the need to keep Missouri in the Union. Most people in Missouri wanted to stay neutral but there were many, including the governor, who wanted to secede.
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Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson refused President Abraham Lincoln's order to send state military units to Wilson's Creek to quell an uprising.
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Governor Jackson instead sent troops to Camp Jackson in St. Louis with the intent on seizing the U.S. federal arsenal there.
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Captain Nathaniel Lyon heard about Jackson's plan and had most of the weapons secretly moved to Illinois.
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Lyon led 7,000 soldiers to Camp Jackson to force the surrender of Confederate troops.
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Lyon met with Governor Jackson on June 10 to try to negotiate an agreement. That meeting did not result in a resolution to their differences.
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Lyons troops attacked the Confederate troops who had been training for their own attack against the Union. The Confederate plan for attack on August 9th had been postponed due to rain.
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The Confederates out numbered the Union, but they were caught off guard.
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The battle went on for over five hours, much of it on a ridge called Bloody Hill.
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Lyon, now a general, was killed in action. He was the first U.S. general to die in battle since the War of 1812.
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The Confederates won the battle but heavy casualties prevented them from pursuing the retreating Union troops.
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The Confederates were not able to take control of Missouri and it remained in the Union for the duration of the Civil War.
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