Battle of Wilson's Creek
Battle of Wilson's Creek | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
United States |
Confederate States Missouri (Confederate) | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon † Col. Franz Sigel Maj. Samuel D. Sturgis | |||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Army of the West |
| ||||||
Strength | |||||||
c. 5,430[1] | c. 12,120[2] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1,317 | 1,232 | ||||||
The Battle of Wilson's Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, was the first major battle of the
In August, Confederates under Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch and Missouri State Guard troops under Maj. Gen. Sterling Price approached Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon's Army of the West, camped at Springfield. On August 10, Lyon, in two columns commanded by himself and Col. Franz Sigel, attacked the Confederates on Wilson's Creek about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Springfield. Confederate cavalry received the first blow and retreated from the high ground.[3] Confederate infantry attacked the Union forces three times during the day but failed to break through. Eventually, Sigel's column was driven back to Springfield, allowing the Confederates to consolidate their forces against Lyon's main column. When Lyon was killed and General Thomas William Sweeny wounded, Major Samuel D. Sturgis assumed command of the Union forces. When Sturgis realized that his men were exhausted and lacking ammunition, he ordered a retreat to Springfield. The battle was reckoned as a Confederate victory, but the Confederates were too disorganized and ill-equipped to pursue the retreating Union forces.
Although the state remained in the Union for the remainder of the war, the battle effectively gave the Confederates control of southwestern Missouri. The victory at Wilson's Creek also allowed Price to lead the Missouri State Guard north in a campaign culminating at the siege of Lexington, Missouri.
Background
Military and political situation
At the beginning of the American Civil War, Missouri declared that it would be an "armed
A day later, the
After complaints by Missouri Unionists, Harney was replaced by Lyon (who was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers), further undermining the fragile truce. On June 12, Lyon and Jackson met at the St. Louis' Planter's House Hotel in a last attempt to avoid a resumption of fighting. Both sides were inflexible, with Lyon demanding the right to inspect any area of the state for Confederate intervention, and Jackson refusing and demanding that Federal forces be restricted to the St. Louis metropolitan area. Colonel Snead, the only surviving witness to that meeting, stated that the meeting ended with Lyon reportedly saying:[8]
...rather than concede to the State of Missouri for one single instant the right to dictate to my Government in any matter however unimportant, I would see you, and you, and you, and every man, woman, and child in the State, dead and buried. This means war. In an hour one of my officers will call for you and conduct you out of my lines.[9]
Lyon sent a force under Sweeney to
By July 13, Lyon's army of approximately 5,430 men was encamped at Springfield. His force was composed of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Missouri infantry, the 1st Iowa Infantry, the
By the end of July, the Missouri State Guard was camped about 75 mi (121 km) southwest of Springfield and had been reinforced by Confederate Brigadier General
Outnumbered, Lyon planned to withdraw northeast to Rolla to reinforce and resupply, but not before launching a surprise attack on the Missourian camp to delay pursuit. Sigel proposed striking McCullough in a pincer movement, which would split the already outnumbered Union force; he planned to lead 1,200 men in a flanking maneuver while the main body under Lyon struck from the north. Lyon concurred, and in accord with Sigel's plan, the Union army marched out of Springfield on the rainy night of August 9, leaving about 1,000 men to protect supplies and cover the retreat.[15]
Opposing forces
Key Union commanders |
---|
|
Key Confederate commanders |
|
Union
Confederate
Battle
At first light on the morning of August 10, the Union began a surprise attack on the opposing forces. Lyon's force overran the enemy camps and took the high ground at the crest of a ridge, which would become known as "
The two Union forces lost contact with each other, with no means of communicating or supporting each other if anything went wrong. Sigel's attack was successful at first; the brigade arrived in the Confederate rear soon after dawn.[18] Artillery fire routed the Confederate cavalry units, which were encamped at Sharp's farm. Sigel began a pursuit, but stopped along Skegg's Branch. During the break, he failed to post skirmishers, leaving his left flank open for an attack.[14] Meanwhile, McCulloch rallied several Confederate units, including the 3rd Louisiana Infantry and the 3rd Division from the Missouri State Guard, to lead a counterattack. Sigel's men mistook the 3rd Louisiana for the 1st Iowa Infantry (which also wore gray uniforms) and withheld their fire until the Confederates were nearly upon them. His flank was consequently devastated by the counterattack, and his brigade was routed, losing four cannons. Sigel and his men fled the field, leaving the force under Lyon, Sweeny, and Sturgis holding out alone.[19]
With the rout of Sigel's flank, the momentum of the battle shifted in the South's favor. Lyon was wounded twice, and worried that "the day was lost", he attempted to lead a counterattack. However, Lyon was shot in the heart, and the charge fell apart after his death.[20] Lyon became the first Union general to be killed in the war. General Sweeny was shot in the leg, and Major Sturgis, as the highest ranking Regular Army officer, assumed command of the Union army. Despite still being in a defensible position atop the hill, Union supplies were low and morale was worsening. By 11:00 a.m., the Union forces had already repulsed three separate Confederate charges. Ammunition and men were nearly exhausted, and Sturgis retreated rather than risk a fourth Confederate attack.[21] Henry Clay Wood, in command of a company that helped cover the retreat, later received the Medal of Honor for the heroism he displayed in keeping his company organized and functioning as it left the battlefield.[22]
Aftermath
The casualties were about equal on both sides – around 1,317 Union[1] and an estimated 1,232 Confederate/Missourian/Arkansan soldiers[2] were either killed, wounded, or captured. Though the Confederate force won the field, they were unable to pursue the retreating Union forces to Rolla. Price wanted to start a pursuit of the Union force immediately, but McCulloch refused, worried about the quality of the Missouri State Guard and the length of his supply line back to Arkansas. With the victory, Price's Missouri Guard began an invasion of northern Missouri that culminated in the First Battle of Lexington on September 20. The Confederate and Arkansas forces withdrew from the state.[23]
After falling back to Springfield, Sturgis handed command of the Union army over to Sigel. At a council of war that evening, it was agreed that the army had to fall back to Rolla, beginning at 3 a.m. the next morning. However, Sigel failed to get his brigade ready at that time, forcing a delay of several hours. Along the retreat route, Sigel's men took several lengthy delays to prepare meals; this caused the other officers to force Sigel to turn command back over to Sturgis.[24]
On October 30, the Missourians under Price and Jackson formally joined the Confederate cause in
By early 1862, Federal forces had effectively pushed Price out of Missouri. An army under Union general
The Battle of Wilson's Creek was the first major battle fought west of the Mississippi River.[28] The battle was known as the Battle of Oak Hills in the Confederacy,[29] and is sometimes called the "Bull Run of the West".[28]
Battlefield preservation
The site of the battle has been protected as
See also
- List of costliest American Civil War land battles
- Troop engagements of the American Civil War, 1861
- Frémont Emancipation
- Missouri in the American Civil War
Notes
- ^ a b c Piston & Hatcher 2000, p. 338.
- ^ a b c Piston & Hatcher 2000, p. 337.
- ^ "Wilson's Creek". American Battlefield Trust. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ^ Brooksher 1995, pp. 60–63.
- ^ Brooksher 1995, pp. 69–70.
- ^ Piston & Hatcher 2000, pp. 37–38, 81.
- ^ Reynolds & Schultz 2009, pp. 33–38.
- ^ Stack, Joan (2013). "The Rise and Fall of General Nathaniel Lyon in the Missouri State Capitol". Gateway: 60–67.
- ^ Moore 1899.
- ^ Ethier 2005, p. 45.
- ^ Brooksher 1995, p. 158.
- ^ Piston & Hatcher 2000, pp. 337–338.
- ^ Catton 1975, p. 60.
- ^ a b Ethier 2005, p. 46.
- ^ Piston & Hatcher 2000, pp. 177–178.
- ^ Brooksher 1995, pp. 182–183.
- ^ Piston & Hatcher 2000, p. 234.
- ^ Piston & Hatcher 2000, p. 191.
- ^ Piston & Hatcher 2000, p. 252.
- ^ Catton 1975, pp. 61–62.
- ^ Brooksher 1995, pp. 213–214.
- OCLC 1049955616.
- ^ Piston & Hatcher 2000, pp. 310–312.
- ^ Piston & Hatcher 2000, pp. 305–306.
- ^ Piston & Hatcher 2000, pp. 314–315.
- ^ Brooksher 1995, p. 235.
- ^ "The Civil War in Missouri 1861–1865 Centennial Book" (PDF). mostateparks.com. Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
- ^ a b "Battle of Wilson's Creek". History.com. August 21, 2018. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Brief Account of the Battle". National Park Service. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Wilson's Creek National Battlefield". National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Indoor Activities". National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Things to Do". National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "The Ray House". National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Wilson's Creek Battlefield". American Battlefield Trust. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
References
- Brooksher, William (1995). Bloody Hill: The Civil War Battle of Wilson's Creek. Brassey's. OCLC 32393986.
- Catton, Bruce (1975). This Hallowed Ground (13th ed.). Doubleday. ISBN 0671789929.
- Ethier, Eric (December 2005). "A Mighty Mean-Fowt Fight". Civil War Times Illustrated. XLIV (5). OCLC 1554811.
- Moore, John C. (1899). "Missouri in the Civil War". Confederate Military History. Vol. IX. OCLC 25038789.
- Piston, William Garrett; Hatcher, Richard (2000). Wilson's Creek: The Second Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought It. OCLC 41185008.
- Reynolds, Thomas C; Schultz, Robert G (2009). Wilson's Creek: General Sterling Price and the Confederacy. ISBN 9781883982683.
- U.S. War Department, The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Recordsof the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880–1901.
Further reading
- Baker, T. Lindsay, ed. (2007). "Chapter 2: Becoming a Soldier". Confederate Guerrilla: The Civil War Memoir of Joseph M. Bailey. Civil War in the West. Fayetteville: OL 8598848M.
- Bearss, Edwin (1992). The Battle of Wilson's Creek (2nd ed.). Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Foundation. ISBN 978-0425053829.
- Castel, Albert (1993) [1st pub. 1968]. General Sterling Price and the Civil War in the West (Louisiana pbk. ed.). Baton Rouge; London: LCCN 68-21804.
- Long, E.B.; Long, Barbara (1971). The Civil War Day by Day; An Almanac 1861–1865. Da Capo Press.
- Underwood, Robert; Buel, Clarence C. (1884). Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. New York: Century Co. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
External links
- Battle of Wilson's Creek at American Battlefield Trust
- Battle of Wilson's Creek at Community & Conflict: The Impact of the Civil War in the Ozarks
- An Account of the Battle of Wilson's Creek at Project Gutenberg