The Battle of Wilson’s Creek

On August 10, 1861, Union forces clashed with the Missouri State Guard near Springfield, Missouri, marking the first battle of the American Civil War fought west of the Mississippi River. Known as the Battle of Wilson's Creek, it was a clear Confederate victory, giving the South control of southwestern Missouri.

Missouri started the War with armed neutrality, reserving the right to defend itself but choosing neither side in the conflict. President Abraham Lincoln forced the issue when he requested Missouri troops enter into the Federal army. Nathaniel Lyon, the Federal commander in Missouri at the time, accepted Lincoln's invitation, but he confronted harsh opposition from Governor Claiborne F. Jackson and his personal general, Sterling Price. The two sides were unable to resolve the matter peacefully, and Lyon and his men chased Jackson, Price, and their supporters across the state. Lyon eventually captured the capital of Jefferson City and held a special convention to decide secession. Missouri stayed in the Union.

Now a Brigadier General, Lyon and his Army of the West camped at Springfield and prepared for the Confederate response. Price and his Missouri State Guard were supported by Confederate Brig. Gen. Benjamin McCulloch. The two sides met on August 10 at Wilson's Creek.

Lyon divided his forces into two columns and withstood repeated Confederate charges. But while the lines held, Lyon fell, dying in battle. His replacement, Major Samuel D. Sturgis, ordered a retreat to Springfield. The Confederates, too battered to offer pursuit, held their ground and claimed victory.

Price's Missouri Guard pressed forward into northern Missouri, eventually seizing a portion of the state and establishing Jackson as the Governor of Confederate Missouri. But their triumphs did little to sway popular opinion, and Missouri remained in the Union for the rest of the War.