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On this day 159 years ago, the Battle of Wilson’s Creek was fought near Springfield, Missouri. This was the first major engagement of the Civil War west of the Mississippi River. 1/
The Pro-Southern Missouri State Guard under the command of General Sterling Price and regular Confederates under General Benjamin McCulloch clashes with Union Volunteers and US Regulars under the command of General Nathaniel Lyon. 2/
Among these Union volunteers were the 1st and 2nd Kansas Infantry Regiments. The 1st was commanded by Colonel George Washington Deitzler and the 2nd was commanded by Colonel Robert Byington Mitchell. 3/
Both regiments were heavily engaged with General Lyon’s Division (Lyon had split his army in two, one division commanded by himself, the other commanded by General Franz Sigel) and fought gallantly on Oak Hill which would later become known as Bloody Hill. 4/
The First Kansas suffered 106 soldiers killed or mortally wounded at Wilson’s Creek. This would be one of the highest single engagement losses of any Union regiment in the entire Civil War. 5/
Coincidentally, the 1st Missouri (US) Infantry would lose 103 killed at Wilson’s Creek, ranking it right alongside the regiment’s western neighbors. 6/
The 2nd Kansas Infantry would suffer 5 killed, 59 wounded, and 62 missing. Among the wounded was their commander, Colonel Robert Mitchell. Mitchell was shot from his horse in the same volley that killed General Lyon. 7/
After the death of General Lyon, and the routing of General Sigel’s division, the Union forces abandoned the field and left Springfield to the Southern forces. However, egos and bickering prevented Price and McCulloch from exploiting their victory. 8/
General Lyon would be the first Union general killed during the Civil War. His death was felt deeply across the North. One member of the first Kansas said his last command was “Now boys, once more for young Kansas and the old Flag!” 9/
The Confederate victory at Wilson’s Creek stirred fears in Kansas of a Confederate invasion of the state and 10 regiments of Infantry were quickly organized. The First Kansas would serve until 1864, the 2nd was reorganized as Cavalry and served until 1865. 10/
By the end of the war, Kansas would send more men to Federal service than any other state proportional to their population. Kansas was born in the crucible of the Civil War and it’s sons were fiercely loyal Unionists. 11/
2 years after the Battle of Wilson’s Creek veterans of the First and Second Kansas Regiments would gather in Leavenworth to commemorate the battle and remember fallen comrades. The keynote speaker was General John A. Halderman, commander of the KS militia 12/
Halderman likened the Battle of Wilson’s Creek to Thermopylae and saod it redeemed the nation after the defeat at Bull Run (despite Union defeat at Wilson’s Creek He called the 1st and 2nd KS “the first born of our people offered as a sacrifice...upon the altar of liberty.” 13/
He continued, saying “No soldiers in this war have earned a brighter record than you did on August 10th, 1861... You, gentlemen... will be known as the soldiers of Lyon’s army- as the heroes of Wilson’s Creek.” 14/
The Battle of Wilson’s Creek is an often overlooked battle, but it was a hugely important engagement. I hope this thread has helped bring some attention to it. End/
Sources:
“Kansans at Wilson’s Creek” edited by Richard W. Hatcher III and William Garrett Piston
Kansas Adjutant General’s Report
Official Record of the War of the Rebellion
“Kansans at Wilson’s Creek” edited by Richard W. Hatcher III and William Garrett Piston
Kansas Adjutant General’s Report
Official Record of the War of the Rebellion
