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The Battle of Wilson's Creek was the first major battle of the war west of the Mississippi, and is sometimes called the "Bull Run of the West". The first Union casualty of a General happened during the short but intense fighting, when Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon was shot through the heart on Bloody Hill.
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The Battle of Wilson's Creek August 10, 1861
Brig. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis replaced him. Meanwhile, the Confederates had routed Sigel’s column, south of Skegg’s Branch. Following the third Confederate attack, which ended at 11:00 am, the Confederates withdrew. Sturgis realized, however, that his men were exhausted and his ammunition was low, so he ordered a retreat to Springfield. The Confederates were too disorganized and ill-equipped to pursue. This Confederate victory buoyed southern sympathizers in Missouri and served as a springboard for a bold thrust north that carried Price and his Missouri State Guard as far as Lexington. In late October, a rump convention, convened by Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson, met in Neosho and passed an ordinance of secession. Wilson’s Creek, the most significant 1861 battle in Missouri, gave the Confederates control of southwestern Missouri.
Order of Battle
Source:
References:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wilson%27s_Creek
- http://www.nps.gov/wicr/index.htm
- Complete reports from both sides (starts on page 54): http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/m/moawar/text/waro0003.txt