Wilson's Creek National Battlefield

Battle at Wilson's Creek

In early 1861, President Abraham Lincoln called on Missouri to raise four regiments for the Union, but Governor Claiborne F. Jackson, a Confederate supporter, refused and prepared the Missouri State Guard to seize a U.S. arsenal in St. Louis. Union General Nathaniel Lyon responded by driving the Guard from St. Louis and removing Jackson from office. The Missouri State Guard, now under Sterling Price, retreated toward Springfield, followed by Lyon. Price was reinforced by a Confederate army under Benjamin McCulloch.

Sigel's wing was quickly driven off, allowing Price and McCulloch to concentrate against Lyon's column on Bloody Hill. Lyon was killed, and the Union forces retreated. After the battle, Price and McCulloch disagreed over command; Price moved toward Kansas, then struck north, winning the Siege of Lexington, but retreated when Union troops approached.

Park history

Wilson's Creek National Battlefield began as a park on April 22, 1960, and was renamed a National Battlefield on December 16, 1970. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

The park grew by 615 acres in 2004 thanks to Public Law 108-394, and another 60 acres were added in 2018 after the American Battlefield Trust bought the land. The trust and its partners have saved 278 acres of the battlefield, most of which was sold to the National Park Service. Today, the park protects 1,750 acres near Republic, Missouri.

Features

The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The visitor center offers exhibits, a short film, fiber optic maps, and a bookstore.

A five-mile self-guided automobile tour loop connects eight stops, including the restored 1852 Ray House, which served as a field hospital after the battle and where General Lyon's body was brought. The house is open for limited summer tours. The loop also includes Bloody Hill, site of heavy fighting and Lyon's death, marked by a 1928 monument, with several cannons on display.

Hiking trails and a seven-mile horseback riding trail are available. The John K. and Ruth Hulston Civil War Research Library, founded in 1985, holds over 12,000 books on the Civil War, focusing on the Trans-Mississippi Theater, plus digital genealogical resources. The Wilson's Creek Civil War Museum (formerly General Sweeny Museum) displays artifacts from the Trans-Mississippi Theater. Commemorative events occur on August 10, the battle anniversary.