Jesse James and the Civil War in Missouri

The Battle of Wilson's Creek

The Battle of Wilson's Creek General Price and Governor Jackson continued to march south after fighting General Sigel at Carthage. They joined forces with the Confederate army from Arkansas under General Ben McCulloch. Price and McCulloch together had about twelve thousand men. They decided to attack the Union troops at Springfield. The troops under General Price and General Mc, Culloch began marching toward Springfield and camped for the night along Wilson's Creek just south of the town. Generals Lyon and Sigel had only about six thousand Union troops, so Lyon sent a message to the Union army headquar, ters in St. Louis asking for help. When he found out he was not going to get any help, he decided he might be able to defeat Price and McCulloch by making a surprise attack dur, ing the early morning hours. At dawn on August 10, 1861, General Sigel attacked General McCulloch's men from the south and Lyon attacked Price's men from the north. At first things seemed to be going well for the Union army, but the Confederates under General McCulloch finally forced Sigel to retreat. Many soldiers were not in uniform, and Sigel's men had mistaken some of McCulloch's troops for Union troops. General Price then ordered his State Guard troops to at, tack General Lyon's men on a high hill overlooking the valley of Wilson's Creek. So many people on both sides were killed during this part of the battle that the place was called "Bloody 23 24 Jesse James and the Civil War in Missouri General Franz Sigel, a German immigrant who was teaching in St. Louis when the Civil War broke out, fought at Wilson's Creek and Pea Ridge. (State Historical Society of Missouri) The Battle of Wilson's Creek 25 General Lyon, shown on his white horse, was killed at the Battle of Wilson's Creek. (State Historical Society of Missouri) Hill." Lyon's men were able to hold the ,hill, but Lyon was killed. He was the first Union general to be killed during the Civil War. The death of Lyon and the large number of Union soldiers killed and wounded during the fighting at Bloody Hill made it necessary for the Union army to retreat to Springfield and then to St. Louis. The Confederate and State Guard armies also had many men killed and wounded, but the Battle of Wilson's Creek was a victory for the Confederate forces. Southern sympathizers made up many songs about Sigel and his "Dutch" troops who fought at Wilson's Creek. Old Sigel fought some on that day But lost his army in the fray. Then off to Springfield he did run With two Dutch guards and nary a gun. -Randolph, Ozark Folksongs, vol. 2 26 Jesse James and the Civil War in Missouri Wilson's Creek was the first major battle west of the Mis~ sissippi River. Among the men who fought on the Confeder~ ate side were Frank James, William Clarke Quantrill, and Cole Younger. Frank James, Jesse's older brother, had joined Price's army at Lexington. Quantrill had been a fierce fighter for the Missourians during the Kansas~Missouri Border War. Cole Younger was from a wealthy family that lived in Har~ risonville, Missouri, just south of Kansas City. After the war he and his brothers would become well~known members of the Jesse James gang. One story about what happened to Frank James after the Battle of Wilson's Creek says that he got the measles shortly after the battle and was left at a hotel in Springfield. Union troops captured him, but later let him go after he promised he would go back to his home and not fight again for the rest of the war. Frank did go back home to Clay County, but he did not keep his promise to stay out of the war. ...