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Tour: The Battle of Wilson's Creek (1861)

Battle of Wilson's Creek as Depicted in Mural in Missouri State Capitol Cropped

Note: This annotated tour was inspired by The Wilson's Creek Staff Ride and Battlefield Tour written by Major George E. Knapp. I have also used, as input, information from the Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge, and Prairie Grove: A Battlefield Guide, with a Section on Wire Road by Hess, Hatcher, Piston and Shea.

| Waypoints | Google Earth Placemarks (kmz) |

The majority of this tour is located in and around Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, which is about 10 miles southwest of Springfield, Missouri, 65806.

On August 10, 1861 the Union Army of the West under the command of Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon attacked a combined force of the Confederate States of America and the Missouri State Guard that were under the command of Confederate Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch. The fighting resulted in a Confederate victory when the Federals withdrew to Springfield following the death of General Lyon. Nathaniel Lyon was the first US General killed in action in the American Civil War.



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