DATE: July 1, 2015
HISTORICAL
SITE: Wilson’s Creek
Battlefield
LOCATION: 6424 W. Farm Rd 182, Republic, Greene Co.,
Missouri
MARKER
#: 66000113
DEDICATED: April 22, 1960 (Redesignated as a “national
battlefield” on December 16, 1970)
PERSONAL
REFLECTIONS: When
going into Springfield for an appointment, Dirk suggested we go the WilsonCreek Civil War Battlefield and I was all for it. Dana and I had visited the
Prairie Grove Battlefield in Arkansas and I loved it. That is, I loved it
except for the weather. It was hot and humid, something this California girl is
not used to.
You are
first introduced to the National Park at the Visitors Center where there is a
30 minute film with battle re-enactments. The park itself is a 4.9 mile
self-guided tour that has 8 stops in places that are considered significant to
the battle.
We’re
driving to the first stop when I suddenly stop the car. On the right side of
the road is a turtle..about the size of a man’s hand. It’s hot and that
pavement has to be uncomfortable…besides, a few more feet, he was moving from
right to left…I think…and he’d be in the road and in danger of being run over.
I "oh look" told Dirk about it and look at him. He’s like “do you
want me to pick it up?”…I’m like “yeah, it’s going to get run over”. So Dirk
gets out, picks it up and sets it in the grass. He then gets back into the car
and tells me about a Missouri law that makes it unlawful to touch, pick up or generally
mess with any wildlife. But I was happy and said, “but you saved his life”.
Missouri
was a state with internal conflict during the Civil War. They elected to stay
in the Union but declared themselves neutral and stated they would not send
supplies or men to either Army. There were plenty of slave owners in Missouri and
the government was often found to be harassing the Union Army. At one point,
the Union demanded free rein through Missouri while the Governor said they must
stay in the St. Louis area.
Soon
the Armies of both the north and south were positioned to clash at this very
point.
On
August 10th, 1861, the Union attacked the Confederates and succeeded in
claiming the high ground later called "Bloody Hill". Then the
confederates rallied and attacked the Union line three times; killing both
Union Generals. At the end of the 3rd attack, the Union soldiers, exhausted and
lacking ammunition, withdrew to Springfield.
There
were several houses in the area of this battle but one in particular; the “Ray”
house, was spared because it was being used as a field hospital. That house
sits on the grounds today; renovated back to its 1850’s look.
This
was the first major civil war battle west of the Mississippi River and is also known
as the Battle of Oak Hills. This battle went on for 5 grueling hours in what
was described as a very hot and humid day.
I
thought of that as I struggled to breath in the “wet” air…wanting to see
everything yet yearning for the air conditioning of my car. It had already
rained once. That’s what I have found about Missouri…it’s hot, it’s humid, and
the sun is beating down on saturated air until you can’t stand it. It rains,
everything and everyone breathes a sigh of relief as a kind of coolness comes
over you…and then it starts anew.
Unfortunately,
or fortunately, depending upon your choice of sides, the Confederate army was
too disorganized and ill equipped to go after the Union army and it was this failure
of the Confederates to exploit their victory here that probably kept Missouri
in the Union.
On
October 30, 1861, the Confederate Missourian government formally joined the
Confederacy. The majority of the population never voted for succession and so
the state remained in the Union.
After
more skirmishes, and being unable to secure Missouri, the Missouri Guard moved
to battles in Arkansas and Mississippi. That didn’t mean Missouri was
quiet...just the opposite. With the organized Armies gone, guerrilla warfare
between the sides kept the conflict going.
In the
end, around 1,317 Union and 1,230 Confederates were either killed, wounded or
captured at Wilson’s Creek.
The
last stop on the tour is “Bloody Hill”, where the final routing took place. The
view is spectacular and you can only imagine the carnage of an army racing up
that hill. There are cannon’s placed at the top and Dirk places a hand on one
of the cannons and says “cannons have a way of making a man feel virile”. I
love that he makes me laugh…a lot.
P.S. It’s interesting after you visit one battlefield, how
you start to see the connection of the sites and how the armies moved.
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