Wilson's Creek Civil War Battlefield - Springfield, Missouri

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.

Butterfield Overland Stage – Springfield, Missouri

DATE VISITED:  05/23/2015

HISTORICAL SITE:  Butterfield Overland Stage

LOCATION:  Springfield, Greene Co., Missouri

MARKER #:  18

DEDICATED:  November 1932

"Site of Gen. Nicholas Smith’s Tavern on Boonville Road, Earliest outlet of Springfield, also station of Butterfield Stage route carrying first overland mail from St. Louis to Pacific Coast. Government subsidy $600,000 yearly. First mail left St. Louis Sept. 16, 1858, by rail, arriving Tipton afternoon of same day, then by stage, reaching Springfield 3.15 p.m., Sept. 17, and San Francisco 7.30 a.m., Oct 10. Time 23 days, 23 hours from St. Louis. 2765 miles. Longest mail stage route ever attempted. Bi-weekly service Mondays and Thursdays from St. Louis. 141 (later 167) stations en route. First eastbound stage left San Francisco early Sept. 15, arriving Springfield 3.00 p.m. Oct. 8. Where hundreds welcomed its arrival as great event. Banquet; speeches; fireworks. Time eastward trip, 24 days, 18 hours to St. Louis."

MARKER PLACED BY:  University Club Marker

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS: 

The creator of the stage line, John Butterfield, started as a stagecoach driver and would eventually, with partners such as William Fargo of the Wells Fargo fame, win the bid for an overland mail route from the Mississippi to San Francisco…twice a week…in 25 days.

There were 9 bids but Butterfields was the only one with a southern route. Although 600 miles longer, it would remain snow free and the government awarded Butterfield the contract for twice a week mail delivery to the tune of $600,000 a year.

It cost a dime to send a letter but $200 one way fare for passengers. They averaged 15 MPH and 120 miles a day.

In the early 1860’s because bandits and Indians constantly harassed the stage route, President Lincoln assigned a Calvary Division out of Kansas to guard the route.

It was near this time that Wells Fargo took over the stage line because of Butterfields debts and Butterfield was pushed out of the venture.

One of Springfield’s earliest residents, Nicholas Smith, built a hotel at the stage stop in Springfield. As an aside, Smith was definitely rich by the time he died…he left an estate of over $100,000 in 1858. The Smith Hotel was one of 200 stage stops but probably one of the nicest. 

Because of an active temperance movement in Springfield, liquor would flow until the “dry” groups reared up in protest. A Temperance Building went up near the hotel but every time the city went “dry”, court action would get the alcohol flowing again.  Actually, Greene County voted to go “dry” as late as 1910, but that was the last time.

The breakout of the Civil War made the southern route too difficult and, like the Pony Express, the Overland route wasn’t in existence all that long…only 19 months. It's interesting to learn about this mail route because, as you can imagine, being in Sacramento, the focus is the Pony Express. 

Currently, the US National Park Service is looking into making the route an official National Historic Trail.