Please join me in welcoming kristen pawlak. [applause] kristen all right. First of all thank you to all of , you. Thank you to emerging civil war. It is such an honor to speak to you all about the battle of Wilsons Creek which was fought in 1861 in a southwestern corner of missouri, my home state. The subtitle of this presentation is called this means war the battle of Wilsons Creek. I want to take us back to june 11 of 1861 in st. Louis, missouri to the hotel which is just downtown at one of the Nicest Hotels in the 20th 19th century. Important early war leaders met there. You have Nathaniel Lyon, his aide, francis p. Blair, and for the secessionist leaders, you have major clayborn jackson, governor jacksons aide. They come to keep the peace if possible. They are there to negotiate they , are there to prevent the outbreak of war in missouri. This meeting will last several hours and Brigadier General lion lyon becomes frustrated, to the point he looks at the secessionist leaders and has tells them this. Rather than concede to the state of missouri that my government will not bring troops into the state or move troops at its own will into, out of, or through the state, rather than concede to the state of missouri for one single instance the right to dictate to my government in any manner, however unimportant, i will see you and you and you and every man and woman and child in the state dead and buried. This means war. Seriously. Thats exactly how it was said, too. I tried to dramatize that for the crown. In order for us to understand what happened that day, we need to go back a little bit, a few months prior to write around 1861. 860 into i like to claim that missouri is an american borderland. This is part of a series of works on the state of missouri. I think that gives i guess that is a great take on what it was like, but in american borderland, we typically think of it as the transmississippi west. It does not fit any of those descriptions. Most of missourians who are nativeborn, they actually come from the south. Many are kentuckians, tennesseans, virginians, carolinians. Many are bringing their slaves. We all know the missouri 1820 does not have limits on slavery and it also brings maine in as a free state. This is how the stage is set. However, missouri is not just white folk or the enslaved coming into its borders. We have a Large Population of immigrants that have poured into the state. We have the germans and the irish. They are dominantly prounionist. Many of them are proslavery. They started to concentrate in single us in the Missouri River valley. To give you a better view of the state in what it looked like, i have this map here. The green, the green shade means the european immigrants, their population, where they were concentrated. The darker the shade, the higher the percentage that was in enslaved. Enslaved. Missouri has 1. 2 million within its borders by 1860. At about 10 of that population are enslaved. So is about 115,000. I want to jump ahead to april, 1861. We all know where for sumter was, but there were a few things going on in missouri that well impact Wilsons Creek. The newly elected governor of missouri Claiborne Jackson has outright rejected sending volunteers from the state. He has outright rejected it. Mind that there in the liberty arsenal liberty, missouri, just do east from kansas city. The liberty arsenal is the second largest arsenal and it had fallen to secessionist in april. Ahead into may, the same arsenal that was pictured in the background, this is right around that time. It was quite large. It was one of the largest, if not the largest in 1861 in the south. There are 300,000 arms at the st. Louis arsenal at that time. So it is key for the unionists in missouri and st. Louis to protect this at all costs. To do this, they request the help of captain Nathaniel Lyon who was in command of company b of the United States infantry regiment, he was stationed at Fort Leavenworth when these civil war officially began, but he was transferred to st. Louis where he would bring about 100 men to guard the arsenal. He does realize the arsenal will take a lot more men than 102 100 two protected, especially knowing that governor claymore jackson has been working with the confederate government, conspiring with them too, in his eyes, bring misery into the confederacy officially enjoin and join these rebellious states. He is calling for the militia. The northeastern district of missouri militia has gathered outside of st. Louis. This is where the st. Louis University Campus is today. They gathered there in camp jackson. There are about 600 or so. There is anywhere from 600 to 900 depending on which records you look at. He has got quite a few men with him in this militia. At the same time, they began to congregate. Governor jackson is awaiting a package to be shipped from baton rouge, louisiana. Arriving in early may are more guns, four cannons, including siege guns. Jefferson davis authorized that movement to help governor jackson and the militia capture the st. Louis arsenal, but thats my point to happen because Nathaniel Lyon has been able to recruit 6000 men. Its not the veterans reserve corps, but the u. S. Reserve corps, a specialized unit founded in st. Louis in 1861. This includes Augustus Bush and anheuser. In command of the militia is actually this man here, Brigadier General daniel frost. He is the Brigadier General of the state militia. He is in command. Nathaniel lyon on may 10 will bring his 6000 troops around cam jackson and force is to render. Surrender. This is what he writes to general frost. It is my duty to demand, and i do hereby demand, of you an immediate surrender of your command. General frost has no choice but to surrender. Lyon himself is trying to in imprison these militia and prevent them from ever forming up again, but he realizes theres not enough space for several hundred militia to be kept at the st. Louis arsenal. So what he decides to do is that them andng to roll humiliate them, so he gathers all the militia he captured, marches them through the streets of think lewis. As he does that, a crowd of angry onlookers begins to grow. Somebody is throwing rocs and stones. Another pulls out a gun. I have an account from someone you probably have heard of. The man had in his hand a small pistol and the ball struck the leg of one of the staff. The regiment staff. There was a moment of confusion firethe soldiers began to over our heads in the grove. I heard the ball cutting the weeds above our heads and i saw several men and women running in all directions, some of them were wounded. A woman and child were killed outright. Two or three men were also killed. And several others were wounded. Of course, i could no longer defer action. That was William Tecumseh sherman. He went witness the event. Both of them would write about this in their memoirs. Of camp jackson this , is like a lightning bolt. Ultimately 28 civilians have been killed and 75 wounded. This is not just an event that shook missouri. This was an event that shook the core of the United States and to this event will spiral out of control for the state of missouri. In response to this, missouri is mobilizing for war. Within a matter of days, the state legislature in Jefferson City convenes. They have what is known as the military bill. The military bill was really the ability to give the governor, governor jackson, this unprecedented control over the state militia, these very powerful powers for commanding the military. It also creates this Defense Force known as the Missouri State guard. It also places the former missouri governor and mexicanamerican war hero, Sterling Price, in command. Just let you know, the Missouri State guard is not a confederate sanctioned force. It is a state force. When i refer to the state guard, i will call them southerners just because they are not confederate yet. They will later on down the road, a few months after this, and after the battle of Wilsons Creek. Now, the commander who is in command of the department of the west in st. Louis is a gentleman known is william harney. He is not an ardent unionist who is willing to do what ever he can to protect the union. However, he is trying to keep the peace. He is trying to prevent the outbreak of war. I think that is really important to remember with him. But because he is not a strong unionist, he is quickly replaced by the Lincoln Administration and Nathaniel Lyon will take over that command temporarily until you get john fremont being put into command later on. Lyon has the ability to recent troops. He is officially promoted to Brigadier General at this point and he actually raises 11,000 men. That includes reserve guard units and home guard units that will be used to guard rail roads and rivers throughout the campaign. As a reminder, june 11 is the Hotel Meeting and that was the official declaration of war and this will spiral out of control. Following this, its a master of matter of two days later, lyon will get his troops mobilize. He is ready to maneuver and advance and start to boost state guards and the proconfederate government. So, this is his strategy beginning june 13. Lyonl lyon make daniel Nathaniel Lyon is looking at two columns. The first column, the column to the north, st. Louis to the capital. Jefferson city, he will take 1700 men with him by steamboat across the Missouri River where he will serve the government. There we go. Franz sigel will take a column to springfield and the goal is to secure the wire on the telegraph road and the branch to the pacific railroad. Those are the main lines of communication. Coming in from leavenworth, kansas is major sturgis. He will have the u. S. Regulars, which includes infantry, cavalry, artillery. He will also have the kansas volunteers. The first and second kansas will join them and they will begin their movement into the state of missouri. The goal here is to knock out the state guard, as well as the State Government and drives him them out of state. Remember, too, Nathaniel Lyon, he is a connecticut native. He has military experience. He is definitely going to be using the tactics he learned at the academy. Beginning june 13, the plan works. Lyon has split his forces into two. He is able to easily get to Jefferson City. The government flees. Governor jackson will make a request to the rest of the state for 50,000 missouri guard troops to rendezvous at boonville. Boonville is upriver from Jefferson City and thats exactly where they go. Governor jackson will move up to boonville where he will hopefully, in his eyes, meet up with the rest of the guard. Lyon is able to do that. He is able to maneuver at the battle of boonville. Lyons troops will engage with a small contingent of state guard, easily driving them from the field. Sigel will take command of this column. Thomas sweeney will remain in st. Louis and secure supplies and supply lines and create a base. So they will be moving from st. Louis to springfield. Lyon is also expecting sturgis to arrive. Sturgis will me meet at clinton. Lyon will leave boonville a little bit later, july 3. At the same time, after the guards have fled, governor jackson will take a column of men and start moving toward the southwestern area of the state. Sterling price is actually sick during the initial stages of the campaign. He has diarrhea. He is actually up in lexington until he feels a little bit better and then he is making his way to neosho. During this maneuver, those columns are trying to recruit. They are trying to build up the army and utilize this threat of the u. S. Army advancing through the state as a call to arms for many missourians. Many of them do. Ultimately, sigel arrives in springfield. What he is planning on doing as jackson arrives, the Missouri State guard takes their positions and they will rendezvous with jackson. Neosho, heptures will clash with jacksons column, which will result in the first confederate victory in the campaign. The confederate general in the indian territory has a brigade of men he will begin to advance into the states. State of missouri. Some historians believe that this is the first confederate invasion of the north. Some may argue differently. I have heard both. This is obviously one of the first. I will say that. As a fun cartoon, this was done after the battle of boonville. The battle of boonville. You can see Nathaniel Lyon chasing governor jackson. You can see Price Holding his belly. He is obviously sick. The third and fourth stages of the campaign, lyon and sturgis will rendezvous in springfield. They begin to go back to their encampments. The troops still need to train. This is a very low part of the states. Mccullen has worked with the governor of arkansas. He is just down the border. He is waiting for the next stage of the campaign. He has just gotten permission to move into missouri if the situation calls for it. One last thing here, both of the armies at this point, they are looking for a fight. By august 1, Nathaniel Lyon has departed springfield. He is not entirely sure yet, but mccullochs force has united with price. Late july. T in theyve maneuver toward springfield, also knowing that lyon is there. Both of these armies want to fight. They have a skirmish while mcculloch will take camp at the wilson creek valley. Creek,ng is with wilson its wilson creek valley, not wilson creek. I will throw around wilson creek and the battle of will sing creek. Wilson creek. They have an interesting relationship, one that is full of tension. A lot of it has to do with the s troops atof price boonville. A lot of doubts in mccullochs my about whether the state guard can perform. These are green troops. They are armed with squirrel rifles. They have other weapons that do not fire. They are a ragtag army. Theres a lot of doubt. So that causes a lot of friction. He also does not believe that price is a competent commander. This has caused quite a bench of bit of tension. This is a reminder the army will , settle in wilson creek valley august 6. Mcculloch has full command. Arkansas troops, Missouri State guard, and his brigade on august 4 and that was the result of price pestering him, weve got to move. It was mainly he did not believe the State Government was ready to fight. There was that. Things do change in the coming days. Remember, we are not talking very long. The thing is, Nathaniel Lyon is a genius when it comes to intelligence and securing springfield and lines of communication. Making sure that his army is locked when it comes to letting anything leak out about his plans. The strength of his army, all of that. So it has been very difficult for the western army, very difficult for them to get any word of what happened until august 8, two days before the battle. August 8, two women from springfield arrive in the western army camp, alerting mcculloch and price that lyon is anxious. He is growing nervous. He knows that he is outnumbered. He is actually outnumbered over one. E wo to he doesnt know this yet, but they also know that he knows he is outnumbered. Its just what degree . Lyon is contemplating falling back and that would be a safe route. That is something they are considering. Mcculloch advises price, we got to move. We need to move. Price finally gives in. Ok. The orders go in. They will attack at dawn the next way. However, thunderstorms begin to roll in, forcing mcculloch to call off the attack. That mainly has to do with the troops not having cartridges. But heres the thing. After mcculloch calls of the attack, he actually forget to put out any advance guard. They have no forewarning if n attack. A theres about 12,000 troops. About 10,000 that are able to fight. You can see how these are broken up the Missouri State guard underprice. The Arkansas State troops, Brigadier General nicholas pierce. The army of the west. There is springfield right now. Theyve got 5400 to give you an idea. Under sambrigade is sturgis, the second under sigel, and they are armed little bit better. They are armed mainly with rifles and mexican war era muskets. Up in springfield, theres a lot of contemplation by lyon and his subordinate whether to attack or retreat. He knows that he is outnumbered. Just not how much. Fremont is in command of the western department. He has been contemplating how he could distribute any new true. Troops. He has been mainly sending them to the southeastern corridor. Theres a lot of movement there. There is a big threat of a confederate invasion. Fremont is occupied with that. Theres also a significant number of expiring enlistments. s army has been bleeding. The vast majority are scheduled to expire by the end of the month. He knows that. He is crunched for time. Overwhelming emmy enemy numbers, he is completely outnumbered. He will not find that mcculloch has united with price until august 9 when some of his men that are out on recon stumble i believe it was a farm. They stumble in and somebody told them, yeah, we had texas troops up in here. Texas troops . They were under mccullochs command. So they do know. That was the confirmation lyon needed to know. I am outnumbered over two to one. A very scary situation. Believed theates army needs to fall back here if they are running low on ammuniti