Wilson S Creek Pea Ridge And Prairie Grove

A useful guidebook for the significant Civil War battles of Wilson's Creek, Pear Ridge, and Prairie Grove.

In the summer of 1861, Americans were preoccupied by the question of which states would join the secession movement and which would remain loyal to the Union. This question was most fractious in the border states of Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri. In Mi

Presents the events of the Battle of Prairie Grove of 1862, which took place in Arkansas and ended the efforts of the Confederate Army to extend the Civil War conflict into the territory west of the MIssissippi River, discussing the generals, battle tactics, casualties, and aftermath.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1866 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER IX. REBELS -- RUMORS-RAIDS. Secession orators--Marvelous stories--Escape of Tebbetts and Graham--Weary days--Sick soldiers. It may have occurred to the reader, that I have not acted justly in failing to chronicle the achievements of the men in our region most prominent in the cause of the South. True, they have occupied hut little space on these pages, but they shall remain in obscurity no longer. Yet truth compels me to state that those who raised their voices first and loudest for the secession of the State, and in favor of a Southern Confederacy, were not as lavish of their blood as of their words. By their specious arguments they induced others to peril their lives for what they taught them were their rights, but in very few instances did they prove themselves possessed of that courage they were so ready to applaud in others. Two prominent members of the legal profession, A. M. Wilson and W. D. Reagan, were among the first and boldest speakers on the disunion side. The unwarlike spirit of the people of the North, the boundless resources of the South, the assurance that secession would be peaceable, and the certainty of foreign interfere ence if war should come, pictures of the extension of slavery, the acquisition of Mexico, and the unexampled prosperity of the South, under the new order of things, were the arguments relied upon to decide the wavering and confirm those already committed to Southern views. But of their wealth, of which they had abundance, they gave little to the cause which they advocated with such noisy zeal; and of their precious blood they were even still more careful. They were near the battle-field of Wilson's Creek when the fight began, but when it closed they were miles away. When Price and his...

The Civil War claimed over 620,000 lives from April 1861 until the last major battle in June 1865. Neighbor fought neighbor, while families were divided over the issues of states' rights, secession, and slavery. Few people realize that Missouri was the war's third most violent state with over 1,500 battles and skirmishes. Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, southwest of Springfield, commemorates the Battle of Wilson's Creek, which was the first Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River, the second major battle of the war, and where the first Union general was killed in combat. The Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Civil War collection is an outstanding compilation of artifacts, documents, and photographs primarily related to the Trans-Mississippi theater. Items include Arkansas Confederate general Patrick Cleburne's sword belt and sash, abolitionist John Brown's telescope, a Confederate "Cherokee Braves" flag, and an original print of General Order No. 11, which forced evacuation of several western Missouri counties in an attempt to eliminate safe havens for guerrillas.

Includes more than 14 maps and Illustrations Armies of the North and South fought the Battle of Wilson’s Creek about ten miles southwest of Springfield, Missouri, on Saturday, 10 Aug. 1861...While the action at Wilson’s Creek was small compared to that at Gettysburg or Chickamauga, it remains significant and useful to students of military history. ...The Union defeat in battle and the death of General Nathaniel Lyon, so closely following the disaster at First Bull Run, caused the North to adopt a more serious attitude about the war and to realize that victory would come only with detailed planning and proper resourcing. Thus, the Union reinforced Missouri with soldiers and weapons during the fall and winter of 1861-62, while the Confederacy applied its scanty resources elsewhere. Although the exiled pro-Confederate state government voted to secede and sent delegates to Richmond, Virginia, Missouri effectively remained in the Union. Any questions about Missouri’s fate were settled at the Battle of Pea Ridge in March 1862, when Union forces turned back the last significant Confederate threat to Missouri. Wilson’s Creek was a “first battle” for most of the soldiers who fought there. First battles often provide armies with special insights into the application of military art and science, and Wilson’s Creek was no exception. The Mexican War model of organization and combined arms battle was generally confirmed, but some key observations relating to technology and command and control emerged as well...In addition, artillery proved decisive at several key moments during the fighting. Cavalry, on its part, proved to be much less valuable, and this fact hinted at lessons to be learned later in the Civil War. Ultimately, the infantry of both sides played out the drama, and many of the most useful insights came from that branch.

This narrative about Wilson's Creek starts with the backdrop of issues -- from abolition to succession -- in Missouri preceding the Civil War and continues to cover early war issues, such as the search for the Swamp Fox and Battle of Boonville, before cumulating with the Battle of Wilson's Creek and its sub-battle at Bloody Hill.