Wilson's Creek
Oak Hills Missouri

August 10, 1861

Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon's Army of the West was camped at Springfield, Missouri, with Confederate troops under the commands of Brig. Gen. Ben McCulloch approaching. On August 9, both sides formulated plans to attack the other. About 5:00 am on the 10th, Lyon, in two columns commanded by himself and Col. Franz Sigel, attacked the Confederates on Wilson's Creek about 12 miles southwest of Springfield. Rebel cavalry received the first blow and fell back away from Bloody Hill. Confederate forces soon rushed up and stabilized their positions. The Confederates attacked the Union forces three times that day but failed to break through the Union line. Lyon was killed during the battle and Maj. Samuel D. Sturgis replaced him. Meanwhile, the Confederates had routed Sigel's column, south of Skegg's Branch. Following the third Confederate attack, which ended at 11:00 am, the Confederates withdrew. Sturgis realized, however, that his men were exhausted and his ammunition was low, so he ordered a retreat to Springfield. The Confederates were too disorganized and ill-equipped to pursue. This Confederate victory buoyed southern sympathizers in Missouri and served as a springboard for a bold thrust north that carried Price and his Missouri State Guard as far as Lexington. In late October, a rump convention, convened by Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson, met in Neosho and passed an ordinance of secession. Wilson's Creek, the most significant 1861 battle in Missouri, gave the Confederates control of southwestern Missouri.

Result(s): Confederate victory

Location: Greene County and Christian County

Campaign: Operations to Control Missouri (1861)

Date(s): August 10, 1861

Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon and Maj. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis [USA]; Maj. Gen. Sterling Price, Missouri State Guard, and Brig. Gen. Ben McCulloch [CSA]

Forces Engaged: Army of the West [USA]; Missouri State Guard and McCulloch's Brigade [CSA]

Estimated Casualties: 2,330 total (USA 1,235; CSA 1,095)

Scenario Download:
 
  Norris/Frost BG Mods Available, PBEM only: Files:
  About the files:
These are modifications for the Talonsoft BGS
game using the Norris/Frost modifications and rules.

How to install:

Copy your <<C:\Talonsoft\BGS\WC>> subfolder and rename the new subfolder WCNF.  Download the BGSScenWC(NF) file and unzip it into the  <<C:\Talonsoft\BGS\WCNF>> folder.  Start your game by C:\BGS\BGS.EXE and choose the WCNF module.

 

Scenario files -

 

  BGSScenWC(NF).zip (10 Kb)

 

For information concerning this system click here – New System.doc

 

     
  How to Start Custom BG-Series Battles  
     
 
 
Cartography Office maintained by: David Kerns and Scott Adams
Assisted by: Paul Wakeman, Bob Eubanks, Jess Norris, Robert Frost,