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Battle of Oak Hills, Springfield, or Wilson's Creek, MO
in the American Civil War
Online Books:
Official Records, Union
Reports (Pages 53-98)
Official Records,
Confederate Reports (Pages 98-130)
The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, by the United
States War Department, 1880
An Account
of the Battle of Wilson's Creek, by Return Ira Holcombe, 1883
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Union Battle Summary |
| Wilson's Creek, Mo., Aug. 10, 1861. Army of the West.
About 5 p.m. of the 9th the Federal forces under Gen. Nathaniel Lyon
moved out from camp near Springfield to attack the Confederates
encamped at Wilson's creek. They moved in two columns, one under Lyon
and the other under Col. Franz Sigel. Lyon with the main body was to
proceed down the Cassville road to the prairie and then turn so as to
attack the Confederate left. Sigel was to move with his brigade to the
left of the Cassville pike. Lyon's advance came close to the
Confederate guard fires at 1 a.m. of the 10th and lay on their arms
until early dawn. Then moving southward a short distance, a line of
battle was formed and the column advanced until the enemy's outposts
were encountered and driven in. A detachment was thrown across the
creek and in the forward movement kept pace with the main line of
battle. The skirmishing along the entire front soon became very brisk,
and the Confederates were found occupying a ridge almost at right
angles to the line of march and to the valley of Wilson's creek. The
1st Mo. was deployed and sent on the right and the 1st Kansas to the
left, the two regiments driving the enemy back, after which the whole
line steadily advanced and the fighting became furious. Totten's
battery was brought into the action by section or piece as the nature
of the ground permitted, and after an action of half or three-quarters
of an hour, in which the portion of the line near the battery had been
driven twice in confusion, only to be rallied and brought back into
the fight, the Confederates gave way. Four companies of infantry under
Capt. Plummer had been ordered to move forward on the right, but had
been momentarily repulsed by a heavy force in a corn-field, when Du
Bois' battery came up and by a few well directed shots cleared the
field. The 1st Mo. on the extreme Federal right was still heavily
engaged and the 2nd Kan. was sent to its support, succeeding in
driving the enemy back. For a time there was a cessation of the heavy
firing and then the Confederates advanced in force on the front, their
onjective point being Totten's battery. For more than an hour the
battle raged around the battery, its support several times falling
back only to be replaced by fresh troops. At one time every available
battalion of Lyon's army was engaged. It was at this point while
attempting to rally his men during an advance on the enemy to within
30 yards of the battery that Lyon was killed. The command then
devolved upon Maj. Samuel D. Sturgis, and within half an hour after
Lyon had fallen the Confederates had been repulsed. Meanwhile nothing
had been heard of Sigel's column which was to have cooperated with
Lyon. Sturgis called his commanders together and it was debated
whether it was wiser to advance or retire. While the discussion was in
progress a considerable force of infantry was seen coming from the
direction in which Sigel was supposed to be. As it was bearing the
U.S. flag it was supposed that it was Sigel's column and Sturgis
ordered his men forward to meet it. The column advanced down the hill
in front of Sturgis within easy reach of the artillery and it was not
until a battery was planted on the hill opposite that Sturgis
discovered that it was Confederates who were advancing against him.
The assault at this point was the fiercest of the day. Several times
the enemy advanced to within a few feet of Totten's battery, but for
the first time during the day the Union line could not be budged. Not
a single battalion or company moved from its position and after their
last desperate effort the enemy turned and fled. Meantime Sigel had
taken a position and was awaiting the repulse of the enemy by Lyon's
column. It was reported to him that Lyon's troops were marching up the
road to form a junction with his and it was not until the approaching
enemy opened a battery upon him that he discovered that it was a
Confederate force. His men became panic-stricken and fled in disorder,
losing in killed, wounded and missing, 292 men. The loss in Lyon's
command was 223 killed, 721 wounded and 291 captured or missing. The
enemy had 265 killed, 800 wounded and 30 captured or missing. (This
action is also known as Oak Hills and Springfield.)
Source: The Union Army, Volume 6, Cyclopedia of Battles,
1908 |
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