Battle of Wilson's Creek Facts

August 10, 1861

Portrait of Nathaniel Lyon

During the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, Confederate soldiers killed the Union commander, Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon. [Wikimedia Commons]

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Date

  • August 10, 1861

Location

  • Wilson’s Creek, near Springfield, Missouri

Campaign

  • Operations to Control Missouri

Principal Confederate Commanders

  • Major General Sterling Price
  • Brigadier General Ben McCulloch
  • Brigadier General Nicholas Pearce

Principal Union Commanders

  • Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon
  • Colonel Franz Sigel
  • Major Samuel D. Sturgis

Union Forces Engaged

  • Army of the West

Confederate Forces Engaged

  • Missouri State Guard
  • Western Army

Number of Union Soldiers Engaged

  • Roughly 5,430

Number of Confederate Soldiers Engaged

  • Roughly 11,000

Union Casualties

  • Estimated 1,317 (285 killed, 873 wounded, 186 missing)

Confederate Casualties

  • Estimated 1,232 (277 killed, 945 wounded, 10 missing)

Result

  • Confederate victory

Significance

  • The Confederate victory at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek buoyed secessionist sympathies in Missouri and emboldened the Confederates to launch an offensive to regain control of northern Missouri.
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Citation Information

The following information is provided for citations.

  • Article Title Battle of Wilson's Creek Facts
  • Date August 10, 1861
  • Author
  • Website Name American History Central
  • Access Date June 1, 2023
  • Publisher R.Squared Communications, LLC
  • Original Published Date
  • Date of Last Update April 27, 2022

Battle of Wilson's Creek Facts is Part of the Following on AHC

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