Wilson's Creek National Battlefield ⓘ

The John K. and Ruth Hulston Civil War Research Library is housed in the Wilson's Creek Visitor Center complex. The library includes around 15,000 cataloged books and other items such as regimental histories for many Civil War units.

Wilson's Creek National Battlefield founded the John K. and Ruth Hulston Civil War Research Library in 1985, and dedicated a new library building in April 2003. Springfield attorney John K. Hulston and his wife Ruth donated the core of the library collection. Currently, the library contains more than 12,000 items, most of which are related to the Civil War period and the Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi Theater.

All library items are non-circulating, but are available for on-site use. Some items are accessible digitally via sites such as the Internet Archive and HathiTrust Digital Library. Hulston Library catalog records include digital links to online resources, when available. (See link below to NPS LIBRIS Discovery search portal.)

Staff members are able to perform limited research for patrons by regular mail, e-mail, telephone or in person.

Extensive research on a particular topic should be done in person when possible. Appointments are recommended at this time for research.

Library resources are available by appointment. To schedule an appointment or for more information on available library services, please send an e-mail by clicking this link , or call 417-732-2662.

Nicholas Bouquet Lorenzo Dow Immell John McAllister Schofield William M. Wherry Henry Clay Wood

On December 21, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Act of Congress creating the Medal of Honor. It was the only military award authorized during the American Civil War. At that time, the Medal of Honor was presented for meritorious actions that would not necessarily be recognized by the Armed Services today. A total of 1,520 Medals of Honor were awarded during the Civil War.

An Exciting Chase A few days prior to the 10th of August, 1861, the term of service of the First Iowa Infantry had expired, and they were asked whether they would take their discharges or remain in service until after the expected battle at Wilson's Creek. The men, with one accord, decided to remain in service, all of them being eager for action. Private Nicholas Bouquet, a member of Company D of this regiment, describes his experience in the battle as follows:

We all wanted to have a whack at the Rebels before going home, and, as luck would have it, Company D, to which I belonged, along with Company E, were detailed by Lieutenant-Colonel Merritt to support Totten's Battery. This order brought us into a hand-to-hand contest with the enemy, and, although we were engaging a superior force, we four times repulsed them. When the retreat of our forces was ordered, after General Lyon had fallen, one of the guns of Totten's Battery had been left behind, because one of its horses had been killed. Being this time on the skirmish line, I was called by the gunner of the piece to help catch a riderless horse which was galloping about the field between the lines. To catch this horse was to save the gun from falling into the enemy's hands--a most important factor in battle. The enemy were closing in upon us, but, with the thought of saving the gun, not heeding the rain of bullets from both lines, we started after the horse, and in a short time had him. Leading him with all possible haste to the abandoned gun, we soon had him hitched to it, and away we went, following the retreating regiment, and in a short time had it safely within the lines of our army.

Bouquet later served in the 25th Iowa Infantry and died on December 27, 1912. He is buried in Burlington, Iowa.

William T. Williams: I remember seeing him advance between the enemy and our lines and cut loose the lead team, which had been killed, then mount the saddle horse of the swing team and save the caisson of Corporal Writtenberry's piece, which had been abandoned by all drivers and men, and I remember our whole line cheering him. I also saw him take a mule, put it in place of one of the wheel horses which had been shot, take an axe and cut a small tree, on which the piece was fast, and save the gun; also, saw him advance, under a hot fire, and get a horse belonging to the enemy. . . . Also, remember Capt. Jas. E. Totten's telling him he was the bravest man he ever saw , and that he would be rewarded. John Kelly: I was a witness to an act of bravery. . .[Immell] going between the lines at short range and cutting out the dead lead team of Corporal Writtenberry's caisson, and cutting a sapling where it was lodged, and mounting the swing team and taking it out, for which act the line cheered. At close of engagement, his off wheel horse fell fatally wounded, and Corporal [Immell] received three wounds himself. He put a mule in place of the off wheel horse, and saved his six-pounder gun. Otherwise, it would have been abandoned.

Immell later served in the 1st Missouri Light Artillery. He died on October 31, 1912, and is buried in the National Cemetery at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri.

He had been told by General Lyon to take charge of the left while the General himself would lead the right, and Major Schofield, having lost his horse, passed over to the left and, shouting to the somewhat disordered ranks to follow him, rushed towards the enemy and was soon engaged in the thickest of the fight. Indeed, his position for a while was most threatening. He had intended to lead the left at 'charge bayonets' upon the enemy, but the firing of the enemy became so sharp that some of the men who were following him in the rear returned the fire, and Major Schofield for a time seemed destined to be killed in the cross-fire.

For his special act of gallantry on this occasion. . .Major Schofield was complimented and particularly mentioned in the report of Major Sturgis, General Lyon's successor.

Schofield became commanding general of the army in 1888 and was promoted to lieutenant general in 1895. He died on March 4, 1906, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Lieutenant S.O. Fish of Company D, 1st Missouri Infantry described Wherry's actions at Wilson's Creek:

About 9 o'clock the Company occupied a part of the general line and was especially in support of a section of Totten's battery. We had suffered seriously in the fierce contest which had preceded and about this hour were heavily assailed by fresh troops and a most destructive fire, under which the men recoiled and the Company broke and abandoned the line. While I was engaged in the utmost endeavor to rally the men, and while my efforts seemed almost hopeless, Lieut. Wm. M. Wherry. . .seeing my dilemma and quickly realizing the danger of losing the guns of the battery, came to my assistance. Lieut. Wherry displayed unusual coolness and heroism. He aided me in stopping the men and infused renewed confidence among them, got them back into the line and remained with me until the guns and position were safe.

Wherry also served in the Spanish-American War and was promoted to brigadier general. He died in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 3, 1918, and is buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri.

The two particular acts of gallantry and distinguished conduct. . .are, first, the stand made by the Rifle Recruits, my command, after the other companies of the First Infantry Battalion had retreated, and my conduct in holding them on the line of battle fighting, until peremptorily ordered by Captain Plummer to retire; and Second, without being called there, in alone making my way from the Battalion in rear to the front line of battle to report to Captain Gilbert, receiving an order from him to Captain Huston in rear, and again joining Gilbert on the front line with a message from Huston, which act Gilbert writes of 'as one of conspicuous gallantry.'

Wood retired from the army as a major in 1896 but was advanced to the rank of brigadier general in 1904. He died on August 30, 1918, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Wilson's Creek National Battlefield is home to one of the finest publicly held museum collections representing the American Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi West Theater. The park also houses a substantial library collection, the John K. and Ruth Hulston Civil War Research Library, which includes around 15,000 cataloged books and items such as regimental histories for many Civil War units. To search for Civil War research resources available through the Wilson's Creek research library:

The museum collections include historic objects and documents from many of the battles in the Trans-Mississippi Theatre of the War. The collections also contain objects from prisoner of war camps where Trans-Mississippian soldiers were detained and perished, items documenting battlefield medicine and advances in treatment, objects and documents that lead to a greater understanding of the role of women in the Civil War, and items documenting the naval aspect of warfare in the Trans-Mississippi Theater. The collections also contain over 1,500 images of Civil War soldiers, battlefields, and civilians; a large field ordnance collection; period furniture; drawings by soldiers; an extensive medical tools and equipment collection; uniforms, hats, and other textiles; household objects; saddles, and saddle bags; and many personal items from soldiers that include grooming kits, playing cards, dice, dominoes, tobacco pipes, and housewife kits (sewing kits). The park's extensive archival collections include personal diaries and journals, civilian and military correspondence, and military orders. Notable items in the Wilson's Creek museum collections include: a sword belt and sash belonging to Arkansas General Patrick Cleburne, Abolitionist John Brown's telescope and case, Civil War Medals of Honor, rare weapons such as the Gibbs Carbine carried by a soldier in the 10th Missouri Cavalry and an 1860s Henry repeating rifle, the bed where Union General Nathaniel Lyon's body rested before it was removed to Springfield, the Lyon body pass issued by Captain Emmett MacDonald, Lyon's sword and scabbard, and the counterpane used to cover his body after he was killed on the field of battle at Wilson's Creek. The battlefield also has a noteworthy collection of Civil War flags. These include the Confederate Cherokee Mounted Rifles Regimental flag "Cherokee Braves" representing the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole soldiers led by Cherokee General Stand Watie; the flag carried by the German immigrants from St. Louis, the Turner Battalion; the Confederate First National flag recovered from the battlefield at Wilson's Creek; and the Confederate Hempstead Rifles flag carried by Company H, 17th Arkansas Infantry.

The flag represents the Wilson's Creek National Battlefield museum collection in the National Park Service's Centennial One Object Exhibit (celebrating the 100th anniversary of NPS) and is part of the exhibit's Collections From Missouri National Parks , in which each park contributed one iconic object from its collection.

The Cherokee Braves Flag is the only known example of a Confederate American Indian regimental flag, and is associated with Colonel Stand Watie, a prominent Cherokee tribal leader.

In May and June of 1861, Commodore John Rodgers purchased three riverboat freights and had them converted into gunboats. The USS Tyler , USS Lexington , and USS Conestoga made up the Timberclad gunboats, and it was with these gunboats that the Brown Water Navy was formed. Each gunboat's vessel and machinery was surrounded by 5-inch thick oak bulwarks and armed with multiple cannons. This trio of gunboats participated in numerous engagements and battles involving multiple land and water forces. The military campaigns they participated in included the Battle of Belmont, the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson, the Battle of Shiloh, the capture of Island No. 10, the White River campaign; the Lexington even participated in the Red River Campaign. The USS Conestoga was sunk on March 8, 1864, after she became involved in an engagement with the Confederate gunboat CSN General Sterling Price . After the war, the USS Tyler and the USS Lexington were sold at a public auction in August 1865.

Engine Size: Cylinders 22 inches inside diameter by 8 foot length of piston stroke, 4 Boilers – Side Paddle Wheels

The Ironclad Gunboats were made up of 15 boats. The City Class Ironclads were designed by Samuel M. Pook, and were constructed by the self-taught engineer, James Buchanan Eads. The ironclads that made up this group were the USS Carondelet, USS St. Louis (aka Baron de Kalb) , USS Pittsburg, USS Louisville, USS Cairo , USS Mound City , and the USS Cincinnati . The Rubberclads were gunboats originally covered with Indian Rubber to deflect cannon and musket fire, so to prevent any major disasters from happening, the two Rubberclads, the USS Choctaw and USS Lafayette, were converted into Ironclads. In addition, six large riverboats, the USS Chillicothe , USS Indianola , USS Tuscumbia , USS Benton , USS Eastport, and USS Essex , were converted into the larger Ironclads. Each Ironclad was covered with iron-plating 2.5 inches thick which allowed the gunboats to deflect musket fire and most cannon fire. The Ironclads participated in many important military campaigns during the Civil War, such as the Battle of Belmont, the Battle of Shiloh, the Siege of Island No. 10, Battle of Memphis, the Siege of Vicksburg, the Tennessee and Cumberland River Expeditions, along with the Yazoo, White, and Red River Campaigns.

Built In: Carondelet, Missouri – 1861 Size: 176.5' x 52' x 6.5' Weight: 512 tons Engine Size: Cylinders 22 inches inside diameter by 6 foot in length of piston stroke

Built In: Carondelet, Missouri – 1861 Size: 176.5' x 52' x 6.5' Weight: 512 tons Engine Sizes: Cylinders 22 inches inside diameter by 6 foot in length of piston stroke – Recess Paddle Wheel

Built In: St. Louis, Missouri – 1861 Size: 176.8' x 52' x 6.6' Weight: 512 tons Engine Size: Cylinders 22 inches diameters by 6 foot in length of piston stroke

Built In: Mound City, Illinois – 1861 Size: 175' x 50' x 7' Weight: 512 tons Engine Sizes: Cylinders 22 inches inside diameter by 6 foot in length of piston stroke (On December 12, 1862 the USS Cairo struck two Confederate torpedoes/underwater mines and sunk within 11 minutes. This is the only Civil War gunboat on exhibit in Vicksburg, Mississippi).

Built In: Mound City, Illinois – 1861 Size: 175.5' x 52' x 6.5' Weight: 512 tons Engine Size: Cylinders 22 inches inside diameter by 6 foot in length of piston stroke – Recess Paddle Wheel

Built In: Mound City, Illinois – 1861 Size: 175' x 51.2' x 6' Weight: 512 tons Engine Size: Cylinders 22 inches diameters by 6 foot in length of piston stroke, 5 boilers

Built In: New Albany, Indiana – 1856 Size: 260' x 45' x 8' Weight: 1,004 tons Engine Size: Cylinders 23 inches inside diameter by 8 foot in length of piston stroke, 4 Boilers

Built In: Cincinnati, Ohio – 1862 Size: 175' x 52.3' x 7.7' Weight: 442 tons Engine Size: Cylinders 24 inches diameters by 6 foot in length of piston stoke, 5 boilers – Side Paddle wheels ( Captured by Confederate forces February 24, 1863, above Grand Gulf, Mississippi.)

The USS Red Rover was the first official naval hospital boat. This boat was originally used for trade and transporting goods between Nashville, Tennessee and New Orleans, Louisiana. After the war began, the Confederate Navy purchased her and converted the boat into a floating barrack for Confederate soldiers in November 1861. During the Battle of Island No. 10 in April 1862, the USS Red Rover was badly damaged in the firefight, and was captured by the Union Navy. After her capture, the Union Navy converted the boat into a floating hospital. The remodel of the USS Red Rover was done within strict compliances of the Western Sanitary Commission (WSC). In addition, the USS Red Rover had female nurses from the Order of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. The boat itself could house over 800 wounded/sick soldiers and was designed with surgery and amputation rooms, along with clean and sick rooms, laundry rooms, and ice storage boxes that could hold over 300 pounds of ice. The USS Red Rover traveled up and down the Mississippi River and its connecting waterways throughout the duration of the war.

Built In: Louisville, Kentucky – 1857 Size: 256' x 40.9' x 7.5' Weight: 625 tons Engine Sizes: Cylinders 28 inches inside diameter by 8 foot in length of piston stroke, 5 Boilers

At the beginning of the Civil War, President Lincoln presented a Proclamation of Blockade Against Southern Ports on April 19, 1861. A blockade all along the Eastern and Gulf waterways was created, with the purpose of cutting off all trade and supplies to the states that seceded from the Union. The West Gulf Blockading Squadron restricted movements from the southern tip of Florida and stretched around to the southern-most tip of Texas. A majority of this squadron was made up of vessels from the Blue Water Navy, and many of these vessels assisted the Brown Water Navy in multiple campaigns along the Mississippi River. The West Gulf Blockading Squadron consisted of eighteen vessels, which includes the USS Hartford , USS Brooklyn , USS Colorado, USS Harriet Lane , USS Westfield , USS Clifton , USS Owasco , USS Corypheus , USS Sachem, and USS Powhatan . This fleet was under the command of Commander David Dixon Porter. As a part of the Anaconda Plan, designed by Winfield Scott, the West Gulf Blockading Squadron was able to cut off supplies from multiple southern ports. In addition, the West Gulf Blockading Squadron was successful in taking Fort Jackson, Louisiana;New Orleans, Louisiana;Vicksburg, Mississippi;and Mobile Bay, Alabama.

Built In: Boston Navy Yard, Massachusetts – 1858 Size: 225' x 44' x 17.2' Weight: 2,900 tons Engine Sizes: Combination between steam engines and sails – Cylinders 62 inches inside diameter by 2 foot 10 inches in length of piston stroke, 2 boilers.

The Tinclad gunboats became a part of the Brown Water Navy's flotilla in the beginning of June 1862. Flag Officer Charles Henry Davis wanted to create a light-draught flotilla that would have the capability to travel in low-water areas and assist other naval gunboats in military operations. There were 72 Tinclads, 63 of which were identified with a number painted on the sides of the vessel. In addition, each boat was covered with a thin layer of iron-plating about ½ inch to 1 inch thick, which was just thick enough to deflect musket bullets and light artillery fire. These gunboats were vital additions in multiple campaigns, such as the capture of Fort Hindman, White River Expeditions, Yazoo River Expeditions, Tennessee and Cumberland River Expeditions, the Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, and the Red River Campaign. Some of the Tinclads even provided support to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron.

Original Name: James Thompson Built In: Jeffersonville, Indiana – 1861 Size: 150' x 37 x 5.7' Weight: 280 tons Engine's Size: Cylinder 16 inches inside diameter 5 foot, 2 Boilers

On March 25, 1862, after the C.S.N. Virginia rammed and sunk two Union frigates, Commander Charles Ellet, Jr. received approval to purchase and create a Ram Fleet. Ellet's Ram Fleet consisted of nine vessels--the USS Queen of the West , USS Switzerland , USS Monarch , USS Lancaster , USS Lioness , USS Sampson , USS Mingo , USS Dick Fulton , and USS T. D. Horner. The Ram vessels were fitted with three layers of square timbers 12 to 16 inches thick; the timbers surrounded each boat and its mechanical components. The front of the vessels were reinforced with metal and wood to create the ram fronts. The Ram Fleet was the only group of gunboats that could participate in military operations if they received their orders directly from the Secretary of War or President Lincoln. In addition, Commander Charles Ellet's brother, Alfred Ellet, formed the Mississippi Marine Brigade within the Ram Fleet. The Marine Brigade recruits were made of hospitalized soldiers who were being discharged from the military. The Ram Fleet participated in multiple military campaigns, the first being the Battle of Memphis in June 1862. In addition, they were involved in the Battle of Fort Pillow, the Battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi, Hickman, Kentucky, Yazoo River expeditions, Red River Campaign, and Tennessee River Expeditions.

Early on August 10, 1861, Gen. Nathaniel Lyon and Col. Franz Sigel attacked Gen. Benjamin McCulloch’s and Gen. Sterling Price’s Southern forces, encamped along Wilson Creek.

Lyon engaged Missouri State Guardsmen before dawn, and Sigel's artillery drove Southern cavalry from their encampment in a farm field. Southern troops later attacked Lyon's positions on "Bloody Hill" three times, but failed to break the Union line. During the second assault, Lyon was mortally wounded. McCulloch's men surprised and quickly overran Sigel. Heavy casualties and low ammunition forced Union forces to retreat. After the battle, Southern forces transformed the farmhouse of John Ray into a makeshift field hospital. Soldiers recovered Gen. Lyon's body and carried it to the Ray house, where the family carefully laid the body out on their best bed. Wilson’s Creek was a tactical victory for the South, but the Southerners could not seize the advantage that victory could have given. The Southern win did focus greater national attention on the war in Missouri. The state ultimately saw more strife than any other in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the Civil War.