Civil War History

John K. Hülston is an attorney at Springfield, Missouri . He did most of the research for this article while an army officer in World War II. He is a founder of the Wilson's Creek Battlefield Foundation . A few years ago he published an historical article: "Daniel Boone's Sons in Missouri." West Point & Wilson's Creek JOHN K. HULSTON the purpose of this article is fourfold: (1) To chronicle the eighteen United States Military Academy graduates engaged in their initial conflict and to observe their application of tactics, logistics and discipline learned in the classroom and on the frontier. (2) To sketch the battle of Wilson's Creek, a highly suitable laboratory because of the small number of West Pointers engaged and the large number of official reports rendered . (3) To ascertain the chief lessons the West Pointers learned at Wilson's Creek and to comment on a few of the battles later on where they had an opportunity to reflect upon what they had learned. (4) Tb record the unique distinction of Wilson's Creek which is that among many Civil War battles, considering the number of West Pointers engaged , Wilson's Creek ranks foremost as a proving ground for company and field grade officers who subsequendy attained brigade, divisional, corps and army commands. Prior to the engagement at Wilson's Creek,1 little indeed was known concerning these officers' qualifications for battle leadership. Nathaniel 1 Known also as the battle of Springfield and/or Oak Hills. War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Washington: 1880-1901), Series 1, volume 3, p. 2. Hereafter cited as O.R., followed by the series number, the volume number in roman numerals, the part number (if any), and the page, as: O.R., 1, III, p. 2. The commander of Union troops reported the engagement as the battle of "Springfield" (O.R., 1, III, p. 64) and in December, 1861 an Act of Congress declared "Springfield" the official name (O.R., 1, III, p. 93). It seemed awkward to speak of a battle which occurred 10 miles southwest of Springfield as being the battle of Springfield. A desire for accuracy of expression determined "Wilson's Creek" to be a practical name. To the War Department in Richmond — on the day of battle — the Confederate commander reported a victory on the "Battlefield of Oak Hills" (O.R., 1, III p. West Point 6· Wilson's Creek335 Lyon alone had participated in the Florida hostilities of 1841. In die war with Mexico in 1847 only four of the West Pointers were under fire. Prior service, for most of them, was limited to tours of frontier duty and occasional Indian skirmishes. In order to pursue careers in civil life, two officers had resigned their commissions. Three officers had completed twenty years of service, while one officer had graduated only three months earlier. The average length of service was less than eleven years. The oldest officer was forty-three, the youngest was twenty-one, while thirty-four was the average age.* OIF tie eighteen West Pointers participating at Wilson's Creek, four claimed a Confederate command and fourteen held commissions in the regular United States Army. On the day of battle two wore the epaulettes3 of general officers; both were brigadiers: Nathaniel Lyon, commander of the Union Army of the West and N. B. Pearce, temporarily a brigadier of Arkansas State troops.4 Before the close of the Civil War—in addition to Lyon—of die thirteen Union West Pointers who fought at Wilson's Creek, five attained the coveted rank of major general, commanding divisions, corps, and armies;5 three rose to be brigadier generals leading brigades and divisions; four became colonels, one was a captain. Widiin the two years following Wilson's Creek, the three Confederate West Pointers, in addition to Pearce, rose to be brigadier generals in die Provisional Army, C. S. A. Let us turn to the command function which the four Confederate West Pointers performed at Wilson's Creek: 130). Oak Hills was not an established landmark, however, and must be located with reference to the well known creek crossing...