Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield has expanded by 60 acres. The property, on the southeast boundary of the park, was the first position of Colonel Franz Sigel’s troops during the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. According to park officials, the Union forces divided their troops as they left Springfield around 6 p.m. on August 9. The plan was to take 1200 men under Col. Sigel and swing wide to the south, flanking the Confederates on the right as General Nathaniel Lyon’s force struck from the north.
A news release states that the acquisition allows the park to interpret a very significant segment of the battle under the command of Col. Sigel.
The Civil War Trust and the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Foundation worked to purchase the property, which was acquired on January 22. The CW Trust is a national organization with the mission of preserving historic Civil War and Revolutionary War battlefields. Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield’s Boundary Expansion document, dated June 2003, states that additional land may be purchased from willing sellers.
The land was conveyed to the U.S. Department of the Interior and will be managed by Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield.
The battlefield, southwest of Springfield, preserves the site of the first major battle of the Civil War in the West, and is where the first Union general was killed in the Civil War.
