DAY 2: MONDAY 10 MARCH
Springfield, MO to Rogers, AR.
Next morning after wriggling around a little construction trouble I made it to the Phelps Grove Park which is important to the story of Lyon (MBA), and here I was quite surprised, and again lucky, to discover some helpful waysigns.
Phelps Grove Park, Springfield, MO.
Phelps Grove Park, Springfield, MO.
Phelps Grove Park, Springfield, MO.
Phelps Grove Park, Springfield, MO.
From here I proceeded directly to the National Cemetery, which is more impressive than I had imagined it would be, although for some reason the Sterling Price statue is missing from its pedestal.
Lyon Monument, Springfield National Cemetery.
Lyon Monument, Springfield National Cemetery.
Memorial to Union Soldiers. Springfield National Cemetery.
Union Memorial, Springfield National Cemetery. Note Lyon Monument in reflection.
Union Memorial, Springfield National Cemetery. Note Lyon Monument in background.
Unknown Union dead. Springfield National Cemetery.
Confederate Cemetery at Springfield National Cemetery.
Confederate Cemetery at Springfield National Cemetery.
Sterling Price Memorial at Springfield National Cemetery.
Sterling Price Memorial at Springfield National Cemetery. (The sentiment expressed might be open to doubt by many for a variety of reasons.)
Sterling Price Memorial at Springfield National Cemetery. (This expressed sentiment, too, might be doubted.) Note the misspelling.
Unknown Confederate dead, Springfield National Cemetery.
Having got to town late the previous night I hadn’t gotten as early a start as I’d have preferred. Now I hightailed it to Wilson’s Creek, although the GPS unit and I had a few disputes about the best way to do that along the way.
Roadside geology, Springfield, MO.
Roadside geology, Springfield, MO.
Wilson’s Creek.
In November 2002 I drove from Tucson to Pea Ridge and up into Missouri, later to Northwest Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and back home. The first Civil War battlefield I ever visited was Pea Ridge, and the second was Wilson’s Creek, also during that trip. At the time I really knew very little about what had happened in those places. Now I know a good deal more.
Scenes of MBA take place at Wilson’s Creek. Today I made extensive hikes through the battlefield. One of the take-home lessons of this trip for me is how important it is to do this: if you know the story sufficiently, then when you get out and walk the terrain, you understand much more of what considerations were likely driving decision-making that you don’t necessarily fully understand when you read an account of the story, even from a very reliable source. The true depth of Sigel’s folly crystallized for me here this time, for example, as I walked the route and understood what a blunder he had made. But also it’s very different to see terrain from the ground than it is to consider it from the view of an airplane when looking down on a map. In the end I spent so much time hiking here, and I had spent more time at the Springfield National Cemetery than I’d expected, that I had no choice but to jettison my hoped-for drive down the Wire Road to Arkansas: like exploring western Kansas, that too would be a full-day trip all by itself.
Wilson’s Creek Visitor Center.
Wilson’s Creek near Gibson Mill site.
Wilson’s Creek near Plummer’s crossing.
Pulaski Battery seen from the north. Wilson’s Creek.
Plummer’s fight in Ray cornfield. Wilson’s Creek.
Confederates battled Plummer in Ray cornfield from this position across from Ray house. Wilson’s Creek.
Pulaski Battery. Wilson’s Creek.
Edwards cabin/Price’s headquarters. Wilson’s Creek.
Wire Road and Skegg’s Branch. Wilson’s Creek.
Skegg’s Branch. Wilson’s Creek.
Wire Road climbing up to Sigel’s last position. Wilson’s Creek.
Wire Road beyond Sigel’s last position. Wilson’s Creek.
Looking toward Bloody Hill from north of Edwards cabin. Wilson’s Creek.
Totten’s Battery atop Bloody Hill. Wilson’s Creek.
(Misplaced) marker commemorating Lyon’s death. Wilson’s Creek.
Urban Spoon saved me once again and found me a fantastic meal, and then I hurried south for the Arkansas border.
The sun was sinking fast when I reached Bentonville, but I got to explore a little, including the town square and the Eagle Hotel site, before finding a nice room for the night not too far away in Rogers.
Confederate monument, town square, Bentonville, AR.
Sigel goofing off before battle of Pea Ridge. Bentonville, AR.
Tagged: Arkansas, Battle of Wilson's Creek, Civil War, Franz Sigel, Memphis Blues Again, Missouri, Nathaniel Lyon, Pea Ridge, Phelps Grove Park, Springfield, Sterling Price
