Gen Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union General to die in the Civil War, was interred in Eastford, CT and became a National hero as the "Savior of Missouri". While this battle was lost, his actions did help keep Missouri in the Union. He is remembered at Wilson's Creek with a small monument.

Kansas has seven counties that were named in honor of Wilson's Creek veterans... Lyon (Gen Nathaniel Lyon), Cloud (Maj-later Col William Cloud), Crawford (Capt Samuel J Crawford of 2nd Kansas), Pratt (Lt Caleb Pratt of 1st KS killed at battle), Stafford (Lt Lewis Stafford of 1st KS, killed in 1863 in LA) , and Russell County is named after Lt. Avra P Russell of the 2nd KS, who survived this battle but didn't the Battle of Prarie Grove in 1862. Osborne County, Kansas is named after Private Vincent Osborne of Co E, 2nd Kansas, who after almost loosing his leg from an injury sustained in this battle, would loose his right leg in 1865.   Buncombe County, Iowa renamed itself Lyon County in 1862. Minnesota also named a county Lyon , after the fallen general, as well as does Nevada. Texas has a McCulloch County named after Benjamin McCulloch. Lyon even had a ship named after him.

Eugene F Ware, who wrote under the pen name, Ironquill, would survive the war and move to Kansas. There he would become one of Kansas' most respected poets.

Franz Sigel, who's name helped recruit thousands of German Americans to fight for the North, would forever be remembered as commander of the Union force defeated at the Battle of New Market, in part by the famous charge of VMI students. He would later move to Bronx, New York and there, died in 1902, still a hero to German Americans. His funeral was attended by thousands and there was a Bronx city park named in his honor.

Schofield Barrack's, located in Oahu, Hawaii, became a target of Japanese bombers on Dec 7, 1941, ...and was named in honor of Lt General John McAllister Schofield, who became US Army General in Chief in 1888.

There would be five US medal of honors given in this battle.

Only Virginia and Tennessee saw more battles in their state than did Missouri.

Brig General Benjamin McCulloch would be killed leading a charge at the Battle of Pea Ridge, AR. Col James McQueen McIntosh, seeing McCulloch go down, took over the charge and was himself killed with a bullet through the heart at Pea Ridge. While recovering from a serious wound to his groin received at Wilson's Creek, MSG General William Yarnall Slack told his wife, who had joined him at the hospital, that should he fall, he wanted his pocket watch to be given to a newborne son that had been born after he had left for war. Slack would never see his boy, falling from a second groin wound at Pea Ridge, but his watch would be given to the infant. James McIntosh younger brother, John Baillie McIntosh, joined the Union Army back east and would end the war as a Major General. The brothers never faced each other in battle. Benjamin McCulloch had followed Davey Crockett to Texas and been an infamous Texas Ranger before the war.

Maj General Sterling Price would survive the war, and died in St Louis in 1867. Union Surgeon Samuel H Melcher also would survive the war and die of senility and a severe case of the "hiccups" in Chicago in 1915. Lieutenant Charles W Canfield would be promoted to Captain and transferred to the Eastern theatre, where he would die at the Beverly Ford, VA on 9 June 1863.

30 of the Union officers in this battle, would become generals before the War's end.

Wilson's Creek ranks 8th as the bloodiest battle for the Union Army during the Civil War when measuring losses per 1000 troops. Regimental loss ratings Union. Confederate.

Maj Samuel Davis Sturgis would be promoted to Brigadier General and fight in the Eastern Theatre until he was transferred back to the west and made Chief of Cavalry July 1863. Badly beaten by Nathan Bedord Forrest at Brice's Crossroads, he would serve the remainder of the war awaiting orders. Later, he fought Indians in the west, and commanded the 7th Cavalry until 1886. Sturgis, South Dakota was named in his honor. His son would follow his father into the military and join the 7th US Cavalry. As a lieutenant he would be assigned to George Custer's  forces, and die at Little Big Horn. Samuel Sturgus would die in St Paul, MN in Sept 1889 and is buried in the Arlington National Cemetery. Sturgis knew many of the men he was fighting at Wilson's Creek, having been stationed in Arkansas at the outbreak of war. Col James McIntosh was a captain in his command there. Frederick W Benteen, who was an unassigned participant, would survive the war and become famous for his riff with George Custer. This dislike betwen the two men probably saved Benteen's life, for on the day Custer marched his troops toward what would become the infamous Little Big Horn Battlefield, Benteen had been dispatched by Custer on a scouting mission. Many historian's believe Custer did this to keep Benteen away from the battle.  

Capt Joseph Plummer would die exactly one year after this battle in as a Brigadier General in Corinth, MS of wounds and exposure in the field.

Lt George O Sokalski, section leader of Totten's battery, survived the war, only to die of illness in 1867 at Fort Laramie, Wyoming. He is buried in Troy, New York. 19 year old, Private Julius von Spindler, joined with other St Louis American's to form the 3rd MO Infantry. After the Union defeat at Wilson's Creek, and disallusioned with the un-United States, Julius returned to Germany and received a pension until his death in 1936. 

9 days after this battle, the Confederate States of America Congress agrees to an alliance with Missouri. Missouri now has two official governments..one Union, one Confederate.  

Brig Gen Mosby Parsons survived the war, but his death is a mystery. It is thought he fought with Maximillian in Mexico and was killed by Republican irregulars near the village of Camargo, Mexico. Capt Francis Jay Herron would also win the Medal of Honor at Pea Ridge and became the youngest Major General on either side when he was appointed. Herron would face Parsons in battle many times during the war and accepted his surrender in 1865 at Shreveport, LA. Upon learning of his former foes death in Mexico, Herron is said to have stated "I have never known a braver or better man".  

Thomas Lowndes Snead would become a Major in the Confederate Army and a Missouri State Representative to the 2nd Confederate Congress. He would live until 1890. 16 year old Private James Snedicor, the youngest member of the Callaway Guards (Company A 3rd Division MSG) survived the battle, only to be arrested one year later for guerilla activities. He was arrested by his older brother, Provost Marshal Isaac D Snedicor, who had joined the Union Army. He was tried and sentenced to death. Both brothers survived the war.

Major John A Haldeman would become US Consul-General in Bangkok Siam in 1882. Two of his sons would join the Union Army, while one joined the Confederate Army as a surgeon. All survived the war. Colonel James David Walker, of the 4th Arkansas Infantry, was captured at Wilson's Creek and imprisoned for two years. From 1879 to 1885 he served in the US Congress as Senator from Arkansas.

The 14 acre National Cemetery in Springfield, Missouri, is the only federal cemetery where there is no wall separating the graves of Union and Confederate dead. The wall separating the 10 acre National Cemetery from a separate 4 acre Confederate cemetery was torn down in 1911. Many of the fallen from Wilson's Creek, were re-interred here. The cemetery contains separate monuments to Union General Nathaniel Lyon and Confederate General Sterling Price. Veterans from every conflict in America's history rest here, including William Freeman, veteran of the Revolutionary War.

25% (1 in 4) of Union soldiers on Bloody Hill, were killed or injured . Some Confederate regiments didn't fair any better.

Sgt William Watson returned to his home country of Scotland after the war, and wrote "Life in the Confederate Army" which was published in 1888 by Scribner & Welford. Sgt William Tunnard returned home to Louisiana, resided in Shreveport,  and published "A Southern Record" immediately after the war. Going mostly unnoticed, it was re-printed in 1988 by Edwin Bearss and Morningside Bookshop and remains today' one of the best regimental histories available. Lt Charles Nichols of the 5th MSG, survived the battle and the war, only to be killed by the Younger brothers while sheriff of Dallas, Texas.

General Thomas (Fighting Tom) Sweeney, would continue his successful, however, tumultuous military career and become a general. After the war, he nearly invaded Canada with a private Army, but was stopped by the US Government. Many suspect the government had endorsed his plans earlier, but changed their minds at the last moment. He died in Long Island, NY in 1892.

Capt Emmett MacDonald, who had vowed to never cut his hair until the Confederacy was acknowledged, never did. He was killed in a small battle in Hartville, MO in Jan 1863.

This was the first major battle that Indians are known to have been participants in.

Some infamous characters fought in this battle, as yet unknown privates. Alexander Franklin "Frank" James, brother of the infamous Jesse James, would fight with the Missouri State Guard here. James Butler Hickok, later to be known as "Wild Bill Hickok" was here with the Union forces, acting as a scout for Lyon. Private Andrew Young McDonald, an orphan, had emigrated to the US in 1854. After working as a plumber in Cleveland, OH and St Louis, MO, he opened his own plumbing business in Dubouque, IA. Heeding the call to serve, Andrew marched south with the 1st Iowa Infantry. Wounded in the battle, he would lay on the battlefield for nearly 4 days before being rescued. In 1863, while marching towards Vicksburg, he would receive word that he had been granted a patent, which he would later sell for $500 to Coes & Co of Worcester, MA. His invention - the monkey wrench that is still in use today.

Capt Otto Lademann, Hungarian by birth,  was captured at this battle and wrote extensively on the battle. Major Peter Osterhaus would retire from the US Army in 1905 as a Brigadier General. Returning to his home country, he would die in 1917 in Duisburg, Germany. Other note worthy "Forty-eighters", or "Dutch" as they were called .. Anselm Albert, Lt Col 3rd MO and former officer of the Austria- Hungarian Army. He was injured in this battle, but survived and became Chief of Staff with Fremont in VA. Franz Backhoff, battery commander,  former artillery captain in Germany under Sigel, later became a Major. Adolf Dengler, Capt Co G 3rd MO Vol, later became Col of 43rd Illinois Infantry and died in NY in 1884. Dr Johann F Hohlfeldt, 2nd Lt Co F 3rd MO Inf, and former delegate of German National Assembly, died 5 days after the battle as a prisoner from injuries received from a cannonball.

Col Richard Weightman is buried in the Federal cemetery in Springfield, Missouri. Weightman was a senator elect for the territory of New Mexico and his letter to Congress about statehood is online. Also buried here is Colonel Benjamin Johnson Brown of the MSG, former member of the Missouri senate, and killed at Wilson's Creek. 50 year old Col James J Clarkson, serving under Weightman's command, fought alongside two older brother's, Anselm and David S, a Dade County judge, and David's son, Davy. The 3 brothers would survive the battle, but Davey, according to family records, would lose an arm and be captured, dying in 1862.

Lt Col George Lippitt Andrews, of the 1st MO Infantry, joined the US Army as a major of the 17th US Infantry. Brevetted for gallantry at 2nd Bull Run and again at Antietam, he survived the war and became an accomplished Indian fighter. He retired in 1892 as a Brigadier General and died July 19, 1920 and is buried at Arlington Cemetery.

Col Louis Hebert of the 3rd Louisiana Infantry survived the war as a General and became a teacher and editor in Louisiana. He would be captured and exchanged twice during the war - at Pea Ridge and Vicksburg. He died in 1901. Hebert was a graduate of West Point class of 1845. Other members of that class included Capt, later General, Gordon Granger of the Union Army. These schoolmates would face one another in Ray's cornfield. Other graduates of West Point included Nathaniel Pearce of the Southern force and Eugene Carr of the Northern, both of the class of 1850.  Lyon, Plummer and Totten were from the class of 1841, and Sturgis and Gilbert of 1846. Col James McIntosh graduated in 1849, and Lt Col James Major of the MSG graduated in 1856. There were a total of 18 West Point graduates at Wilson's Creek, four with the Confederacy, and the balance with the Union forced. Neither Price or McCulloch had attended. Lyon and McIntosh were the only to fall in battle, although Plummer died of injuries in 1862. Lyon graduated with classmates John F Reynold's and Richard Garnett, who would both fall at Gettysburg in 1863. Union Gen Reynolds would die on day one of this battle, and Confederate General Garnett would die on day three as part of the infamous "Pickett's Charge". Garnett's commanding oficer, George Pickett graduated in 1846, along with Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, George McClellan, and Wilson's Creek Sturgis and Gilbert.

Col Elkanah Brackin Greer, of the 3rd Texas Cavalry, was wounded in the Battle of Pea Ridge, and became a Brigadier General in Oct 1862. Afterwards, he was named Conscription Bureau Chief for the Trans-Mississippi Department, and commanded reserve forces in 1864. He died in Duvall's Bluff, AR in 1877. He was a Grand Commander of the Knights of the Golden Circle before the war.

Col De Rosey Carroll of the 1st Arkansas Cavalry, would be murdered in Jan 1863 by William Dark, the bushwacker. Pleasant Hayden Johnson was born in Rome Georgia in 1838 and would move to Pulaski Co, AR when 18 yoa with his parents and siblings. With his brother, Harrison Tyler Johnson, he would join Company E of the 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles. He would fall on August 10th, and his brother would survive - only to fall a year later in a battle in Tennessee.

Pvt William Weldon, of the Hempstead Rifles, showed in the 1860 census as being a cabinet maker. After serving thru the rest of the war in the 17th Arkansas Infantry, his family genealogists found him living in Louisiana. His trade after the war...an undertaker. He died in 1873. First Sergeant William Betts of Co F 2nd Kansas Infantry would succumb to wounds he received at the battle 12 days later. George Washinton D Keckley, the son of a white plantation owner and black slave woman named Elizabeth, was bought out of slavery and joined the 1st Missouri Infantry(U), Company D. He would die on Bloody Hill. His mother went on to become Mrs Lincoln's dressmaker and very close friends with the Lincoln family. A link to her life story is in the library section of this book.

18 year old private William Mears of the 5th Ark, under Dockery, survived the war without injury. Upon returning home to Marion County, AR, he fell from a horse and had his leg amputated. He died in 1932. His older brother, Marquis Lafeyette Mears, was with him in the battle. He survived and died in 1916. Capt David Thompson of John Hughes Regiment survived the war, and died in 1891. His eighth child, born in 1861, was named Jefferson Davis Thompson. Capt John Nichols of Company A, McBride's Division, would be given whiskey and held down by his fellow soldiers, while his leg was amputated, after the battle. His wife would take him home to Licking where he died in 1900.  Private James Maston Atkins of the 3rd Louisiana Inf was injured, but survived Wilson's Creek. Again, more seriously this time, he was injured at Pea Ridge. The bullet from this second wound in the hip was never removed. He survived the war, got married and died in AR in1920.

41 year old Private William R Bradley, MSG under Col Bevier, would survive this and many more battles . During the siege of Vicksburg, he would take ill and die in Mobile, AL on Aug 9, 1863. He left a wife and seven children. So too, would 23 year old James Gray Hamilton of the 3rd Texas Cavalry. Surviving this battle unscathed, he would later take ill and die in Tyro, MS in 1863. Brothers Henry Washington and Pleasant B Clapps of the Missouri State Guard would fight side by side in the battle. Henry would be wounded. Pleasant spent the next 18 days by his brothers side, until he passed away. He buried him in Springfield and delivered the news to his widow, Nancy Grooms. Within the year, Nancy, who was left with a 3 year old son, would loose a brother in the war, and her parents would die in Texas.  Amelia Crozier was home in Washington, AR, during the battle. She was awaiting the safe return of her 32 year old husband Private Jacob Preston Pyeatt, of the 3rd AR Inf. She never saw him again, as he was killed in the battle. Nor would Hannah Patrick see her husband, Lt Thomas King III of the 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles Company C, again. Although he survived service in the Mexican War, he would die from injuries 15 days after this battle and leave eight children.  Adaline Williams was luckier. Her husband, Private Thomas W Williams of the 3rd Louisiana Infantry left her and a 1 year old daughter, Mary Jane, in Haynesville, LA in 1861. He returned in 1865 and lived until 1908. 43 year old Private Dyer Holder left his wife Lenah and six of their seven children in Arkansas with the 2nd Mtd Rifles. Before he left, he made out a will. In 1863, after her husband died of exposure, she probated it. His son, John Holder was slightly wounded at Wilson's Creek, and died at the Battle of Resaca. A nephew, William Faris Holder, was also at Wilson's Creek, and severely wounded in the arm and wrist. He was permanently discharged by surgeons and lived until 1905. Mr and Mrs Henry and Matilda Minnick would loose one of their seven sons in this battle.

James P Minnick, in Slack's division of the Missouri State Guard, fell in battle and never came home. Private Caswell Warren Company H, 1st Infantry, 7th Division under McBride is listed as wounded in the arm. In fact, he died of his injury soon after, leaving behind his parents, three brothers and eight sisters to grieve. 19 year old Christopher Colombus Haile , along with his brothers Leaford Hudson, William Carroll, and James Thomas all joined the Missouri State Guard on June 10th, 1861 in Marionville, MO. Two months later, Christopher would be at Wilson's Creek when his rifle would misfire from his powder getting wet the night before. Dropping to his knee to reload, he would be shot in the chest and die the next day. His father, Mead Haile, living nearby in Billings, MO, retrieved his son's body, burying him on the family farm. Christopher's grief stricken young wife attended the burial and then left and was never heard from again. Brother William would later be killed in Louisiana, and brothers James, later wounded, and Leaford made it though the war. A younger brother, Jackson Overstreet would join the Union Army in 1862 and was wounded in 1863. 52 year old Zachariah Surkiah Daughtery moved to Dent Co, Missouri from TN in 1860 with his family. These included his children, one of whom was married to George Turner. Both "Surkiah" and George served in McBride's command of the MSG at the battle of Wilson's Creek, and Surkiah, a captain, would receive a wound that he died of 3 days later. After being burnt out by Union sympathizer's, Surkiah's widow and children moved to Ash Flat, AR. George Turner survived the war and died in AR in 1885.

Hit particularly hard was the Napoleon Rifles, Co G, 1st Ark Infantry. Lt Thomas Hardesty, deputy sheriff of Desha County, Arkansas would die of wounds received in this battle on August 25th, as would Private William Hewlitt, of his company. Private John Porter of the same company would only linger for 5 days with his injuries before passing away, and Sgt WL Story would endure his injuries until August 26th. Private William Witherspoon would be released from service because of his injuries, as would Pvt William Wells. Private William Williams, Pvt Vivian Stokes, and Bugler Charles Noble would die in the battle, as would hundreds of others. 2 others were wounded and survived and one was missing after the battle. Sergeant Henry "Clay" Wood of the Pulaski Battery would survive the battle, but die of consumption in 1862. 

21 year old 2nd Kansas private Charles Ballance would survive the war as a Lieutenant . In 1874 he would take his family to San Francisco by train, and then north to Oregon by steamer, where he would live out the remainder of his life.

Private Jarrett W Kendall, of Gibbs Company, 1st AR would return to his home in Lawrence CO, AR after the war. He would see his brother die at the Battle of Franklin, and himself be severely injured at Nashville. Private Thomas Hickey of the 2nd Kansas Infantry would survive this battle, and like many others of his 3 month regiment, join the 2nd Kansas Cavalry. Iowan William Hayzlett sent 3 sons to war for the Union. Son Richard would be wounded at Wilson's Creek and later die from his wounds. Son Edward would die in 1864 from wounds received during the Battle for Atlanta. Son Joseph would die from wounds at the battle of Corinth.

Captain Eugene Asa Carr would be wounded three times and receive the Congressional Medal of Honor at the Battle of Pea Ridge, AR as Colonel of the 3rd Illinois Cavalry. After the war, he fought Indians in the west, and retired a brigadier general in 1893. He died in Washington DC in Dec 1910 and is buried at West Point. Capt David Sloan Stanley of 1st US Cavalry was never engaged at this battle. His unit was held to guard the supply train. He would be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor at the Battle of Franklin, TN. After the war he served out west, and would lead the Yellowstone Campaign in 1873. He retired in 1892 and died in Washington in 1902. Capt Powell Clayton would eventually become a Brigadier General and survive the war, and become Governor of Arkansas. Capt Frederick Steele would eventually become a Major General during the war. He would die of accidental causes in Jan 1888 in California. Col George Washington Deitzler would become a Brigadier General and served in the Trans Mississippi theatre.  He would die in 1884 after being thrown from a carriage. Brothers Karl (Charles) and Freidrich Salomon would both survive the rout of Sigel's brigade. Karl would be promoted to Brevet Brigadier General and leave the military in 1864. Freidrich would be promoted to Brigadier General of Volunteers in Arkansas and serve throughout the war. Capt Charles Champion Gilbert would be promoted to Brigadier General, while Captain Gordon Granger would make it to Major General. Col Robert Byington Mitchell would become a Brigadier General and future Governor of New Mexico Territory. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Captain Washington Lafayette Elliot of the 1st US Cavalry would become a Brigadier General and retire from the military in 1879.

By 1865, over 618,000 people had died because of the Civil War. Two thirds of these were too disease and illness.

Gen Nicholas Bartlett Pearce effectively ended his combat duties with Wilson's Creek. He joined the Confederate Army as a major and served throughout the war in non combat duties. He died in 1894 in Dallas, Texas. Col Thomas James Churchill would survive the war as a Major General and after the war be elected the first "non carpetbagger" Governor of Arkansas. Col Thomas Pleasant Dockery would end his career as a Brigadier General and return to civil engineering until his death in NY in 1898. Col Evander McNair, of the 4th Arkansas Infantry would end the war as a Brigadier General, and live out his life in Mississippi. Lt Col Dandridge McRae of the 3rd AR Inf, resigned from the military in 1864, and returned to a law practice in Searcy AR. He was elected deputy secretary in 1881 and died in April 1899. In Searcy, he was a known member of the KKK and was charged in one murder. Captain Daniel Harris Reynolds of the 1st AR Mounted Rifles, was eventually promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. In the battle of Bentonville, he would loose a leg. At war's end he would return to Arkansas and die in 1902.

Captain Joseph Orville Shelby, of the MSG cavalry, would eventually become a Brigadier General, become one of the famous Cavalry officers of the war, and never fully accepted the Confederacy's surrender. Later he would become a US Marshall and died in 1897. Capt Francis Marion Cockrell would become Brigadier General of the Cockrell Brigade and after the war become a US Senator. Capt John Bullock Clark would also become a Brigadier General and a US Congressman after the war. William Clark Quantrill would become the guerilla leader of Quantrill's Raiders. He was responsible for the massacre at Lawrence, Kansas. Depending on which side you were on, he was either a barbarian or a hero. Either way, he died in a prison of war camp in Louisville, KY in 1865. Lt John Knox Rankin of the 2nd Kansas Infantry not only survived this battle, but happened to be in Lawrence when it was attacked by Quantrill's men. After the war he worked for the Interior Department with the Indian's and was well respected.  Lt Col Walter Paye Lane of the 3rd Texas Cavalry would become a merchant and write his memoirs after the war. Corporal Patrick Coyne of the 1st Kansas Inf, would never fully recover from injuries sustained to his right thigh at this battle, but would live till 1907. Captain Daniel McCook Jr of the 1st Kansas would later become a Brigadier General of Volunteers but be mortally wounded in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.. Private Jones Weems of the MSG would survive his injuries at this battle, as well as the injury he received at the Battle of Prairie Grove, AR. He died in 1908. Private Lashley F Wood of the MSG would leave for California in 1865 and become prosecuting attorney for Moniteau county there. Pvt Richardson C Tuggle of the MSG would loose an arm at this battle. 

Private's Frank James and Thomas "Cole" Younger would become infamous as they rode with Quantrill and then the James gang. Frank and Cole would survive their wild days and die as old men.  James Butler "Wild Bill" Hitckok wouldn't be so lucky. After becoming quite famous, he would die in a card game, holding what is now called the "Deadman's Hand" - pair of aces and eights. Lt Joseph S Conrad, commissary to Lyon,  would be wounded in this battle but survive. He would be promoted thru the ranks to Colonel, fighting in some of the larger battles in the East. After the war, he stayed in the military and was the officer put in charge of carrying Robert Anderson's body (the Union hero of Fort Sumpter) from NY City to Arlington National Cemetery in 1872. Private Wilhelm Ernst Crede of the 5th MO Inf survived the war, lost a brother  to the war in 1863,  and lived until 1891. 22 year old Julius Wilhelm Heinrich Hermann von Spindler , who arrived in America 2 years before, apparently decided America was not for him, and after being discharged from the 3rd MO Infantry, he returned to Germany in 1862 where he became a banker.

Lt Matthew Duncan Ector of the 3rd Texas Cavalry would eventually become a Brigadier General, and have a leg amputated from wounds he received in the Battle for Atlanta. He would die in Tyler, Texas in 1879 after seeing a county names in his honor..Ector County, Texas. Private Benjamin Sylvester Stone of Company C, 1st Iowa Infantry survived the battle, and the war and was one of the founding members of Oswego, Kansas. Private Robert Hamilton, a native of Ireland and member of the 1st Iowa, survived the battle and joined the 15th Iowa Infantry, where he would fall at the Battle of Shiloh.

Private Thaddeus Constantine Frazier of the 8th Division, MSG, lost his right arm in this battle. Spending the next few years in Texas recovering from his injuries and going to school, Mr Frazier became Dr Frazier, and opened a practice in Coffeyville, Kansas. 26 year old Sgt Richardson "Dick" Tuggle, a lawyer, teacher, and sergeant with the Company C, 2nd Brigade, Missouri State Guard, lost an arm in this battle, and would muster out shortly thereafter. He died of natural causes in 1872, leaving no descendants. Captain Samuel Newitt Wood of  2nd Kansas Infantry would survive the war, but would be murdered in cold blood outside a church in 1894.

Captain Samuel J Crawford  of the 2nd Kansas Infantry would survive the war and become Governor of Kansas. Private Asa Newport Jr of Captain Colville's company MGS, was wounded and died shortly thereafter. His brother in law, William C Underwood, of MSG 8th Div 1st Regiment, was killed also. Lt Charles E Farrand survived the war, married twice and died in Colorado in 1929. His father, Ebenezer Farrand, who had joined the US Navy in 1823, moved to Florida where he became Commodore Farrand of the CSA Navy. The two would never meet after they chose opposing sides during the war. Captain James Totten eventually became a Brevet Brigadier General, but his career in the military was hindered by his passion for the contents of his canteen. He died in 1871 and is buried in Sedalia, MO. As the second generation of Totten artillerymen, his son, Charles Adelle Lewis Totten would continue the family heritage. Included in this line are Major General James Willoughby Totten and General William Pierce Enis, Jr, who commanded the 10th Corps during the Korean War.   

18 year old Private Shelby Norman, of Company A, 1st Iowa Infantry, would become the first Iowan killed in battle in the Civil War. In 1896, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Des Moines Iowa used his likeness to represent the infantry dead of the war. Private James Baird Weaver of the 1st Iowa would survive the war and run for President on the Greenback Labor Party ticket. In 1880, he only received 3% of the popular vote in 1880. In 1892, he was nominated by the "People's Party of the USA" ticket, known as the Populist's, but fell short again.

Photograph and biography of Capt John Griffith of Company E, 3rd Arkansas Infantry. Col William Fishback of the Arkansas State Troops later claimed he was only involved with the Southern Army to encourage desertions, and that his loyalties always lied with the Union. The US Congress wasn't buying it and refused to allow him to sit in the US Senate as a Senator from Arkansas. Poor Private Robert Fulton of the 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles Company H was wounded before his company was engaged and never got to fire a shot. At the Battle of Pea Ridge, his unit was never engaged, but again he was wounded. He was discharged permanently due to disability in 1863. Well liked in the unit, and his community, he had the distinction of serving honorably for 20 months, having been wounded in battle twice, and yet never having the opportunity to fire his musket at the enemy. In Company C of the same outfit, James Allison Love wasn't so lucky and died in battle, leaving a widow. 24 year old Jesse Dollarhide decided not to join his family on the wagon train west, and joined the Kansas troops instead. It would be months before his family learned he had died at Wilson's Creek. He is buried in the National Cemetery in one of the many unknown soldier graves. Private Douglas John Cater of the 3rd Texas survived the war and lived until 1931. Fellow private, Willis Kilgore had been very vocal in his dissension of Texas seceding. When it did, he joined the 3rd Texas and fell at Wilson's Creek. Kilgore, Texas would be named for his son, Constantine Buckley Kilgore. Sergeant James Johnston of Callaway County, was fighting his second war, having survived a year serving in the Mexican War. He would later serve as the Sheriff of Miller County and Justice of the Peace in Saline Township and die in 1896. William H Gregg survived the battel, resigned and rode with Quantrill thru the rest of the war. He served as a Deputy Sheriff in Jackson County after the war. 38 year old Captain Stephen Ferguson Hale came into the batte with a rather extensive background already. Graduated medical school, served under Price during the Mexican War, crossed the plains during the California gold rush in 49 with 3 brothers, took a ship home where he was shipwrecked on an island where the only thing to eat were bird eggs, returned to Califonia with cattle to feed hungry miners, returned ot MIssouir, got married in 52 and had settled down as a Doctor in Warsaw when the war broke out. He would survive this battle, be seriously injuired and captured at Pea Ridge, spend the next two years in Libby Prison in St Louis, and start and operate numerous business including a drug store, a bank and a lumber yard after the war. He died in 1901. 

8 year old John Clark Rogers, who lived with his family near the battlefield, wrote later in life that his job the day of the battle, was to keep the geese quiet, so his 70 year old grandfather, a vateran of the war of 1812, could hear the cannons fire.

The famous story of the "Little Drummer Boy of Wilson's Creek" - for the record, certain facts mentioned make it highly unlikely this a true story