Any or all of the following activities may be selected by the teacher as appropriate pre-visit (or whenever they best serve your purposes) lessons for her/his particular class(es). Teachers may either use their copy/copies of this packet and/or the EDUCATORS' GUIDE as an instructional tool and/or copy sections from either packet as appropriate for regular class activities.

I. Activity One, Parts One through Two:

Upon completion of this activity, the student will be able to:

1. define and/or use in context terms associated with the Civil War.

2. identify and list the major events and locations before and during the Battle of Wilson's Creek.

3. identify and consider the contributions of some of the individuals who played significant roles in the Battle of Wilson's Creek.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

For historical background, see the enclosed copy of Kenneth Elkins's "The Battle." Leo Huff's "The Struggle for Missouri," which can be found in HARD TIMES/HARD WAR, the educational packet for grades 9-12, may also be useful. Also see the OFFICIAL MAP AND GUIDE for Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, included in the EDUCATORS' GUIDE. Feel free to copy any of these materials as necessary.

II. Activity Two:

Upon completion of this activity, the student will be able to:

1. use and interpret the meanings of military maps.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Use and copy as necessary the enclosed WILSON'S CREEK NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD TROOP MOVEMENT MAP. (hard copy only – not available on line.)

III. Activity Three:

Upon completion of this activity, the student will be able to:

1. critically analyze primary source documents to determine historical motives and effects.

2. identify and list some of the possible motives for enlistment and fighting during the first year of the American Civil War.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Use and copy as necessary the primary and secondary sources excerpted below as well as Elkins's "The Battle," and Huff's "The Struggle for Missouri."

2. draft

3. volunteer

4. recruit

5. patriotic

6. youthful idealism

7. mercenary

8. infantry

9. cavalry

10. artillery

11. courage

12. casualties

13. guerrilla warfare

14. comrades

15. loyalty

16. battle

17. skirmish

18. marauders

19. honor

20. tradition

___________________ 1. Though he was "an obscure infantry captain" before the Civil War began, in his efforts to save Missouri for the Union . . . did as much as any man to bring the war to Missouri during 1861.
___________________ 2. Early in the Civil War both the North and the South wanted to control Missouri because of the rivers that ran through it, its manpower, its agricultural production, and its . . . mines.
___________________ 3. One of the reasons that Union forces attacked Southern forces at Wilson's Creek in early August, 1861 was because the Union commander realized that over half of his men were nearly at the end of their ninety day . . .
___________________ 4. Union forces might have swept Bloody Hill and driven off the much larger Rebel army if it had not been slowed early in the battle by the murderous fire of Captain . . .'s Confederate artillery battery.

___________________ 5. While the majority of the Union forces stood and fought on Bloody Hill, Colonel . . .’s 1,200 men fled the field after they mistook Louisiana troops for gray-clad Iowans.

__________________ 6. Though the merciless heat, the thick smoke and the deafening noise may have seemed unending, the Battle of Wilson's Creek actually lasted less than . . . hours and was broken by three clear lulls, or quiet periods.

__________________ 7. Even though the armies that fought at Wilson's Creek were much smaller then in later battles, the fighting was so ferocious that over . . . men were killed and 1,800 were wounded.

__________________ 8. Major . . . assumed command of Union forces after General Lyon was killed and held Bloody Hill through some of the "fiercest and most bloody" fighting of the battle before retreating to Springfield due to low ammunition supplies.

__________________ 9. . . . forces failed to take advantage of their costly victory at Wilson's Creek and seize control of Missouri late in 1861, thus setting the stage for their decisive defeat at the Battle of Pea Ridge in March of 1862.

__________________ 10. Beyond the death and destruction caused by the hundreds of regular military actions in Missouri during the Civil War, three years of grim . . . warfare fought by marauding bands of men on both sides caused even more misery and death for Missouri's civilian population.

___ Benjamin McCulloch
___ Nathaniel Lyon
___ John Ray
___ Sterling Price
___ William Woodruff
___ Henry M. Cheavens
___ John Fremont
___ Levant Jones

A. a former Missouri governor, his Missouri State Guard troops fought along with the Confederates at Wilson's Creek.

B. Overall commander of Union forces in the West during the summer of 1861.

C. Missouri State Guard infantryman severely wounded during the battle.

D. Union Army officer and commander so fanatically devoted to the Union he refused to negotiate with anyone.

sympathetic to the South; he later lost his life at the Battle of Wilson's Creek.

E. Lieutenant with the 1st Kansas Regiment, killed at Wilson's Creek.

F. Overall commander of Confederate forces at Wilson's Creek, he was killed at the Battle of Pea Ridge the next spring.

G. Part of the Battle of Wilson's Creek was fought in one of his fields while his home was used as a field hospital.

INSTRUCTIONS: Military Maps. During the Civil War, detailed maps were crucial to both sides before and during battles. They are also useful today to students of history. From the enclosed WILSON'S CREEK NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD TROOP MOVEMENT MAPS (available hard copy only) please copy the next to last map labeled "10:00 A.M.--11:30 A.M.--The Southerners launch their final assault on Bloody Hill" as well as the "Military Symbols/Troop Movements/Legend" in the lower right hand corner of the same page. They should fit together on one 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. Then have your students answer the following questions. Please feel free to copy and/or use other materials from these excellent maps as suitable for your class(es).

Military Maps Quiz. After viewing the preceding map and legend, please answer the following questions. Some of the questions below are open-ended, meaning that they have more than one possible response.

1. The opposing armies at Wilson's Creek were for the most part lined up in which direction, north to south or east to west?

2. Name three of the civilian homes located on or near the Wilson’s Creek battlefield area.

1)

2)

3)

3. How are troop movements shown on this map?

4. According to this map, most of the fighting took place in which area, east or west of Wilson's Creek?

5. The only "Improved Road" running through this area is labeled as:

6. What do the light brown lines on this map with numbers such as "1100," "1150," and "1200" represent?

7. Which battery, or group, of guns for which side was located on the east side of Wilson's Creek approximately 1000 feet northeast of Guinn's Orchard?
1) (battery):

2) (side):

8. According to the map, which side held the higher ground during the South's final assault?

9. According to the map, troops from which three states fought for the Union at Wilson's Creek?

1)

2)

3)

10. The heaviest concentration of troops along the battle line covered an approximate distance of:

A) 1000 feet.

B) 2500 feet.

C) 4000 feet.

2. volunteer = one who enters military service of his own free will.

3. draft = to select men from a group for compulsory military service.

4. recruit = a newly enlisted or drafted soldier/sailor; or to fill up an army with new members.

5. patriotic = to be inspired by the love for or devotion to one's country.

6. youthful idealism = living by ideals, or high personal standards of behavior, based on one's youthful views of the world.

7. mercenary = soldier who fights strictly for pay rather than patriotism.

8. infantry = soldiers trained, armed, and equipped to fight on foot.

9. cavalry = soldiers who fight on horseback.

10. artillery = another word for cannons, or large guns, and the branch of the army that uses them.

11. courage = the mental or moral strength to persevere and perform one's duties during a war and especially in combat.

12. casualties = military personnel lost through death, wounds, injury, sickness, or capture by the enemy.

13. guerrilla warfare = irregular warfare conducted behind enemy lines by independent bands.

14. comrades = a fellow soldier and close friend.

15. loyalty = the quality of being faithful to one's cause or country.

16. battle = the act of combat between opposing forces.

17. skirmish = a minor or preliminary fight in a war usually involving small numbers of soldiers.

18. marauders = small group of men who roam about and raid military and civilian areas in search of plunder.

19. honor = to fight for outward respect or recognition; to pay respect to those who are brave in a battle.

20. tradition = to respect and live by older beliefs and customs.

Activity One, Part Two (Fill-in-the-blank):

1. Nathaniel Lyon

2. lead

3. enlistments

4. William Woodruff

5. Franz Sigel

6. six

7. 500

8. Samuel Sturgis

9. Confederates, or Rebels, or Southerners.

10. guerrilla

Activity One, Part Three (Matching):

1. F = McCulloch

2. D = Lyon

3. G = enlistments

4. A = Price

5. H = Woodruff

6. C = Cheavens

7. B = Fremont

8. E = Jones

Activity Two (Map Quiz):

1. East to West.

2. Guinn's house, Edward's cabin, Sharp's house, T. B. Manley's home, Skegg's house, and Gibson's house.

3. with blue and/or red arrows.

4. West.

5. Telegraph Road.

6. elevation, or how high the land is above sea level.

7. Pulaski Battery; Confederacy.

8. Union.

9. Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri.

10. B. 2500 feet.