Callaway County residents help re-enact major Civil War battle

Missouri Guard soldiers face off against Union troops during a re-enactment of the Battle of Wilson's Creek Aug. 13 outside Springfield. A total of 3,500 re-enactors participated in the 150th anniversary of the battle.
Missouri Guard soldiers face off against Union troops during a re-enactment of the Battle of Wilson's Creek Aug. 13 outside Springfield. A total of 3,500 re-enactors participated in the 150th anniversary of the battle.

The Battle of Wilson's Creek (or the Battle of Oak Hill, as southerners called it) on Aug. 10, 1861, was the first major engagement of the Civil War west of the Mississippi River - a five-hour battle that resulted in the death of Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, one of the Union's first heroes in that bloody conflict.

From Aug. 10-14, three Callaway County Civil War enthusiasts were among approximately 3,500 re-enactors who brought that battle back to life for thousands of visitors who flocked to commemorate its 150th anniversary.