Battle of Wilson's Creek Service interpreters dressed in period clothing. In addition, the Civil War Trust (a division of the American Battlefield Trust) and its partners have acquired and preserved of the Wilson's Creek battlefield. Battle of Wilson's Creek The Battle of Wilson's Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, was the first major battle of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. Fought on August 10, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri, between Federal forces and the Missouri State Guard, it is sometimes called the "Bull Run of the West." At the beginning of the war, Missouri maintained an officially neutral status.
Battle of Cabin Creek soon surrounded and attacked from all sides. In desperation, Barker ordered his men with horses to attempt a breakout. Only 15 of the 65 men who attempted to break out reached the fort. The Union troops lost all their hay-making equipment, several hundred tons of hay and over 100 casualties (including prisoners). There were unconfirmed reports that many of the black troops were killed by the Texans. These killings led to one historian's calling the action one of Watie's three most infamous actions of the war. The Second Battle of Cabin Creek began at 1:00 A.M. on September 19. The