Union Army of the West
By the second week of July 1861, the Army of the West was camped at Springfield, Missouri. In total, Lyon had about 5,400 soldiers in his command. About 75 miles to the southwest of Springfield, the pro-south militia were camped. They were under the command of Major general Sterling Price. Price was joined by Confederate generals Benjamin McCulloch and Nicholas Bartlett Pearce. Combined their forces numbered about 12,000. In late July both forces started moving closer to together under the command of McCulloch.