For many people, the U.S. Civil War was fought in the east with such names as Gettsyburg, Antietam, Bull Run, and Appomattox dotting the landscape.

True, Virginia saw more battles than any other state, with Tennessee right behind it. However, most people would be surprised to learn that Missouri was third in number of battles and skirmishes.

Wilson's Creek was the first major battle west of the Mississippi, coming just three weeks after the Union's disaster at Bull Run. The Missouri legislature had opted to remain in the Union despite being a slave state. Confederate forces, with the approval of Missouri's pro-South Governor, wanted to take the state by force.

The forces met near Springfield in southwestern Missouri in a day-long battle that saw Union General Nathaniel Lyon become the first general mortally wounded in the war.

In the end, the South won a pyrrhic victory. Union troops retreated but the Confederate forces were unable to pursue them. Missouri was secure for now.

The National Battlefield preserves the prime areas where the battle was fought. A loop road around the battlefield has several stops with information displays explaining what happened at each point.

Unlike eastern battlefields, this one lacked monuments and statues to the troops that fought here. A few cannon mark artillery positions but that is all.

The Visitor Center does have a nice video on the battle and events leading up to it. It also has a small museum and gift shop.