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civil war trust

Battlefield Land Expansion

Recently a piece of historic land was added to the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield through the efforts of the Civil War Trust and Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Foundation. The CW Trust is a national organization with the mission of preserving historic Civil War and Revolutionary War battlefields. Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield’s Boundary Expansion document, dated June 2003, states that additional land may be purchased from willing sellers. The 60-acre parcel was purchased and subsequently transferred to the National Park Service.

The significance of this property, located on the southeast boundary of the battlefield, is that it was the first position of Colonel Franz Sigel’s troops during the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. The Union forces divided their troops as they left Springfield around 6:00 pm on August 9th. The plan was to take 1,200 men under Col. Sigel and swing wide to the south, flanking the Confederates on the right as General Lyon’s force struck from the north.
The sixty acres acquired on January 22, 2018, allows the park to interpret a very significant segment of the battle under the command of Col. Sigel. This property was conveyed to the U.S. Department of the Interior and will be managed by Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield.

“In donating this property to the National Park Service, we continue to preserve a piece of our history for generations to come,” stated Jim Lighthizer, President of the Civil War Trust. Furthermore, Wilson’s Creek NB Foundation President Mike Ussery stated that, “Part of the mission of the Foundation is to preserve land directly related to the battle. We are very proud to assist in this land preservation donation.”

Park Day Clean Up

Park Day Clean Up 2013

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield will be holding its twelfth annual “Park Day” clean-up event in partnership with the Civil War Trust on Saturday, April 6, 2013.  Work will consist of cleaning and landscaping the areas around the picnic area, the visitor center, the park’s cemeteries and the Ray House.  A highway clean up along State Route ZZ is planned provided enough volunteers are present.

“Park Day is a great time to be part of Wilson’s Creek NB in making the park a better place to visit”, says Superintendent Hillmer, “Come and enjoy the outdoors and make the battlefield a special place in the greater Springfield area.”

Volunteers are asked to meet at the Visitor Center at 8:30 a.m. Volunteers should wear appropriate outdoor work clothing, work shoes or boots, and to bring work gloves, hat and sunscreen.  Work will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until about 3 p.m., depending on the project.  Persons wishing to volunteer for Park Day should call Park Ranger David Hutson at 417-732-2662, extension 385 to pre-register.

Park Day is an annual event sponsored by the Civil War Trust and the History Channel.  The day is an opportunity for local communities to improve the quality of Civil War battlefield areas in their area.  Volunteers will receive a t-shirt courtesy of the History Channel for their participation.

The Civil War Trust is America’s largest non-profit organization devoted to preservation of our nation’s endangered Civil War battlefield lands.  The Trust also promotes educational programs and heritage tourism initiatives to inform the public about the war and the fundamental conflicts that sparked it.