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Rapid Response Fund
 

Rapid Response Fund

by April McDonoughon December 5, 2025 in Foundation tagged , ,

As President of the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Foundation, I am grateful for donors who believe in our mission to protect the hallowed ground of Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. Donor support preserves history, strengthens education, and ensures that sacrifices made here are never forgotten.

Thanks to donors, the Foundation continues to acquire and safeguard rare artifacts that deepen public understanding of the Civil War.

This year, donor generosity allowed us to acquire and donate a rare carte-de-visite of Brigadier General Friedrich (Frederick) Salomon to the Battlefield Museum collection. His remarkable story, from his service at Wilson’s Creek to leading troops across the Trans-Mississippi Theater, will help visitors better understand the people and events that shaped our nation.

When you support the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Foundation, you ensure that these stories, and the lessons they hold, are not lost.

This year marks the Foundation’s 75th anniversary, making us one of the oldest and most steadfast National Park Service partners in the country. It is a milestone made possible only through donor generosity.

Recent accomplishments donor support made possible include:

• Hosting an immersive summer camp for rising fifth graders
• Acquiring a rare historic photograph for the Museum collection
• Providing crucial funding for popular programs like Junior Ranger Day and Bark in the Park

We are grateful that the government shutdown ended, and the park has reopened, but the future remains uncertain for the National Park Service. Earlier spending restrictions created challenges for Wilson’s Creek, and the Foundation stepped in to cover program supplies and library materials. We stand ready to respond again, but we cannot do it without donor support.

To ensure programs and visitor services continue without interruption, we have established the Rapid Response Fund — a dedicated resource to address critical needs identified by the park superintendent. This fund allows the Foundation to act quickly to maintain an excellent visitor experience and support essential operations.

If you have already given this year, thank you. If you can make an additional tax-deductible gift before our anniversary year ends, your support will strengthen the battlefield’s resilience.

Together, we will inspire future generations by preserving the legacy of Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield and supporting the park’s continued growth.

Warm regards,

Gary Bishop
President, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Foundation

 

Battlefield Land Expansion

by mwhisleron February 15, 2018 in Battlefield, Foundation tagged , , , , ,

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.”

 

Sons of Union Veterans Donate Artifacts

by mwhisleron July 16, 2014 in Battlefield tagged , , ,

Phelps Camp No. 66, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War recently donated a collection of rare veteran and Grand Army of the Republic artifacts to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield.

Four Union veteran ribbons from southwest Missouri, three Missouri Grand Army of the Republic documents, and a poster advertising a trip on the “Frisco” line from Springfield, Missouri to the 1895 G.A.R. reunion in Louisville, Kentucky were included in the donation. The Grand Army of the Republic was founded in 1866 and open to honorably discharged members of the Union Army, Navy and Marine Corps. The last member of the G.A.R. died in 1956.

“We are very grateful to the members of Phelps Camp for purchasing and donating these precious artifacts. Material relating to the G.A.R. and Union veterans in Missouri is extremely scarce, and these items will be added to our museum collection, preserved in our climate-controlled storage area, and made available to researchers,” said Superintendent Hillmer, who is in the picture along with Robert Clanton, Commander of Phelps Camp.

Phelps Camp, the local chapter of the national Sons of Union Veterans organization, was formed in 1994. The Sons of Union Veterans is a patriotic and educational organization, founded on November 12, 1881 and incorporated by Act of Congress August 20, 1954. One of the purposes of the organization is to preserve the memory of those who saved the Union from 1861 and 1865. Phelps Camp has donated a number of Civil War documents and artifacts to public collections where they can be enjoyed by visitors and studied by scholars.

 

Daughters Donate to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield

by mwhisleron June 12, 2014 in Battlefield tagged , , , , ,

Mary Whitney Phelps Tent (Chapter) No. 22 Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861-1865, of Springfield, Missouri, recently donated funds to purchase rare prints that will supplement the collection of trans-Mississippi Theatre items that Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield has within their collection.

Daughters of the Union Veterans

“Wilson’s Creek is very grateful to the members of the Mary Whitney Phelps tent No. 22 for donating these funds to purchase items within this unique history of the Civil War”, said Superintendent Hillmer, who is pictured along with Doris Jones, President, and Fran Black, Treasurer, of the Daughters of Union Veterans Mary Whitney Phelps Tent No. 22.

Mary Whitney Phelps Tent No. 22, the local chapter of the national Daughters of Union Veterans organization, was formed in 1999. The Daughters of Union Veterans are direct descendants of Veterans of the Union Army of the American Civil War, 1881-1865. They work to preserve our personal ancestral history and assist others to do the same. Abraham Lincoln stated, “we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from this earth.”