Wilson’s Creek Tour

Our Wilson’s Creek battlefield tour will take place on Saturday, October 18. Additionally, a short tour of the Battle of Springfield will be offered on Sunday morning, October 19. 

We will meet at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday at the visitor center at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. First, we will visit the museum and watch a short documentary about the battle to set the stage for the tour. Then we will head out onto the battlefield. The tour will consist of a series of stops at important sites associated with the battle. At each stop, Kent Fujiwara will describe the action in that area and lead a discussion. We expect the tour to last several hours. 

There are no facilities on the battlefield, so we will likely stop by the visitor center during the tour for a restroom break. Also, please make sure you have water. Although this is primarily a driving tour, there will be some walking at two or three stops, so wear comfortable shoes. The walking is over smooth, mostly level surfaces, so hiking boots are not necessary. The tour will last several hours over lunchtime, so we suggest a hearty breakfast. Those interested will be able to meet for a late lunch after the tour; however, you are welcome to bring sandwiches or a snack in case you get hungry during the tour.  

After the tour, we hope everyone will join us at Flat Creek Republic restaurant, a seven-minute drive from the battlefield, for a late lunch/early supper. 

On Sunday morning, we will have a driving tour of the January 9, 1863, Battle of Springfield, which was part of John S. Marmaduke’s southwest Missouri raid.  We’ll meet at Park Central Square at 10:00 a.m. There is a free parking lot on Boonville Street just north of the square. The driving tour will last less than two hours. Those interested can have lunch together on our way out of town.  

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to let me know. We’ll discuss the tour further at our meeting on Tuesday, October 7.