Sometimes called the "Bull Run of the West", the Battle of Wilson's Creek was the first engagement fought west of the Mississippi. On August 10, 1861 Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon's Union force clashed with Confederates under Brig. Gen. Ben McCulloch southwest of Springfield, Missouri. The hours long engagement cost Lyon his life and the Federals eventually withdrew. Wilson's Creek ignited a years long struggle between the two sides for control of the border state. Scene #1: Bloody Hill. Scene #2: Ray's House.