Walls discusses Civil War battle of Wilson's Creek

This week’s guest blogger is Kathleen Walls, a native of New Orleans who now lives in Florida. She has written numerous novels and non-fiction books and publishes American Roads and Global Highways. Today, she is discussing writing her historical novel, "Under a Black Flag."

From Both Sides Now

I'm a travel writer as well as an author so for me a visit to Wilson's Creek Battlefield was like revisiting a familiar place even though I had never been there in real life. I mentally spent many days there as I wrote scenes for my book, “Under a Black Flag.” For those not familiar with the Battle of Wilson's Creek, it was the first battle between the Union and Confederate forces in Missouri and the second battle of the Civil War. Because of a strange turn of events it was one of the most unusual for the Civil War. It involved three separate entities: Union forces under General Nathanial Lyons, Confederate forces under Brigadier General Ben McCullough and Major General Sterling Price commanding the Missouri State Guard. The reason for this, Missouri wanted to stay neutral. That was not to be.

For some background of this book, the second of the series, Dan and Becky moved from Kansas when he was pushed out by anti-southern sentiment even though he didn't believe in slavery and had freed his slave/half-brother, Andre. Dan and Andre moved to Kansas and claimed some land jointly. Becky, Dan's wife, is an abolitionist from Massachusetts. How they ended up married is told in the first book, “Under a Bloody Flag.”

Dan and Becky's dream of peace was short-lived. On the morning of Aug. 9, before dawn they awoke to a pounding on the front door. Dan hurried down to find an excited Cole Younger on his porch. "Morning, Dan. I just got word; I've been accepted into the militia. General Price is calling all new recruits and any man wanting to defend the state from the invaders to meet at Wilson's Creek. You are coming, aren't you?"

Our guide, Connie Langum (pictured right), historian and acting curator of the museum pointed out, "Most of the young men in Missouri believed the war would be over in three months and they didn't want to miss it." 

My character’s reaction:

Becky could not hide her tears. "We are being forced into the Confederacy!"

"No, not the Confederacy or the Union. A few days ago, Jackson issued a Proclamation of Independence. Missouri is a free and independent state now," Cole said.

Becky sank into the nearest chair. "Oh my God. It's the end of any chance of peace."

Dan leaned forward, coffee forgotten. "I hadn't heard. Lyon is forcing Missouri into the Confederate camp because we won't send men to fight against the South. That's preposterous. Why can't these politicians just leave us alone?" He turned to Becky. "You see I have to go. The governor is forced into this. He is our rightful governor."

"Yes, ma'am, he is," Cole said. "Can you see Dan being forced into the Federal Army maybe serving under the likes of Jim Lane or Charles Jennison and having to go fight and kill his former neighbors in Louisiana?'

Becky shook her head. "No, I don't want him shooting at his former neighbors, but I don't want him shooting at my former neighbors either. In my mind, the Confederacy stands for slavery. I hate it!"

Connie explained, "There is a difference in the Trans-Mississippi and the war in the east. It's just more personal and much more vicious here. It starts back in 1854 with the passage of the Kansas Nebraska Act and in some parts of Missouri it hasn't ended."

The museum is filled with artifacts that had been used at the battle. As Connie pointed out this was a very bloody battle, "In the six-hour battle we had on this battlefield we had 1,100 killed, missing, or wounded on one side and 12,000 on the other side."

One of my own characters witnessed this. This is Dan's feeling during this battle.

"Charge!"

The command snapped his mind back to the action on the hill. It was his hill. His duty. He urged his tired body forward, upward to the top of the hill. A strange detachment so different from the earlier blood lust but equally strange overtook him. He acted mechanically now. He never considered that he should be afraid. But he knew in some deep part of his soul he should be. Men were down all around him. Occasionally, he leaped over a downed body. Once, he tripped over one of his less fortunate comrades. He found himself lying atop a young soldier who could not have reached his twentieth birthday. He pushed away in horror. The metallic smell of fresh blood reached his nostrils. His hands felt wet, and he stared at the blood covering his palms. The cloth beneath the gaping hole in the soldier's jacket bore prints of Dan's fingers as he scrambled to free himself of the macabre embrace. He felt as if he should apologize to the fallen soldier for disturbing his rest, yet he saw that nothing would ever disturb this young man again. He was far beyond that. Dan's stomach heaved and threatened to discharge its contents. He wanted to run away from this place of sudden death. He fought the urge and tried to find that detached state he experienced earlier. Detachment eluded him now. He felt a part of this battle and would to do his duty, if for no other reason than to avenge this young soldier's senseless death.  

The artillery behind him still rained death on those on the crest of the hill while the guns on top continued to return the barrage. To the west, he saw a Texas cavalry band striving up the hill to destroy the hated guns. At least they were on horseback. He watched a small figure riding a gray horse among the cannons atop the hill rallying the Federals. Lyon? Even as he realized the identity of the man, the gray horse went down. Its rider sprang off and strode forward. Dan watched as the figure limped forward for a few steps before a final bullet struck. The figure clutched his chest and went down. Dan had no doubt he had watched the first general to die in this bloody conflict. He won't be the last. The thought was unbidden and unwelcome, but he knew it was true. 

Whether you ever visit Wilson Creek Battlefield in person or not, you can get a glimpse of it in my book, “Under a Black Flag” and learn what led up to it in the first book, “Under a Bloody Flag.”

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.