LYON, Nathaniel, American soldier: h. Ashford, Conn., 14 July 1818; d. Wilson's Creek, Mo., 7 Aug. 1861. He was graduated from West Point in 1841; served in the Mexi can War 1846-47, being present at the siege of Vera Cruz and the assault on the City of Mex ico; and was on duty in Kansas during the Free State agitation. In February 1861 he was as signed to Saint Louis, Mo., where he had charge of the arsenal ; he was most active and efficient in the Union cause, organized the Home Guard and on 10 June 1861 captured Camp Jackson, a rendezvous of the seccessionists. Soon after ward he was made brigadier-general of volun teers and given command of the department. He refused all compromise with Governor Jackson, who sympathized with the secession ists and in June occupied Jefferson City, the capital of the State, and defeated the gov ernor's troops at Boonville on the 17th. He then went to Springfield, whence he advanced on 1 August to meet a part of the Confederate army, which was advancing into Missouri under McCulloch ; lie defeated them at Dug Spring and returned to Springfield. But the Confederate forces were soon increased by the arrival of the troops under Price and General Lyon was opposed by an army considerably greater than his own. Unwilling to surrender southwestern
Missouri without a struggle, he decided to risk a battle and accordingly advanced from Spring field to Wilson's Creek, where his troops were defeated and he himself killed after a gallant fight. He bequeathed nearly all his property. about $30,000, to the government to aid in the preservation of the Union. In 1862 a collection of his letters in favor of the Republican party and the election of Lincoln (1860) was pub lished under the title 'The Last Political Writ ings of General Nathaniel Lyon.' Consult Carr, Lucien, 'Missouri: A Bone of Conten tion' (New York 1888) ; Hosmer, J. K, 'The Appeal to Arms) (ib. 1907) Rhodes, J. F., 'History of the United States from the Com promise of 1850' (ib. 1907) ; 'Life' (Hartford 1862) by Woodward; Peckham, 'General Na thaniel Lyon and Missouri in 1861> (New York 1866) ; and Churchill's novel, 'The Crisis.)