Wilson Creek Battlefield/Branson

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Took off after drying all our stuff and repacking the car.  We cannot figure out with this severe drought how we end up with so much condensation in the tent every morning. Headed for Branson, Missouri to our ATC friends.  Took the Interstate which is a rare occasion.  Stopped at the visitor center that had a route 66 theme.  Passed around Springfield to Wilson Creek National Battlefield.  It was the 2^nd major battle of the Civil War.  Missouri had the third most battles of the War after Virginia and Tennessee.  Missouri was a border state.  President Lincoln gave orders to keep Missouri in the Union.  It was an important state due to transportation on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and had a large supply of lead for bullets. The governor was a southern sympathizer and refused Lincoln’s order and ordered state military units to prepare to seize the U.S. Arsenal.  The Federal forces stopped this.  The battle was fought to try to take control of Missouri. The Union was outnumbered.  Many on both sides were killed, 1317 for the Federals and 1222 for the Confederates. The first  Union General to die in the Civil War died here, Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon.  We toured the house where the farmer and his family lived that acted as a field hospital for the Confederacy but brought Lyon’s body and laid it on a bed that is still in the house. 

The ranger explained that the war actually started way before1861 between Kansas a free state and Missouri a slave state (5 average slaves per family). There were raids back and forth between the states for years before the war actually started. Apparently politics go way back to the war, in that many  Missouri farm families on the Kansas border were destroyed so that the Confederate Army could not used the food produced there.  Since Lincoln was a Republican, they still vote Democratic even though most of Missouri votes Republican.  Jack also told me the Border War football game is between Kansas and Missouri and that they Hate each other!

On to Branson!  Arrived at the beautiful condo of Greg and Betty  which looks over Table Rock Lake.    They have been in the Evergreen travel club for years and more recently in ATC and have had many guests.  Greg is quite a character.  He told us how he met his new priest recently and told him that he was Gregory, preferred to be called Greg and that there were 16 Popes named Gregory, and that we work off a Gregorian calendar!  Betty is a retired school nurse and very involved in her community and is a wonderful quilter.  We all went out for dinner   We had good food and conversation.  They drove us all over Branson to familiarize us with our surroundings.  Walked around the shops at the Landing. Back to a comfortable bed and a quiet night!

Have I convinced any of you to join the Affordable Travel Club yet?