31 Facts About Nathaniel Lyon

Nathaniel Lyon was a United States Army officer who was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War.

Nathaniel Lyon is noted for his actions in Missouri in 1861, at the beginning of the conflict, to forestall secret secessionist plans of the governor Claiborne Jackson.

Several days later, Lyon was responsible for another massacre in Cokadjal, killing 75 to 100 Native Americans, albeit the number was likely double.

In February 1861, Nathaniel Lyon was made commander of the Union arsenal in St Louis in Missouri, another divided state.

Suspicious of governor Jackson, who was working with Jefferson Davis on a secret plan for secession, Nathaniel Lyon forced the surrender of the pro-Confederate militia.

Some civilians rioted and Nathaniel Lyon's troops fired into the crowd, which came to be known as the Camp Jackson Affair.

Nathaniel Lyon was promoted brigadier-general and given command of Union troops in Missouri.

Nathaniel Lyon was killed at the Battle of Wilson's Creek, while trying to rally his outnumbered soldiers.

Nathaniel Lyon was born on July 14,1818, to Amasa and Kezia Lyon.

Nathaniel Lyon's father was a sawmill operator who dabbled in farming, and his mother was related to Revolutionary War hero Thomas Knowlton.

Amasa was strict and not affectionate towards his children, and Nathaniel Lyon grew quite close to his mother.

Nathaniel Lyon was educated in the local school system, and briefly attended an academy in Brooklyn, Connecticut.

Nathaniel Lyon officially entered West Point on July 1,1837, While there, he established a record of good discipline, receiving few demerits, although he received 12 for a single incident in February 1841 related to an incident of insubordination when he angrily refused to turn over his orders to an officer.

Nathaniel Lyon's cousin Miner Knowlton was an assistant professor at West Point and served as a mentor for him.

Traditionally, higher-ranked graduates of West Point were given the option to enter the United States Corps of Engineers, which was viewed as a desirable assignment, but Nathaniel Lyon instead chose to be assigned to the infantry, where he believed that promotion would come quicker.

Several days later, Nathaniel Lyon was responsible for another massacre in Cokadjal, killing 75 to 100 people, albeit the number was likely double.

In March 1861, shortly before the outbreak of the American Civil War, Nathaniel Lyon arrived in St Louis in command of Company B of the 2nd US Infantry.

Nathaniel Lyon guessed correctly that Jackson would seize the federal arsenal in St Louis if the state seceded and that the Union had insufficient defensive forces to prevent the seizure.

Nathaniel Lyon attempted to strengthen the defenses, but came into opposition from his superiors, including Brig.

Nathaniel Lyon himself had been extensively involved in the St Louis Wide Awakes, a pro-union paramilitary organization that he intended to arm from the arsenal and muster into the ranks of the federal army.

Nathaniel Lyon had most of the excess weapons in the arsenal secretly moved to Illinois.

Nathaniel Lyon was aware of a clandestine operation whereby the Confederacy had shipped captured artillery from the US arsenal in Baton Rouge to the Missouri State Militia camp in St Louis.

Nathaniel Lyon allegedly disguised himself as a farm woman to spy on the State Guard's camp and then claimed that he had uncovered a plan by Jackson to seize the arsenal for Missouri troops.

Nathaniel Lyon was nonetheless promoted to brigadier general May 17, and given command over the Union troops in Missouri May 31,1861 as commander of the Department of the West.

Nathaniel Lyon then allowed the two to leave St Louis for Jefferson City by train, in accordance with the safe conduct.

Nathaniel Lyon was supported by the reconvened Missouri State Convention which reconvened on July 22,1861, declared the office of Governor and other state officials "vacant", and appointed a Unionist provisional state government under former Missouri Chief Justice Hamilton Gamble.

Nathaniel Lyon reinforced his army before moving southwest in pursuit of Jackson, Price and the State Guard.

Nathaniel Lyon was wounded twice in the fighting; shot in the head and leg and his horse shot from under him.

Nathaniel Lyon returned to Union lines and commandeered a bay horse ridden by Maj.

That the Thanks of Congress are hereby given to the brave officers who, under the command of the late general Nathaniel Lyon sustained the honor of the flag and achieved victory against overwhelming numbers at the battle of Springfield, Missouri.

However, the monument was removed in 1960 when Harriet Frost Fordyce, a St Louis philanthropist and youngest child of Confederate General Daniel Frost, agreed to donate one million dollars to help expand St Louis University's campus on the condition that Nathaniel Lyon's statue be removed.