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Nathaniel LyonAmerican military leader
Date of Birth: 14.07.1818
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Nathaniel Lyon: A Controversial Figure in American History
- Involvement in the Border Wars and Abolitionist Movement
- The St. Louis Arsenal Crisis
- Protecting the Arsenal
- The Wide Awakes and the Secret Armory
- The Camp Jackson Affair
- Aftermath and Legacy
Nathaniel Lyon: A Controversial Figure in American History
Early Life and Military CareerNathaniel Lyon was born in Ashford, Connecticut, to Amasa and Kezia Knowlton Lyon. He harbored a disdain for farming and yearned to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. In 1837, he enrolled in the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1841 as the 11th in a class of 52.
Assigned to the 2nd U.S. Infantry, Lyon served in the Seminole Wars and the Mexican-American War. During the latter conflict, he distinguished himself at the Battle of Mexico City and was promoted to first lieutenant for "eminent gallantry in the capture of the enemy's artillery."
Involvement in the Border Wars and Abolitionist Movement
After the war, Lyon served in the frontier army and participated in the Bloody Island Massacre in California in 1850. Upon being transferred to Fort Riley, Kansas, he became an outspoken supporter of abolitionism and the Republican Party. Amidst the violent border wars known as "Bleeding Kansas," he wrote in 1861 that it was "no longer a time for reasoning, but for action and the sword."
The St. Louis Arsenal Crisis
Arriving in MissouriIn March 1861, Lyon was dispatched to St. Louis to command Company D of the 2nd U.S. Infantry. Missouri's state government maintained a neutral stance in the escalating sectional tensions, but Governor Claiborne F. Jackson and many legislators openly favored secession.
Protecting the Arsenal
Lyon feared that Jackson intended to seize the federal arsenal in St. Louis should the state join the Confederacy. Concerned about the lack of military strength in the region, he sought to bolster the arsenal's defenses. However, he faced resistance from his superiors, including Brigadier General William S. Harney, commander of the Department of the West.
The Wide Awakes and the Secret Armory
Lyon forged alliances with pro-Union groups, including the St. Louis Wide Awakes. He planned to arm them with weapons from the arsenal and incorporate them into the Union army. As commander of the arsenal, he covertly armed members of the Wide Awakes and secretly moved large quantities of weaponry to Illinois.
The Camp Jackson Affair
Lyon allegedly disguised himself as a woman to gather intelligence on the state militia, claiming to have uncovered Governor Jackson's plot to seize the arsenal. On May 10, 1861, he ordered Union troops and Missouri volunteers to surround and force the surrender of the militia near St. Louis. During the procession of captured militia through the city, riots broke out.
Aftermath and Legacy
The Camp Jackson Affair resulted in the deaths of 28 civilians and seven soldiers, with many more wounded. Lyon's actions in St. Louis have remained controversial. Some praised him as a defender of Unionism, while others questioned the necessity and consequences of his military intervention.
Despite the bloodshed, Lyon was promoted to brigadier general and given command of Union forces in Missouri. On July 2, 1861, he was appointed commander of the Army of the West. He went on to lead Union forces in several battles during the early years of the Civil War, gaining a reputation for his aggressive and decisive tactics. Lyon was killed in action at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in August 1861.
