In the summer of 1861, Americans were preoccupied by the question of which states would join the secession movement and which would remain loyal to the Union. In Missouri, it was largely settled at Wilson's Creek on August 19, 1861, in a contest that is rightly considered the second major battle of the Civil War. In addition to providing the first in-depth narrative and analysis of this battle, William Piston and Richard Hatcher illuminate the backgrounds and motivations of soldiers on both sides of the fighting at Wilson's Creek. In particular, they highlight the importance of the soldier's sense of corporate honor - the desire to uphold the reputation of their hometowns - as a powerful motivator for enlistment, a source of sustenance during the campaign, and a lens through which soldiers evaluated their performance in battle."

1Southern Rights Inviolate -- 3 -- 2 Fan the Fire of Enthusiasm -- 24 -- 3 Mark Well the Spot Where They Meet -- 44 -- 4 Boys Feel Very Proud of the Flag -- 60 -- 5 Nothing Was Clear Cut--It Was Simply Missouri -- 76 -- 6 Good Tents and Bad Water -- 92 -- 7 They Take the Rags off the Bush -- 106 -- 8 Ripe for the Sickle of War -- 122 -- 9 Lyon and the Whang-doodle -- 138 -- 10 Wilson Creek Afforded Us Water -- 151 -- 11 Red and Blistered from Head to Foot -- 164 -- 12 I Will Gladly Give Up My Life for Victory -- 179 -- 13 My Boys Stood It Like Heroes -- 192 -- 14 A "Stirring" Effect on the Enemy -- 221 -- 15 A Perfect Hurricane of Bullets -- 232 -- 16 Come On, Caddo! -- 246 -- 17 Pandemonium Turned Loose -- 262 -- 18 Springfield Is a Vast Hospital -- 287 -- 19 To Choose Her Own Destiny -- 305 -- 20 Never Disgrace Your Town -- 317 -- Epilogue: A Heritage of Honor -- 329.