Prince's Headquarters
Brookline, United States
It was a damp morning general Sterling Price known affectionately commander of the Missouri State Guard was having a quiet breakfast with a Confederate General Ben McCulloch and other officers it was between 5&6 a.m. News alarm general rains, to the North Road on orders on a sweat let her know to the messenger 25,000 Union soldiers with 100 pieces of artillery we're dancing actually they're only about five thousand bedrooms McCullough and price believing the report to be just another false alarm went on with her breakfast not until a second messenger arrived at the commanders react to the news this time the messenger was followed closely by a disorderly someone others on horseback armed and unarmed some others driving wagons the confusion descending on the camp was accompanied by the Union from two directions in a matter of seconds horses organizing their troops into line of battle the Battle of Wilson's Creek had begun