Chapter 7, Battle of Wilson's Creek Summary

General Lyon decides upon an aggressive plan of attack against the Confederate soldiers sleeping along Wilson's Creek. The Union soldiers secretly hike 12 miles during the night up to the ridge of the valley where Wilson's Creek flows. They wait until daybreak to perform a surprise ambush of the enemy. General Lyon's regiment, numbering 3,800 men, enters from the north, and Colonel Franz Sigel's regiment, numbering 1,200 men, enters from the south. The Union army is at a disadvantage with a total of 5,000 men, while the Confederate army has 9,000. General Lyon wants to harm the enemy, slowing them down so that they cannot follow the Union to St. Louis.

As Jeff's company hikes during the night, getting closer to battle, one of the soldiers named Jim Veatch tosses his playing cards onto a sumac bush while another soldier...