Area boasts rich military history

The first stops on a history tour should be the History Museum for Springfield-Greene County and The Library Center to view displays and get an overview of local history.

After that, a visit to the grave of soldier William Freeman at Springfield National Cemetery provides a glimpse of the Revolutionary War that began in 1775. Little is known about Freeman, who settled in the Ozarks after the fighting ended in 1783. He was buried on his farm, and in 1908 his remains were transferred to the National Cemetery.

Visitors to the National Cemetery also can begin investigating the Civil War, fought 1861-65. The cemetery, in fact, was established in 1867 to inter the Union soldiers who fell at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek near Springfield on Aug. 10, 1861.

In 1870, Confederate sympathizers established a cemetery on adjoining land – separated by a rock wall – for their Wilson’s Creek and Battle of Springfield dead. The two were joined under the authority of the federal government in 1914 and a gate was cut in the wall that separated them.

It is the resting place of more than 2,000 Civil War soldiers buried along with more than 11,000 others who served the country in later years. Hundreds of graves marked with white stones set in precision formation impart a solemn reminder of how many people have served the country.

For more Civil War history, an outing to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield educates about the second major battle of the Civil War. A lighted diorama shows how the battle was fought, and a 5-mile tour road passes by the battlefield, information kiosks and the Ray House, which served as a hospital during the battle. The Hulston Civil War Library features more than 5,500 volumes for research.

Near the battlefield, General Sweeny’s Museum of Civil War History showcases a fascinating collection of artifacts, including original photos, guns, swords, flags, uniforms and medical instruments.

Downtown Springfield was the site of the Battle of Springfield in 1863, in which hundreds of soldiers fought and nearly 100 died. That battle is commemorated with a monument at the National Cemetery and a marker tour that begins north of the square near Founders Park and takes a circuitous route as far south as Maple Park Cemetery.

Other wars followed the Civil War, and the Air & Military Museum of the Ozarks and Doughboy Military Collectibles are filled with a surprising plethora of informative artifacts.

At the museum, you can see a helicopter, trucks, hats, helmets, patches, pins and thousands of other items from World War I, World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. There’s even a small display of items a veteran brought home from a prison camp where he was detained during World War II.

Another World War II must-see is a drive to view Pythian Castle, which served as part of O’Reilly General Hospital and as an officers’ club, and Evangel University campus, where some O’Reilly Hospital buildings still stand. The hospital, built in 1941, treated severely wounded soldiers, particularly burn victims, and specialized in plastic surgery until its last patient was released in 1952. The hospital took up several city blocks and was one of the 10 largest hospitals in the nation.

Doughboy Military Collectibles is filled with a variety of memorabilia for sale dating from the Revolutionary War to the current war in Iraq in the store in downtown Springfield. Even those who are not in the market to purchase military artifacts will find a visit to the store, where merchandise is showcased in museum-quality displays, worth the trip.

Susan Wade is public relations manager with the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.

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