Nathaniel Lyon

Nathaniel Lyon was a soldier in the United States Army. He was born a long, long time ago, in 1818. He fought in some big wars, like the Seminole War and the Mexican-American War.

But he is most famous for what he did at the start of the American Civil War. He was the very first Union general to be sadly lost in that war. He was a brave leader who believed strongly in keeping the country together.

Before the Civil War, Lyon was a soldier for many years. He fought in Florida and in Mexico. He also spent time in places like Kansas, where people had very different ideas about whether slavery should be allowed. Lyon was very much against slavery and wanted to keep the United States united. This made him a strong supporter of the Union, which was the side that wanted to stay together.

In 1861, Lyon was put in charge of an important army building called an arsenal in St. Louis, Missouri. Missouri was a state where people were divided about the war.

Lyon suspected that the governor of Missouri was secretly planning to join the other side, called the Confederacy. So, Lyon acted fast! He made the governor's soldiers surrender, which stopped Missouri from leaving the Union at that time.

Lyon became a general and led the Union soldiers in Missouri. He fought in a big battle called the Battle of Wilson's Creek. His soldiers were outnumbered, but he tried his best to encourage them. Sadly, he was killed in this battle. Even though he lost his life, his actions helped make sure Missouri stayed part of the United States during the Civil War.