Col. John M. Harrell, Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 10.2, Arkansas
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

[30] could be replaced, retired slowly with the main body of the infantry, while Captain Steele was meeting the demonstration upon our right flank. This having been repulsed, and no enemy being in sight, the whole column moved slowly to the high open prairie about two miles from the battle ground. Our ambulances, meanwhile, passed to and fro, carrying off our wounded, and after making a short halt upon the prairie we continued our march to Springfield.

It should be here remarked that just after the order to retire had been given, and while it was still undecided whether the retreat should be continued or whether we should occupy the more favorable position in our rear and await tidings of Colonel Sigel, one of his men reached us, and reported that his brigade had been totally routed and all his artillery captured, Colonel Sigel himself having been either killed or taken prisoner. Most of our men had fired away all their ammunition and all that could be obtained from the boxes of the killed and wounded. There was then nothing left us but to return to Springfield.

Now, having yielded precedence to the version of the battle given by the vanquished, the reports of the victorious will be in order.

Wilson's creek flows southerly where the road crosses it, half a mile below Gibson's mill, which was beyond a cornfield up the creek. Skegg's creek from the west flows into Wilson's creek half a mile below the crossing; and Tyrrell's creek, also from the west, flows into it south of the main road two miles. In the wooded valley, between the two branches west of Wilson's creek, the mounted men of Churchill and Greer and 700 of Price's cavalry were camped. Price's infantry bivouacked between Skegg's creek and the crossing, all west of Wilson's creek, and between the creek and a hill 75 feet high, still further west and north of the road. On the east of Wilson's creek, upon a corresponding plateau, were Hebert's and McIntosh's regiments, McRae's battalion, Weightman's Missouri brigade, and Woodruff's and Reid's Arkansas batteries and Bledsoe's Missouri.