What is Nathaniel Lyon?
{{Infobox military person |name= Nathaniel Lyon |birth_date= {{birth date|1818|7|14}} |death_date= {{death date and age|1861|8|10|1818|7|14}} |birth_place= [[Ashford, Connecticut|Ashford]], [[Connecticut]] |death_place= [[Springfield, Missouri|Springfield]], [[Missouri]] |image= nathaniel lyon small.jpg |caption= Nathaniel Lyon |allegiance= [[United States of America]]<br/>[[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] |branch= [[United States Army]]<br/>[[Union Army]] |serviceyears= 1841&ndash;1861 |rank= [[File:Union Army brigadier general rank insignia.svg|35px]] [[Brigadier general]] (USA) |commands= |unit= |battles= [[Seminole Wars]]<br> [[Mexican-American War]] *[[Battle for Mexico City]] *[[Battle of Contreras]] *[[Battle of Churubusco]] [[Indian Wars]] *[[Bloody Island Massacre]] [[American Civil War]] *[[Battle of Boonville]] *[[Battle of Wilson's Creek]]{{KIA}} |awards= |laterwork= }} '''Nathaniel Lyon''' (July 14, 1818 – August 10, 1861<ref name=CWT>{{cite web |url=http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/nathanial-lyon.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/ |title=Nathaniel Lyon, Brigadier General, July 14, 1818 – August 10, 1861 |publisher=Civil War Trust |access-date=28 May 2016}}</ref>) was the first [[Union Army|Union]] [[General officer|general]] that was killed in the [[American Civil War]]. He died while leading his men at the [[Battle of Wilson's Creek]]. He is noted for his military actions in the state of [[Missouri]] in 1861. == Early life == Lyon was born on July 14, 1818, in [[Ashford, Connecticut]].<ref name=SHSM>{{cite web |url=http://shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/l/lyon/ |title=Nathaniel Lyon (1818 – 1861) |publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri |access-date=28 May 2016 |archive-date=21 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160721210820/http://shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/l/lyon/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was the seventh out of nine children born to Amasa and Kezia Knowlton Lyon.<ref name=SHSM/> His father was a [[farmer]] and also a [[ju