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diff --git a/old/66250-0.txt b/old/66250-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4b75ce1..0000000 --- a/old/66250-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4308 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of An Account of the Battle of Wilson's Creek, -by Return Ira Holcombe - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: An Account of the Battle of Wilson's Creek - or Oak hills, fought between the Union troops, commanded by Gen. - N. Lyon and the Southern, or Confederate troops, under command of - Gens. McCulloch and Price, on Saturday, August 10, 1861, in Greene - county, Missouri - -Author: Return Ira Holcombe - Thomas W. Adams - -Release Date: September 8, 2021 [eBook #66250] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Charlene Taylor, Stephen Hutcheson, and the Online - Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This - file was produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF -WILSON'S CREEK *** - - - - - AN ACCOUNT - OF THE - Battle of Wilson’s Creek, - OR OAK HILLS, - FOUGHT BETWEEN THE - UNION TROOPS, COMMANDED BY GEN. N. LYON, - AND THE - SOUTHERN, OR CONFEDERATE TROOPS, UNDER COMMAND OF GENS. McCULLOCH AND - PRICE, - ON - SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1861, - IN - GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI. - - - WRITTEN AND COMPILED FROM AUTHENTIC SOURCES - By HOLCOMBE & ADAMS. - - -Published on the Twenty-Second Anniversary of the Battle, as a Full and - Faithful Account, and as a Memorial of the Reunion of the - Survivors of the Engagement of Both Sides, held August 8, 9, and - 10, 1883. - - - SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI: - DOW & ADAMS, Publishers. - 1883. - - - St. Louis. - Nixon-Jones Printing Company. - - [Illustration: BRIG. GEN. NATHANIEL LYON.] - - [Illustration: GEN. STERLING PRICE.] - - - THIS BOOK - IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO THE - BLUE AND GRAY - WHO TOOK PART IN THE - Battle of Wilson’s Creek, or Oak Hills, - August 10th, 1861. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I. PRELIMINARY MOVEMENTS TO THE BATTLE 5 - FIRST FEDERAL TROOPS 6 - “SIGEL IS COMING!” 6 - GEN. SWEENEY COMES TO SPRINGFIELD 7 - SIGEL DEPARTS FOR CARTHAGE 7 - GEN. LYON ENTERS THE COUNTY 8 - SWEENEY’S EXPEDITION TO FORSYTH 9 - CONFEDERATE MILITARY OPERATIONS 9 - THE FIGHT AT DUG SPRINGS 11 - GEN. LYON FALLS BACK 12 - THE SOUTHERN FORCES UNDER PRICE AND M’CULLOCH ENTER GREENE - COUNTY—A GREAT BATTLE IMMINENT 15 - CHAPTER II. THE BATTLE OF WILSON’S CREEK—THE UNION OR FEDERAL - ACCOUNT 17 - GEN. LYON IN SPRINGFIELD 17 - PRELIMINARIES OF THE FINAL STRUGGLE 19 - A FALSE ALARM 22 - A MESSENGER FROM FREMONT—NO HOPE! 23 - CONFEDERATE MILITARY MOVEMENTS PRECEDING THE BATTLE 24 - GEN. LYON MARCHES OUT TO BATTLE 26 - THE MARCH BEGUN—ROUTE OF GEN. LYON 28 - COL. SIGEL’S ADVANCE 29 - LYON OPENS THE BATTLE 31 - DEATH OF GEN. LYON 35 - STILL THE BATTLE GOES ON 37 - THE LAST GRAND CHARGE OF PRICE’S MEN 37 - RETREAT 39 - SIGEL’S PART IN THE FIGHT 40 - DR. S. H. MELCHER’S ACCOUNT 46 - CHAPTER III. THE BATTLE OF WILSON’S CREEK.—Concluded 51 - THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE STORY 51 - THE PART TAKEN BY M’CULLOCH’S ARMY 51 - THE FEDERAL ATTACK 52 - THE FIGHT AGAINST LYON 54 - M’CULLOCH COMES TO THE RESCUE 55 - THE BEGINNING OF THE END 58 - VICTORY! 58 - M’CULLOCH’S DESTRUCTION OF SIGEL 59 - AFTER THE FAMOUS VICTORY 61 - COMPARATIVE STRENGTH AND LOSSES OF THE TWO ARMIES 62 - FEDERAL STRENGTH 62 - CONFEDERATE STRENGTH 63 - THE FEDERAL LOSS 64 - CONFEDERATE LOSS—PRICE’S ARMY 64 - DISPOSITION OF THE DEAD 66 - THE HOME GUARDS AT SPRINGFIELD 67 - THE RETREAT FROM SPRINGFIELD 68 - CARE OF THE UNION WOUNDED 69 - THE ARMY SETS OUT 69 - THE CONFEDERATES ENTER SPRINGFIELD 70 - PROCLAMATION OF GEN. M’CULLOCH 71 - GEN. M’CULLOCH’S ORDER 72 - GEN. PRICE’S PROCLAMATION 73 - JOY AND CONGRATULATIONS 74 - CHAPTER IV. PROMINENT REGIMENTS AND OTHER SUBORDINATE COMMANDS - ENGAGED IN THE BATTLE 76 - CONFEDERATE COMMANDS 76 - FEDERAL COMMANDS 84 - DISPOSITION OF THE BODY OF GEN. LYON 96 - - - - - BATTLE OF WILSON’S CREEK. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - PRELIMINARY MOVEMENTS TO THE BATTLE. - - -The Situation in Southwest Missouri After the Firing on Ft. Sumpter—The - First Federal Troops in the Country—“Sigel is Coming!”—Gen. - Sweeney Comes to Springfield—Sigel Departs for Carthage—Gen. Lyon - Enters the Country—Sweeney’s Expedition to Forsyth—Confederate - Military Operations—The Fight at Dug Springs—Gen. Lyon Falls - back—Gens. Price and McCulloch Follow up—A Great Battle - Imminent—Controversy Between Price and McCulloch. - - -In giving an account of the battle of Wilson’s Creek, or Oak Hills, -which though not the largest, has passed into history, as one of the -hardest and best fought battles of the American Civil War, it is -necessary to describe certain military movements and operations which -took place previously, in order that a better understanding of all of -the circumstances may be had. This must be done here briefly and in a -somewhat desultory way. - -Upon the outbreak of the civil war in 1861, the people of Southwest -Missouri were divided in sentiment, although a majority of them were -Unionists. At the previous Presidential election, Lincoln, the -Republican candidate, had received 42 votes in Greene county alone, and -this district had sent unconditional Union candidates to the State -Convention the previous February by a vote of four to one. Union Home -Guards were organized in Springfield in May to the number of 1200, -composed of citizens of Greene, Christian, and adjoining counties and -commanded by Col. John S. Phelps (afterward Governor). The secessionists -in this quarter of the State were in the minority, but they were bold -and disposed to be aggressive. - - - FIRST FEDERAL TROOPS. - -In a few days after the occupation of Rolla, Col. Franz Sigel took up -the line of march for Springfield. He had his own regiment, the 3d Mo. -Volunteers, and Col. Chas. E. Salomon’s 5th Missouri Volunteers. The -march from Rolla to Springfield was necessarily slow, as the Federals -were compelled to feel their way cautiously, but, considering all of the -circumstances, very good time was made. Detachments were sent out on -either side of the road from time to time, and the country pretty well -reconnoitered. - - - “SIGEL IS COMING!” - -At last, on Sunday morning, June 24, 1861, the citizens of Springfield -who lived in the eastern part of town, looked out on the St. Louis road -and saw, coming leisurely along, a column of men led by others on -horseback. The wind lifted and shook out a banner, which, when unfolded, -showed the old familiar stripes in all their splendor and the stars in -all their beauty. Just then the band struck up a spirit-stirring air, -and the cry rang out and was caught up and borne through all the town, -“They are coming! They are coming!” If it was asked, “Who are coming?” -the reply sometimes was, “The Union soldiers,” but often came the -answer, “The Yankee Dutch.” People had different ways of looking at the -thing and different ideas altogether about the matter! - -But whether they were “brave Union Germans” or “Yankee Dutch,” certain -it was that Sigel and his troops were in full possession of the town. It -was about 11:30 in the forenoon when the soldiers reached the main part -of town. Pickets were put out on all roads, and many prisoners made -among the citizens accused of real or premeditated “treason” against the -government. The court-house was pretty well filled at one time with -these prisoners. Some property was seized or “pressed” by the soldiers, -and their presence did not give universal or even general satisfaction. - - - GEN. SWEENEY COMES TO SPRINGFIELD. - -On the 1st of July Gen. T. W. Sweeney (then really only a captain in the -regular army), having been _elected_ a brigadier by the St. Louis Home -Guards, came to Springfield with a force of, say 1,500 men, including -the 1st Iowa Infantry (dressed in gray uniforms) a portion of the 2d -Kansas, and some artillery and a battalion of regular dragoons. - -By reason of his rank, which was recognized as that of brigadier, Gen. -Sweeney became the commander of the Federal army, then in Southwest -Missouri. He was a brigadier-general of Home Guards or U. S. Reserve -Corps; Sigel and Salomon and Brown were but colonels of volunteers. -Sweeney was an Irishman. He had but one arm, having lost the other in -the Mexican war. Like many another of his countrymen, he had more fight -in him than good judgment. Although starting in rank pretty well at the -top at the beginning of the war, he never attained any great military -distinction. After the war he led the Fenian raid into Canada, which -ended so ignominiously. - - - SIGEL DEPARTS FOR CARTHAGE. - -After the battle of Boonville, June 17, the State forces, under Col. -Marmaduke and Gov. Jackson, retreated toward the Southwest portion of -the State to co-operate with the troops under Gen. Rains, and to be in -easy distance of the Confederate forces at Fayetteville, Ark., under -Gen. Ben McCulloch. News of this movement having reached Gen. Sigel at -Springfield, that officer at once set out to intercept it—to prevent, if -possible, a junction between the forces of Col. Marmaduke and those of -Gen. Rains, and to attack the latter and destroy him in his camp, -supposed to be near Rupe’s Point, in Jasper county. - -“Pressing” a number of horses and wagons from the citizens of this -county, especially from about Springfield, Sigel, with the greater part -of his own and Salomon’s regiment and a company of regulars, set out -from Springfield westward on the Mt. Vernon road, one hot morning about -the 1st of July. His destination was Carthage, 65 miles away. He had -with him eight pieces of Backof’s artillery, 6 and 12 pounders. On the -5th the battle of Carthage was fought between the eight companies of -Sigel’s regiment, seven companies of Salomon’s and the artillery under -Backof on the Union side, and the State Guards under Gov. Jackson in -person, and Gens. Rains and Parsons. The Federals were defeated and fell -back to Mt. Vernon, Sigel being foiled in his attempt to prevent the -concentration of the secessionists. - - - GEN. LYON ENTERS THE COUNTY. - -On the 3d of July Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, at the head of about 2,000 -troops, left Boonville for the Southwest to co-operate with Sigel. On -the 25th of June five companies of cavalry, six companies of regular -infantry and dragoons, and ten companies of Kansas volunteers, in all -about 1,600 men, under command of Maj. S. D. Sturgis, left Kansas City, -destined also for Southwest Missouri. At Grand River, in Henry county, -the two commands formed a junction, and then started for Sigel. Hearing -of the latter’s defeat, and retreat to the eastward, Gen. Lyon changed -his direction more to the eastward and came into this county about the -13th of July, going into camp near Pond Spring, on section 31, township -29, range 23, in the western part of the county. Lyon came into the town -of Springfield July 13th, leaving, as he wrote to Chester Harding, his -troops, “a few miles back.” - -Gen. Lyon was mounted on an iron-gray horse, and had an escort or -body-guard of ten men of the 1st regiment U. S. regular cavalry, all of -whom were men remarkable for their large size, strong physique, and fine -horsemanship. Lyon treated the citizens with courtesy and kindness, -although impressing their provisions and animals, to some extent, for -the use of his men. As soon as he arrived in this quarter he -communicated with Sigel, and with Gen. Fremont at St. Louis, asking the -latter to send him reinforcements at once. He also busied himself in -recruiting for the Federal service—issuing commissions to officers of -Home Guard companies, and mustering in enlisted men. Ho was visited by -Union men from counties north and east 75 miles away. - - - SWEENEY’S EXPEDITION TO FORSYTH. - -Saturday, July 20, about 1,200 men were detailed under Gen. Sweeney to -break up a secession camp reported to be at Forsyth, the county seat of -Taney county. The command was composed of the two companies of regular -cavalry, under Capt. D. S. Stanley; a section of Capt. Totten’s battery, -in charge of Lt. Sokalski; about 500 men of the 1st Iowa Infantry, under -Lt. Col. Merritt; Capt. Wood’s company of mounted Kansas volunteers, and -the 2d Kansas Infantry, under Col. Mitchell. The expedition reached -Forsyth in the afternoon of Monday, captured the town with but little -difficulty, driving out about 200 State Guards, who had been quartered -in the court-house, and secured some blankets, clothing, guns, -provisions, horses and one or two prisoners. A quantity of lead was -taken from a well into which it had been thrown. Three shells were -thrown into the court-house after the Federals had possession of the -town. - -Gen. Sweeney remained in Forsyth about 24 hours, and returned to -Springfield on Thursday. His loss was three men wounded, and Capt. -Stanley had a horse shot under him. It was reported that the -secessionists had five killed and ten wounded, among the latter being -one Capt. Jackson. A camp of 1,000 Confederates, at Yellville, Ark., was -not molested by Gen. Sweeney, although only 50 miles from Forsyth. - - - CONFEDERATE MILITARY OPERATIONS. - -Meantime preparations were making among the secessionists of Missouri to -dispute the occupancy of the Southwest portion of the State with the -Federals. Gen. Ben McCulloch, of Texas, had been ordered by the -Confederate government to go to the assistance of its allies in -Missouri. Accordingly he rendezvoused at Fayetteville, Ark., where he -was joined by some Louisiana and Arkansas volunteers and a division of -Arkansas State troops. The Missouri State Guards, Gov. Jackson’s troops, -had rendezvoused, first near Sarcoxie, in Jasper county, afterward on -the Cowskin Prairie, in McDonald county, where some time was spent in -drilling, organizing and recruiting. - -On the 25th of July, 1861, General Sterling Price, in command of Gov. -Jackson’s State Guard, began to move his command from its encampment on -the Cowskin Prairie toward Cassville, Barry county, at which place it -had been agreed between Generals McCulloch and N. B. Pearce, of the -Confederate force, and Price that their respective commands, together -with General J. H. McBride’s division of State Guards, should -concentrate, preparatory to a forward movement on Lyon and Sigel and the -other Federal troops in the vicinity of Springfield. On the 29th the -junction was effected. The combined armies were then put under marching -orders. The 1st division, commanded by Gen. McCulloch in person; the 2d, -by Gen. Pearce, of Arkansas, and the 3d, by Gen. Steen, of Missouri, -left Cassville on the 1st and 2d of August, taking the Springfield road. -It is said that Gen. Price, with the greater portion of his infantry, -accompanied the 2d division. A few days afterward a regiment of Texas -rangers, under Col. E. Greer, joined the martial host advancing to -attack the Federals. Gen. James S. Rains, formerly the well known -politician of Jasper county, with six companies of mounted Missourians -belonging to his division, the 8th, commanded the advance guard. Rains -was given the advance because many of his men were from this quarter of -the State and knew the country very well. On Friday, August 2, he -encamped at Dug Springs, in Stone county, about 20 miles southwest of -Springfield. The main army was some distance to the westward. - -The Southern army was really composed of three small armies, as follows: -The Missouri State Guard, under Gen. Price; a division of Arkansas State -troops, under Gen. N. Bart. Pearce, and a division of Confederate troops -under Gen. McCulloch. Pearce’s division was composed of the 1st Arkansas -cavalry, Col. De Rosey Carroll; Capt. Chas. A. Carroll’s independent -company of cavalry; the 3d Arkansas infantry, Col. John R. Gratiot; the -4th Arkansas infantry, Col. J. D. Walker; the 5th Arkansas infantry, -Col. Tom P. Dockery, and Capt. Woodruff’s battery, the “Pulaski -Artillery.” All of the infantry regiments had enlisted only for three -months, and their time expired about Sept. 1. They were _State_ troops, -or militia. Another Arkansas battery, Capt. J. G. Reid’s, of Ft. Smith, -was also with Gen. Pearce, but assigned to McCulloch afterwards. - - - THE FIGHT AT DUG SPRINGS. - -Gen. Lyon was duly informed of the concentration of the Southern troops -at Cassville, of the junction of Price and McCulloch, and of their -intention of marching upon his own camp. His scouts and spies were -numerous, sharp and faithful. They marched in the ranks with the -secession troops at times, hung about officers’ quarters, picked up all -the information they could and then made their way inside the Federal -lines in a very short time. For the most part Lyon’s scouts were -residents of this part of the State and knew all the country very -thoroughly. Gen. Price, too, had scouts and spies, who kept _him_ -posted—who, by various ruses and stratagems visited the Federal camps, -and obtained valuable information and conveyed it to “Old Pap” in short -order. And Price’s scouts, too, were chiefly residents of Southwest -Missouri. A number of Greene county men did scouting for both Price and -Lyon. - -Learning of the movements of Price and McCulloch, Gen. Lyon determined -to go out and meet them. He first sent more messengers to Gen. Fremont, -at St. Louis, begging for reinforcements, and late in the afternoon of -Thursday, the 1st of August, his entire army, which, by the addition of -Sigel’s and Sturgis’ forces, had been increased to 5,868 men of all -arms, infantry, cavalry and eighteen pieces of artillery, led by -himself, moved toward Cassville, leaving behind a force of volunteers -and Home Guards to guard Springfield. That night the army bivouacked -about ten miles southwest of Springfield, on a branch of the James. Gen. -Lyon’s subordinate commanders were Brig. Gen. T. W. Sweeney, Col. Sigel -and Maj. Sturgis. The next morning, early, the command moved forward. It -was a hot day and the men suffered severely from dust, heat and -excessive thirst, most of the wells and the streams being dry. Towards -evening five dollars was offered for a canteen of warm ditch water. - -At Dug Springs the army halted, having come up with Gen. Rains’ advance -of the Southern forces. The Missourians were first observed about 11 -o’clock in the forenoon, at a house by the roadside with a wagon -partially laden with cooked provisions, from which they were driven away -by shell from one of Capt. Totten’s guns. At the Dug Springs (which are -in an oblong valley, five miles in length and broken by projecting spurs -of the hills, which form wooded ridges), at about 5 o’clock in the -evening a skirmish took place between Rains’ secessionists and a -battalion of regular infantry under Capt. Fred Steele, a company of U. -S. dragoons under Capt. D. S. Stanley, and two 6-pounders of Capt. -Totten’s battery. The Southerners were driven away with a loss of one -killed, perhaps half a dozen wounded, and ten prisoners. A Lieutenant -Northent is reported as having been mortally wounded. The Federal loss -was four killed outright, one mortally wounded, and about thirty -slightly wounded. Three of the Federal killed were Corporal Klein, and -Privates Givens and Devlin. - -On the side of the Missourians a young man named H. D. Fulbright, was -sunstruck in the engagement, and died. W. J. Frazier, of the Greene -County Company, attached to McBride’s division, was wounded. - -The Federals pursued next morning, going as far as Curran, or McCullah’s -store, nearly on the county line between Stone and Barry counties, and -twenty-six miles from Springfield. During the day a scouting party of -secessionists, which had come across the country from Marionville, was -encountered at dinner. Totten’s artillery was brought up, a few shells -fired, and the Southern troops did not wait for the dessert! This is a -brief, but correct account of what is often referred to in histories of -the civil war as the “_battle_” of Dug Springs. - - - GEN. LYON FALLS BACK. - -Finding that the enemy in his front was much his superior in numbers, -Gen. Lyon determined to go no farther than Curran, but to return to -Springfield and await the reinforcements so urgently requested of Gen. -Fremont before risking a decisive battle, the result of which would -certainly mean a splendid victory and possession of all Southwestern -Missouri to one party or the other. The Federal scouts also reported -that a large force of State Guards was marching to the assistance of -Gen. Price from toward Sarcoxie. Accordingly, after a conference with -his officers, Sweeney, Sigel, and Majors Sturgis, Schofield, Shepherd, -and Conant, and the artillery captains, Totten and Schaeffer, Gen. Lyon -countermarched his army and returned to Springfield, coming this time -directly to the town, where he arrived August 5th. The main body of the -army camped about the town. Nearly 2,000 of the volunteers and regulars -under Lt. Col. Andrews, of the 1st Missouri, and Maj. Sturgis were -stationed out about four miles from town. Two days later this force was -withdrawn to the line of defence around the town. - -A vigilant guard was at once set upon all roads and avenues of approach -to Springfield. No one was allowed to _go out_, except physicians, -although everybody was admitted. Never, perhaps, in the history of war -was a camp so well guarded, and all knowledge of its character kept so -well from the enemy as was Gen. Lyon’s at Springfield. - -Col. Thos. L. Snead, now of New York City, and Gen. Price’s assistant -adjutant general in 1861, has kindly furnished much very valuable -information to the writer hereof, and through this volume to the world -at large. The colonel’s means of knowledge are very superior, and he has -manifested the utmost willingness to impart what he knows concerning the -memorable days of July and August, 1861. - -Col. Snead says that on Sunday morning, August 4th (1861), Gen. Price -and he rode over to Gen. McCulloch’s headquarters, at McCulloch’s farm, -and in the presence of Snead and Col. James McIntosh, who was -McCulloch’s adjutant general, Gen. Price urged McCulloch to co-operate -with him in an attack on Lyon, who was supposed to be in the immediate -front,—it not then being known to the Confederates that he had -retreated. McCulloch had no faith in Price’s skill as an officer, and a -profound contempt for the Missouri officers generally,—and for Gen. -Rains particularly.[1] - -Gen. Price was a major-general of Missouri militia, McCulloch only a -Confederate brigadier. Price had a loud voice and a positive address, -and always spoke to McCulloch as if the latter were his inferior. “Do -you mean to march on and attack Lyon, Gen. McCulloch?” he demanded. “I -have not received orders yet to do so, sir,” answered McCulloch; “my -instructions leave me in doubt whether I will be justified in doing so.” -“Now, sir,” said Price, still in his loud, imperious tone, “I have -commanded in more battles than you ever saw, Gen. McCulloch. I have -three times as many troops as you. I am of higher rank than you are, and -I am twenty years your senior in age and general experience. I waive all -these considerations, Gen. McCulloch, and if you will march upon the -enemy I will obey your orders, and give you the whole command and all -the glory to be won there!” McCulloch said he was then expecting a -dispatch from President Davis, and would take Gen. Price at his word if -it should be favorable, and if after consultation with Gen. Pearce the -latter should agree also to co-operate, Gen. Pearce having an -independent command of Arkansas State troops. - -Gen. Price immediately called his general officers together and told -them what he had done. They were at first violently opposed to his -action, but finally they gave their unwilling consent to what they -considered an unnecessary self-abasement. In the afternoon McCulloch and -McIntosh came to Price’s headquarters, and McCulloch announced that he -had received from Richmond, since morning, dispatches that gave him -greater freedom of action and also that he would receive that night -1,000 reinforcements (Greer’s Texas regiment), and that he would -therefore accede to Gen. Price’s proposition and assume command of the -combined armies and march against Gen. Lyon. Accordingly Col. Snead -wrote, by Gen. Price’s direction, the necessary orders and had them -published to the Missouri State Guard. It having been learned that the -Federals were retreating, orders were given to move that very night. -Lyon had, however, escaped, “and,” says Col. Snead, “this was fortunate -for us, perhaps.” - - - THE SOUTHERN FORCES UNDER PRICE AND M’CULLOCH ENTER GREENE COUNTY—A - GREAT BATTLE IMMINENT. - -When Gen. Rains’ troops were driven from the field at Dug Springs, they -fell back on the main army under Price and McCulloch, some five miles -away, and reported that the force which had assailed them was not only -vastly superior to their own, but was much larger and more formidable -than the combined Southern army. It was evident that Gen. Rains, if not -badly whipped, was badly frightened. The Confederates and Missourians -were then encamped on Crane Creek, in the northern part of Stone county. - -Thereupon there was confusion among the principal Southern officers. -General McCulloch counselled a retreat and General Price advocated a -forward movement. Price’s officers and men agreed with him and were -“eager for the fray.” As McCulloch was unwilling to advance, General -Price asked him to loan him some arms for the destitute portion of his -command, that the Missourians might advance by themselves. McCulloch at -first refused; afterwards 800 muskets were furnished the Missourians. -The embarrassing disagreement continued till in the evening of Sunday, -August 4, when an order was received by McCulloch from the Confederate -authorities ordering what Price much desired—an advance on General Lyon. -A council was at once held, at which McCulloch agreed to march on -Springfield provided he was granted the chief command of the -consolidated army. Price, to whom in right and justice the supreme -command belonged, anxious to encounter the Federals and defeat and drive -them from the State before they could be reinforced by Fremont from St. -Louis, consented to the terms of the imperious Texas ranger, saying: “I - am not fighting for distinction, but for the liberties of my country, -and I am willing to surrender not only my command but my life, if -necessary, as a sacrifice to the cause.” A little after midnight, -therefore, on Sunday, August 4, the Southern camp was broken up and the -troops took up the line of march, which was continued slowly and -cautiously, along the Fayetteville road to the crossing of Wilson’s -Creek, near the Christian county line, in sections 25 and 26, tp. 28, -range 23, ten miles southwest of Springfield, which locality was reached -on the 6th. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - THE BATTLE OF WILSON’S CREEK—THE UNION OR FEDERAL ACCOUNT. - - -Gen. Lyon in Springfield—His entreaties to Gen. Fremont for - Reinforcements—Lyon Loses His Temper—Preliminaries to the Final - Conflict—Slight Skirmishes—Proposals to Retreat—Gen. Sweeney - Opposed—A False Alarm—Thursday, August 8th—Friday, August 9th—A - Messenger from Fremont—No Hope—Lyon’s Last Letter—Confederate - Military Movements—Failure to Discover or Develop the Federal - Position—McCulloch Reconnoiters in Person—Price Loses His - Patience—An Advance Ordered on Springfield—Gen. Lyon Marches Out - to Battle—Order of March, List of Regiments and Battalions, - etc.—The March Begun—Lyon’s Route—“Gay and Happy.”—Col. Sigel’s - Advance and Route—Preparations in Springfield for Retreat—Great - Excitement Among the Citizens—The Federals in Position Waiting for - the Dawn—Lyon Opens the battle—Temporary Success of the - Federals—Desperate Fighting on Both Sides—Death of Gen. Lyon—Full - Particulars—Still the Battle Goes On—Nearing the End—The Last - Grand Charge of Price’s Men—The Federals Retreat—Sigel’s Part in - the Fight—Surprise of the Confederate Camp—Moving Forward—All - Successful So Far—In Position—A Force Seen Approaching Down the - Valley—“They Are Friends”—“Ah! They Shoot Against Us; They Make a - Mistake”—“No! They Are Enemies!”—Charge of the Louisiana - Regiment—The Federals Retreat with Precipitation and in - Confusion—Destruction of Sigel’s Force—Sigel Himself Escapes, - “With Two Dutch Guards and Nary Gun”—Lieut. Farrand’s - Account—Surgeon Melcher’s Account—Sigel’s Explanation—Capt. Carr’s - Account. - - - GEN. LYON IN SPRINGFIELD. - -When Gen. Lyon returned to Springfield after the Dug Springs expedition, -he scattered his forces upon the different roads leading into the city -at a distance of from three to five miles. Five miles from town, on the -Fayetteville road, was a force of 2,500 under command of Maj. Sturgis. -The other roads were well guarded, and all precautions were taken -against a surprise or a sudden attack. Gen. Lyon’s private room and -personal headquarters were in a house on North Jefferson street, not far -from the public square. The building, a small one, was then owned by -Mrs. Boren; it is now (1883) the property of Mrs. Timmons. His general -headquarters were on the north side of College street, a little west of -Main, in a house then owned by John S. Phelps, but which had been -recently occupied by Maj. Dorn. In this same house his body lay, after -it was borne from the battle field of Wilson’s Creek. The house was -burned by Curtis’ Federals in February, 1862, and where it once stood is -now (July, 1883) a vacant lot, on which are the remains of an old -cellar. - -As soon as Lyon reached Springfield he again sent off a courier to -Fremont at St. Louis asking for reinforcements. Hon. John S. Phelps, who -had started for Washington City to attend the extra session of Congress -convened by President Lincoln, had stopped in St. Louis, called upon -Gen. Fremont, and urged him to help Lyon and the Union people of -Southwest Missouri with men and supplies, both of which were at St. -Louis in abundance.[2] But Fremont stated that he did not believe Gen. -Lyon was in anything like desperate straits; that McCulloch and Price -could have nothing but an inconsiderable force, since the country in -Southwestern Missouri was too poor to support a force of any formidable -strength; that in his opinion Lyon could take care of himself; and -finally that he had no troops to spare him anyhow, as he had received -information through Gov. Morton, of Indiana, that a large Confederate -force and flotilla of gunboats, under command of Gen. Pillow, were -coming up the Mississippi to attack Cairo, Bird’s Point, and if -successful in their destruction, would come on and destroy St. Louis, -and that he had need of every available man to guard those threatened -points. - -Gen. Lyon consulted with his officers and with the prominent Union men -of Springfield very freely. He knew the situation perfectly. His scouts -came in every day from McCulloch’s army and gave him all needed -information. He was impatient to fight the force in his front, but he -anxiously desired reinforcements to enable him to have a reasonable -chance of success. Every day he visited the out-posts and nearly every -day sent off messages for help. Sometimes he would lose his temper and -curse and swear quite violently. On one occasion he received a message -from Fremont that no more troops could or would be sent for the present. -Striding back and forth in his room, with the paper in his hand, he -suddenly threw it on the table, and smiting his hands together cried -out: “_G—d d—n General Fremont_: He is a worse enemy to me and the Union -cause than Price and McCulloch and the whole d—d tribe of rebels in this -part of the State!”[3] - - - PRELIMINARIES OF THE FINAL STRUGGLE. - -On Monday, August 5, the day of Lyon’s arrival at Springfield, as before -stated, he left a force of 2,500 strong at a point about five miles from -Springfield, on the Fayetteville road. This force (comprising fully -one-third of Lyon’s army), under Major Sturgis, was ordered by Gen. Lyon -to be ready to move at a moment’s notice, and at about 6 o’clock on the -evening of the next day the men were in ranks, the artillery horses -harnessed, and everything in readiness to march back and attack the -advancing enemy. - -Shortly afterward a stream of visitors, messengers, and communications -poured in upon the general, some reporting the engagement of Capt. -Stockton, of the 1st Kansas, and two companies of Home Guards with a -party of Price’s cavalry, on the prairie west of town, in which two of -the latter were wounded; some gave other information; some were the -bearers of excellent advice(!); others came for orders; still others had -no business. - -Two companies were ordered to the relief of Capt. Stockton. Eight -companies of the 1st Kansas infantry, a part of the second Kansas, and -Major Osterhaus’ battalion of the 2d Missouri were ordered to a certain -point in town to await the arrival of Gen. Lyon, who, it seems, was so -entirely occupied with other matters that instead of starting at 10 -o’clock, it was midnight when he left his headquarters, and without -looking at his watch he proceeded to Camp Hunter, having already ordered -Major Sturgis to drive in the enemy’s pickets, if within two miles of -his own. A company of cavalry under Capt. Fred Steele[4] was dispatched -on his errand (to find the pickets) at half-past 12, and Gen. Lyon, with -the troops above mentioned, arrived at 3 o’clock in the morning. Here he -consulted his watch, and, finding the time more than two hours later -than he supposed, he at once called together his principal officers, -communicated to them his embarrassing position, and taking their advice, -withdrew the entire force to Springfield. - -It had been Lyon’s intention, on retreating from Dug Springs to -Springfield, to wheel suddenly about on reaching the latter place and -march back upon Price and McCulloch (who, he considered, would be -following him up), fall upon them when they least expected an attack, -and defeat them if possible. On arriving at Springfield, appearances -indicated the approach of a Confederate force from the west, and this -caused him to wait a few hours. The night of the 6th, his information -was to the effect that Price and McCulloch were only seven miles away -from Sturgis’ camp, and he intended attacking them at daylight. On the -return to town the general remarked to Major Schofield, of the 1st -Missouri (Frank Blair’s regiment), that he had a premonition that a -night attack would prove disastrous, and yet he had felt impelled to try -it once, and perhaps should do so again, “for my only hope of success is -in a surprise,” he added. Before the Federals reached Springfield it was -daylight. An ambush was formed in the timber southwest of town in case -of pursuit. - -During Wednesday continued alarms were circulated in Springfield, and a -real panic prevailed among many of the citizens, who packed up and left, -or prepared to leave, for supposed places of safety. The troops wore -under arms in every quarter, and several times it was reported that -fighting had actually commenced. Toward night the panic in a degree -subsided: but many of the people who remained did not retire or make any -attempt to sleep. Phelps’ regiment of Home Guards, commanded by Col. -Marcus Boyd, was on the _qui vive_ the whole night. - -A consultation of the principal Federal officers was held at Gen. Lyon’s -headquarters, which lasted till midnight. The question of evacuating -Springfield and abandoning Southwest Missouri to its fate was seriously -discussed. Looking at the matter from a military point of view, there -was no doubt of the propriety and even the necessity of such a step, and -Gen. Lyon and the majority of his officers counseled such a movement. -Some favored a retreat to Fort Scott, while others thought Rolla a point -easier reached and promising better results. - -Gen. Sweeney, however, was strongly opposed to retreating without a -fight. With his naturally florid face flushed to livid red, and waving -his one arm with excitement, he exclaimed vehemently against such a -policy—pointing out the disastrous results which must ensue upon a -retreat without a battle—how the “rebels” would boast over such an easy -conquest, how they would terrorize, harass, and persecute the -unprotected Unionists if given undisputed possession of the country, how -the Unionists themselves would become discouraged, crushed, or -estranged, and declared himself in favor of holding on to the last -moment, and of giving battle to Price and McCulloch as soon as they -should offer it.[5] - -Gen. Lyon and some of the other officers became converts to Gen. -Sweeney’s views, and it was decided to remain, save the reputation of -the little army, hope against hope for reinforcements, and not evacuate -Springfield and Greene county until compelled to. The next day when -Sigel’s brigade quartermaster, Major Alexis Mudd, asked Gen. Lyon when -the army would leave Springfield, the latter replied: “Not until we are -whipped out.” - - - A FALSE ALARM. - -Thursday morning, Price and McCulloch were reported to be actually -advancing on Springfield. Lyon’s troops were quickly in line of battle, -the luggage wagons were all sent to the center of the town, and in this -position they remained during nearly the entire day. The Southern troops -_had_ advanced, but only about two miles, and had gone into camp in the -southern part of this county, nearly on the line between Greene and -Christian counties (in sections 25 and 36, tp. 28, range 23, partly in -Greene and partly in Christian county), their tents being on either side -of Wilson’s Creek, and extending a mile or so east and south of the -Fayetteville road. Thursday evening the Federals were ready for marching -orders, but a portion of the Kansas troops had been so much engaged the -night before as to be really unfit for service, and an order for all of -the soldiers, except those actually on guard, to retire and rest, was -issued, and the night attack was again deferred. The Home Guards were on -duty and in active service in the city at this time. - -And so the soldiers lay down to rest and to sleep—to many of them it was -to be the last repose they should take until they should lie down to -take their last sleep. Soon the camps were wrapped in silence and -slumber and no sound was to be heard save the cry of the night birds and -the challenges of the watchful pickets as they hailed the relief guard, -or arrested the steps of some belated wanderer. There they lay, these -men from Iowa and Kansas, dreaming of the homes and loved ones they had -left behind them on the beautiful prairies of their own States, and in -vision seeing faces and forms and scenes they were destined to never see -again in reality. There they lay, these bearded Germans from St. Louis, -dreaming, perhaps, of families and kinsmen in the city by the great -river, or of their early homes in the Fatherland, far across the deep, -blue sea. There they lay, these Missouri Unionists, sleeping as -peacefully as their brethren in arms. - -There they lay, too, only a few miles away, those men under the folds of -the new flag, who had come out from their homes by the bayous of -Louisiana, on the plains of Texas, amid the hills and dales and valleys -of Arkansas and Missouri, to do battle for the cause they believed to be -just and righteous, to drive out those whom they believed to be the -wrongful invaders of their country, the despoilers of their homes. And -to blue and gray alike, with an equal peace and softness, came that -balmy blessing which “knits up the raveled sleeve of care.” - -Friday, the 9th, Springfield was remarkably quiet. But the calm preceded -the storm. Those timid creatures who had made it a business to repeat -exciting rumors had been frightened away with much of the material upon -which they operated. Enlistments in the Springfield regiment had been -rapid, and really among the uninitiated and uninformed a feeling of -security prevailed. During the afternoon, Capt. Wood’s company of Kansas -cavalry and Capt. Stanley’s company of regulars had a skirmish with a -scouting party of Price’s cavalry on the prairie about five miles west -of town, defeating them, wounding two and capturing six or eight -prisoners. From the prisoners, among other information, it was learned -that the Southern troops were badly off for provisions and were forced -to do some pretty liberal foraging on both friends and enemies. - - - A MESSENGER FROM FREMONT—NO HOPE! - -About noon there arrived a messenger from St. Louis and Fremont bearing -a dispatch from the latter to Gen. Lyon. This dispatch informed Lyon -that his situation was not considered critical; that he doubtless -over-estimated the force in his front; that he ought not to fall back -without good cause, and assured him that no reinforcement would be sent, -but that he must report his future movements as soon as possible, and do -the best he could. - -Like the brave, disciplined soldier that he was, Lyon accepted the -situation, and prepared to obey the orders of his superior officer. With -Fremont’s message before him, he sat quietly down at his little table in -his headquarters and wrote the following reply with his own hand—the -last letter he ever wrote:— - - Springfield, Mo., Aug. 9, 1861. - - General—I have just received your note of the 6th inst., by special - messenger. I retired to this place, as I have before informed you, - reaching here on the 5th. The enemy followed to within ten miles of - here. He has taken a strong position, and is recruiting his supplies - of horses, mules, and provisions by forages into the surrounding - country. His large force of mounted men enables him to do this without - much annoyance from me. I find my position extremely embarrassing, and - am at present unable to determine whether I shall be able to maintain - my ground or forced to retire. I shall hold my ground as long as - possible, though I may, without knowing how far, endanger the safety - of my entire force with its valuable material, being induced, by the - important considerations involved, to take this step. The enemy - yesterday made a show of force about five miles distant, and has - doubtless a full purpose of making an attack on me. Very respectfully, - your obedient servant, - - N. Lyon - Brig. Gen. Vols., Commanding. - - To Major Gen. J. C. Fremont, Commanding Western Department, St. Louis, - Mo. - -No word of complaint; no murmuring; but with the expressed knowledge -that he was to be attacked, when attack meant defeat, he calmly -announced his determination to hold his ground as “long as possible.” - - - CONFEDERATE MILITARY MOVEMENTS PRECEDING THE BATTLE. - -From their camp at Moody’s Spring, where they had arrived Monday night, -Generals Price and McCulloch moved forward to the point on Wilson’s -creek, heretofore described, and went again into camp on the 6th. -Scouting parties were at once sent out, especially to discover the -Federal position, but with little success, while foraging parties -scoured the country in every direction, and were equally inefficient in -obtaining information. The combined forces were at once put in position -to advance on Springfield, and only awaited the decision of Gen. -McCulloch to begin to move. The latter was irresolute and undecided for -some days. From the information he possessed as to the strength and -character of Lyon’s forces and his knowledge of his own, he was fearful -of the result of an engagement at that time. He had but little -confidence in Price’s Missourians, who were somewhat undisciplined and -inexperienced, it is true, and at one time he characterized them as -“splendid roasting-ear foragers, but poor soldiers.” - -It is an undoubted fact that at one time Gen. McCulloch had decided _to -retreat into Arkansas_. Gen. Price, however, was anxious for an -immediate advance and attack. He knew that Lyon’s force was inferior -even to his own, and that the entire Southern army had but little to -risk in offering battle. He knew furthermore, that Lyon ought to be -reinforced, and that the chances were that he could and would be, and of -course it was desirable that the enemy be attacked before this -reinforcement should be effected. The most serious feature considered by -McCulloch, that the Missourians were illy disciplined, imperfectly -organized, and poorly armed, Price thought would be overcome by their -superiority in numbers and _their pluck_ in fighting on Missouri soil -against a detested enemy—“the Yankee Dutch.” - -There remains to be shown a good reason why McCulloch did not follow up -Lyon and attack him on the 6th; it is true that he gained a victory by -waiting, but that victory could have been won four days earlier and made -more complete, more decisive and more lasting in its results. And yet -McCulloch, on the 8th, seriously meditated a retreat—knowing his enemy’s -strength as well as his own, and understanding, or supposed to -understand, the situation perfectly. - -In his report to the Confederate Secretary of War (see Rebellion -Records, Series I., Vol. III., p. 745), Gen. McCulloch says: “* * * I -asked of the Missourians, owing to their knowledge of the country, some -reliable information of the strength and position of the enemy. This -they repeatedly promised, but totally failed to furnish, though to urge -them to it I then and at subsequent periods _declared I would order the -whole army back to Cassville_, rather than bring on an engagement with -an unknown enemy. It had no effect, as _we remained four days within ten -miles of Springfield, and never learned whether the streets were -barricaded, or if any kind of works of defense had been erected by the -enemy_.” - -Col. Snead says that McCulloch made every effort to discover the -condition of Springfield; that he (McCulloch) would frequently sling his -rifle over his shoulder, mount his horse and reconnoiter in person; but -all to no purpose. Incredible as it may seem, it could not even be -ascertained whether or not the Federals had thrown up breastworks, which -it might be supposed could be learned from inspection a mile away. - -Gen. N. B. Pearce says the first information concerning Gen. Lyon’s -condition was furnished by two ladies, who, “on a pass to go out of -Lyon’s lines, came around by Pond Springs, and came to Gen. Price’s -headquarters and gave the desired information.” No corroboration of this -story has been obtained, but it is given on the high authority of such a -gallant officer and high-minded gentleman as Gen. Pearce, now of -Whitesboro, Texas. - -At last, Gen. Price lost all patience, and at sunrise on the morning of -the 9th, sent Col. Snead over to McCulloch, to say to him that if he did -not give orders for an immediate advance he (Price) would resume command -of the Missouri State Guard and advance alone, be the consequences what -they might. This led to a conference of the general officers at Price’s -headquarters that afternoon, which conference resulted in orders for an -advance on Springfield that very night, the movement to begin at nine -o’clock. - - - GEN. LYON MARCHES OUT TO BATTLE. - -Upon the receipt of Gen. Fremont’s last message, to the effect that no -help would be sent, Gen. Lyon resolved upon attacking his enemy down on -Wilson’s creek and trusting to the effect of a surprise and a fierce -fight. He was led to this course by the fact that he knew his situation -would not improve with time, and perhaps by his knowledge of the fact -that Price and McCulloch were about to attack _him_.[6] To fight on the -defensive about Springfield, with a town full of women and children -behind him and an open country adapted to the movements of cavalry, of -which he had but a handful, and of which his enemy’s force largely -consisted, could but result one way—in defeat. The Confederates were -expecting to attack, not to be attacked, and if the Federals should fall -suddenly upon them it would disconcert them very materially, to say the -least. These were the tactics adopted by Gen. Lee when Grant crossed the -Rapidan, in the spring of 1864, and by Napoleon, in the first campaign -in Italy. - -Accordingly, late in the afternoon of the 9th (Friday) word was sent to -the subordinate commanders that after nightfall another movement against -the Confederates would be made. Between Gens. Lyon and Sweeney, Col. -Sigel, and Maj. Sturgis, the plan of attack was agreed upon. That part -of the plan which arranged for sending Sigel’s brigade around completely -to the south and rear of the Confederate position, was, it is said, -adopted by Gen. Lyon upon the most urgent suggestions and -representations of Col. Sigel himself. The army was to be divided into -two columns. The first column, under Lyon, was to consist of three small -brigades, the second under Sigel, was to consist of one small brigade -composed of two regiments of infantry, two companies of cavalry, and six -pieces of artillery. - -The first brigade of Lyon’s column was composed of three companies of -the 1st U. S. regular infantry, as follows: Co. B, Capt. Gilbert; Co. C, -Capt. Plummer; Co. D, Capt. Huston; a company of regular rifle recruits -under Lieut. Wood,—the four companies being commanded by Capt. Plummer, -of Co. C. Then there were two companies of the 2d Missouri Volunteers, -under Maj. P. J. Osterhaus; Capt. Woods’ company (mounted) of the 2d -Kansas Volunteers; Company B, 1st U. S. regular cavalry, under Lieut. -Caulfield, and a light battery of six pieces commanded by Capt. James -Totton. The first brigade was commanded by Maj. Sturgis. - -The second brigade was commanded by Lieut. Col. Geo. L. Andrews, of the -1st Missouri Volunteers (Blair’s regiment), and was composed of the 1st -Missouri infantry; Cos. B and E, 2d U. S. regular infantry, under Capt. -Fred Steele; one company of regular recruits under Lieut. Lothrop; one -company (squad) of mounted recruits under Sergeant Morine, and Lieut. -Dubois’ light battery of four pieces, one a 12-pounder. - -The third brigade was commanded by Gen. Sweeney, and was composed of the -1st Iowa volunteers, under Lieut. Col. Merritt, the colonel, J. F. -Bates, being sick in Springfield; the 1st Kansas, under Col. Geo. W. -Deitzler; the 2d Kansas, under Col. Mitchell, and about 200 mounted Dade -county home guards, under Capt. Clark Wright and Capt. T. A. Switzler. - -Gen. Sigel’s command consisted of eight companies of the 3d Missouri -volunteers (Sigel’s regiment), under Lieut. Col. Albert; nine companies -of the 5th Missouri, under Col. Salomon; one company, 1st regular -cavalry, under Capt. Carr; one company, C, of the 2d U. S. dragoons, -under Lieut. Farrand, and six pieces of light artillery manned by -details from the infantry recruits under Lieuts. Schaeffer and -Schuetzenbach. - - - THE MARCH BEGUN—ROUTE OF GEN. LYON. - -At about 6 P. M. of Friday evening, the 9th, the movement of troops -began. Gen. Lyon’s column went to the westward, on the Mt. Vernon road, -Capt. Gilbert’s company of regular infantry having the advance. In a -short time it was dark, but the march was continued. Although the march -was intended to result in a surprise, and, it was expected, would be -conducted silently, yet there was a great deal of noise made. The Iowa -and Kansas volunteers were disposed to exercise their vocal organs, and -camp songs of all sorts were sung _con spirito_, along the march. The -1st Iowa had a favorite song, the burden of which ran:— - - So let the wide world wag as it will, - We’ll be gay and happy still. - Gay and happy, gay and happy, - We’ll be gay and happy still. - -The strains of this song were wafted out over the prairie, loud enough, -it would have seemed, to have been heard by McCulloch’s pickets, if any -were out. The Kansas men sang the “Happy Land of Canaan,” and raised the -neighborhood with their vocal efforts. Toward midnight, however, the -line became more quiet, by Gen. Lyon’s orders. The latter had remarked -during the march that the Iowa troops had too much levity in their -composition to do good fighting, but added that he would give them an -opportunity to show what they were made of. It so turned out that the -general was mistaken in his estimate of the fighting qualities of the -Hawkeyes. - -Lyon marched west from Springfield on the Mt. Vernon road, about five -miles, or a little east of where the town of Brooklyn now stands, when -he turned south, and made his way over neighboring roads and across -prairies as best he could nearly six miles, when he reached a point -within striking distance of Price’s Missourians. The center of the camp -of the Southerners was about six miles west, and about seven miles south -of the public square of Springfield. Gen. Lyon had for guides Pleasant -Hart, Parker Cox, and other men. Nearly twenty men have come forward to -claim this distinction. - -It was 1 o’clock in the morning when the advance discovered the -camp-fires of the Missourians. The command was then halted, and the -ground reconnoitered as well as possible until the dawn of day, when it -again moved forward and formed a battle line, moving a little southeast -so as to strike the extreme northern point of the enemy’s camp. - - - COL. SIGEL’S ADVANCE. - -Sigel left “Camp Fremont,” on the south side of Springfield, at about -6:30, p. m., taking at first the “wire” road, or road to Cassville and -Fayetteville, along which the telegraph wire ran. About four miles -southwest of town, the command left the main Cassville road, which led -directly through McCulloch’s camp, and bore south, and then along a road -parallel with the Cassville road, and in the same general direction, -until below the Christian county line. Col. Sigel had for guides, C. B. -Owen, John Steele, Andrew Adams, Sam (or Jo.) Carthal and L. A. D. -Crenshaw. Sigel’s column marched perhaps twelve or thirteen miles, -passing clear around the extreme southeastern camp of the enemy, and -arriving at daylight within a mile of the main camp. Taking forward the -two cavalry companies of Carr and Farrand, Col. Sigel contrived to cut -off about forty men of McCulloch’s troops, who had gone out early to -forage, and were engaged in digging potatoes, picking roasting ears, -gathering tomatoes and procuring other supplies for their individual -commissary departments. These captures were made in such a manner that -no news of the Federal advance from this quarter was brought into the -Confederate camp. Moving cautiously up, Sigel planted four pieces of his -artillery on a little hill, in plain view of the Confederate tents, -which spread out to his front and right. The two regiments of infantry -advanced so as to command the Fayetteville road at the point where it -crosses Wilson’s creek, while the two companies of cavalry guarded the -flanks. In this position the command rested, awaiting the sound of -Lyon’s gun as a signal to open the ball. The prisoners were left in -charge of Capt. Flagg, with his company (K) of the 5th Missouri. - -In conformity to the plan agreed upon between the Federal commanders, -Sigel disposed his troops so as to command the Fayetteville road, and -prevent the Confederates from retreating by that thoroughfare. It is -claimed by officers of both armies that, had an avenue of retreat been -left open, it is highly probable that the result of the day’s battle -would have been different. - -Lyon had left behind him the Greene and Christian County Home Guards to -take care of Springfield, directing the officers in command to watch the -Fayetteville road below where Sigel turned off, and send word to him -across the country, should the Confederates be found approaching from -that quarter. This is a circumstance corroborative of the theory that -Lyon knew that the Confederates meditated a night attack on him (as they -did) or believed that such was a fact. Everything in Springfield had -been gotten ready for a retreat. Wagons were loaded, and the funds of -the bank were secured for transfer, and were being guarded by the Home -Guards. The citizens were in quite a state, to be sure. - - - LYON OPENS THE BATTLE. - -In describing the battle of Wilson’s Creek in this history, which, it is -believed, contains the only fully elaborate and accurate account ever -published, of that memorable contest, it is proper to do so in detail. -The statements herein made have been derived from the official reports -of commanders, and from the fairest accounts of actual participants. -Care has been taken to discard all reports which are highly colored, -sensational, not corroborated by undisputed facts, and savoring of the -improbable. Both Federal and Confederate accounts of this character have -been rejected. The Federal accounts believed to be the most reliable are -those furnished by Maj. (General) Sturgis, Lieut. Col. Merritt of the -1st Iowa; Lieut. Col. Blair and Maj. Cloud, of the 2d Kansas; Maj. J. M. -Schofield, then of the 1st Missouri; Capt. Totten and Lieut. Dubois of -the artillery, and Capt. Steele of the regulars; Capt. Wright of the -Home Guards, all of Lyon’s column; and Gen. Sigel, Dr. S. H. Melcher, -the guides, and Capt. Carr, of Sigel’s column. The Confederate or -Southern accounts relied upon, are the official reports of Gens. Price, -McCulloch, Pearce, Clark, Rains, McBride and Parsons; reports of Col. -John T. Hughes, of Slack’s division, and Col. John R. Graves, of Rains’ -division; letters from Col. Thos. L. Snead, Asst. Adj. Gen. of Gen. -Price, and Lieut. W. P. Barlow, of Guibor’s battery; reports of and -letters from Col. T. J. Churchill, 1st Arkansas Mounted Riflemen; Col. -James McIntosh, and Lieut. Col. B. T. Embry, 2d Arkansas Mounted -Riflemen; Lieut. Col. D. McRae, of McRae’s battalion, Arkansas -Volunteers; Col. Lewis Hebert, Lieut. Col. S. M. Hyams and Maj. W. F. -Tunnard, 3d Louisiana Volunteers; Col. E. Greer, South Kansas-Texas -Regiment Cavalry; Capt. J. G. Reid, of Reid’s Arkansas Battery; Col. -John R. Gratiot, 3d Arkansas; Col. J. D. Walker, 4th Arkansas; Col. Tom -P. Dockery, 5th Arkansas Infantry; Col. De Rosey Carroll, 1st Arkansas -Cavalry, and other commissioned officers, and many private soldiers and -a few citizens. - -Maj. Sturgis, who assumed command of Lyon’s column after the battle, -states that at daylight, Lyon’s battle line was formed, the infantry in -front, closely followed by Totten’s battery, which was supported by a -reserve. In this order the line advanced but a few hundred yards, when -the first outpost of Price’s men was encountered. Firing was commenced -instantly, and the outpost hurriedly retreated. This was the advance of -Rains’ division. The Federal line then halted, and Capt. Plummer’s -battalion of regulars, with the Dade County Home Guards on his left, was -sent to the east across Wilson’s creek, and ordered to move toward the -front, keeping pace with the advance on the Federal left. The main line -then swept forward, and after crossing a considerable ravine and -ascending a high ridge, a full view of a line of Rains’ skirmishers was -had. Maj. Osterhaus’ two companies of the 2d Missouri, and two companies -of the 1st Missouri, under Capts. Yates and John S. Cavender, were -deployed to the left, all as skirmishers. Firing between the two -skirmish lines now became very severe, and Totten’s battery, then in -position, opened with shell, and the boom of the cannon and the crashing -of the bombs added to the excitement.[7] - -The 1st Missouri, Col. Andrews, and the 1st Kansas, Col. Dietzler, were -now hastily moved to the front, supported by Totten’s battery; the 2d -Kansas, Col. Mitchell, Steele’s battalion, and Dubois’ battery, were -held in reserve. The 1st Missouri took its position in front, upon the -crest of a small elevated plateau. The 1st Kansas went to the left of -the 1st Missouri, while Totten’s battery was placed opposite the -interval between the two regiments. Osterhaus’ two companies occupied -the extreme right, with their right resting on a ravine, which turned -abruptly to the right and rear. Dubois’ battery, supported by Steele’s -battalion, was placed seventy-five yards to the left and rear of -Totten’s guns, so as to bear upon a well-served Confederate battery -(believed to have been Capt. Woodruff’s “Pulaski Artillery,” of -Arkansas), which had come into position to the left and front on the -opposite side of Wilson’s Creek, and was sweeping with canister the -entire plateau upon which the Federals were posted. - -The Missourians now rallied in considerable force under cover at the -foot of the slope and along it in front and opposite the Federal right, -toward the crest of the main ridge running parallel to the creek. During -this time Plummer’s battalion had advanced along the ridge about 500 -yards to the left of the main Federal position, and had reached the -terminus of this ridge, when he found his further progress arrested by a -force of infantry (a portion of McCulloch’s division), which was -occupying a cornfield (Mr. Ray’s) in the valley. At this moment the -“bang” of a cannon was heard more than a mile to the south, at about the -point where Sigel was supposed to be. This fire was apparently answered -from the opposite side of the valley, at a still greater distance, the -line of fire of the two batteries being apparently east and west, and -nearly perpendicular to Totten’s and Dubois’ batteries. After about ten -or twelve shots this firing ceased, and nothing more was heard of Sigel -until about 8:30, when a brisk cannonading was heard for a few minutes, -about a mile to the right of that heard before, and still further to the -rear. - -Early in the engagement the 1st Iowa had been brought up from the -reserve to the front, and immediately became hotly engaged, doing good -fighting and winning the praise of Gen. Lyon, who thought at one time -that men who sang rollicking songs would not fight well. - -The entire Federal line was now successfully advanced with much energy, -and apparently with every prospect of success. The firing, which had -been spirited for half an hour, now increased to a continuous roar, -heard miles away—in Springfield, plainly. Capt. Totten’s battery came -into action by section and by piece, as the nature of the ground would -admit, it being wooded, with much black-jack undergrowth, and played -vigorously upon the Confederate lines with considerable effect. - -More desperate fighting was not done during the civil war. The men of -the West were fighting. For fully half an hour the armies fought over -the hill before described—“Bloody Hill,” it was afterward called. The -1st Kansas gave way and went to the rear, but the 1st Iowa promptly took -its place, and the fighting went on. Back and forth over the ground they -went. Now the Union troops fell back a few yards, then advanced again -and drove the secession troops a short distance, then the latter -advanced, and so it was for half an hour. At last the Federals were left -in possession of the ground for a short time, the Confederates falling -back and reforming. - -Meantime Plummer’s battalion on the Federal left had encountered -McIntosh’s regiment of Arkansas riflemen, and Hebert’s 3d Louisiana -regiment, in Ray’s cornfield and been driven back with considerable -loss. The Arkansas and Louisiana regiments both belonged to McCulloch’s -army. They would have annihilated Plummer almost, but just as they were -preparing to do so Dubois’ battery opened with shells, filling the -cornfield full of them, and making it untenable for any troops, and the -two regiments retreated in some disorder. Steele’s battalion was -supporting Dubois’ battery on this occasion. Plummer was severely -wounded. - -Just now there was a momentary cessation of firing, the advantage being -with the Federals, and it became apparent that some of the Southerners -desired to retreat, but they soon learned that they were practically -surrounded, for there was no road to the east or the west, and the only -outlet from their position, the Fayetteville road, was held by Sigel. -The only way therefore to get out was to fight out. Quite a number of -the Missourians were in confusion. Their horses were frightened and -became uncontrollable, and the men galloped about aimlessly, and wildly. -Some of them got away from the battle field and rode away to Cassville -panic-stricken and reporting that Gen. Price’s army had been “all cut to -pieces” by an overwhelming force of Federals! The greater portion of -Lyon’s line was quiet for a time, and some thought the victory had been -won. - -Along the right of the Federal line, however, the 1st Missouri was hotly -engaged with McBride’s division of Missourians and was about to be -overcome. Lyon hurried the 2d Kansas to its relief and saved it. During -the temporary lull in the firing the Federal line was reformed under the -direction of Lyon himself. Steele’s battalion, which had been supporting -Dubois’ guns, was brought forward to the support of Totten’s, and -preparations were made to withstand another attack, which, as could be -ascertained by the shouts of the enemy’s officers, plainly audible, was -being organized. - -Scarcely had Lyon disposed his men to receive the attack when his enemy -again appeared with a very large force along his entire front and moving -toward his flanks as well. At once the firing again began and for a time -was inconceivably fierce along the entire line. The Confederates were in -three lines _in some places_ the front line lying down, the second -kneeling, the third line standing, and all the lines and every man -loading and firing as rapidly as possible. Every available Federal -battalion was now brought into action, and the battle raged with great -fury for an hour, the scales seeming all the time nearly equally -balanced, sometimes the Federal troops and then the Confederates gaining -ground and then losing it, while all of the time some of the best blood -in the land was being spilled as recklessly as if it were ditch-water. - -How they did fight, these men of both armies!—fought until their -gun-barrels became so hot they could scarcely hold them—fought when -their leaders fell and without commands—fought when the blood and brains -of their comrades were spattered into their faces—fought, many of them, -until they died. By and by, as the Confederate fire never slackened, but -was constantly increased by the arrival of reinforcements, and as some -of the Federals reported that their cartridges had given out, -detachments of the latter began to give way, and Gen. Sweeney and Gen. -Lyon were engaged from time to time in bringing them back into the -fight. - - - DEATH OF GEN. LYON. - -Early in this engagement, while Gen. Lyon was walking and leading his -horse along the line on the left of Totten’s battery, his horse, the -iron gray, was killed and he was wounded in two places, in the head and -in the leg. Captain Herron, of the 1st Iowa,[8] states that he saw the -horse fall, and that the animal sank down as if vitally struck, neither -plunging nor rearing. Lyon then walked on, waving his sword and -hallooing. He was limping for he had been wounded in the leg. He carried -his hat, a drab felt, in his hand and looked white and dazed. Suddenly -blood appeared on the side of his head and began to run down his cheek. -He stood a moment and then walked slowly to the rear. Capt. Herron -states that he was within twenty feet of Lyon when this happened, near -enough to observe that he was wearing his old uniform, that of captain -in the regular army. - -When he reached a position a little in the rear Lyon sat down and an -officer bound a handkerchief about his wounded head. He remarked -despondingly to Maj. Schofield, of Blair’s regiment, one of his staff: -“It is as I expected; I am afraid the day is lost.” The Major replied: -“O, no, General; let us try once more.” Major Sturgis then dismounted -one of his own orderlies and offered the horse to Lyon, who at first -declined the animal, saying: “I do not need a horse.” He then stood up -and ordered Sturgis to rally a portion of the 1st Iowa which had broken. -Sturgis, in executing this order, went to some distance from his -general. The 1st Iowa was being ordered forward by a staff officer, when -some of the men called out, “We have no leader,” “Give us a leader, -then,” etc. Lyon immediately asked to be helped on the orderly’s horse. -As he straightened himself in the saddle the blood was dripping off his -heel from his wounded leg. Gen. Sweeney rode up and Lyon spoke quickly -to him, “Sweeney, lead those troops forward (indicating the 1st Iowa) -and we will make one more charge.” - -Then, swinging his hat, Lyon called out to the 2d Kansas regiment, “Come -on, my brave boys, (or ‘my bully boys,’ as some say), I will lead you; -_forward_!” He had gone but a few yards when he was shot through the -body. One of his orderlies, a private named Ed. Lehman, of Co. B, 1st U. -S. cavalry, caught him in his arms and lowered him to the ground. With -the breath still feeling at his lips, and his great heart throbbing and -striking his own death-knell, the dying chieftain gasped, “Lehman, I’m -going,” and so passed away his spirit through the battle-clouds to the -realms where is everlasting peace. The place where Lyon fell was -afterward called “Bloody Point.” A heap of stones marks the spot to this -day. Lyon’s body was borne to the rear by Lieut. Schreyer, of Capt. -Tholen’s company of the 2d Kansas, assisted by Lehman and another -soldier. - - - STILL THE BATTLE GOES ON. - -In the meantime the disordered Federal line was rallied and reformed. -The 1st Iowa took its place in the front, and Major Sturgis says, -“fought like old veterans.” The Kansans and the Missourians were also -doing well, and the Confederates were driven back, only to come again. -The situation of the Federals was now desperate. The commander, Gen. -Lyon, was killed; Gen. Sweeney was wounded, Col. Deitzler, of the 1st -Kansas, lay with two bullets in his body; Col. Mitchell, of the 2d -Kansas, by the same fire that killed Lyon, was severely wounded (it was -thought at first mortally) and as he was borne from the field called to -an officer of Maj. Sturgis’ staff, “For God’s sake support my regiment;” -Col. Andrews, of the 1st Missouri, and Col. Merritt, of the 1st Iowa, -were wounded; and thus it was that all of the regimental commanders of -Lyon’s column were wounded. Still the battle went on. - - - THE LAST GRAND CHARGE OF PRICE’S MEN. - -The great questions in the minds of Sturgis and Sweeney and the other -Federal officers, who had been informed of the plan of attack agreed -upon were, “Where is Sigel? Why doesn’t he co-operate?” Although it -seemed as if there must be a retreat should the Southerners make another -vigorous charge, yet if Sigel should come up with his near 1,000 men, -and make an attack on Price’s right flank and rear, then the Federals -could go forward with strong hopes of success. If Sigel had been -whipped, however, there was nothing left but to retreat. - -Maj. Schofield, Lyon’s chief of staff, rode to Sturgis and informed him -that Lyon was killed and Sigel could not be heard from, and moreover, -that the ammunition was about exhausted, some of the troops being -entirely out. Sturgis thereupon assumed command—although only a major at -the time. He at once summoned the principal officers left and consulted -with them. All agreed that unless Sigel made his appearance very soon -there was nothing left but to retreat, if indeed retreat were possible. - -The consultation was brought to a close by the advance of a heavy column -of infantry from towards the hill where Sigel’s battery had been heard -at the beginning of the struggle. These troops carried flags which, -drooping about the staffs, much resembled the stars and stripes, and -Sturgis and Schofield say the troops had the appearance of Sigel’s. A -staff officer in front of where the consultation was going on rode back -and called out delightedly “_Yonder comes Sigel! Yonder comes Sigel!_” -and the officers departed, each to his command to arrange for the -expected change in the programme. - -On came the moving mass in Sturgis’ front, the soldiers cool and steady -as grenadiers. Down the hill across the hollow in front they swept and -took position along the foot of the ridge on which the Federals were -posted. And now, “they are rebels!” was heard from the more advanced of -the Kansans and Iowans. Suddenly a battery (Guibor’s) which had followed -the line and had reached the hill in front of “Bloody Hill,” wheeled -about, unlimbered and the command “_Fire!_” rang out and the guns -belched forth shrapnel and canister before the trail pieces had hardly -touched the ground. The infantry at the foot of the hill, now began -firing and slowly ascending the hill, and at once commenced the fiercest -and most bloody struggle of all that bloody day. - -Lieut. Dubois’ battery, on the Federal left supported by Osterhaus’ two -companies and the rallied fragments of the Missouri 1st, opened on the -new battery (Guibor’s) and soon checked it. Totten’s battery, still in -the Federal center, supported by the Iowans and regulars, seemed to be -the main point of the Confederate attack. - -The Missourians frequently came up within twenty feet of the muzzles of -Totten’s guns and received their charges of canister full in their -faces, and the two clouds of battle smoke mingled until they seemed as -one. - -For the first time during the day the Federal line never wavered and the -Confederate line never flinched. At one time Capt. Steele’s battalion, -which was some yards in front, together with the left flanks, was in -danger of being overwhelmed and captured, the contending lines standing -so close that the muzzles of their guns almost touched. Capt. Granger, -of Sturgis’ staff, ran to the rear and brought up the supports of -Dubois’ battery, consisting of Osterhaus’ battalion, detachment, of the -1st Missouri, 1st Kansas, and two companies of the 1st Iowa, in quick -time, and took position on the left flank, and poured in a heavy volley -upon the Confederates, which was so murderous and destructive that that -portion of the line gave way. Capts. Patrick E. Burke and Madison -Miller, and Adjutant Hiscock, of the 1st Missouri, were especially -mentioned for gallantry in this assault. - -The entire Confederate line now fell back a short distance and began -again forming. Sturgis took advantage of this lull in the storm to make -good his retreat. Perceiving that Totten’s battery and Steele’s -battalion were entirely safe, for the present, and directing Capt. -Totten to replace his disabled horses as soon as possible, Sturgis sent -Dubois’ battery to the rear with its supports to take up a position on -the hill in the rear and cover the retreat. The 2d Kansas, on the -extreme right, having been nearly out of ammunition for some time, was -ordered to withdraw, which it did bringing off its wounded. This, -however, left the Federal right flank exposed, and the Missourians at -that point, to the number of 100 or more, advanced at once; they were -driven back, however, by Steele’s battalion of regulars and joined the -main force reforming in the rear. - - - RETREAT. - -Maj. Sturgis gave the order to retreat as soon as his enemy had fallen -back and enabled him to do so. Totten’s battery, as soon as his disabled -horses could be replaced, retired with the main body of the infantry, -while Capt. Steele met the feeble demonstrations of a few plucky -Missouri skirmishers who had not fallen back with the main line and were -picking away at the Federal right flank. The whole Federal column now -moved unmolested and in tolerable order to the high open prairie east of -Ross’ spring and about two miles from the battle ground. The artillery -and the ambulances, were brought off in safety. After making a short -halt on the prairie the retreat was continued to Springfield over -substantially the same route taken to the field. - -Just after the order to retire had been given, and while Sturgis was -undecided whether to retreat from the field entirely or take up another -position, one of Sigel’s non-commissioned officers (Sergt. Frœlich) -arrived on a foam-covered horse and reported that Col. Sigel’s brigade -had been totally routed, his artillery captured, and the colonel himself -either killed or taken prisoner. - -On reaching the Little York road Sturgis encountered Lieut. Farrand, -with his company of dragoons, one piece of artillery and a considerable -portion of the 3d and 5th Missouri, all of Sigel’s command, which had -made their way across the country in order to unite with the main -command and be saved from entire destruction. The march was resumed, but -the command did not succeed in reaching Springfield until five o’clock -in the evening. - -Lyon’s column began the attack at about 5 in the morning and it was -half-past 11 when the battle ended; the main body of the troops were -engaged about six hours. - - - SIGEL’S PART IN THE FIGHT. - -It is proper now to consider the part taken by Col. Sigel and his -brigade in the battle of Wilson’s Creek. It has been stated that he had -moved entirely around the southern end of the Confederate line of camp, -and on a previous page we left him with his guns “in battery,” and his -infantry and cavalry in line commanding the Fayetteville road, and ready -to open fire as soon an the sound of Lyon’s guns could be heard up the -valley, nearly two miles. - -At 5:30, early in the morning, the rattle of musketry was heard, -apparently nearly two miles away, to the northwest. “_Bang! Bang! Bang! -Bang!_” in rapid succession, went the four guns of Lieuts. Schaeffer and -Schuetzenbach, as they discharged their contents into and among the -tents of McCulloch’s camp. A few more rounds and the Confederates -abandoned their tents and retired in haste toward the northeast and -northwest. This fighting was done just across the line, in Christian -county, on Sharp’s farm, which runs up to the county line, on which -stands Mr. Sharp’s house. - -McCulloch’s troops, infantry and cavalry, soon began to form, and Sigel -brought forward his entire line into and across the valley, the two -companies of cavalry to the right, the artillery in the center and the -infantry on the left. After a period of irregular firing for about half -an hour, the Confederates retired into the woods and up the adjoining -hills. The firing toward the northwest was now more distinct, and it was -evident that Gen. Lyon had engaged the enemy along the whole line. To -give assistance to him—to be able to co-operate with him if necessary, -and to drive the enemy in his own front, Sigel again advanced, this time -toward the northwest, intending to attack the Confederates in the rear. - -Marching forward, Sigel struck the Cassville road, making his way -through a number of cattle and horses, and arriving at an eminence, -which had been used as a slaughter-yard by McCulloch’s men. This was on -Sharp’s farm and near the house. At and near Sharp’s house, on the road, -some of McCulloch’s men, who were straggling back from the fight in -front, came unawares on Sigel’s men and were taken in. Sigel, after a -brief conference with some of his officers, at once concluded that Lyon -had been successful and was driving the Confederates before him. Knowing -that this was the only avenue of retreat left open, and imagining that -here was a grand opportunity for stopping it up and bagging several -thousand “rebels,” the colonel hurriedly formed his troops across the -road, planting the artillery in the center on the plateau, and a -regiment of infantry, and a company of cavalry on either flank, and -awaited the coming of what seemed to him to be the _vanquished_ -Confederates, large numbers of whom could be seen moving toward the -south along the ridge of a hill about 700 yards opposite the right of -the Federal right. - -It was now about half-past eight o’clock, and the firing in the -northwest, where Lyon was supposed to be, and where he really was -fighting, had almost entirely ceased. At this instant, Dr. S. H. -Melcher, the assistant surgeon of Salomon’s regiment, and some of the -skirmishers came back from the front, where desultory firing had been -going on, and reported that Lyon’s men were coming up the road, for they -could be seen plainly, and the gray-coated Iowa regiment plainly -distinguished. At once, Lieut. Col. Albert, of the 3d Missouri, and Col. -Salomon, of the 5th, notified their regiments _not to fire_ on the -troops coming in this direction, for they were friends, and Sigel -himself gave the same caution to the artillery. - -Everybody was surprised at this unexpected turn of affairs, and the -Germans of Sigel’s and Salmon’s regiments began jabbering away -delightedly, and the color-bearers were beckoning with their flags to -the advancing hosts to “come on”—when, all at once, two batteries of -artillery, one on the Fayetteville road and one on the hill where it was -supposed Lyon’s men were in pursuit of the flying Confederates, opened -with cannister, shell and shrapnel, while the gray-coated troops, -supposed to be the Iowans, advanced from the Fayetteville road and -attacked the Federal right, and a battalion of cavalry made its -appearance, apparently ready and waiting to charge! - -The jabbering of the German soldiers was now something wonderful, but it -had a different tone from that of a few minutes previously! It is -impossible to describe the consternation and frightful confusion that -resulted. So surprised and frightened were the soldiers that they could -not understand these were _Confederates_ who were firing upon them and -coming rapidly forward to sweep them from the face of the earth. They -hurried and skurried about crying, some in English: “It is Totten’s -battery!” others in German: “_Sie haben gegen uns geschossen! Sie irrten -sich!_” (They are firing against us! They make a mistake!) And then -making no effort to fight worthy of the name, they began to retreat. - -The artillerymen, all of whom were recruits from the infantry, who had -seen but little service of any kind, could hardly be brought forward to -serve their pieces, although directed by Sigel himself; the infantry -would not level their guns until it was too late; indeed, they could not -be made to stop running, let alone to turn and fight. Salomon cursed in -German, in English, in French. Sigel threatened and bullied and coaxed. -No use. As well try to stop a herd of stampeded buffaloes. Lieut. -Farrand, with his company of cavalry brought off one piece of artillery -which had not been unlimbered and put in position, and away it went the -wheels bouncing two feet from the ground and the postilions lashing -their horses like race riders. - -On came McCulloch’s and Price’s men, the Louisiana regiment of Col. -Hebert (pronounced Hebare) which had been mistaken for the 1st Iowa -because of its pretty steel gray uniform, was in front, and following -them were the Arkansas regiments of Dockery and Gratiot, the 5th and 3d, -Greer’s regiment of Texas cavalry, Lieut. Col. Major’s Howard and -Chariton county battalion, Johnson’s battalion mounted Missourians, and -some other detachments. Up to the very muzzles of the cannons they came, -killing the artillery horses and what artillerymen were reckless enough -to remain, firing fairly into the faces of the panicky Teutons and -forcing them to throw themselves into the bushes, into by-roads, -anywhere to escape and scamper away as fast as their legs could carry -them. The color-bearer of Sigel’s own regiment was badly wounded; his -substitute was killed, and the flag itself was captured by Capt. Tom -Staples, a Missourian, of Arrow Rock, Saline county. - -When the plateau was reached, the cannon captured and the field gained, -the infantry stopped and cheered, Reid’s and Bledsoe’s batteries fired -parting salutes into the flying blue-coats, and then, leaving the -cavalry to pursue, both infantry and artillery turned about and went up -to the other end of the valley to assist their brethren in that quarter, -and to participate in the final triumph of the day. - -Away went the Germans, down to the south into Christian county, throwing -away guns, cartridge boxes, even canteens,—everything that hindered -rapid flight,—wandering about and hiding when they could with the Texas, -Arkansas, and Missouri cavalry leaping upon them incessantly and slaying -them wherever they made the least show of resistance. At Nowlan’s mill, -on the James, three miles from the battle-ground, it was told that four -fugitives skulked under the mill-dam and, refusing to come out, were -riddled with buckshot. - -The next day men lay scattered all over the country, wounded or dead; -and yet Sigel lost but comparatively few killed. Prisoners were taken in -great numbers—run down by the Texas rangers and driven in like flocks of -sheep, as timid now and as harmless. Sigel himself got panicky after -awhile and fled for Springfield, across the country, accompanied by only -two guards, giving rise to the wicked stanza of the song sung in the -Confederate camps after the battle, concerning the battle of Wilson’s -Creek,—how, - - Old Sigel fought some on that day, - But lost his army in the fray; - Then off to Springfield he did run, - With two Dutch guards, and nary gun. - -At Mrs. Chambers’ house, four miles south of Springfield, Col. Sigel and -his two guards halted and procured a drink of water, and then rode away -to Springfield, as rapidly as their jaded horses could carry them. Sigel -himself arrived at Springfield with but one orderly. - -Only the cavalry under Carr and Farrand, the one piece of artillery, two -caissons and about 150 infantry came off in anything like order, and -these followed down the wire road some miles to the west and then turned -off due north and united with Sturgis’ column, near the Little York -road. Only four pieces of artillery were captured at the time of the -charge on the hill, for those were all that were in position. The two -others were in the rear. In attempting to get one of them away a wheel -horse was killed, and the drivers abandoned the gun, after first spiking -it as best they could. The gun that was saved was first abandoned out on -the Fayetteville road, and hauled off at first by hand a short distance, -Capt. Flagg employing the prisoners and soldiers as artillery horses. - -Concerning the retreat of that portion of Sigel’s force which went to -the westward, Lieut. Chas. E. Farrand (then of the Second Regular -Infantry) commanding the company of cavalry before mentioned, writes:— - - Upon finding myself with my company alone, I retired in a southerly - direction, and accidentally meeting one of the guides (Mr. Crenshaw), - who had been employed in taking us to the enemy’s camp, I forcibly - detained him until I could collect some of the troops, whom I found - scattered and apparently lost. I halted my company and got quite a - number together, and directed the guide to proceed to Springfield, via - Little York. After proceeding a short distance, we came upon one of - the pieces which had been taken from Col. Sigel. Although the tongue - of the limber was broken, one horse gone, and one of the remaining - three badly wounded, we succeeded in moving it on. Some distance in - advance of this we found a caisson, also belonging to Col. Sigel’s - battery. I then had with me Sergt. Bradburn, of company D, 1st - cavalry, and Corporal Lewis and Private Smith, of my own company (C, - 2d dragoons). My company being some distance in advance, I caused the - caisson to be opened, and on discovering that it was full of - ammunition, I determined to take it on. I and the three men with me - tried to prevail upon some of the Germans to assist us in clearing - some of the wounded horses from the harness, but they would not stop. - After considerable trouble, my small party succeeded in clearing the - wounded horses from the harness, hitching in two more and a pair of - small mules I obtained, and moved on, Corporal Lewis and Private Smith - driving, while Sergt. Bradburn and I led the horses. After reaching - the retreating troops again I put two other men on the animals, and - joined my company with my three men. Before reaching Springfield it - became necessary to abandon the caisson,[9] in order to hitch the - animals to the _piece_. This was done after destroying the ammunition - it contained. Lieut. Morris, adjutant to Col. Sigel’s command, - assisted me in procuring wagons, which we sent back on the road after - the wounded. - -The route of retreat taken by Lieut. Farrand and Capt. Flagg, and the -fragments of Sigel’s command, 400 in all, was down the wire road a short -distance, and then north to the Mt. Vernon road. While marching -northward this body of disordered men was only within two or three miles -of the entire Southern army for three or four hours. Why Generals Price -and McCulloch did not send out a small force of mounted men and take -prisoner every man, which could very easily have been done, is -inexcusable, certainly. - - - DR. S. H. MELCHER’S ACCOUNT. - -Mention has been made of Dr. Samuel H. Melcher, who as assistant surgeon -of Col. Salomon’s 5th Missouri (Dr. E. C. Franklin, being surgeon), was -present at the battle of Wilson’s Creek with Sigel’s command. To the -writer hereof Dr. Melcher, now of Chicago, sends his recollections of -the events of the memorable contest. After narrating the preliminary -movements of Sigel, substantially as heretofore given, Dr. Melcher -says:— - - * * * Gen. Sigel soon gave the order to fire, which was responded to - with rapidity, but our guns being on an elevation, and the - Confederates being in a field which sloped toward the creek, the shots - passed over their heads, creating a stampede but doing little, if any, - damage to life or limb. In vain I and others urged the artillerymen to - depress the guns. Either from inability to understand English, or, in - the excitement, thinking it was only necessary to load and fire, they - kept banging away till the whole camp was deserted. * * * The command - then moved on till it reached the Fayetteville road and Sharp’s house. - While the command was taking position, I with my orderly, Frank - Ackoff, 5th Missouri, went into the abandoned Arkansas camp where I - found a good breakfast of coffee, biscuit and fried green corn. * * * - Most of the tents were open—a musket with fixed bayonet being forced - into the ground, but up, and the flap of the tent held open by being - caught in the flint lock. At that time, besides a few Confederate - sick, there were in the camp Lieut. Chas. E. Farrand, in command of - the dragoons, and his orderly. Half an hour later, some straggling - parties from the 3d and 5th Missouri, set fire to some wagons and camp - equipage. - - * * * The four guns were in the front, supported by the 3d Missouri, - with the cavalry and dragoons on the left in the timber. The 5th - Missouri was in reserve, except Co. K, Capt. Sam’l A. Flagg, which was - further in the rear, guarding some thirty or forty prisoners. At this - time, scattering shots were heard at some distance in our front, but - no heavy firing. Armed men, mostly mounted, were seen moving on our - right in the edge of the timber. * * * - - It was smoky, and objects at a distance could not be seen very - distinctly. Being at some distance in front of the command, I saw a - body of men moving down the valley toward us, from the direction we - last heard Gen. Lyon’s guns. I rode back, and reported to Gen. Sigel - that troops were coming, saying to him, “They look like the 1st - Missouri.” [Iowa?] They seemed moving in a column. * * * By this time, - Sigel could see them. Not seeing their colors, I suggested to Sigel - that he had better show his, so that if it _was_ our men they might - not mistake us—Sigel’s brigade not being in regulation uniform. Gen. - Sigel turned and said: “Color-bearer, advance with your colors, and - wave them—wave them three times.” As this order was being obeyed, - Lieut. Farrand, with his orderly, arrived from the Arkansas camp, each - bearing a rebel guidon, which they had found, and with which they rode - from the right of the line, near Sharp’s house, directly in front of - the color-bearer of Sigel’s regiment. Then there was music in the air. - A battery we could not see opened with grape, making a great deal of - noise as the shot struck the fence and trees, but not doing much - damage, as far as observed, except to scare the men, who hunted for - cover like a flock of young partridges, suddenly disturbed. The - confusion was very great, many of the men saying, “It is _Totten’s_ - battery! It is _Totten’s_ battery!” The impression seemed to be - general that Totten was firing into us, after seeing the rebel guidons - of Farrand, as it was the common understanding that the Confederates - had no grape, and these were grape shot, certainly.[10] - - Gen. Sigel _now_ evidently thought of retreat, as the only words I - heard from him were, “Where’s my guides?” [Instances of individual - cowardice among Sigel’s officers are here given.] I assisted Lieut. - Emile Thomas (now of St. Louis), the only officer of his company that - had the grit to stay, to reform the men. I do not know if we could - have succeeded, had not a Confederate cavalry battalion suddenly - appeared in our front, on the line of retreat. For a moment the two - commands gazed upon each other, and then came a terrible rattle of - musketry, and a great hubbub and confusion in the direction of Sigel’s - command, which was just around a bend in the road to our rear. - - In a twinkling, men, horses, wagons, guns, all enveloped in a cloud of - dust, rushed toward us, and in spite of Lieut. Thomas’s utmost - efforts, Company F started with all speed _down_ the Fayetteville road - toward the Confederate cavalry. The latter, seeming to think that they - were being charged upon, wheeled and got out of the way very quickly! - The bulk of Gen. Sigel’s command _turned to the east_ and were - followed by a Confederate command, that captured one gun at the creek, - many prisoners, and left a considerable number of killed and wounded - along the road. - - Perhaps one-third of the command went southwest, and halted at the - next house beyond Sharps’ on the Fayetteville road, and here Dr. - Smith, who was Gen. Rains’ division surgeon, came up, with a long - train of wagons and coaches, and was captured, but at once released on - my intervention. [After this, Dr. Melcher accompanied Dr. Smith to the - battle-field.] * * * The one gun that was abandoned on the - Fayetteville road was really saved by Capt. Flagg, whose men drew the - gun by hand till they found some horses, and the Confederate prisoners - carried the ammunition in their arms. * * * They came into Springfield - the same evening by way of Little York. - -Sigel’s reasons for his defeat must here be given. He states that he -tried to obey his orders to attack the enemy in the rear and to cut off -his retreat. This he did, but he also cut off his own retreat very -nearly, a circumstance he had not counted upon. - -The time of service of one of his two regiments of infantry, the 5th -Missouri, Salomon’s, had expired some days before the battle and they -had clamored to go home. On the first of August he had induced them to -remain with the army eight days more. This latter term had expired the -day before the battle. The men therefore were under no obligations to -fight, except that they had marched out to do so, and when the time -came, suddenly remembered that “they did not have to fight.” The 3d -regiment, Sigel’s own, was not the old 3d, that fought at Carthage; that -regiment, its time having expired, had been mustered out, and the new -regiment was composed of 400 new recruits and of but a few other men who -had seen service. The men serving the artillery were new recruits who -knew next to nothing of gunnery, and were commanded by two lieutenants -whose only experience as artillerists had been in the Prussian army in a -time of peace. Again it is stated that only about half of the companies -were officered by men with commissions, which Sigel says, was the fault -of the three months’ service. - -But over all it is claimed that Sigel’s complete defeat was the result -of an attack of vastly superior forces, the flower of McCulloch’s army, -that was permitted to approach fatally near under the mistake that they -were friends instead of enemies. - -As explaining and detailing something of the retreat of that wing of -Sigel’s command which turned to the east, the following statement of -Captain (now General) E. A. Carr, who, as previously stated, commanded -the advance guard of Sigel’s brigade, may be found of interest:— - -“At about 9 o’clock Capt. Carr received word that Sigel’s infantry were -in full flight and that he was to retreat with all haste. After -galloping away as best he could for about a mile and a half to the rear, -Carr came upon Sigel at the spring where the army had halted the first -night when returning from Dug Spring some days before. After a brief -consultation it was decided to move south on the Fayetteville road until -there was a chance to go out and circle around the pursuing enemy and -then strike for Springfield. There were then present at the spring -Sigel, Carr, Lieut.-Col. Albert, Carr’s 56 cavalry, 200 of Sigel’s badly -demoralized infantry, one piece of artillery, and two caissons. After -“retiring” rather hastily for a mile or so a body of cavalry was -observed in front, and Sigel sent Carr up to see the condition of -affairs and report at once. Arriving at the front Carr discovered that -the Confederate cavalry were coming in from the right and forming across -the road, to stop the retreating Federals and send them back to the care -of McCulloch’s division again. Reporting at once to Sigel, that officer -directed Carr to turn off at the first right-hand road, which happened -to be near the point where he (Carr) then stood. Retreating along this -road in a brisk walk Sigel asked Carr to march slowly so that the -footmen could keep up. Carr replied that unless they hurried forward -they would be cut off at the crossing of Wilson’s Creek, and that the -infantry ought to march as fast under the circumstances as a horse could -walk. Sigel then said, “Go on, and we will keep up.” On arriving at the -creek, however, and looking back, Carr saw that the infantry had not -kept up, but that a large body of Texas and Arkansas cavalry was moving -down and would form an unpleasant junction with him in a few seconds. -“To use a Westernism,” says Gen. Carr, “there was no time for fooling -then, and as I had waited long enough on the slow-motioned infantry to -water my horses, and they were not yet in sight, I lit out for a place -of safety which I soon reached, and after waiting another while for -Sigel, I went on to Springfield. I was sorry to leave Sigel behind, in -the first place, but I supposed all the time he was close to me until I -reached the creek, and then it would have done no good for my company to -have remained and been cut to pieces also, as were Sigel and his men, -who were ambuscaded and all broken up, and Sigel himself narrowly -escaped.” - - - - - CHAPTER III. - THE BATTLE OF WILSON’S CREEK.—Concluded. - - -The Southern Side of the Story—The Part Taken by McCulloch’s - Army—Preparations for a March on Springfield—A Light Rain - Interferes—The Federal Attack—A Complete Surprise—McCulloch Thinks - it “Another of Rains’ Scares!”—The Fight Against Lyon—Order of - Battle—McCulloch Comes to the Rescue—The Missourians in - Battle—Detailed Account of the Fighting—The Beginning of the - End—Victory!—No Pursuit of the Retreating Federals—McCulloch’s - Destruction of Sigel—After the Famous Victory—Comparative Strength - and Losses of the Two Armies—The Federal Strength—The Confederate - Strength—Price’s Army by Divisions—The Federal Loss by Regiments - and Battalions—The Confederate Loss by Divisions—Disposing of the - Dead—The Home Guards at Springfield—The Retreat from - Springfield—Care of the Federal Wounded—The Army Sets out—Hundreds - of Citizens Follow it—The Confederates Enter - Springfield—McCulloch’s Proclamation—Price’s Proclamation—Joy and - Congratulations. - - - THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE STORY. - -As one side, the Northern, or Federal, or Union side, of the battle of -Wilson’s Creek has been told it is but proper that the other, the -Southern or Confederate, or secession side, should be given. The -statements herein made have been derived from the most authentic sources -possible to be consulted. The writer returns his sincere thanks to those -Confederate officers, scattered from the Iowa line to the Rio Grande, -who have responded to his request for information so promptly and so -fully, and in such well written letters. - - - THE PART TAKEN BY M’CULLOCH’S ARMY. - -It will be remembered that Gen. McCulloch had at last yielded to Gen. -Price’s persistent and positive demands, and had agreed to march against -Lyon at Springfield on the night of August 9th and attack him on the -morning of the 10th. The march was to be made in four columns and to be -begun at 9 o’clock at night. - -Just after dark a light rain fell, and it was very dark and a heavy rain -storm seemed to be coming up. McCulloch well knew that many of the -Missouri troops were not supplied with cartridge boxes, or cartridges -either, and that if they moved out from under shelter and it rained -hard, as it promised to do, their ammunition would become wet and -unserviceable, carried, as much of it would be, in powder-flasks, cotton -sacks and shot-pouches. There was also danger that in the Egyptian -darkness that had settled down over the land the marching columns would -get lost or bewildered, and not come up to the proper place at the -proper time. Accordingly, just as some of the troops were preparing to -start, McCulloch countermanded the order to march at that time, and the -army lay down to sleep, holding itself in readiness to move, however, -the men with their guns by their sides. Not much sleep was had, however, -for lack of all proper accommodations, and because of the myriads of -mosquitoes on the warpath that night up and down the valley of Wilson’s -creek. - -Had Gen. Price been left to himself the day of the 9th, he would have -taken “my Missouri boys” that night and marched toward Springfield over -the very route that Lyon took from Springfield to the Confederate camp, -_via_ the Mt. Vernon road and over the prairie, and the two armies, -Price’s and Lyon’s, would have met, to each other’s surprise, about -midnight, somewhere near the present site of Dorchester. - -In his official report to the Confederate Secretary of War, Gen. -McCulloch states that his effective force at the battle of Wilson’s -Creek was 5,300 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and fifteen pieces of -artillery. The majority of the cavalry were armed only with rifles, -revolvers, shot-guns, and old flint-lock muskets. There were hundreds of -other horsemen along with the army, that were so imperfectly armed as to -be of but little efficiency, and during the battle were only in the way. - - - THE FEDERAL ATTACK. - -Col. T. L. Snead states that on the night of the 9th he sat up all night -at Gen. Price’s headquarters, which were on the side of the creek, at -the foot of the sloping, rocky, black-jack hills on whose summit the -main battle was fought. About daybreak Gen. Price got up in great -impatience and sent for McCulloch, who soon afterward arrived, -accompanied by Col. James McIntosh (of the 2d Arkansas Mounted -Riflemen), his assistant adjutant-general. “Gen. Price and I were just -sitting down to breakfast,” says Col. Snead, “and they sat down with -us.” - -As the officers were eating, a messenger came running up from the front, -where Gen. Rains’ division was posted, a mile or more away, and said -that the Yankees were advancing, full 20,000 strong, and were on Rains’ -line already, peppering his camp with musketry. “O, pshaw,” said -McCulloch, laughingly, “that’s another of Rains’ scares,” alluding to -the Dug Springs affair. “Tell Gen. Rains I will come to the front myself -directly,” he added. The three officers went on eating, and in a minute -or two another messenger came up and reported that the Federals were not -more than a mile away, and had come suddenly upon Rains’ men as they lay -on their arms and had driven them back. McCulloch again said, “O, -nonsense! That’s not true;” but just then Rains’ men could be seen -falling back in confusion. Gen. Price rose up and said to Col. Snead, -“Have my horse saddled, and order the troops under arms at once.” He had -hardly spoken when Totten’s battery unlimbered and sent its first shot, -and about the same instant Sigel’s guns opened. - -Dispositions for battle were quickly made. Price was ordered to move at -once towards Rains with the rest of the Missourians. Pearce was ordered -to form on Price’s left. Very soon Totten’s battery was in plain sight -on the top of the hills in front and pounding away, while Sigel’s guns -in the rear plainly gave notice that the Federals were on all sides. - -The surprise was perfect. Most of the Southern troops were asleep. The -few pickets that were out had mostly been called in to prepare for the -early march, and this enabled Lyon to get close to the line,—upon the -skirmishers, in fact,—before being discovered. The troops hurried out as -fast and as best they could. The majority of Price’s Missourians had -their horses with them. Nearly every secessionist, upon enlisting, -wanted to ride and did ride. The idea of walking was distasteful in more -ways than one,—it was laborious, to begin with, and it was considered -somewhat plebeian and disgraceful. And the horsemen, so many of them, -proved a serious disadvantage to the Southern cause. They stripped the -country in many parts of this State and west of the Mississippi, not -only of provisions but of forage and provender, cumbered the roads, and -often in battle did more harm than good. At Wilson’s Creek the horses -became frightened and unmanageable, and at one time they and some of -their riders came near stampeding the entire Southern army. Hundreds of -them tried to escape from the field by the Fayetteville road, but found -it held by Sigel and his Germans. - - - THE FIGHT AGAINST LYON. - -The Missourians under Rains were first attacked by Lyon. Rains had his -division under arms and in line with commendable promptness. A great -many of his men scattered, it is true, but the majority were soon in -ranks and fighting the enemy. Rains’ division was a large one, including -all the men from the populous secession counties of Saline, Lafayette, -Jackson, Johnson, and Pettis, and it held that part of the line in front -of Totten’s battery. Gen. Price instantly ordered the other division -commanders,—Slack, McBride, Clark and Parsons,—to move their infantry -and artillery rapidly forward to the support of Rains. Rains’ second -brigade was in the extreme advance, and consisted of some 1,200 or 1,500 -men, mounted and dismounted, temporarily under the command of Col. -Cawthorn. - -Slack’s division of Northwest Missourians was the first to come up, and -under the personal direction of Gen. Price himself, who had come to the -front, took position on Rains’ left, and became instantly engaged. In a -few minutes afterwards came John B. Clark’s division and formed to the -left of Slack. Then came M. M. Parsons’ division, with Col. Kelly’s -regiment or brigade at the head, and went into line to the left of -Clark. Then came the division of Gen. J. H. McBride, who took position -on the left of Col. Kelly and commanded a flank movement on the right of -the enemy, which movement was unsuccessful. (It cannot be learned in -what part of the field the forces of Gen. A. E. Steen, of the 5th -division, Missouri State Guard, did duty.) - -In this position, by Gen. Price’s orders, and led by him in person at -the first, the entire line advanced in the direction of the enemy, under -a continuous fire from Lyon’s infantry and Totten’s battery, until it -reached a position within range of its own guns when the Federal fire -was returned, the double-barreled shotguns getting in their work now -very effectively. After a few minutes steady firing the Missourians were -driven back. - - - M’CULLOCH COMES TO THE RESCUE. - -Meantime Gen. McCulloch had hurried to the lower end of the valley where -his division was encamped, and the impetuous Texan chieftain speedily -brought out of camp Col. Hebert’s Louisiana regiment, and McIntosh’s -Arkansas mounted riflemen, and hastened to the rescue of the -Missourians. This force went to the east side of Wilson’s Creek and -coming up to the fence enclosing Ray’s cornfield, the Arkansas riflemen -dismounted, and they and the Louisianians leaped over the fence and -charged through the corn upon the Federals (Plummer’s battalion) and -drove them back upon the main line with loss. This fight in the -cornfield was one of the severest of the day, and when it was ended many -a corn blade and stalk and tassel had been torn with bullets, and many a -dead man lay in the furrows. For no sooner had the Federal infantry been -driven back than Dubois’ battery opened on the Confederates in the field -whose surface had never been disturbed by any thing ruder than Farmer -Ray’s plow. But now it was soon plowed by shot and shell, and death -gathered a full harvest where only the husbandmen had reaped before. The -two regiments were driven back with some loss and considerable -confusion, but soon reformed and taken charge of by McCulloch in person, -who led them to another part of the field. - -McCulloch had also ordered up Woodruff’s battery, which had engaged -Totten and was doing excellent service. During the period of the fight -in the cornfield, Price’s Missourians were endeavoring to sustain -themselves in the center, and were hotly engaged on the sides of the -height upon which the enemy was posted. Early in the fight, the 1st -Regiment of Arkansas Mounted Rifles, which had been driven out of its -camp by Sigel, and had formed a few hundred yards to the north, was -brought up by Price’s order to the support of Gen. Slack, and formed on -his left. Here it fought during the battle, led in person by its -commander. Col. T. J. Churchill,[11] who had two horses killed under -him. The regiment’s loss was 42 killed and 155 wounded. One captain -(McAlexander) and three lieutenants were among the killed. The 2d -Arkansas Mounted Rifles, Col. B. T. Embry, also fought with the -Missourians against Lyon, losing 11 killed and 44 wounded. - -Then came the “forward and back” period of fighting described in the -Federal account, which lasted for hours. Sometimes the advantage was -with one party, sometimes with the other. The firing, both of infantry -and artillery, was incessant. Many deeds of gallantry and heroism were -performed—enough to immortalize the memory of any one of the -perpetrators. - -One unfortunate thing, brought about by the battle, was the fact that it -produced, or rather made conspicuous, a large crowd of liars who are yet -wont to brag and bluster about the various deeds of valor they performed -at Wilson’s Creek, while the chances are that instead of displaying any -remarkable quality of bravery or feat of extraordinary value, they were -skulking in the bushes or sitting securely under cover somewhere, not -firing a gun or harming an enemy. This is true of both sides. Pity ’tis -that any man who wore either the blue or the gray should be a liar, but -pity ’tis ’tis true. Deeds worthy of Rome or Sparta—aye, worthy of -America, _were_ rendered that day of battle on Wilson’s creek, but these -shameless liars one often meets with did none of them. - -From nearly every quarter of Missouri had come the Missourians who this -day fought under the flag of the grizzly bears and against the stars and -stripes. Slack had men from off the Iowa line; John B. Clark had men -from the Northeast (properly belonging to Harris’ division, not then -south of the Missouri) whose homes were in sight of Hannibal and of the -great Mississippi farther to the north. Men fought who, when at home, -could stand in their door-yards and look westward over on the prairies -of the then territory of Nebraska. Many of McBride’s division were from -Southeastern Missouri, from the swamps of Pemiscot, from the cypress -forests of Dunklin. From the cities—from the warehouses, the -counting-rooms and the law offices of St. Louis, St. Joseph and other -Missouri towns, had come some men to fight against what they believed to -be Federal tyranny and usurpation, and for the honor of old Missouri and -the rights of the South. And men fought under Price that day whose feet -were on “their native heath,” whose homes were in this county, in sight -of the battle-ground. - -And they all fought well, those in line, whether advancing or -retreating, firing or falling back. Not any better than the Federals, -perhaps, but fully as well. There were some stragglers on both sides—not -all of the cowards were in but one army. - -When early in the engagement Gen. Clark sent a mile and a half to the -rear for his regiment of cavalry, Col. James P. Major, commanding, that -officer was attacked by Sigel at the moment of receiving the order and -driven back into the woods with all his force. After reforming and -starting toward the front where Lyon was, to join their own division, -Major’s men were all broken up by large bodies of other horsemen, who, -seeking to escape from Totten’s grape and Dubois’ shells and the Kansas -men’s musket balls, rode through Major’s ranks in all directions, -dividing the forces and communicating their own terror to those about -them, so that the colonel was left with only one company. - -Assisted by Clark’s adjutant-general, Col. Casper W. Bell, of Brunswick, -Chariton county, and Capt. Joseph Finks, the colonel (Major) succeeded -in getting up some 300 men with whom he returned to the rear and -assisted in the defeat of Sigel. The remainder of those who could be -formed into line (and many of them could when they found that the only -road leading out of camp was held by Sigel), were taken charge of by -Lieut. Col. Hyde and advanced to the front where Lyon was, but while -preparing to charge the Federal left they were driven back by Dubois’ -battery and some infantry. - -At last, after Price’s line had advanced half a dozen times and been -driven back as often, and after the fight had been going on nearly six -hours and victory was not yet certain for either side, McCulloch came -back from whipping Sigel and brought with him the Louisianians, -Carroll’s (Arkansas) and the greater portion of Greer’s (Texas) cavalry, -Col. Tom P. Dockery’s 5th Arkansas infantry, McIntosh’s 2d Arkansas -rifle regiment, under Lieut. Col. Embry, Gratiot’s 3d Arkansas regiment, -and McRae’s regiment. Reid’s battery was also brought up. - - - THE BEGINNING OF THE END. - -The terrible fire of musketry was now kept up along the whole side and -top of the hill on which the enemy was posted. Masses of infantry fell -back and again rushed forward. The summit of the hill was covered with -the dead and wounded. Both sides were fighting with all desperation for -the victory. Gens. Price and McCulloch were among their men animating -them by their voice, their presence, and their example. Price was -slightly wounded but would not leave the field. - -To relieve the infantry McCulloch resolved to make a diversion in their -favor with the cavalry. Accordingly a portion of Carroll’s and Greer’s -regiments, and a mass of Missourians were formed to go up the valley and -fall upon the Federal left, but, as before stated, Dubois’ battery and -the Federal infantry scattered the horsemen before they could get fairly -into line. - - - VICTORY! - -At this critical moment, when the fortunes of the day seemed at the -turning point, McCulloch ordered forward his reserves and threw them -into the scale. Forward came the rest of Pearce’s Arkansas division, -Gratiot’s and Dockery’s regiments, on the run and cheering. Into the -thickest of the fight and throwing away their “tooth-picks,” as their -huge knives were called relied solely on their muskets, and did most -effective work in the center of the line. Reid’s battery was also -ordered forward, and Hebert’s Louisianians were again called into action -on the left of it. Guibor’s battery, of Parson’s division, opened with -canister on the Federals, and terrible was the din and the slaughter. - -Now the battle became general and violent and bloody. Hot as a furnace -was the hollow in which the Confederates fought, made so by the blazing -August sun overhead. Hot as a Tophet it became, made so by gunpowder, -and lead and iron, and sweat and blood. Probably no two opposing forces -ever fought with greater desperation, as the Confederate line was -advanced on the last charge. But Lyon was killed, Totten’s battery moved -to the rear, and soon the entire Federal force left the field in -possession of the Southerners. - -The battle ended suddenly, “as quick as a clap of thunder ceases,” one -describes it, and for some time after the Federals had retreated it was -not certain to the Confederates how the battle had gone. Another attack -by the blue-coats was expected and prepared for. Gradually the ground in -front where Totten’s battery had stood was occupied, and then a line of -skirmishers, pushing cautiously to the front, discovered that the -victory was theirs. No attempt at pursuit was made, although McCulloch -had 6,000 cavalry, whose horses were fresh and rested, and had not sweat -a hair that day. That the Federals were not pursued, and in their jaded -and exhausted condition cut off from Springfield and captured on the -high prairies west of town, seems inexcusable, even to this day, to -those posted in the facts. - -The Federal officers plainly assert that the reason they were not -pursued was because the Confederates were so badly hurt themselves that -they could not do so; and further it is claimed that had Lyon lived a -Federal victory would have been gained, and Price and McCulloch driven -from the field. It is certain (on the authority of Col. Snead), that -Price wished McCulloch to pursue, but the latter, for reasons of his -own, would not. Then Price resumed command of the Missouri State Guard, -and then _he_ would not pursue, for reasons of _his_ own. - - - M’CULLOCH’S DESTRUCTION OF SIGEL. - -When Sigel came upon the southern end of the Confederate camp the troops -he encountered were Churchill’s Arkansas regiment, Greer’s Texas -Rangers, and about 700 mounted Missourians under command of Col. James -P. Major and Col. Benjamin Brown, of Ray county, the latter the -President of the Missouri State Senate. These troops, taken unawares, -were speedily pushed back up the valley across the Fayetteville road. It -was at this point of the line,—the Confederate right is faced toward the -east,—where McCulloch’s Confederates were stationed. When Lyon first -opened and alarmed the camp, McCulloch hastened back from Price -headquarters, and took up two of his best regiments (Hubert’s and -McIntosh’s), to the assistance of his comrade-commander. The absence of -these troops weakened the position of McCulloch very materially, and -Sigel had matters his own way for a time. Pearce’s division of Arkansas -State troops were put in position, somewhat in reserve. - -When McCulloch became fully aware that the Federal attack on the south -or right was so formidable and so fraught with danger to the entire -army, he brought back the Louisiana and Arkansas regiments, and forming -them with some of Pearce’s division, and Major’s and Brown’s cavalry, -advanced to attack Sigel. The Louisianians and McIntosh’s regiment had -got the worst of it, in the end, in the fight in Ray’s cornfield, but -they came up to the work now in brave style. The attack was being made -on Sigel’s and Salomon’s regiments, and the four guns of Schaeffer and -Schuetzenbach. There was only scattering firing on the part of the -Federals, who mistook the character of the advancing hosts. It was no -fault of McCulloch’s men, however, that Sigel was deceived. The -Louisianians were not to blame that they were mistaken for the Iowa -regiment because of their dress.[12] - -On they came, regardless of the short-sightedness of their foes, and not -knowing or caring anything about their enemies’ mistakes until they were -within almost grappling distance of Sigel’s cannon, when they sprang -forward, and with one well contrived and well managed charge swept -everything before them. Then followed the events heretofore -described—the vain attempts to rally—the disorderly panic-stricken -flight—the captures and the pursuit. It must not be forgotten that just -before the charge was made, Reid’s Arkansas battery opened on the -unsuspicious Federal Germans, and they were already in confusion when -the Confederate infantry and cavalry were precipitated upon them. Capt. -Hiram Bledsoe’s Missouri battery, from Lafayette county, with “Old -Sacramento,” a noted 12-pounder, and three other guns, also did -effective work against Sigel, under direction of Col. Rosser, or -Weightman’s brigade. - -As soon as Sigel’s destruction had been fairly accomplished (which -occupied but a few minutes) McCulloch left the flying fragments to be -looked after by sundry detachments of the cavalry, and returned with his -infantry and a great deal of the cavalry to the assistance of Gen. -Price. In the last efforts against Lyon’s column, McCulloch’s troops -took a conspicuous part, as before detailed; and of course but for the -part taken by McCulloch’s and Pearce’s men the victory could not have -been won. - - - AFTER THE FAMOUS VICTORY. - -_Dies iræ!_ O, the moaning and wailing that were all over the land west -of the great Fathers of Waters when the full tidings of the battle of -Wilson’s Creek were learned! From Dubuque and Baton Rouge, from Iowa and -Texas, from Louisiana and Kansas, and from every county of Missouri, -there went up a sobbing prayer from many a household for strength to -bear the bereavement of a father, a husband, a brother or a son slain -that 10th of August, 1861, down by the beautiful little stream in the -Ozarks. - -There they lay, strewn all about over the ground, with faces white and -waxen, or clotted with blood, these men who had died to please the -politicians. In cosy, shady nooks where fairies might delight to dwell; -out in the glare of the blazing sun, festering and corrupting; in -cornfields with blade and tassel waving above them, in dells and glens, -and vales, and on the hillsides—dead men everywhere. With a tiny bullet -hole a baby’s finger might stop, marring no feature and mangling no -limb; with bowels torn out, with faces shattered, heads torn to pieces, -handsome countenances distorted into ghastly, grinning objects—dead men -everywhere. - -Wounded men everywhere. Crawling about, delirious with pain and agony; -lying prone and almost motionless, staring up into the blue sky, dying -slowly and making no sign; shrieking, groaning, cursing, praying, -imploring help, begging for a bandage, for water, lying quietly, -laughing even,—wounded men everywhere. In hospitals, under trees, in -tents, in houses, in stables, with surgeons probing and cutting and -carving and sawing and clumsily bandaging; in ambulances jolting off -towards Springfield; limping along to hide and escape another -hurt—wounded men everywhere. - -Blood everywhere. On the blades and the silks of the corn; on the leaves -of the pretty green bushes. - - Great drops on the bunch-grass, but not of the dew; - -Staining the velvet moss on the hillsides; purpling in puddles in the -pathways and by the roadsides; reddening the lucid waters of bonnie -Wilson’s creek; flecking the wheels of the guns and daubing the stocks -of the muskets; clinging in loathsome gouts to the stems of wild -flowers—blood everywhere—human blood—and the best blood of the Republic, -too. - - - COMPARATIVE STRENGTH AND LOSSES OF THE TWO ARMIES. - -The strength of both of the contending armies at the battle of Wilson’s -Creek is here given as nearly as it has been possible to obtain it. It -is believed that the Federal strength has been very definitely learned; -that of the combined Southern forces has been approximated in regard to -two or three commands in McCulloch’s division. - - - FEDERAL STRENGTH. - -According to the reports of the company commanders on the morning of the -9th of August, there were in the column that marched under Gen. Lyon -exactly 3,721 men of all arms, infantry, cavalry, and artillery, not -including the two companies of home guards under Capts. Wright and -Switzler. - -Sigel’s column consisted of 17 companies of infantry (8 of the 3d -Missouri and 9 of the 5th Missouri), numbering 912 men; six pieces of -artillery, 85 men; and two companies of cavalry, 121 men;—Total of -Sigel’s column, 1,118. - -Total Federal strength, 4,839—with Wright’s and Switzler’s home guards, -5,000. - - - CONFEDERATE STRENGTH. - -Without giving exact details, Gen. McCulloch says, in his official -report to Gen. Cooper, Adjutant General of the Confederate States: “My -own effective force was 5,300 infantry, Woodruff’s and Reed’s batteries, -and 6,000 horsemen.” Total, about 11,550. - -Gen. Price’s division was composed of the following subdivisions:— - - Division. Infantry. Cavalry. Total. - - Gen. J. S. Rains’ 1,306 1,200 2,506 - Gen. W. Y. Slack’s 659 234 884 - Gen. J. H. McBride’s —— —— 605 - Gen. M. M. Parsons’ 256 406 662 - Gen. John B. Clark’s (sr.) 376 250 626 - 3,193 2,090 5,283 - And Bledsoe’s and Guibor’s batteries, probably 150 - Grand total of Price’s Missourians.[13] 5,433 - -July 30, at Cassville, Gen. McCulloch reported his force and that of -Gen. Pearce, as numbering in aggregate 5,700, “nearly all well armed.” -(Rebellion Records, vol. 3, series I, p. 622). Gen. Pearce loaned the -Missourians six hundred stand of arms. Afterwards, McCulloch received -Greer’s South Kansas Texas cavalry of 1,100 men, and one or two -independent companies from Arkansas, making his and Pearce’s forces -combined, number about 7,000 men. In round numbers the Southern troops -numbered about 12,000 at the battle of Wilson’s Creek; the Federal or -Union forces, 5,000. - - - THE FEDERAL LOSS. - -As officially reported, and on file at this day, was as follows: - - Command. Killed. Wounded. Missing. - - First Kansas Volunteers, 77 187 20 - Second Kansas Volunteers, 5 59 6 - First Missouri Volunteers, 76 208 11 - First Iowa Volunteers, 13 138 4 - Capt. Plummer’s Battalion, 19 52 9 - Company D, 1st Cavalry, Capt. Elliott, 0 1 3 - Capt. Steele’s Battalion, 15 44 2 - Capt. Carr’s Company, 0 0 4 - Capt. Wood’s Company Kansas Rangers, 0 1 0 - Capt. Wright’s Dade County Home Guard, 0 2 0 - Capt. Totten’s Battery, 4 7 0 - Capt. Dubois’ Battery, 0 2 1 - Col. Sigel’s Regiment, 3d Missouri, 13 15 27 - Col. Salomon’s Regiment, 5th Missouri, 13 38 15 - Total 235 754 102 - -Of the wounded forty-eight are known to have died of their injuries -afterward, making the _actual_ loss in killed 283. - -The principal Federal officers killed were Gen. Lyon; Capt. Carey Gratz, -1st Missouri; Capt. A. L. Mason, 1st Iowa. - -_Wounded._—Gen. Sweeney; Col. Deitzler, 1st Kansas, (twice); Col. -Mitchell, 2d Kansas; Lieut. Col. Merritt, 1st Iowa; Lieut. Col. Andrews, -1st Missouri; Adjt. Waldron, 1st Iowa; Capt. Plummer, of the regulars. - - - CONFEDERATE LOSS—PRICE’S ARMY. - -_Gen. Slack’s Division._—Col. John T. Hughes’ brigade, killed 36; -wounded 70 (many mortally); missing 30. Among the killed were C. H. -Bennett, adjutant of Hughes’ regiment; Capt. Chas. Blackwell, of Carroll -county, and Lieut. Hughes. Col. Rive’s brigade lost 4 killed, and 8 -wounded; among the killed were Lieut. Col. Austin, of Livingston county, -a member of the Legislature, and Capt. Engart. - -_Gen. Clark’s Division._—Infantry loss, 17 killed and 71 wounded; -cavalry loss, 6 killed and 5 wounded. Among the killed were Capts. -Farris and Halleck and Lieut. Haskins. Among the wounded were Gen. Clark -himself, and Col. Burbridge, both severely, and Capt. D. H. McIntyre, -now attorney general of the State. - -_Gen. Parsons’ Division._—Infantry loss, 9 killed and 38 wounded; -cavalry loss, 3 killed and 2 wounded; artillery, Guibor’s battery, 3 -killed and 7 wounded. Among the killed was Capt. Coleman, of Grundy -county. Col. Kelly, commanding the infantry, was wounded in the hand. - -_Gen. McBride’s Division._—Total loss, 22 killed, 124 wounded. Among the -latter were Col. Foster, and Capts. Nichols, Dougherty, Armstrong, and -Mings. - -_Gen. Rains’ Division._—Weightman’s brigade, 35 killed 111 wounded. -Cawthorn’s brigade, 21 killed and 75 wounded. Among the killed were Col. -Richard Hanson Weightman, commanding 1st brigade, and Major Chas. -Rogers, of St. Louis. - -Two other prominent officers were killed,—Col. Ben Brown, of Ray county, -commanding cavalry with McCulloch’s army, and Col. George W. Allen, of -Saline county, of Price’s staff. The latter was shot down while bearing -an order, and was buried on the field. Col. Horace H. Brand, of Price’s -staff, was taken prisoner but released soon afterward. - -The total of Price’s loss, according to the official reports, -was—killed, 156; wounded 609; missing 30. - -_McCulloch’s Army._—The losses of McCulloch’s army in the aggregate was -109 killed, 300 wounded and 50 prisoners. Among the officers killed were -Capt. Hinson, of the Louisiana regiment; Capt. McAlexander, and Adjutant -Harper, of Churchill’s regiment; Capts. Bell and Brown, and Lieuts. -Walton and Weaver, of Pearce’s division. Some of the severely wounded -were Col. McIntosh (by a grapeshot), Lieut. Col. Neal, Major H. Ward, -Captains King, Pearson, Gibbs, Ramsaur and Porter, and Lieuts. Dawson, -Chambers, Johnson, King, Raney, Adams, Hardister, McIvor, and Saddler. - -The aggregate Southern loss was not far from 265 killed, 900 wounded and -80 prisoners. A little heavier than that of the Federals, owing to the -long range muskets and rifles of the latter and their more efficiently -served artillery. All agree that the Confederate and secession batteries -as a rule were not well handled. - - - DISPOSITION OF THE DEAD. - -The dead at Wilson’s Creek were not well disposed of. All were given -hasty and rude sepulture. Of course the Confederate slain fared the -better, being buried by their own comrades. The Union dead were put -under ground as soon as possible, and with but little ceremony. In an -old well, near the battle field, fourteen bodies were thrown. In a -“sink-hole” thirty-four of their bodies were tumbled. The others were -buried in groups here and there, and the burial heaps marked. In many -instances, a few Federal soldiers were present when the burials were -made, and identified certain graves. Some of the bodies whose graves -were so marked, were afterwards disinterred and removed to their former -homes. A number of the Federal dead were never buried; this was -particularly true regarding Sigel’s men. Dr. Melcher says he saw -portions of the bodies of the German Federals along the line of Sigel’s -retreat, several days after the battle, strewn along near the road, -having been torn by dogs and hogs and buzzards. Skulls, bones, etc., -indicating that at least a dozen corpses had been left above ground were -gathered up. The doctor’s statement is corroborated by citizens who -lived in the neighborhood. - -The weather was hot—oppressively so. Putrefaction soon set in; there was -a scarcity of coffins and coffin-makers, and coffin-maker’s materials, -and perhaps the Confederates did the best they could. Their own dead -were, in many instances, given imperfect burial. - -In 1867, six years afterwards, when the National Cemetery at Springfield -was established, the contractor for the removal of the dead bodies of -the Union soldiers on the battle ground, took up and removed, and -received pay for 183 bodies, as follows: Out of the “sink-hole,” 34; out -of the old well, 14; from other portions of the field, 135. - - - THE HOME GUARDS AT SPRINGFIELD. - -Back in Springfield there was a large force of Home Guards, numbering -about 1,200, under Col. Marcus Boyd, from Greene and adjoining counties, -all under arms, and all ready and willing to fight. But Gen. Lyon held -their fighting qualities in such poor esteem—having no confidence that -any other sort of troops but regulars would fight well—that he had -refused to allow them to go to the field, saying that they would break -at the first fire and demoralize the rest of the troops, and perhaps -cause him to lose the fight. - -But in all probability—no reason appearing to the contrary—if these -1,200 men had been taken out to Wilson’s Creek they would have fought -well—as well as the volunteers, who fought as effectively as the -regulars—and perhaps (who knows?) would have turned the scale in favor -of the Federals. Gen. Lyon made a mistake, certainly, in not employing -against the enemy in his front every man who could be induced to fire a -musket; but his anxiety to not leave his rear and base wholly -unprotected from a cavalry dash or sudden movement of some sort, led to -his leaving this large force in Springfield, which stood in arms all of -the forenoon and heard their comrades fighting so hard away to the -southwest, and, anxious as they were to go to their relief, were -forbidden to do so. - -It is related of a certain doughty captain of the Home Guards then and -now a resident of Springfield, that on his reporting to Col. Boyd for -orders the morning of the battle, the colonel sent him out on the Mount -Vernon road, directing him to observe closely the country to the -westward and to report promptly every half hour should anything -extraordinary occur. In a few minutes after the opening of Totten’s -battery, back came the captain ambling along on a little brood mare, -which he was industriously larruping with a lath, and reining up his -steed in front of Col. Boyd, he made a military salute and announced:— - -“Colonel Boyd, _Sir_! The _cannings_ is a-firing!” As the roar of every -gun had been plainly audible to everybody, this was not a very new piece -of information, but Boyd replied, “All right, captain; go back to your -post.” - -Flourishing his lath as before, the captain rode away, and promptly in -half an hour—still in his hand the lath, which was doing double service, -as a sword and a riding-whip—he returned:— - -“Colonel Boyd, _Sir_! The cannings is _still_ a-firing!” And so every -half hour, until the “cannings” had ceased to thunder, when he returned, -and making the same military salute, the faithful lath still in his -grasp, he announced:— - -“Colonel Boyd, _Sir_! The cannings is ceased a-firing!” - - - THE RETREAT FROM SPRINGFIELD. - -Upon reaching Springfield the Federal army rested a brief time and got -itself ready for flight. A conference of the principal officers was -held, and the command of all the forces given to Col. Sigel, of whom it -is reported Maj. Sturgis said he was not altogether successful in -attack, but was “h—l on retreat.” The citizens were notified, and -hundreds of them began packing up and preparing to follow the army. -These were Union people who dreaded the approach of the Southern troops. -The Home Guards also got ready to move as a part of the army. Many -citizens of the county, living outside of Springfield, got their effects -together and were ready to go. - -A vast amount of money belonging to the bank had been made ready for -shipment, by Lyon’s order, and was being guarded by a Home Guard -company. Merchandise of all kinds was loaded into wagons and certain of -the officers “pressed” teams for the occasion to load commissary and -quartermasters’ stores into. - -Sigel’s ordnance officer destroyed a considerable quantity of powder -because there were no means of transporting it. The 1st Iowa also burned -a portion of its baggage for the same reason. The town was full of -frightened men, women, and children, wagons, teams, horses, mules, milch -cows, soldiers, infantry, cavalry, and artillery, and there was the -greatest confusion all of the evening and till long after dark, even up -to the time when the hegira commenced. The public square was a perfect -jam of cannon carriages, army wagons, farm wagons, buggies, etc. - - - CARE OF THE UNION WOUNDED. - -By 10 o’clock in the forenoon the wounded Federals had begun to arrive -from the front, where the battle was raging, with the news that Lyon was -driving the enemy at all points, the Union people cheered, and bestirred -themselves to take care of the stricken. The new court-house (the -present) and the sheriff’s residence were taken for hospital purposes, -and by midnight contained 100 men; the Bailey house was filled; the -Methodist church building was similarly occupied. Ambulances, carriages, -butchers’ wagons, express wagons, every sort of vehicle with wheels and -springs, plied between the battle field and the town all day and until -after dark, bringing off the wounded. - -Many of the ladies of the town volunteered their services and became -hospital nurses. Maj. Sturgis left with Dr. E. C. Franklin, of the 5th -Missouri, the sum of $2,500 in gold, with which to purchase supplies for -the wounded left behind, to care for Gen. Lyon’s body, and for other -necessary expenses. This is upon the authority of Dr. Franklin himself. -The doctor was given general charge of the Federal wounded. - - - THE ARMY SETS OUT. - -At last all was ready and the army set out for Rolla, with a train of -wagons three miles long and a huge column of refugees, men, women, and -children, black and white, old and young, in carriages, wagons, carts, -on horseback, on foot, “anyway to get away,” as it has been expressed. -The march was begun at midnight, and by daybreak the head of the column -was outside of the county. No attempt was made on the part of the -Southern troops to pursue and capture the column with its $2,000,000 in -money and stores, and it was not molested in any way—as, it would seem, -it should have been. Sigel was not disturbed until near the crossing of -the Gasconade. - -Before crossing this river Col. Sigel received information that the ford -could not be passed well, and that a strong force of the enemy was -moving from West Plains towards Waynesville, to cut off the retreat. He -was also aware that it would take considerable time to cross the -Robidoux and the two Pineys on the old road. To avoid these -difficulties, and to give the army an opportunity to rest, Sigel -directed the troops from Lebanon to the northern road, passing Right -Point, in the southeastern part of Camden county, and Humboldt, Pulaski -county, and terminating opposite the mouth of Little Piney, where in -case the ford could not be passed, the train could be sent by Vienna and -Linn to the mouth of the Gasconade, while the troops could ford the -river at the mouth of the Little Piney to reinforce Rolla. To cross over -the artillery he ordered a ferryboat from Big Piney Crossing to be -hauled down on the Gasconade to the mouth of Little Piney, where it -arrived immediately after the army had crossed the ford. Before reaching -the ford, however, Sigel had given up the command of the army to Maj. -Sturgis, who marched it into Rolla August 19th, where it went into -temporary camp, the first encampment being named “Camp Cary Gratz,” in -honor of the captain of the 1st Missouri, killed at Wilson’s Creek. In a -few days the Missouri and Kansas troops and the 1st Iowa, whose term of -service had long before expired, were sent to St. Louis to be mustered -out. - - - THE CONFEDERATES ENTER SPRINGFIELD. - -The battle of Wilson’s Creek ended at about noon of August 10; but not -until about 11 o’clock of the next day, or nearly 24 hours after the -close of the battle, did the first Confederate troops (save a few -prisoners), set foot within the town of Springfield. Sturgis, with the -remains of Lyon’s corps, was not pursued at all. Sigel’s “flying -Dutchmen” were chased but a few miles, while no attempt at formidable -pursuit or to follow up the victory was made by either McCulloch or -Price. Whether this was because, as the Federals claimed, that the -Southerners themselves were so badly damaged as to be unable to follow -the Federals, but had to wait and allow them to go out of the country -before moving camp, or whether Gen. McCulloch himself expected to be -attacked, or had other good reasons for sitting quietly by, cannot here -be stated. - -Lyon’s body had been sent in. Certain citizens of Springfield had gone -from town to the Southern camp, and back and forth had ridden many a -man, but no movement was made until late Sunday morning. At about 11 -o’clock some Missouri and Texas cavalry rode into town and halted. No -pursuit worthy of the name was attempted after the vast crowd of -citizens and soldiers and citizen-soldiery making its exodus from Greene -county, in some respects like unto that crowd of fugitives led by the -Jewish Lawgiver and guided by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of -fire by night. Soon the town was pretty well filled with troops, and -Price and McCulloch came in. The stores were visited and the proprietors -interviewed, and there was great activity in mercantile circles for a -time; thousands of dollars worth of goods changed hands in a few hours. -Everything was paid for on the spot,—_in Confederate or Missouri scrip_. - -The 11th was Sunday, but, as Gen. McCulloch remarked, “it was just as -good as any other day in war time,” and so the troops were distributed -around, encampments laid out, and preparations made to permanently -occupy the land. On the next day, Monday, the 12th, Gen. McCulloch -issued the following proclamation, which was distributed not only -through this county but throughout the greater portion of the southern -part of the State:— - - - PROCLAMATION OF GEN. M’CULLOCH. - - Headquarters Western Army, - Camp near Springfield, Mo., August 12, 1861. - - _To the People of Missouri_:—Having been called by the Governor of - your State to assist in driving the National forces out of the State - and in restoring the people to their just rights, I have come among - you simply with the view of making war upon our Northern foes, to - drive them back and give the oppressed of your State an opportunity of - again standing up as free men and uttering their true sentiments. You - have been overrun and trampled upon by the mercenary hordes of the - North; your beautiful State has been nearly subjugated, but those true - sons of Missouri who have continued in arms, together with my forces, - came back upon the enemy, and we have gained over them a great and - signal victory. Their general-in-chief is slain, and many of their own - general officers wounded. Their army is in full flight; and now, if - the true men of Missouri will rise up, rally around our standard the - State will be redeemed. I do not come among you to make war upon any - of your people, whether Union or otherwise; the Union people will all - be protected in their rights and property. It is earnestly recommended - to them to return to their homes. Prisoners of the Union army, who - have been arrested by the army, will be released and allowed to return - to their friends. Missouri must be allowed to choose her own destiny, - no oath binding your consciences. I have driven the enemy from among - you; the time has now arrived for the people of the State to act. You - can no longer procrastinate. Missouri must now take her position, be - it North or South. - - Ben McCulloch, - Brig. Gen. Commanding. - -This proclamation was well received by the people of the county, -especially the Union portion, who expected nothing else that they were -to be treated with great severity. All looked forward to a season of -security, if not absolute peace. It is painful to be compelled to state, -however, that Gen. McCulloch’s proclamation was not long observed. -Despite its declarations Union men were arrested and their property and -that of their secession neighbors seized and appropriated whenever it -pleased the subordinate Confederate officers to do so. - -In connection with his proclamation, and on the same day McCulloch -issued the following congratulatory order to the troops under his -command over the result of the battle of Wilson’s Creek:— - - - GEN. M’CULLOCH’S ORDER. - - Headquarters Western Army, - Near Springfield, Missouri, August 12, 1861. - - The General commanding takes great pleasure in announcing to the army - under his command, the signal victory it has just gained. Soldiers of - Louisiana, of Arkansas, of Missouri, and of Texas, nobly have you - sustained yourselves. Shoulder to shoulder you have met the enemy and - driven him before you. Your first battle has been glorious and your - general is proud of you. The opposing forces, composed mostly of the - old regular army of the North, have thrown themselves upon you, - confident of victory; but, by great gallantry and determined courage, - you have routed them with great slaughter. Several pieces of artillery - and many prisoners are now in your hands. The commander-in-chief of - the enemy is slain, and many of the general officers wounded. The flag - of the Confederacy now floats near Springfield, the stronghold of the - enemy. The friends of our cause who have been in prison there are - released. While announcing to the army the great victory, the general - hopes that the laurels you have gained will not be tarnished by a - single outrage. The private property of citizens of either party must - be respected. Soldiers who fought as well as you did the day before - yesterday cannot rob or plunder. By order of - - Ben McCulloch, - General Commanding. - - James McIntosh, Capt. C. S. A. and Adjutant General. - -General Price was also seized with the proclamation fever and a few days -after the occupation of Springfield, that is to say on August 20th, -published the following:— - - - GEN. PRICE’S PROCLAMATION. - - To the People of Missouri:—_Fellow-citizens_: The army under my - command has been organized under the laws of the State for the - protection of your homes and firesides, and for the maintenance of the - rights, dignity and honor of Missouri. It is kept in the field for - these purposes alone, and to aid in accomplishing them, our gallant - Southern brethren have come into our State. We have just achieved a - glorious victory over the foe, and scattered far and wide the - well-appointed army which the usurper at Washington has been more than - six months gathering for your subjugation and enslavement. This - victory frees a large portion of the State from the power of the - invaders, and restores it to the protection of its army. It - consequently becomes my duty to assure you that it is my firm - determination to protect every peaceable citizen in the full enjoyment - of all his rights, whatever may have been his sympathies in the - present unhappy struggle, if he has not taken an active part in the - cruel warfare, which has been waged against the good people of this - State, by the ruthless enemies whom we have just defeated. I therefore - invite all good citizens to return to their homes and the practice of - their ordinary avocations, with the full assurance that they, their - families, their homes and their property shall be carefully protected. - I, at the same time, warn all evil disposed persons, who may support - the usurpations of any one claiming to be provisional or temporary - Governor of Missouri, or who shall in any other way give aid or - comfort to the enemy, that they will be held as enemies, and treated - accordingly. - - Sterling Price, - Maj.-Gen. Commanding Mo. State Guard. - - August 20, 1861. - -It will be observed that the terms of Gen. Price’s proclamation differed -somewhat from McCulloch’s. The latter declared that prisoners of the -Union army would be released and allowed to return to their friends, -while Gen. Price declared that no man who had taken an active part in -the “cruel warfare which had been waged against the good people (_i.e._, -the secession good people) of the State” should be protected in his -rights. And yet Gen. Price was as much a friend of the Union people and -Union troops as Gen. McCulloch, and showed them as many favors. - - - JOY AND CONGRATULATIONS. - -The news of the battle of Wilson’s Creek was received with great joy -throughout the Southern Confederacy and everywhere that the Confederate -cause had sympathizers, and the event did much for that cause in -Missouri, by stimulating recruiting and causing many an undecided -individual to come down off the fence and stand on the Southern side. -Some time afterward, November 4, 1861, when the “Claib. Jackson -Legislature” (as the Legislature that passed the Neosho ordinance of -secession was called), was in session at Cassville, it passed the -following resolution, introduced by Mr. Goodlett, under a suspension of -the rules:— - - _Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring - therein_: That the thanks of the State of Missouri are hereby - cordially given to Major-General Price and Brigadier-Generals Parsons, - Rains, Slack, Clark, McBride, and Steen, and the officers and troops - of the Missouri State Guard under their command, and to - Brigadier-General McCulloch and officers and the troops of the - Confederate States under their command, for their gallant and signal - services and the victory obtained by them in the battle of - Springfield. - -The following resolutions were introduced into the Confederate Congress -on the 21st of August, by Mr. Ochiltree, of Texas, and were passed -unanimously:— - - Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to vouchsafe to the arms of the - Confederate States another glorious and important victory, in a - portion of the country where a reverse would have been disastrous, by - exposing the families of the good people of the State of Missouri, to - the unbridled license of the brutal soldiery of an unscrupulous enemy; - therefore - - _Be it Resolved by the Congress of the Confederate States_, That the - thanks of Congress are cordially tendered to Brig.-Gen. McCulloch and - the officers and soldiers of his brave command for their gallant - conduct in defeating after a battle of six and a half hours a force of - the enemy equal in numbers and greatly superior in all their - appointments, thus proving that a right cause nerves the heart and - strengthens the arms of the Southern people, fighting as they are for - their liberty, their homes and friends, against an unholy despotism. - - _Resolved_, That in the opinion of Congress, Gen. McCulloch and his - troops are entitled to and will receive the grateful thanks of all our - people. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. -PROMINENT REGIMENTS AND OTHER SUBORDINATE COMMANDS ENGAGED IN THE BATTLE. - - -_Confederate Commands._—The 3d Louisiana Infantry—1st Arkansas Mounted - Rifles—2d Arkansas Mounted Rifles—McRea’s Arkansas Battalion—3d - Arkansas Infantry—4th Arkansas Infantry—6th Arkansas Infantry—1st - Arkansas Cavalry. _Federal Commands._—The 1st Iowa Infantry—1st - Missouri Infantry—1st Kansas Infantry—2d Kansas Infantry—Totten’s - Battery—Dubois’ Battery—Steele’s Battalion—Plummer’s Battalion—The - Home Guards. - - -The particular part taken in the battle of Wilson’s creek by some of the -leading regiments of each side may be of interest, and is here -described, the facts being obtained from actual participants—the -commanding officers when possible. - - - CONFEDERATE COMMANDS. - - - THIRD LOUISIANA INFANTRY. - -A considerable portion of the services of this regiment have already -been narrated. Aroused by Gen. McCulloch himself, the colonel of the -regiment, Louis Hebert, formed the 3d Louisiana and followed the road to -Springfield, a short distance to a narrow by-road running north and -leading to Ray’s corn-field, then held by Plummer’s regulars. In front -of the corn-field was a dense thicket, through which the regiment -advanced, and here it instantly became engaged. At the first fire -Sergeant Major Renwick, of the regiment, and Private Placide Bossier, of -the “Pelican Rangers No. 1,” of Natchitoches, were killed. - -The 3d Louisiana jumped the fence, charged, and soon drove Plummer’s men -from the corn-field. Still advancing, they reached an oat field, and -here Dubois’ battery opened on them, as did some of the Federal -infantry, and the regiment was driven back in some confusion. Col. -Hebert ordered it to fall back to the woods higher to the right, but the -regiment became separated, and the greater portion—the right wing and -some of the left—were formed outside of the field by Lieut. Col. S. M. -Hyams, and, by orders of Gen. McCulloch, went down the creek valley to -attack Sigel. Col. Hebert succeeded in forming two companies into a -detachment of about 100 men and marched in an opposite direction, toward -the force under Gen. Lyon. Col. Hebert advanced within about 500 yards -of Totten’s battery, where he remained in front of the Federal line for -nearly half an hour under a severe fire, when the detachment was forced -to retire. Again it formed and then marched down and joined the right -wing under Lt.-Col. Hyams, which had just returned from defeating Sigel. -The entire regiment then moved against the Federal position on Bloody -Hill. - -The companies led by Lieut. Col. Hyams against Sigel were the “Pelican -Rifles,” Capt. John P. Vigilini; the “Eberville Grays,” Lieut. Verbois; -the “Morehouse Guards,” Capt. Hinson; the “Pelican Rangers No. 1,” Capt. -Breazeale; the “Pelican Rangers No. 2,” Capt. Blair; the “Winn Rifles,” -Capt. Pierson; the “Morehouse Fencibles,” Capt. Harris; the “Shreveport -Rangers,” Capt. Gilmore; a few of the “Monticello Rifles,” under -Sergeant Walcott, and a detachment of Missourians, 75 in number, -commanded by a Capt. Johnson. The regiment was conducted across the ford -of Wilson’s creek and down the valley in front of Sigel’s position by -Col. James McIntosh. - -Arriving in front of Sigel’s battery, the regiment formed, and by order -of Lieut. Col. Hyams advanced up the steep hill to the charge. Near the -brow of the hill Lieut. Lacey, of the “Shreveport Rangers,” sprang on a -log, waved his sword, and called out to his company, “Come on, Caddo!” -Shreveport is in the parish of Caddo, Louisiana. The whole command -rushed forward, carried the position, captured the guns, and drove the -already panic-stricken Federal Germans in terror from the field. The -captured cannon were rolled down the hill, and one piece, with its -horses, was taken to the main command. - -The “Pelican Rifles” and the “Iberville Grays” were under command of -Capt. Vigilini, of the former company. When within thirty or forty yards -of Sigel’s battery, Gen. McCulloch being in person with the 3d -Louisiana, a Federal soldier appeared in plain view on the hill. Gen. -McCulloch himself called out, “What troops are those?” The man replied, -“Sigel’s regiment,” at the same time raising his rifle to shoot the -general; but Corporal Henry Gentles, of Vigilini’s company, had his -Mississippi rifle in position and shot the Federal dead in an instant, -thus saving Gen. McCulloch’s life. - -In the assault on Sigel Capt. Hinson and his brother-in-law, Private -Whetstone, both of the “Morehouse Guards,” were killed, it is said, by -the same shot. Among the members of the regiment who distinguished -themselves were Color-bearer Felix Chaler, Corporal Hicock (killed), -Drum-Major Patterson, Orderly Sergeant Alphonse Prudhomme, Private I. P. -Hyams, Corporal Gentles, and Sergt. W. H. Tunnard. The regiment was -especially complimented by Gen. McCulloch in his official report. - -The 3d Louisiana lost in killed one commissioned officer, one -non-commissioned officer and seven privates; total killed nine; wounded, -three commissioned officers, six non-commissioned officers and -thirty-nine privates; total wounded, forty-eight; missing, three -privates. Total casualties, sixty. - - - FIRST ARKANSAS MOUNTED RIFLES. - -The 1st Arkansas Mounted rifles was at the time of the battle of -Wilson’s creek in the Confederate service, and was commanded by Col. T. -J. Churchill. It belonged to McCulloch’s division and was encamped at -the lower end of the Confederate position. At about breakfast time -Sigel’s battery and his infantry opened on the regiment, which lay in an -open field. Being exposed to a raking fire from cannon and musketry, the -regiment fell back into the woods on the north, and there formed under -direction of Col. Churchill himself, who, as soon as his alignment had -been made, moved down on the wire road in the direction of Springfield. - -Having reached the little valley of Wilson’s creek, Col. Churchill was -met by an aid de camp of Gen. Price, asking for a reinforcement to go to -the assistance of Gen. Slack, then being hard pressed. Col. Churchill -immediately moved his regiment rapidly forward, under a heavy fire, took -position on Gen. Slack’s left, and ordered his men to commence firing. -Here the 1st Arkansas fought for about four hours, being in front of -Totten’s battery and the 1st Iowa the greater portion of the time. At -times it would advance, then fall back, but its conduct was most -admirable, there being but little if any straggling or disorder. It -continued to fight until the Federals retreated from the field. - -During the engagement Col. Churchill had two horses shot under him. The -lieutenant colonel, Matlock, and the major, Harper, of the regiment -evinced great bravery and gallantry. Adjutant James Harper, Capt. M. E. -Alexander, and Lieuts. Dawson, Chambers, and Johnson were killed; Capts. -Ramsaur and Porter, and Lieuts. King, Raney, Adams, Hardester and McIvor -were severely wounded, and Capts. Pearson and Gibbs and Lieuts. Saddler, -Wair and Head were slightly wounded. The 1st Arkansas suffered more than -any other regiment of Southern troops engaged in the battle. Its loss -was forty-two killed and one hundred and fifty-five wounded. - -In acknowledgment of the conspicuous services rendered by the 1st -Arkansas to his army, Gen. Price, a few days after the battle caused the -following letter to be sent to Col. Churchill:— - - Headquarters Missouri State Guard, - Springfield, Mo., Aug. 15, 1861. - - Colonel:—I am directed by Maj.-Gen. Price to thank you, in the name of - this army and of the State of Missouri, for the very important - services which you and your fine regiment of Mounted Riflemen have - rendered during the campaign in this State, and do particularly - acknowledge, in the most grateful manner, the eager bravery with which - your men met the enemy on the 10th inst.—the constancy with which they - fought, and the spirit with which they rushed upon and drove back his - disciplined soldiers. Your own gallantry and skill were so conspicuous - on that memorable day that every Missourian will always cherish the - remembrance of you with pride and gratitude. - - I have the honor to be, Colonel, - - Your obedient servant, - Thos. L. Snead, - Acting Adjt. Gen. - - Col. Thos. J. Churchill, 1st Regt. Ark. Mounted Rifles. - - - SECOND ARKANSAS MOUNTED RIFLES. - -This regiment was led by its commander, Col. James McIntosh, into the -battle, and took part with the 3d Louisiana in the fight with Plummer’s -regulars, in Ray’s cornfield, early in the morning. When first attacked -it was at breakfast, but, instead of retreating in confusion, rallied at -the call of the bugle, mounted, and was marched by Lieut. Col. Benj. T. -Embry to the timber on the east side of Wilson’s Creek, north of -Woodruff’s battery. Here it dismounted and stripped for the fight, and -Col. McIntosh then appeared and took it into the engagement. - -After the fight in Ray’s cornfield, Col. McIntosh was sent for by Gen. -McCulloch, and Lieut. Col. Embry took command of the 2d Arkansas. The -regiment moved across the creek to the west and became engaged with -Lyon’s men on Bloody Hill. At one time it repulsed a desperate charge, -losing heavily in so doing, however. After this, under Col. Embry, the -regiment fell back to the creek and rested a short time, preparing to -receive a cavalry charge, which it was expected would be made. It then -moved up the hill again, but did not become engaged, and soon after the -Federals retreated. - -The loss of the 2d Arkansas was, in killed, one non-commissioned officer -and 9 privates; total, 10. Wounded, one captain, two second lieutenants, -eight non-commissioned officers, and 33 privates; total 44. Total -casualties, 54. - - - M’RAE’S ARKANSAS BATTALION. - -Upon the opening of the battle in good earnest, or about 6 A. M., this -battalion, led by its commander, Lieut. Col. D. H. McRae, moved up the -wire road toward Springfield, and formed to the left of the 3d -Louisiana, and in front of Woodruff’s battery. In a short time, by Gen. -McCulloch’s orders, it countermarched and moved off across the valley -toward the southwest to take and hold an eminence in that quarter -threatened by Sigel’s men. While on its way the battalion was broken up -by a large body of mounted Missourians, who, panic-stricken and -demoralized, were riding rapidly away from Totten’s battery and the -Federals on Bloody Hill. These mounted warriors rode wildly through the -battalion, threatening to trample down the men and forcing them to -scatter to save themselves. Col. McRae was able to take but one entire -company and a few files of another into the fight proper. - -On arriving at the summit of the hill the battalion was fired on by a -battery reported as being Bledsoe’s, of the Missouri troops, but in -reality was Sigel’s. Thick brush intervening, Col. McRae was unable to -distinguish for himself, but at last charged at a “trail arms.” Within -twenty paces of the Fayetteville road a body of men were observed moving -rapidly away, and these were fired on. Here Col. McRae halted and formed -his men so as to sweep the road. In a short time another body came up, -and being dressed like the Confederates, and some of them calling out, -“We are from the South,” deceived Col. McRae until nearly all of them -had passed, when he opened fire on their rear. He then led his men to -the hill where Sigel’s battery had been captured, and here he found the -three companies of the battalion that had been cut off by the Missouri -horsemen. The united battalion then marched to the Fayetteville road to -the north, it having been reported that the Federals were reforming -there, but this report was found to be untrue, and Col. McRae returned -to camp. - -The loss of the battalion was two men killed, one mortally wounded, one -severely wounded, and five slightly wounded. - - - THIRD ARKANSAS INFANTRY. - -This regiment was commanded by Col. John R. Gratiot, and belonged to the -Arkansas State troops, Gen. Pearce’s division. Its lieutenant-colonel, -David Provence, and its major, Ward, were present at the battle. - -In the first part of the action the regiment was moved to the support of -Woodruff’s battery, and here it remained for some hours under a heavy -fire of shot and shell. At about 11 o’clock Gen. Pearce ordered the -regiment to cross the creek and move to the help of Price’s division. -Col. Gratiot marched the men over the stream and up the ridge by a flank -movement and in column of fours. When near the Federal position the line -was fronted and faced the enemy, and moved forward, but just then a -heavy fire was opened in front, two guns of Totten’s battery turned -loose on the regiment with grape, and canister and shell, and so -terrific was the ordeal, that the regiment was obliged to lie down and -return the fire in that position. This was the last fight of Lyon’s men, -and they kept it up only about thirty minutes, when they retreated. The -3d Arkansas remained on the field in position long after the firing had -ceased. - -After Maj. Sturgis had retreated with the remnant of Lyon’s division -from Bloody Hill, it was feared that he would cross the creek, move -round to the east and come upon Woodruff’s battery, still in position on -the ground it had occupied during the day. Col. Gratiot’s regiment was -again ordered to the support of this battery, and here it remained until -ordered into camp by Gen. McCulloch. - -The regiment suffered most during the thirty minutes it was engaged with -the Federal infantry (Second Kansas and part of First Iowa), and -Totten’s battery on Bloody Hill, but it stood well and gave back blow -for blow. Capts. Brown and Bell were killed and about twenty-five other -brave men and true met their fate in this battle. - -Capt. Woodruff’s battery, the “Pulaski artillery,” was attached to the -Third Arkansas during the battle. This battery did more execution and -service than any other Confederate battery that took part in the -engagement. The damage it inflicted on the enemy was prodigious. -Officers and men behaved with great coolness, courage and judgment. - -The casualties in the Third Arkansas and Woodruff’s battery -were:—killed, twenty-five; wounded, eighty-four; missing, one; total, -one hundred and ten. - - - FOURTH ARKANSAS INFANTRY. - -The Fourth Arkansas infantry on the morning of the battle was placed -under Adjutant-General Rector, who remained in command during the day. -The regiment was not brought into immediate action, being stationed on -the hill for the protection of Reid’s battery, and, although exposed to -the trial of having to submit to a severe fire from the enemy, which it -was unable to return, all the officers and men behaved with great -coolness during the day. There were none killed or wounded in this -regiment. [The colonel of the First Arkansas, J. D. Walker, is at -present (1883) one of the United States Senators from Arkansas.] - - - FIFTH ARKANSAS INFANTRY. - -This, another regiment of Gen. Pearce’s division, was commanded by Col. -Tom P. Dockery, and for about two hours after the battle commenced was -posted on the height southeast of McCulloch’s encampment, and occupied a -hill east of Wilson’s creek as a guard for Reid’s battery. - -When the Third Louisiana and Third Arkansas moved up against the -Federals on Bloody Hill Col. Dockery sent to their support Capts. -Titsworth’s, Dismuke’s, Neal’s, Dowd’s, Whaling’s and Lawrence’s -companies, all under Lieut. Col. Neal. While gallantly leading his men -Col. Neal fell severely wounded, and Col. Dockery then assumed command. -Only the companies named were actively engaged against the enemy on -Bloody Hill, the companies of Capts. Hartzig, Arnold, McKeon and -Hutchinson having been detailed to serve as skirmishers at one time -after Reid’s battery had changed position. The Fifth Arkansas did its -duty well in this battle, and its conduct was commented on by Gen. -Pearce in the warmest terms. It never wavered or showed the least sign -of demoralization. The loss of the regiment was three killed and eleven -wounded. - - - FIRST ARKANSAS CAVALRY. - -Mention has already been made of the services performed by this -regiment. For a while it supported the Missourians of Price’s division; -then it charged by the flank on Totten’s battery; then charged again on -the position held by the Second Kansas, and all the time during the -engagement was under fire. While thousands of other cavalry were -demoralized and fleeing hither and thither, the First Arkansas kept on -the field and sought more than once to charge as cavalry over ground -almost Alpine in character—rugged, rough, precipitous and broken. Its -commander, Col. DeRosey Carroll, was complimented more than once for the -gallant conduct shown by himself and his regiment. - -The loss of the First Arkansas cavalry was five killed; two mortally -wounded; twenty-six severely wounded, and nineteen missing, as follows:— - -Capt. Lewis’ company—two killed, two mortally and five severely wounded. - -Capt. Park’s company—one killed, three wounded, one missing. - -Capt. Walker’s company—four wounded, including Capt. Walker himself, and -three missing. - -Capt. Withers’ company—two killed, four wounded, two missing. - -Capt. Perkins’ company—four wounded, four missing. - -Capt. Kelly’s company—one missing. - -Capt. Armstrong’s company—one wounded, eight missing. - - - FEDERAL COMMANDS. - - - THE FIRST IOWA INFANTRY. - -The 1st Iowa Infantry was a three months regiment whose time had expired -several days before the battle, but it had remained on duty with Lyon to -aid him in his emergency. At the time of the fight its colonel, J. F. -Bates, lay sick in Springfield, and Lieut. Col. Wm. H. Merritt, led the -regiment. As has been stated the 1st Iowa was in Lyon’s column. At the -beginning of the fight it was in the reserve, but advanced when the 1st -Kansas gave way and received the first fire of the enemy while in a -state of some confusion, the result of the retreat of the Kansans -through the Iowa’s ranks. The regiment fired on a body of Confederate -cavalry advancing to charge Totten’s battery, and dispersed it, or drove -it back. Soon after the regiment became engaged generally, and bore its -full share of the conflict. - -Four companies of the 1st Iowa, and a company of regular infantry under -Capt. Lothrop, supported Totten’s battery at the close of the engagement -and covered the retreat, receiving and returning the last fire of the -enemy. The regiment lost 13 killed (including Capt. A. L. Mason) 138 -wounded and 4 missing. Total 155. - - - FIRST MISSOURI INFANTRY. - -The 1st Missouri Infantry was led into the battle of Wilson’s Creek by -its lieutenant colonel, George L. Andrews, its colonel, Frank P. Blair, -being in his seat in Congress at the time. When Gen. Lyon’s column had -reached the immediate proximity of Rains’ division, the regiment was -brought forward to the head of the column and directed to march parallel -with the advance—Gilbert’s regulars—and about 60 yards distant to the -right. In a few moments orders were received to throw one company -forward as skirmishers, and Company H, Capt. Yates, was sent forward, -followed by the regiment in column of companies. - -It is claimed that the action was begun by shots from Capt. Yates’ -skirmishers. At any rate, soon after they opened fire Company B was sent -up as a reinforcement, and the regiment wheeled into line and -immediately became engaged, at first returning a fire directed against -its left flank. Very soon after Woodruff’s and Guibor’s batteries opened -on the Federal position and their shells fell uncomfortably plenty among -the 1st Missouri. One or two of the shells which did not explode were -examined and pronounced to be those furnished Sigel’s batteries, leading -to the conclusion that Sigel was firing by mistake against Lyon’s -column. - -The regiment stood well in line and fought bravely. Capt. Nelson Cole -was severely wounded in the jaw, but remained on the field, and, though -unable to speak, from the nature of his wound, he continued to encourage -his men by signs to stand their ground. Capt. Cary Gratz, of St. Louis, -a native of Lexington, Ky., while advancing at the head of his company, -discovered a body of Confederates advancing, led on by a mounted -officer. Capt. Gratz fired with his revolver and the Confederate officer -fell from his horse, but rose and rushed toward his lines, when the -captain fired again and the other officer pitched headlong to the -ground. Almost immediately Capt. Gratz fell dead, being pierced by four -or five shots. - -Capt. John S. Cavender, with his company, G, was in an advanced position -and several times prevented the left flank from being turned. Col. -Andrews, while with the left wing was severely wounded, but he procured -a big drink of whiskey, and soon returned to his post. In a few minutes -his horse was killed and fell upon him. Going to Dubois’ battery during -a lull in the fighting, Col. Andrews was sent to the rear by Surgeon P. -M. Carnyn. - -The Confederates now pressed the 1st Missouri so vigorously that the -regiment in all probability would have given way had not Maj. Schofield -and Gen. Lyon opportunely brought up the 1st Iowa and Maj. Osterhaus -(assisted by Lieut. David Murphy, of the 1st Missouri) come forward with -his battalion of the 2d Missouri Infantry. The regiment then remained on -the field and did nobly during the remainder of the engagement, and when -ordered to fall back with the main column and leave the field it did so -in good order. - -Out of 27 officers who went into the fight, 13 were either killed or -wounded. Capt. Madison Miller discovered a movement of the Confederate -cavalry to his rear and stopped it by the stout fight he made with his -company, assisted by the artillery. Capt. Cavender, though severely -wounded, refused to leave his post, mounted his horse and remained until -completely exhausted. Surgeon Carnyn, on more than one occasion, took up -a musket and fought in the ranks. Lieut. David Murphy, although severely -wounded in the leg, went to the rear and assisted in bringing up -Osterhaus’ battalion of the 2d Missouri. Adjt. Hiscock and other -officers bore themselves so well that they received especial mention. - -Among the men Corporal Kane, of Company K, when the color sergeant was -killed and nearly all the color guard either killed or wounded, brought -the colors safely off the field. Sergt. Chas. M. Callahan, Company K, -Sergt. Chris. Conrad, of Company G, and Private Elworthy, of Company F, -were noted for their valuable services and for their coolness and -bravery. The part borne by the 1st Missouri may be imagined when it is -remembered that its loss was 76 men killed, 208 wounded and 11 missing. - - - FIRST KANSAS INFANTRY. - -On coming upon the battle field in the early morning, the 1st Kansas -Infantry—led by its colonel, Geo. W. Deitzler, and its major, John A. -Halderman—was posted in the rear of the 1st Missouri and 1st Iowa. Very -soon Gen. Rains’ skirmishers or outposts were driven in, Totten’s -battery took position and opened fire, while the 1st Missouri was sent -up and soon became engaged. - -At this time, under an order from Gen. Lyon, the 1st Kansas moved to the -front in “double quick,” while the right wing and one company from the -left, under command respectively of Capts. Chenoweth, Walker, Swift, -Zesch, McFarland, and Lieut. McGonigle—all under Col. Deitzler—advanced -to a position beyond that occupied by the 1st Missouri, and here, -forming in the very face of the enemy, engaged the Confederates and held -their ground steadfastly under an uninterrupted and murderous fire of -artillery and infantry. - -The four remaining companies of Capts. Clayton, Roberts, Stockton, and -Lieut. Angell, under Maj. Halderman, having been posted on the right of -Totten’s battery as support, where they suffered severely from a -constant fire, were now brought up by Maj. Halderman, who called out, -“Forward boys, for Kansas and the old flag!” Aligning with remarkable -coolness upon the remnant of the six right companies the four left -companies settled down to work. With but slight and immaterial changes -of position the 1st Kansas occupied this ground for over two hours, -holding its ground and dealing and receiving severe punishment. - -While thus engaged, Capt. Chenoweth, Capt. Clayton and a portion of -Capt. McFarland’s company under Lieut. Malone, were ordered to charge -the enemy with their commands, which order they executed and drove back -the Confederates a considerable distance, although soon after they were -themselves compelled to retire. While leading this charge Col. Deitzler -had his horse killed under him, and was himself severely wounded. The -command then devolved on Maj. Halderman. The regiment now had a very -exposed position, lying in plain view, obliquely across a ridge, but, -though it suffered severely, it bore itself well. - -When the 2d Kansas fell back the 1st formed on its left, three companies -remaining on the brow of the hill, and on the right of the battery. -After the severe volley firing had ceased for a few minutes—the -Confederates having retired—it was recommenced by them again as they -advanced, and kept up for nearly a quarter of an hour, when the whole -Federal line, apparently, opened on them and they again retired down the -hill. After this Maj. Sturgis ordered the retreat. - -With scarcely any material change of its position the 1st Kansas stood -under fire and returned it, maintained every ground assigned it, without -turning its back on the foe, for the five long hours during which the -battle raged. Its loss was the heaviest in killed of the Federal -regiments engaged—77, one more than the 1st Missouri. It had 187 men -wounded and 20 missing; total, 284. It went into action with nearly 800 -men, and left the field in good order with about 500. - - - THE SECOND KANSAS INFANTRY. - -This regiment, as stated in the general description of the battle, was -at first stationed in reserve on a hill on the right of and overlooking -Ray’s cornfield, where Plummer’s battalion fought. After Plummer had -been driven back and the pursuing Confederates checked by Dubois’ -battery, Lieut-Col. Chas. W. Blair, of the 2d Kansas, rode to Gen. Lyon -and requested that the regiment be given a place in the front. Gen. Lyon -gave the order and Col. Mitchell brought the regiment forward, in time -to take part in the last grand charge. Prior to this, and early in the -action, before the regiment, as a regiment, was fairly under fire, a -force of Missouri cavalry (presumably of Rains’ division) attempted a -flank movement, and Maj. W. F. Cloud, of the 2d, taking Capt. McClure’s -company and deploying it, drove them back after a few volleys. - -As the regiment went up to the forefront, Gen. Lyon put himself at its -head and assisted the field officers in bringing it into action. Just as -the regiment raised the crest of the hill, and while it was still in -column, a terrific fire was opened on it, and it was under this fire -that Gen. Lyon fell dead and Col. Mitchell was severely wounded. Gen. -Lyon was leading the 2d when he was killed. After Col. Mitchell was -wounded, command of the regiment was assumed by Lieut-Col. Blair and -Maj. Cloud, who threw the men into line, and after a hard fight of -fifteen minutes the Confederates were driven down the hill, and a lull -in the conflict resulted. - -About this time Capt. Powell Clayton’s company, of the 1st Kansas, was -attached to the left of the 2d, and the companies of Capts. Roberts, -Walker and Zesch, also of the 1st, were formed on the right. On the -right of this position a ravine stretched down to the enemy, and up this -ravine the Confederates (of John B. Clark’s division) attempted to flank -Col. Blair. Some men sent down it from Capt. Cracklin’s company did not -return, and then Col. Blair himself rode out to see what was the matter. -He had not gone twenty yards when he “found what darkened de hole!” A -sharp fire was opened on him and his horse killed, but the colonel -himself was unhurt, and mounting a horse brought him by his orderly, -Alex. H. Lamb, he was soon again directing the movements of his men. - -Meantime, aware of the danger in front, Maj. Cloud had gone back to -Sturgis for reinforcements and obtained two guns of Totten’s battery, -under Lieut. Sokalski. These came up in good time. As they stopped, -Capt. Chenoweth, of the 1st Kansas, rode out to the head of the ravine, -and saw the Confederates coming up it in considerable numbers. Cloud and -Sokalski got the guns in position and opened on the ravine. As the -Confederates approached nearer Col. Blair ordered the men to lie down -and load and fire in that position and to be careful of their -ammunition. Here the men received a most terrific fire, which they -seemed to relish. Artillery and musketry were playing on them, but the -shot and shell went too high and only the grape, the muskets, and the -rifles of the enemy did execution. Yet not a man broke ranks or left his -place in the line. At last the Confederates fell back or slackened their -fire and the artillery limbered up and retired to the rear to join in -the general retreat, which bad been ordered some minutes before. - -Maj. Sturgis, on assuming command after Lyon had fallen, sent Col. Blair -word to retreat as soon as he could do so with safety, and after the -Confederates had fallen back the last time he did so. The men were -brought off in good order and in slow time, without a panic or -confusion. After crossing the first ravine in the rear the line was -reformed and marched by the right flank to the main command and off the -battle field. - -The loss of the 2d Kansas in the battle was 5 killed, 59 wounded, and 6 -missing—total, 70. Both officers and men behaved splendidly. When Col. -Mitchell fell he turned over the command to Col. Blair, saying: -“Colonel, take the regiment and maintain the honor of Kansas.” As he was -being carried from the field he called out to Gordon Granger, of -Sturgis’ staff, “For God’s sake, support my regiment.” Of Lieut. Col. -Blair, it was said by Gen. Sturgis that “he attracted the attention of -all who saw him.” Col. Mitchell, Lieut. Col. Blair and Maj. Cloud were -all highly complimented by Gen. Sturgis and Gen. Fremont and recommended -for promotion. Maj. Cloud, Adjutant Lines and Capt. Ayres were mentioned -in Col. Blair’s report as conspicuous for their gallantry. - - - TOTTEN’S BATTERY. - -The share of fighting done by this organization (Light Company F, 2d -Artillery), in the battle of Wilson’s Creek was large and important. -Soon after the skirmishers of Lyon’s advance fired on the Southern -pickets, the line of march, as directed by Gen. Lyon in person, lay -through a small valley which debouched into that through which Wilson’s -Creek runs at the point immediately occupied by the front of Price’s -troops and just where a road to Springfield entered the valley, keeping -along the foot of the hills, and soon after the battery opened. The left -section, under Lieut. Sokalski, was first brought to bear upon the enemy -in the woods in front, and shortly afterward the other four pieces were -thrown forward into battery to the right on higher ground. A few rounds -from the artillery assisted the infantry in driving the secession troops -back toward the crests of the hills, nearer and immediately over their -own camp. - -Capt. Totten now conducted the battery up the hill to the left and -front, and soon found a position where he brought it into battery -directly over the northern position of the enemy’s camp. The camp of -Gen. Rains’ division lay directly beneath the front and to the left of, -though very close to, the position of the battery, while a battery of -the secessionists (Woodruff’s Arkansas) was in front and within easy -range. Of course Rains’ camp was entirely deserted, and therefore -Totten’s first efforts were directed against the Arkansas battery in his -front and right. The right half of Totten’s guns were principally -directed against Woodruff, although the entire six pieces as opportunity -offered, played upon him. The two batteries pounded away on each other -for some time, neither seeming to get much the advantage of the other. -As the position of the Arkansas battery was somewhat masked by the -timber, Totten’s gunners were obliged to give direction to their pieces -by the flash and smoke of the opposing artillery. - -In the meantime, while this fight between Totten and Woodruff was in -progress, the battle was raging in the thick woods and underbrush to the -front and right of the position of the Federal battery, and the 1st -Missouri was being hard pressed. - -Gen. Lyon ordered Totten to move a section of his battery forward to the -support of the Missourians, which was done, the guns coming up on a run -and unlimbering in front of the right company of the regiment. A -Confederate regiment with a Confederate flag, which at that distance -seemed to be the stars and stripes, was two hundred yards away, and -fearing they might be friends Totten hesitated before opening. Their -fire soon undeceived him and he turned loose his guns upon them with -canister from both pieces. - -The next important step in the progress of the battle was when a portion -of Clark’s (?) division tried to force its way up the neighborhood road -passing along toward Springfield in order to turn the Federal right. For -a time the situation was critical, for the Missourians were plucky and -were fighting hard. Four pieces of Totten’s battery were still in -position commanding that point, and Dubois’ four guns were on the left -also near the road and commanding it. As Slack’s men came in good view -and range, both artillery and infantry opened on them and drove them -back. - -Just after this had been done Gen. Lyon came up to the battery and -complimented the men who were working it. Capt. Totten saw blood -trickling from Lyon’s heel and the general said he had been wounded in -the leg, but not seriously. The captain offered his commander some -brandy in a canteen, but the general refused it, and rode away, and that -was the last time Totten ever saw Lyon alive. Soon after leaving Totten, -Lyon sent him word to support the Kansas men on the extreme right, who -were being hard pressed. Lieut. Sokalski took up his section immediately -and saved the Kansans from being overthrown and driven back. - -After this came an attempted charge on the Federal position by some -Missouri, Texas and Arkansas cavalry, of which there was a great -abundance. Some 800 of them, including a battalion or so of Greer’s -Texans and Carroll’s Arkansans, fresh from the southern end of the -little valley where Sigel had been so easily whipped, formed at the foot -of the hill on which four of Totten’s guns stood and were getting ready -for a charge, when the artillery and the infantry opened on them and -they were driven away so rapidly that they were out of sight in a -moment. - -The last point where the battery was engaged was on the right of the -left wing of the 1st Iowa and somewhat in front. Lyon was then killed -and Sturgis was preparing to retreat. Totten’s battery was still in -action, two pieces in advance on the right so hot that the water thrown -on them almost hissed, and yet pounding away. The left wing of the 1st -Iowa came up and supported the guns from the field, and they were -brought away off the field and to Springfield, without the loss of a -sponge-stick. The battery lost 4 killed and 7 wounded; no prisoners. - - - DUBOIS’ BATTERY. - -This battery so named consisted of four pieces of light artillery, three -six-pounders, and one twelve-pounder, commanded by second Lieutenant -John V. Dubois, of the U. S. Mounted Rifles, a semi-cavalry regiment. -Lieut. Dubois had been detailed from his regiment to command this -battery, newly organized and manned by recruits. - -Entering the fight Dubois selected his own position, some 80 yards to -the left and rear of Totten’s battery, where his men were partially and -his horses entirely protected from the enemy’s fire. He assisted Totten -in clearing the ground of the enemy at the start, and under direction of -Capt. Gordon Granger (afterward a major general), opened on McCulloch’s -men down in Ray’s cornfield, who had just driven back Plummer, and drove -them in disorder, Capt. Granger directing one of the guns. The -Confederates rallied behind a house (J. A. Ray’s), on the right of their -line. Dubois struck this house twice with a twelve-pound shot, when a -hospital flag was displayed and he ceased firing. Using small charges of -powder, Dubois’ guns now shelled the thicket in the ravine, a short -distance in front, and forced some of Price’s Missourians to retire. - -Bledsoe’s battery now opened on Dubois from the crest of the hill -opposite and “Old Hi’s” fire did great execution. “Old Sacramento,” as -Bledsoe’s twelve-pounder was called, got in her work very -disadvantageously to the Federals. The shots passing over Dubois’ gun -fell among the Federal wounded that had been carried to the rear and did -considerable execution. Dubois could not entirely silence Capt. -Bledsoe’s guns, but he made it very uncomfortable for him. One shot from -Dubois’ gun, killed two of Bledsoe’s battery horses, tore off one arm -and all of the hand of the other arm of the man who held them, Judge -James Young, now of Lexington, and killed another man far in the rear. -While engaged with Bledsoe and his Lafayette county battery, Lieut. -Dubois assisted in driving back the cavalry that formed to charge on -Totten. - -During the last charge of Price and McCulloch on Sturgis, two of Dubois’ -guns were limbered up to be sent to Totten, but before a road could be -opened through the brush and through the wounded, orders came for Dubois -to fall back to a hill in the rear and protect a retreat. This he did, -remaining until all the troops had passed when he turned and marched -toward the rear. Shortly after starting back the twelve-pounder broke -down. While it was being repaired Maj. Osterhaus’s two companies -remained with it to protect it, and then followed in its rear until the -main portion of the command on the prairie was reached. Here the battery -joined Steele’s battalion and formed the rear guard the rest of the way -into Springfield, neither firing or receiving a shot on the way and not -being molested in anywise—never seeing an enemy. Being well protected -during the entire engagement, the loss in this battery was very -slight—none killed and only two severely wounded. Several of the men and -Dubois himself received slight wounds. - - - STEELE’S BATTALION. - -The battalion of regulars commanded by Capt. Fred Steele was composed of -two companies of the 2d regular infantry—company B, commanded by Sergt. -Griffin, and company C, commanded by Sergt. McLaughlin, a company of -“general service” recruits under Lieut. M. L. Lothrop, and a company of -mounted rifle recruits commanded by Lance-Sergeant Morine. It will be -seen that Capt. Steele had but one _commissioned_ officer under him. - -During the early part of the action the battalion was in position to -support Dubois’ battery, but had no opportunity of engaging the enemy -except to assist in dispersing a body of cavalry that threatened the -rear. Soon after the fall of Gen. Lyon, Capt. Gilbert’s company joined -the battalion and Maj. Sturgis ordered Capt. Steele to form in line of -battle and advance against the enemy’s front. Heavy firing on both sides -followed, without any apparent permanent advantage to either, until the -suspension of hostilities mentioned before. During this suspension -Lieut. Lothrop took his company forward as skirmishers, but they were -driven back in very short order and without much ceremony. - -A Confederate field piece (probably one of Guibor’s), was run up under -the hill and threw grape and occasionally a shell over Steele’s -battalion, but with no serious effect, as the shots passed too high. Two -other pieces were added and worked vigorously but not carefully, and -with no other effect than to cause Steele’s men to lie close to the -ground. - -In the last grand charge on Totten’s battery and the main Federal -position, Steele’s battalion did good work, the men firing away nearly -all their cartridges. Just before the retreat began Capt. Gordon, with -his hastily collected detachment from different regiments, and Capt. -Steele repulsed another attack, and enabled Totten’s battery and other -commands to retire in good order. On the retreat to Springfield after -reaching the prairie Capt. Steele commanded the rear guard, and states -that he was not molested at all, “never seeing an enemy.” The loss of -Steele’s battalion was 15 killed, 44 wounded, and two prisoners. Sergt. -Morine, commanding the rifle recruits, was killed on the field. - - - PLUMMER’S BATTALION. - -This battalion performed brave service at the battle of Wilson’s Creek. -It belonged to the 1st U. S. Regular Infantry, and most of the men had -been some time in the service. Frequent reference has already been made -to the part it performed in this battle. Gilbert’s company had the -advance upon reaching the battlefield and was the first thrown forward -on the skirmish line. The principal portion of the battalion, commanded -by Capt. J. N. Plummer himself, made the fight in Ray’s cornfield -against the 3d Louisiana and 2d Arkansas Mounted Rifles, and afterward -engaged in the terrible conflict on and along Bloody Hill. - -The battalion was remarked as much for its coolness as for its bravery. -Upon the retreat of the Federals to Springfield it entered the town in -perfect order, the flag flying, the drums beating, and the men keeping -perfect step as if they were on parade or drill, and as collected and -unexcited as if nothing of consequence had taken place that day. - -The battalion was composed of Cos. B, C and D, of the 1st Regulars, -commanded by, respectively, Capts. Gilbert, Plummer, and Huston, and -Lieut. Wood’s squad of Rifle Recruits. Capts. Plummer and Gilbert were -severely wounded, and Capt. D. Huston then took command. Out of 230 men -engaged, the battalion lost 19 killed, 52 wounded and 9 missing—a total -of 80, or a little more than one-third of the entire number in the -fight. - - - THE HOME GUARDS. - -Two companies of mounted Union home guards—one called the Dade county -squadron, commanded by Capt. Clark W. Wright, and the other under Capt. -T. A. Switzler—were present at the battle, but took no very important -part. They made some charges on scattered squads of secessionists, -driving them under cover and out of all danger to the Federal line, but -for the greater portion of the time they were stationed to the right and -rear of Lyon’s position as a post of observation and to prevent the line -from being flanked by the enemy’s cavalry. In one of the charges Capts. -Wright and Switzler ascended a hill in plain view of Gen. Rains’ camp, -and counted a number of tents. - - - DISPOSITION OF THE BODY OF GEN. LYON. - - Ah, Sir Launcelot. Thou there liest that never wert matched of earthly - hands. Thou wert the fairest person and the goodliest of any that rode - in the press of knights. Thou wert the truest to thy sworn brother of - any that buckled on the spur; * * * and thou wert the sternest knight - to thy mortal foe that ever laid spear in rest. - -For the purpose of ascertaining the truth concerning the death and -burial of the body of Gen. Lyon, the writer hereof caused certain -newspaper publications to be made in the St. Louis _Republican_ and -other journals, making inquiries pertinent to the case. Many and varied -were the replies, some of which, perhaps, ought to be given, as -illustrating the different lights in which men see the same object, and -the morbid desire for notoriety on the part of others, which leads them -to lie like book-agents, in order that their names may be published in -connection with some notable event. No less than ten newspaper articles -were published and thirty-two written communications were received by -the compiler relating to the death and burial of Gen. Lyon. The result -was forty-two different versions thereof. - -The work of ascertaining the truth was thereby complicated instead of -being facilitated. A dozen or more claimants for the distinction of -having first discovered the body on the battlefield appeared. Half a -score bore the corpse to Gen. Price’s tent. Twenty saw the body, noted -its appearance carefully, etc. Knowing from incontrovertible proof how -the general was dressed when he was killed, the writer inserted a test -question asking that his garb be described. Two ex-officers, one Union, -the other Confederate, answered that he was “in full general’s uniform.” -A minister of the gospel, who was also the “_first_ to discover the -body,” promptly replied that he was “dressed in a complete suit of black -broadcloth, white shirt, gold studs, fine boots and kid gloves!” The -majority of the answers, however, were to the same effect, that he was -dressed in his old fatigue uniform of his former rank—that of captain in -the regular army—without epaulettes or shoulder-straps. After much -labored investigation the writer has ascertained the following facts, -which he can easily substantiate:— - -Gen. Lyon was killed while placing the 2d Kansas Infantry in position, -by a rifle or navy revolver ball through the region of the heart. He was -borne to the rear by Lieut. Schreyer, of Capt. Tholen’s company, 2d -Kansas, two other members of the same regiment, and Ed. Lehman, of Co. -B, 1st U. S. Cavalry, the latter the soldier who caught the general’s -body as it fell from the horse. As the body was borne to the rear, -Lieut. Wm. Wherry, one of the general’s aides, had the face covered, and -ordered Lehman, who was crying like a child, to “stop his noise,” and -tried in other ways to suppress the news that the general had been -killed. The body was placed in the shade of a small black-jack, the face -covered with half of a soldier’s blanket, the limbs composed, and in a -few minutes there were present Surgeon F. M. Cornyn, Maj. Sturgis, Maj. -Schofield, Gen. Sweeney, and Gordon Granger, and perhaps other officers. -Cornyn examined the body, and from the side of the face wiped the blood -made by the wound in the head. He also opened the vest and split the -general’s shirts, which were soaked with blood, and examined the wound, -which was found to be in the heart, the aorta having been pierced. The -minister’s story, which he has the effrontery to give a newspaper -publication, relates that two or three hours afterward the body was -neatly dressed, with its smooth _white_ shirt and studs, kid gloves, -etc.! Those best acquainted with the personal habits of Gen. Lyon say he -never wore a pair of _kid_ gloves during his term of service. - -Maj. Sturgis ordered the body to be carried back to a place selected as -a sort of field hospital and there to be placed in an ambulance and -taken to Springfield. While the body was here lying a few Federal -officers examined it and one of them reports that the face had again -become bloody, from the wound in the head, and that the shirt front was -gory from the death wound. About twenty minutes after the body had been -brought back, Lieut. David Murphy, of the 1st Missouri, who was already -badly wounded in the leg, and Lehman placed the body in an army wagon, -being used as an ambulance, and belonging to Co. B, 1st U. S. Cavalry. -This wagon was about to start to Springfield, and contained already some -wounded men. A few minutes later a sergeant of the regular army came up -and ordered the body taken out, saying, “There will be an ambulance here -in a minute for it.” The corpse was then carried beneath the shade tree -where it had before reposed. - -The Federal army now retreated, and the ambulance ordered never came up. -Before the Confederates came on to the ground where the body lay, which -location was 200 yards northeast of “Bloody Hill,” half a dozen slightly -wounded Federal soldiers had gathered about the dead hero, and an hour -after the Federal retreat a party of Arkansas skirmishers came upon them -and discovering the occasion of the crowd instantly spread the news that -Gen. Lyon had been killed. Immediately there was a great tumult and the -report was borne to Price and McCulloch by half a dozen. Many were -incredulous and did not believe that a body so plainly dressed—in an -old, faded captain’s uniform, with but three U. S. buttons on the coat -and a blue (or red) cord down the legs of the trousers to indicate that -he was in the military service—was that of Gen. Lyon. - -The body was then placed in a small covered wagon, used as an ambulance, -to be conveyed to Gen. McCulloch’s headquarters (not Gen. Price’s) when -an order arrived that it should be taken to Price’s and delivered to Dr. -S. H. Melcher, of the 5th Missouri, who, as before stated, had come upon -the field in company with Dr. Smith, Gen. Rains’ division surgeon. Dr. -Melcher had been informed by Col. Emmett McDonald that Lyon had been -killed, and at once asked for his body. When the little covered wagon -containing the corpse had driven up and Gen. Price and Gen. Rains and -other officers had viewed the body, it was turned over to Dr. Melcher. A -number of Southern soldiers standing by drew knives and made attempts to -cut off some buttons or pieces of the uniform as relics, and one or two -expressed a wish to “cut his d——d heart out;” but Gen. Rains drew his -sword (or revolver) and swore he would kill the first man that touched -the corpse, and Emmett McDonald denounced the ruffianly would-be -violators in the harshest terms—and McDonald could be harsh when he -wanted to be! - -Beside the body of Gen. Lyon was a wounded man, who was now taken out, -and then Gen. Rains himself and some of his cavalry escorted the wagon -to the house of Mr. Ray, on or near the battlefield. It is proper now to -give the testimony of Dr. Melcher himself, as given to the writer and -furnished the press for publication. Speaking of the courtesy of Gen. -Rains in escorting the body to Ray’s house, Dr. Melcher goes on to say: - - Arriving there the body was carried into the house and placed on a - bed; then I carefully washed his face and hands, which were much - discolored by dust and blood, and examined for wounds. There was a - wound on the right side of the head, another in the right leg below - the knee, and another, which caused his death, was by a small rifle - ball, which entered about the fourth rib on the left side, passing - entirely through the body, making its exit from the right side, - evidently passing through both lungs and heart. From the character of - this wound it is my opinion that Gen. Lyon was holding the bridle rein - in his left hand, and had turned in the saddle to give a command, or - words of encouragement, thus exposing his left side to the fire of the - enemy. - - At this time he had on a dark blue, single breasted captain’s coat, - with the buttons used by the regular army of the United States. It was - the same uniform coat I had frequently seen him wear in the arsenal at - St. Louis, and was considerably worn and faded. He had no - shoulder-straps; his pants were dark blue; the wide-brim felt hat he - had worn during the campaign was not with him. After arranging the - body as well as circumstances permitted, it was carried to the wagon - and covered with a spread or sheet furnished me by Mrs. Ray. - - When I was ready to start Gen. Rains said: “I will not order any to go - with you, but volunteers may go;” and _five Confederate soldiers_ - offered their service of escort. One drove the team; the others, being - mounted, rode with me in rear of wagon. The only name I can give is - that of Orderly Sergt. Brackett of a company in Churchill’s Arkansas - regiment. Another of the escort was a German who in 1863 was clerking - in Springfield, and during the defence of Springfield against the - attack of Marmaduke, January 8, 1863, did service in the citizens’ - company of 42 men which was attached to my “Quinine Brigade” from the - hospitals. - - The following is a copy of a paper written at Mr. Ray’s house. The - original I now have:—[14] - - Gen. James S. Rains, commanding Missouri State Guards, having learned - that Gen. Lyon, commanding United States forces during action near - Springfield, Mo., Aug. 10, 1861, had fallen, kindly afforded military - escort and transportation subject to my order. I have also his - assurance that all the wounded shall be well taken care of and may be - removed under the hospital flag, and that the dead shall be buried as - rapidly as possible. - - [Signed] - S. H. Melcher, - Asst. Surg. 5th Reg. Mo. Vols. - - Wilson Creek, Aug. 10, 1861. - - _The above fully approved and indorsed._ - - [Signed] - James S. Rains, - Brig.-Gen. 8th M. D., M. S. G. - - About half way to Springfield I saw a party under flag of truce going - toward the battlefield. Arriving at Springfield, the first officer I - reported to was the ever faithful Col. Nelson Cole, then captain of - company E, 1st Missouri Volunteer Infantry, who, with what remained of - his gallant company, was guarding the outposts. I passed on to the - camps of Gen. James Totten and T. W. Sweeney. Here Gen. Totten - relieved my escort and sent them back to their command, a new driver - was furnished, and I delivered the body of Gen. Lyon to Maj. J. M. - Schofield, 1st Missouri Volunteer Infantry—now Maj.-Gen. Schofield, U. - S. A.—at the house that had been used previous to the battle by Gen. - Lyon for his headquarters. - -It is proper to state that Dr. Melcher’s testimony is corroborated in -part by two survivors of the 1st Arkansas, and by Mrs. Livonia Green, -now of Lane county, Oregon, and also by Mrs. Jerome Yarbrough, of this -county, both of the latter being daughters of the Mr. and Mrs. Ray -mentioned. (Mr. and Mrs. Ray are now dead.) - -After Sturgis’ army had gotten well on the road to Springfield, it was -discovered that Gen. Lyon’s body had been left behind. Sturgis -immediately started back a flag of truce party under Lieut. Canfield, of -the regular army, with orders to go to Gens. Price and McCulloch, and, -if possible, procure the remains and bring them on to Springfield. -Lieut. Canfield and party went to the battle field, saw Gen. McCulloch, -obtained his order for the body (the general remarking that he wished he -had a thousand other dead Yankee bodies to send off) and there -ascertained that the body had already started for the Federal lines. - -When the corpse was deposited in the former headquarters of the general, -on the north side of College street, west of Main, in Springfield, word -was sent to Sturgis. He and Schofield and other officers held a -consultation, and decided that the body should be taken with the army to -Rolla, if possible. There not being a metallic coffin in the place, it -was determined to embalm it, or preserve it by some artificial process. -Accordingly, the chief surgeon, Dr. E. C. Franklin, was sent for. -Responding to the inquiries of the writer, Dr. Franklin says:— - - About ten o’clock p. m., on the night when it arrived at head - quarters, I was summoned there and then first saw the body of Gen. - Lyon lying upon a table, covered with a white spread, in a room - adjoining the one where two or three of the Union officers were - seated. Gens. Schofield, Sturgis, and others consulted me as to the - possibility of injecting the body with such materials that would - prevent decay during its transit to St. Louis. I prepared the fluid - for injection into the body, but discovered that instead of being - retained within the vessels it passed out into the cavity of the - chest. This led me to suspect a laceration either of one of the large - arteries near the heart, or, possibly, a wound of the heart itself. - This hypothesis, coupled with the fact that there was an external - wound in the region of the heart, confirmed my opinion of the utter - uselessness of attempting the preservation of the body during its - passage to St. Louis. These facts I reported to the commanding - officer, who then gave me verbal orders to attend to the disposal of - the body in the best possible manner. At this time preparations were - being made and the orders given for the troops to retreat and fall - back upon Rolla, some fifty or more miles nearer St. Louis. Returning - to the general hospital, of which I was in charge, I detailed a squad - of nurses to watch by the body of Gen. Lyon till morning, which order - was faithfully carried out. I then disposed of my time for the best - interests of the wounded and sick under my charge. - -Dr. Franklin was furnished with money and directed to have the general’s -remains well cared for, and he ordered an undertaker, Mr. Presley Beal, -to make a good, substantial coffin at once. Early the following morning, -in some way, word was sent to Mrs. Mary Phelps, wife of Hon. John S. -Phelps, that the body of the great Union leader was lying stiff, and -bloody, and neglected in the temporary charnel house on College street. -Soon she and the wife of Mr. Beal were by his side, and watching him. -Not long thereafter came the wife of Col. Marcus Boyd and her two -daughters (one of whom, now Mrs. Lula Kennedy, still resides in -Springfield), and kept them company. And so it was that women, “last at -the cross and first at the tomb,” were those who kept vigil over the -corse of the dead warrior, who, although he died the earliest, was one -of the greatest Union generals the war produced. - -The body had now lain about twenty-four hours in very hot weather. It -was changing fast, and its condition made it necessary that it should be -buried as soon as possible. Mrs. Phelps left Mrs. Boyd and her daughters -and went to see about the coffin. Dr. Franklin came in and sprinkled the -corpse with bay rum and alcohol. Mr. Beal brought the coffin, and soon a -wagon—a butcher’s wagon—was on its way to Col. Phelps’ farm with all -that was mortal of the dead hero, and with no escort save the driver, -Mrs. Phelps, Mr. Beal and one or two soldiers. - -Col. Emmett McDonald, than whom the war produced no more knightly a -soldier, had been made a prisoner by Gen. Lyon, at the capture of Camp -Jackson. When Lyon was killed, Col. McDonald not only assisted Dr. -Melcher in recovering the body, but Dr. Franklin says of him:— - - Here let me do justice to Col. Emmett McDonald, who called upon me at - the general hospital and after some conversation in regard to the - circumstances attending the death of Gen. Lyon, tendered to me an - escort of Confederate troops as a “guard of honor” to accompany Gen. - Lyon’s remains to the place of burial, which I refused from a too - sensitive regard for the painful occasion, and an ignorance of - military regulations touching the subject. - -Mrs. Phelps was practically alone at the time. Her husband was in his -seat in the Federal Congress, her son, John E. Phelps, had followed off -the Federal army, and even her faithful servant, George, had accompanied -his young master. But Mrs. Phelps was a lady not easily daunted, or one -that would shrink from what she considered a duty, no matter how -unpleasant it might be. The body was taken to Mrs. Phelps’ residence, -and not buried at once, it being the understanding that it would be sent -for soon. Mr. James Vaughan, who owned a tin-shop in Springfield, was -ordered to make a zinc case for the coffin, to assist in the -preservation of its contents. - -The coffin was temporarily deposited in an out-door cellar or cave, -which in summer had been used as an ice-house, and in the winter as an -“apple-hole,” and was well covered with straw. It was here placed about -two o’clock on the 11th. A day or two later, the slave, George, -returned. While the body of Gen. Lyon lay in Mrs. Phelps’ cellar, the -place was visited by some citizens and many Southern soldiers. It is -much to be regretted that some brutes there were among the soldiers that -treated the remains of the dead man with all disrespect, cursing them -and him openly and in the vilest terms. One young officer is reported to -have said to Mrs. Phelps: “There is quite a contrast betwixt the resting -place of old Lyon’s body and his soul, isn’t there, Madame? The one is -in an ice-house; the other in hell!” he added with a heartless chuckle. - -At last some drunken ruffians, by threatening to open the coffin and -“cut the d—d heart” of the body for a relic, so frightened Mrs. Phelps, -causing her to fear that the remains would be mutilated in some horrible -manner, that she asked Gen. Price to send a detail and bury the body. -This was done by volunteers from Guibor’s and Kelly’s infantry, of Gen. -Parsons’ division, at that time encamped on Col. Phelps’ farm. It is -believed the body was not _buried_ until the 14th. The slave, George, -dug the grave, which was in Mrs. Phelps’ garden. Some of the soldiers -stamped on the grave in great delight. An Irishman told Capt. Guibor, -“Be jabers, we shtomped him good.” - -On the 22d of August there came to Springfield a party in a four-mule -ambulance, bearing with them a 300-pound metallic coffin. This party was -composed of Danford Knowlton, of New York City, a cousin of Gen. Lyon; -John B. Hasler, of Webster, Mass., the general’s brother-in-law, and Mr. -Geo. N. Lynch, the well-known undertaker, still of St. Louis. From Rolla -in, the party was accompanied by the gallant Emmett McDonald, who had -been up to arrange for an exchange of prisoners, and from whom, Mr. -Hasler says, they received many attentions and favors. - -Arriving at Springfield, Mr. Hasler says, they visited Gen. Price and -handed him a letter from Gen. Fremont explaining their mission, which -was to bear the body of Gen. Lyon. As the letter was directed “To whom -it may concern,” Gen. Price, after glancing at the address, threw it -contemptuously aside, saying he could read no document thus directed. At -the same time he offered to grant them every facility for procuring the -body of their dead relative. - -Repairing to Phelps’ farm the party disinterred the body and placed it -in the metallic coffin, after removing the zinc case made by Mr. Vaughn. -Gen. Parsons, whose division was encamped on the farm, came up, -introduced himself, and Mr. Hasler says, “showed us numerous civilities. -Among other attentions, he tendered a guard for the body and team over -night, which was accepted.” - -The next day the party left Springfield and were in Rolla on the 25th -and in St. Louis the 26th. Here a military escort joined. From thence -the party proceeded to Eastford, Connecticut, the birthplace of the -general, which place was reached September 4th, there being great -receptions and honors paid the body in the cities and towns _en route_. -September 5th the body was buried in the family burying ground at -Eastford. “Upon the coffin, as it lay in the Congregational church when -the funeral ceremonies were being rendered,” says Mr. Woodward, who was -present, “were placed the hat, a light felt, which the general had waved -aloft when rallying his ranks at Wilson’s Creek, and also the sword, -scarred and weather-beaten from sharing in the long hard service of its -owner.” The hat was brought from the battlefield by the wounded men in -the wagon in which the general’s body was first placed, and was given to -Mr. Hasler by the driver, who had preserved it. Both hat and sword were -given to, and since have been in the possession of the Connecticut -Historical Society. - -Gen. Lyon was born in Eastford, Connecticut, July 14, 1818. He entered -West point in 1837; graduated in 1841, standing eleventh in a class of -fifty. He served in Florida in 1841-2; was in the Mexican war under -Taylor and Scott; in California and on the frontier from 1850 to 1861. -He was never married. The statement that he bequeathed his private -fortune to the Federal government is erroneous. - - - - - FOOTNOTES - - -[1]The fight at Dug Springs was called by some of the Confederate - officers, derisively, “Rains’ Scare.” - -[2]The following is a literal copy of the memorandum given to Col. - Phelps by Gen. Lyon, when the former left Springfield. Lyon - instructed Phelps to give this to Fremont: “_Memorandum for Col. - Phelps_.—See General Fremont about troops and stores for this place. - Our men have not been paid and are rather dispirited; they are badly - off for clothing and the want of shoes unfits them for marching. - Some staff officers are badly needed, and the interests of the - government suffer for the want of them. The time of the three months - volunteers is nearly out, and on their returning home my command - will be reduced too low for effective operations. Troops must at - once be forwarded to supply their place. The safety of the State is - hazarded. Orders from Gen. Scott strip the entire West of regular - forces and increase the chances of sacrificing it. The public press - is full of reports that troops from other States are moving toward - the northern border of Arkansas for the purpose of invading - Missouri. - _Springfield, July 27._” - -[3]From statements of two prominent Union men of Greene county who were - present. - -[4]Afterward Major General in command of the Federal troops in Arkansas. - -[5]Gen. Sweeney said: “Let us eat the last bit of mule flesh and fire - the last cartridge before we think of retreating.” - -[6]There are grounds for stating that Lyon knew of the intended attack - upon him within four hours after it had been agreed upon, receiving - his information through one of his spies, actually a commissioned - officer in the Missouri State Guard! - -[7]It must be borne in mind that the Confederate line extended in a - general direction from the north to the south along Wilson’s Creek; - that Lyon attacked the northern end from the west and northwest, - while Sigel was stationed at the southern end, over a mile away. - -[8]Afterward Major General and in command of this department. - -[9]Which was done near Mr. Robinson’s. - -[10]It was not Totten’s battery, but Reid’s Confederate battery, from - Ft. Smith, Ark. It was well supplied with grape from the Little Rock - arsenal.—Compiler. - -[11]Since Governor of Arkansas. - -[12]At the breaking out of the civil war, the color of the infantry - uniform of the U. S. army was gray. Upon its adoption by the - Confederates this color was changed, and blue substituted. - -[13]Gen. A. E. Steen’s division seems to have been attached to - McCulloch’s army. It was insignificant in numbers. - -[14]The writer has seen and carefully examined the original of this - paper. It is written in pencil, but is quite legible. The - handwriting of Gen. Rains was identified beyond question. The paper - was kindly furnished by Dr. Melcher for the purposes of this - history. - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - -—Silently corrected a few typos. - -—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook - is public-domain in the country of publication. - -—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by - _underscores_. - -—Created a Table of Contents based on the chapter headings. - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF WILSON'S -CREEK *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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