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About the middle of July, 1861, the Army of the
Union in
south-west Missouri, under
General Nathaniel Lyon, was encamped in and near the town of
Springfield, and numbered approximately 6200 men, of whom about 500 were ill-armed and undisciplined “Home Guards.”
The organized troops were in all 5868, in four brigades.
By the 9th.
of August these were reduced to an aggregate of about 5300 men, with the 500 Home Guards additional.
Of these troops, the 1st Iowa regiment was entitled to discharge on the 14th of August, and the 3d and 5th Missouri,
Sigel's and
Salomon's, at different periods, by companies, from the 9th to the 18th of August.
All except the regulars had been enrolled since the attack on
Sumter in April, and but little time had been possible for drill and instruction.
They had been moved and marched from
St. Louis and points in
Kansas, taking part in
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Cavalryman of the United States regulars.
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several spirited but minor engagements, and were ill-provided with clothing and food, but their spirits were undaunted, and they were devoted to their leader.
The latter part of July was spent by
Lyon in drilling his troops and procuring supplies, the mills in the neighborhood having been seized and employed in grinding flour for the troops.
He continued to send urgent appeals to
St. Louis for reinforcements.
On the 1st of August, however, having received information of an advance by the enemy, in superior numbers,
Lyon moved down the
Fayetteville road (also known as the
Cassville road) to meet and attack the largest and most advanced force, hoping to drive it back and then strike the others in detail.
A lively skirmish with
Price's advance-guard, under
Rains, took place at
Dug Springs on the 2d of August; and on the 3d a more insignificant affair occurred with the rear-guard of
Rains's forces at McCulloch's farm, which had been his headquarters, but from which he retired without resistance.
Here
Lyon became convinced he was being drawn farther and farther from his base, without supplies, and he determined to fall back to
Springfield, which place he reached on the 5th.
During those blistering August days the men marched with bleeding feet and parched lips,
Lyon himself urging forward the weary and footsore stragglers.
On the 8th a march in force was planned for the following night, to make an attack on the enemy's front at
Wilson's Creek at daylight.
From this intention
General Lyon was dissuaded, after having called together the principal officers to receive their instructions.
Many of the troops were exhausted, and all were tired; moreover, some supplies having arrived from
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Note to the map.
The engagement began at 5:30 A. M., Lyon's advance driving Rains over Bloody Hill.
Price's line as formed to confront the main attack by Lyon about 6:30 was, from left to right, as follows: McBride, Parsons (with Guibor'sbattery), Clark, Slack, and Rains.
This force numbered 3168 men with 4 guns, and was opposed by nearly 2000 men with 10 guns.
The right of the first Union line was held by the 1st Missouri; on its left were Totten's battery.
Osterhaus's battalion, the 1st Kansas, DuBois's battery, and Steele's battalion.
Later, the 1st Kansas was relieved by the 1st Iowa (800), and the 1st Missouri by the 2d Kansas (600), and by Steele.
This brought the Union strength at this point up to 3550.
Meanwhile, Hibert's 3d Louisiana and McIntosh's regiment and McRae's battalion, together numbering 1320, moved down from their encampment (marked McCulloch's brigade ), crossed the road, and repulsed Plummer's 300 in the corn-field, but were driven back by DuBois's battery.
By this hour (8 o'clock) Sigel had attacked on the rear and had driven Churchill's infantry and Greer's and Major's cavalry out of their camps.
McCulloch now gathered up part of the 3d Louisiana and routed Sigel's troops, who were at Sharp's farm.
He was aided in this by the fire of Reid's and Bledsoe's batteries.
Woodruff's battery had from the start chiefly engaged Totten; and now Churchill, and next Greer's and Carroll's cavalry, and afterward Gratiot's regiment (of Pearce's brigade) were conducted to the aid of Price, raising his force to 4239, exclusive of Greer and Carroll, who had been quickly repulsed by Totten; Lyon's being as above, 3550, exclusive of 220 of Plummer's and 350 of the Mounted Reserve. General Lyon was killed at 10:30. just as Pearce's fresh regiments (under Walker and Dockery) and the 3d Louisiana were coming up. At 11:30 Major Sturgis withdrew the Union army, which was then outnumbered two to one.
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Rolla, it was deemed wise to clothe and shoe the men as far as practicable, and to give them another day for recuperation.
On the 9th it was intended to march that evening with the whole force united, as agreed upon the 8th, and attack the enemy's left at daylight, and
Lyon's staff were busied in visiting the troops and seeing that all things were in order.
During the morning
Colonel Sigel visited
Lyon's headquarters, and had a prolonged conference, the result of which was that
Colonel Sigel was ordered to detach his brigade, the 3d and 5th Missouri, one six-gun battery, one company of the 1st U. S. Cavalry, under
Captain Eugene A. Carr, and one company of the 2d Dragoons, under
Lieutenant Charles E. Farrand, for an attack upon the enemy from the south, while
Lyon with the remainder of his available force should attack on the north.
The troops were put in march in the evening; those about
Springfield immediately under
General Lyon moving out to the west on the
Little York road until joined by
Sturgis's command from their camps, when they turned to the south across the prairie.
The head of the main column reached the point where the enemy's pickets were expected to be found, about 1 A. M., and went into bivouac.
Sigel's force, consisting of 1,200 men and six pieces of artillery, moved four miles down the
Fayetteville road, and then, making a long detour to the left by a by-road, arrived within a mile of the enemy's camp and rear at daylight.
In the vicinity of the
Fayetteville road crossing, the creek acquires considerable depth, and in most places has rough, steep, and rather high banks, rendering fording difficult.
On the left side the hills assume the proportion of bluffs; on the right or western bank the ground is a succession of broken ridges, at that time covered for the most part with trees and a stunted growth of scrub oaks with dense foliage, which in places became an almost impenetrable tangle.
Rough ravines and deep gullies cut up the surface.
The Confederates were under command of
General Ben. McCulloch.
On the west side of the stream, “Old Pap”
Price, with his sturdy Missourians, men who in many later battles bore themselves with a valor and determination that won the plaudits of their comrades and the admiration of their foes, was holding the point south of
Wilson's Creek, selected by
Lyon for attack.
Price's command consisted of five bodies of Missourians, under
Slack,
Clark,
Parsons,
McBride, and
Rains, the last-named being encamped farther up the stream.
On the bluffs on the east side of the creek were
Hebert's 3d Louisiana and
McIntosh's Arkansas regiment, and, farther south,
Pearce's brigade and two batteries, while other troops, under
Greer,
Churchill, and
Major, were in the valley along the
Fayetteville road, holding the extreme of the
Confederate position.
Lyon put his troops in motion at early dawn on the 10th, and about 4 o'clock struck
Rains's most advanced picket, which escaped and gave warning of the attack, of which
General Price was informed just as he was about to breakfast.
Captain Plummer's battalion of regular infantry was the advance, followed by
Osterhaus's two companies of the 2d Missouri Volunteers, and
Totten's battery.
A body of 200 mounted Home Guards was on
Plummer's left.
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Having reached the enemy's pickets, the infantry was deployed as skirmishers,
Plummer to the left and
Osterhaus to the right, and
Lieutenant-Colonel Andrews, with the 1st Missouri Infantry, was brought up in support of the battery.
Advancing a mile and a half and crossing a brook tributary to the creek, the
Union skirmishers met and pushed the
Confederate skirmishers up the slope.
This disclosed a considerable force of the enemy, along a ridge perpendicular to the line of march and to the valley of the creek, which was attacked by the 1st Missouri and the 1st Kansas, assisted by
Totten's battery, who drove back the
Confederates on the right to the foot of the slope beyond.
Plummer on the left early became separated from the main body by a deep ravine terminating in a swampy piece of ground beyond which lay a cornfield which he entered, encountering a large force, the main part of which was the
Louisiana regiment.
These troops fought with determined valor and checked
Plummer's progress.
DuBois's battery was moved up to a hill on the left, supported by
Osterhaus's battalion, the 1st Iowa, and the 2d Kansas, and opened a deadly fire with shells upon the corn-field, with such marked effect as to throw the
Confederates into disorder and enable
Plummer to draw off his command in good order across the ravine.
A momentary lull occurred at this time, except on our extreme right, where
Price's Missourians opposed the 1st Missouri and attempted to turn that flank, but the 2d Kansas by its timely arrival and gallant attack bore back
Price's overwhelming numbers and saved the flank.
Meanwhile
Totten's battery, which had been brought into action by section and by piece as the conformation of the ground would admit, performed extraordinary service.
Steele's regular infantry was added to its support.
Price's troops had fought with great bravery and determination, advancing and retiring two or three times before they were compelled to give way on the lower slope of the ridge they had occupied.
Many times the firing was one continuous roar.
The lull enabled the enemy to re-adjust his lines and bring up fresh troops, having accomplished which,
Price made a determined advance along nearly the whole of
Lyon's front.
He charged fiercely in lines of three or four ranks, to within thirty or forty yards, pouring in a galling fire and directing his most determined efforts against
Totten's battery, for which
Woodruff's, which was pitted against it, was no match at all.
1
Every available man of
Lyon's was now brought into action and the battle raged with redoubled energy on both sides.
For more than an hour the balance was about even, one side gaining ground only to give way in its turn to the advance of the other, till at last the
Confederates seemed to yield, and a suspension of the fury took place.
General Lyon had bivouacked near the head of his column on the night of the 9th, sharing a rubber-coat with
Major (now
Major-General)
John M. Schofield, his chief of staff, between two rows of corn in a field by the roadside, his other staff-officers near by. He did not seem hopeful, but was
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oppressed with the responsibility of his situation, with anxiety for the cause, and with sympathy for the
Union people in that section, when he should retreat and leave to their fate those who could not forsake their homes.
He repeatedly expressed himself as having been abandoned by his superiors.
When the troops were put in motion, he went at the head of the column, and when the action opened he kept his place at the front, entering the heat of the engagement with the line, near
Totten's battery.
He maintained an imperturbable coolness, and his eye shone with the ardor of conflict.
He directed, encouraged, and rallied his troops in person, sending his staff in all directions, and was frequently without an attendant except one or two faithful orderlies.
Early
in the attack while on the line to the left of
Totten's battery, rallying a part of the 1st Missouri Infantry, his horse, which he was leading, was killed and he received a slight wound in the leg. Shortly afterward he was wounded in the head.
He continued dismounted during the contest above described, and walking a few paces toward the rear with his chief of staff,
Major Schofield, who had also lost his horse, shot under him,
Lyon said, “I fear the day is lost.”
Schofield encouraged him to take a more hopeful view of the case, assuring him that the troops were easily rallied and were gaining confidence, and that the disorder was only temporary, and then proceeded to another part of the line in search of a mount.
About 9 o'clock, during a brief cessation in the firing,
Lyon started toward the top of the ridge, accompanied by an aide, who was urging him to accept his horse, when they met
Major Sturgis and a few troopers.
One of these was dismounted, and his horse was given to
General Lyon.
Lyon also expressed himself despondingly to
Sturgis, and was by him encouraged.
Sturgis proceeded to another quarter, and
Lyon toward
DuBois's battery.
About this time great anxiety began to be felt for the fate of
Sigel's command.
Shortly after
Lyon's attack the sound of battle had been heard in the rear of the enemy's line.
It continued but a short time, and was renewed shortly afterward for a very brief period only, when it ceased altogether.
Sigel had proceeded to within a mile of the camps, and his cavalry had cut off the enemy's small parties and thus suppressed information of his coming.
He then
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advanced his infantry toward the point where the by-road crosses the creek, his flanks supported by the cavalry on the right and dragoons on the left, four guns being placed on a hill overlooking the tents.
At about 5:30 A. M., hearing the musketry on
Lyon's front, he opened fire with his guns, pushing his infantry across the creek and into the lower camp, whence they had fled, overwhelmed by the suddenness of the attack.
Sigel crossed his guns and pushed with infantry and artillery forward a short distance in pursuit, meeting with slight resistance.
He advanced from his first position near the creek, by a road west of the deserted camp, and formed line of battle in a field between the road and the camp.
Afterward he advanced to Sharp's house.
The
Arkansans and
Texans retired to the northward, fell in with Price's Missouri line, and assisted in the fight against
Lyon.
Meanwhile
McCulloch called upon a battalion of mounted Missourians, and upon a part of the
Louisiana regiment which had been confronting
Plummer in the corn-field, and with these attacked
Sigel's men, who were in line at
Sharp's farm, and drove them from the field.
When the attack by the
Confederates, from the direction of
Lyon's front, was made, the confusion of
Sigel's men was brought about by the enfilading fire of
Reid's battery east of the creek, and by the belief that the infantry in their front were friends.
Sigel went back the way he came with a part of his command, including
Carr's cavalry.
All but the cavalry, who were ahead, were ambuscaded and, for the most part, killed or captured;
Sigel narrowly escaped capture.
Colonel Salomon with 450 of the troops retreated, by a detour to the west, to the
Little York road, as did also
Lieutenant  |
The battle-field of Wilson's Creek as seen from behind Pearce's camp on the east side of the Creek---see map, page 290. from photographs. |
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Farrand, with the dragoons.
The latter, finding himself with his company alone, forcibly detained a guide, and made up teams for one gun and one caisson of the abandoned artillery.
He was finally compelled to unhorse and leave the caisson, in order to put the animals to the gun. Thus by 10 o'clock
Sigel was out of the fight, and the enemy could turn his whole force upon
Lyon.
Meantime a body of troops was observed moving down the hill on the east bank of
Wilson's Creek toward
Lyon's left, and an attack by other troops from that direction was anticipated.
Schofield deployed eight companies of the 1st Iowa and led them in person to repel this.
They did so most gallantly after a sanguinary contest, effectually assisted by the fire from
DuBois's battery, which alone drove back the column on the opposite side of the stream before it began a crossing.
Lyon, accompanied by an aide
2 and his six or eight orderlies, followed closely the right of the
Iowa regiment.
After proceeding a short distance, his attention was called by the aide to a line of men drawn up on the prolongation of the left of our main line and nearly perpendicular to the 1st Iowa as it moved to the eastward.
A party of horsemen came out in front of this line of the enemy and proceeded to reconnoiter.
General Price and
Major Emmett MacDonald (who had sworn that he would not cut his hair till the
Confederacy was acknowledged) were easily recognized.
General Lyon started as if to confront them, ordering his party to “draw pistols and follow” him, when the aide protested against his exposing himself to the fire of the line, which was partly concealed by the mass of dense underbrush, and asked if he should not bring up some other troops.
To this
Lyon assented, and directed the aide to order up the 2d Kansas.
The general advanced a short distance, joining two companies of the 1st Iowa, left to protect an exposed position.
Colonel Mitchell of the 2d Kansas, near
DuBois's battery, sent his lieutenant-colonel,
Blair, to
Lyon to ask to be put in action, and the two messengers passed each other without meeting.
Lyon repeated his order for the regiment to come forward.
The regiment moved promptly by the flank, and as it approached
Lyon he directed the two companies of
Iowa troops to go forward with it, himself leading the column, swinging his hat. A murderous fire was opened from the thick brush, the 2d Kansas deployed rapidly to the front and with the two companies of the 1st Iowa swept over the hill, dislodging the enemy and driving them back into the next ravine; but while he was at the head of the column, and pretty nearly in the first fire, a ball penetrated
Lyon's left breast, inflicting a mortal wound.
He slowly dismounted, and as he fell into the arms of his faithful orderly,
Lehmann, he exclaimed, “
Lehmann, I am killed,” and almost immediately expired.
Colonel Mitchell was also severely wounded about the same time and removed to the rear.
Lieutenant Gustavus Schreyer and two of his men of the 2d Kansas bore the body of
Lyon through the ranks,
Lehmann bearing the hat and loudly bemoaning the death of his chief.
In the line of file-closers the returning aide was met, who, apprehensive of the effect upon the troops, stopped the clamor
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of the orderly, covered the general's features with his coat, and had the body carried to a sheltered spot near
DuBois's battery. Surgeon
Florence M. Cornyn was found and called upon to examine the lifeless body of the dead general, and having pronounced life extinct, the aide went to seek
Schofield and inform him of the calamity.
He was met returning from the successful charge he had led, and at once announced that
Major Sturgis should assume command, but visited the remains of
Lyon on his way to find
Sturgis.
These were taken charge of by the aide, and conveyed to the field-hospital, where the body was placed in a wagon and carefully covered.
Strict orders were given that under no circumstances was the body to be removed till the army returned to
Springfield, after which the aide returned to the front to report to
Major Sturgis for duty.
The engagement on different parts of the line lasted about half an hour after
Lyon's death, when the
Confederates gave way, and silence reigned for nearly the same length of time.
Many of the senior officers having been disabled,
Sturgis assumed command, and the principal officers were summoned for consultation.
This council and the suspended hostilities were soon abruptly terminated by the appearance of the
Confederates along our entire front, where the troops had been readjusted in more compact form and were now more determined and cooler than ever.
A battery planted on a hill in the front began to use shrapnel and canister, a species of ammunition which, so far as I know, the enemy had not fired before at the troops who were with
General Lyon.
DuBois's battery continued on the left supported by
Osterhaus's battalion and the 1st Missouri; the 1st Iowa, 1st Kansas, and the regular infantry supported
Totten's battery in the center, and the 2d Kansas held the extreme right.
With unabated ardor and impetuosity the
Confederates assailed this front and endeavored to gain the rear of the right flank, but
Totten's battery in the center was the main point of assault.
For the first time during this bloody day, the entire line maintained its position without flinching, the inexperienced volunteers vieing with the seasoned regulars in tenacity and coolness.
3 The flash and roar were incessant, and the determined Southrons repeatedly advanced nearly to the muzzles of the pieces of their foes, only to
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be hurled back before the withering fire as from the blast of a furnace and to charge again with a like result.
At a moment when the contest seemed evenly balanced, except for the overwhelming numbers of the
Confederates on the field,
Captain Gordon Granger, noted for his daring and intrepidity, rushed to the rear and brought up the supports of
DuBois's battery, hurling them upon the enemy's right flank, into which they poured a murderous, deadly volley, which created a perfect rout along the whole front.
4 Our troops continued to send a galling fire into the disorganized masses as they fled, until they disappeared, and the battle was ended.
The order to withdraw was then given, and
DuBois's battery with its supports was moved to a hill and ridge in rear to cover the movement.
Before the withdrawal of the main body took place,
Captain Granger and others urged remaining on the ground, but
Sturgis had received information of
Sigel's rout, and in view of his depleted, worn-out forces and exhausted ammunition, persisted in a return to
Springfield.
The infantry and artillery, as soon as
Totten's disabled horses were replaced, left the scene of conflict, and, passing through the troops placed in rear, took up the march for
Springfield.
On reaching the
Little York road, a body of horsemen was seen to the west, which proved to be
Lieutenant Farrand with his dragoons, leading in a remnant of
Sigel's brigade, with the one piece of artillery he had saved.
In his hand he carried a captured flag, which he trailed by his side.
He was received with vociferous cheering, and became for the time the admiration of all, having marched around both armies and brought his command in safe.
5
On reaching
Springfield,
Sturgis found that
Sigel had arrived there half an hour earlier.
Regarding him as the senior, the command was given over to him. On the following morning the army withdrew.
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“Bloody Hill,” from the East.
From a recent photograph. |