Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 2.
Frank Moore, Ed.

Having arrived with my command in Sarcoxie, twenty-two miles from Neosho, on Friday, the 28th ult., at five o'clock P. M., I learned that a body of troops under General Price, numbering from eight to nine hundred, were encamped near Pool's Prairie, which is about six miles south of Neosho. I also learned that Jackson's troops, under the command of Parsons, had encamped fifteen miles north of Lamar, on Thursday the 27th, and that they had received the first intimation of the United States troops in Springfield being on their march to the West. Concerning Rains' troops, it was reported to me that they had passed Papinsville, on Thursday evening the 27th, and were one day's march behind Jackson on the 28th. I at once resolved to march on the body of troops encamped at Pool's Prairie, and then, turning north, to attack Jackson and Rains, and open a line of communication with Gen. Lyon, who, it was reported, had had a fight on the 28th ult. on the banks of Little Osage River, near Ball's Mills, about fifteen miles north of Nevada City.

I will remark, in passing, that I had sent several scouts in the direction of Ball's Mills, but only one of them returned, and he had no reliable news.

Scarcely had our troops left Sarcoxie, on the morning of the 29th, when I received news that the camp in Pool's Prairie had been broken up the same morning, and the troops had fled to Elk Mills, thirty miles south of Neosho, in the direction of Camp Walker, near Maysville, which place is not far distant from the southwestern extremity of the State. It now became my duty to direct my whole attention to the hostile forces north of me. Supposing that they would try to make their way into Arkansas, I ordered a detachment of two companies, with two field-pieces, under command of Captain Grone, to proceed to Cedar Creek and Grand Falls, in order to occupy the road and collect whatever news they could concerning the movements of the enemy.

I furthermore ordered the battalion under Colonel Solomon, just then under march from Mount Vernon to Sarcoxie, to join the force under my command in Neosho, by forced marches.

As soon as this battalion had arrived and our troops were sufficiently prepared for the movement, I sent them from Neosho and Grand Falls to Diamond Grove, (seven miles south of Carthage,) where they arrived about noon, advancing in a northerly direction. I ordered one company, under Captain Hackmann, to make a forward movement from Mount Vernon to Sarcoxie. I also ordered Captain Conrad, of Company B, (Rifle Battalion, Third Regiment,) to remain in Neosho, in order to afford protection to Union-loving citizens against the secession hordes, and if necessary, to retreat to Sarcoxie. Company H, Captain Indest, was one of the two companies which I had sent to Grand Falls. It had not returned when the battle commenced.

On the evening of the 4th of July, our troops, after a march of twenty miles, encamped southeast of Carthage, close by Spring River. I was by this time pretty certain that Jackson, with four thousand men, was about nine miles distant from us, as his scouts were seen in large numbers coming over the great plateau as far as the country north of Carthage, and conducted their explorations almost under our very eyes.

The troops under my command who participated in the engagement on the 5th of July, were as follows: Nine companies of the Third Regiment--in all, five hundred and fifty men; seven companies of the Fifth Regiment, numbering four hundred men; two batteries of artillery, each consisting of four field-pieces.

With these troops, I slowly advanced upon the enemy. Our skirmishers chased before them numerous bands of mounted riflemen, whose object it was to observe our march. Our baggage train followed us, about three miles in the rear.

After having passed Dry Fork Creek, six miles beyond Carthage, and advanced another three miles, we found the enemy drawn up in battle array, on an elevation which rises by gradual ascents from the creek, and is about one and a half miles distant. The front of the enemy consisted of three regiments, deployed into line and stationed with proper intervals of space. The two regiments forming the wings consisted of cavalry. The centre was composed of infantry, cavalry and two field-pieces. Several other pieces were posted at the right and left wings. The whole number of troops which thus came to our view may be computed at two thousand five hundred, not including a powerful reserve which was kept in the rear.

My rear guard being already engaged, I sent two cannon, together with two companies of the Third Regiment, for its support. Another cannon and a company of the Third Regiment I ordered to a position behind the creek, so as to afford protection to our baggage and the troops in the rear against the movements of the cavalry. The remainder of our troops I formed in the following manner:

On the left the second battalion of the Third Regiment, under command of Major Bischoff, in solid column with four cannon. In the centre the Fifth Regiment in two separate battalions, under Col. Salomon and Lieut.-Col. Wolff. On the right, three cannon under command of Capt. Essig, supported by the first battalion Third Regiment, under Lieut.-Col. Hassendeubel.

Having made these dispositions, and advanced