General Lyon was 80 miles from
Springfield when he heard of the perils of
Sigel after the fight at
Carthage.
He pushed on to the relief of the latter, and on July 13, 1861, he and
Sigel joined their forces, when the general took the chief command.
The combined armies numbered, at that time, about 6,000 men, horse and foot, with eighteen pieces of artillery.
There
Lyon remained in a defensive attitude for some time, waiting for reinforcements which had been called for, but which did not come.
The Confederates had been largely reinforced; and at the close of July
Lyon was informed that they were marching upon
Springfield in two columns—20,000—under the respective
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160]
commands of
Generals Price,
McCulloch,
Pearce,
McBride, and
Rains. Lyon went out to meet them with about 6,000 men, foot and horse, and eighteen cannon, leaving a small force to guard
Springfield.
At
Dug Springs, 19 miles southwest of
Springfield, in a broken, oblong valley, they encountered a large Confederate force under
General Rains.
While the
National vanguard of infantry and cavalry, under
Steele and
Stanley, were leading, they were unexpectedly attacked by Confederate infantry, who suddenly emerged from the woods.
A sudden charge of twenty-five of
Stanley's horsemen scattered the
Confederates in every direction.
The charge was fearful, and the slaughter was dreadful.
“Are these men or devils, they fight so?”
asked some of the wounded.
Confederate cavalry now appeared emerging from the woods, when some of
Lyon's cannon, managed by
Captain Totten, threw shells that frightened the horses, and the
Confederates were scattered.
They then withdrew, leaving the valley in the possession of the Nationals.
Lyon's loss was eight men killed and thirty wounded; that of
Rains was about forty killed and as many wounded.
