Secession narratives.
Remembering several acts of kindness of yours, and hoping that you will place confidence in a report of mine, I will give you a short account, in honor of the affair at
Wilson's Creek, as far as I saw it in person.
Gen. Lyon attacked us before breakfast.
I was awoke by
Totten's battery opening within one thousand two hundred yards of my tent.
We were surprised completely.
Siegel also attacked us in our rear, opposite
Lyon's point of attack.
The battle ground presents large hills with deep ravines, thickly covered with small trees and underbrush.
We had a “bushwhack” fight — regiment against regiment, advancing and retreating for about three hours.
Siegel's battery was taken (in our rear) by the gallant
Louisiana regiment at the point of the bayonet.
Lyon formed for his main attack — regulars,
Kansas regiments, and a few dragoons — within two hundred yards of our battery; we thought they
might be our own men.
Gen. Price after waiting some fifteen minutes, rode up alone within seventy-five yards, and found out who they were.
When they attacked, our battery opened with canister, our infantry advanced, and for ten minutes there was one unceasing roar of musketry and thundering of artillery, a portion of
Totten's battery replying to my guns.
In the end of this last and terrible fire the enemy were driven from the field, leaving
Gen. Lyon dead — not even taking his papers from the body.
Before this
Siegel was in full retreat; was charged by some
Arkansas men, and with the remnant of
Lyon's command left for
Springfield.
Our total loss, as near as can be ascertained, is five hundred and seventeen killed and seven hundred and twenty wounded. Five of
Siegel's
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guns were taken on the field.
I had three of them in my charge that night.
We have a fine battery, nearly equal to our old one, and hope to do continued good service against our enemies.
We took about four hundred prisoners, who have been released on parole.
The Federal wounded are taken as good care of as our own, though that is not the best, medicine being scarce.
Lyon's corpse is now within one hundred yards of my tent; it was disinterred this afternoon, and to-morrow starts for
St. Louis.
Billy Corkery and
Bob Finney are our Second and
Third Lieutenants.
Johnny Corkery is severely wounded, but will recover.
I was wounded at
Carthage by shell, but am now as well as ever.
I have the honor to be,
With great respect, yours truly,
On the morning of the tenth,
Gen. Lyon attacked our encampment at break of day with fourteen thousand men and eighteen pieces of artillery, having received large reinforcements within the last few days.
The attack was made simultaneously at four different points--
Gen. Lyon on the west,
Siegel on the south,
Sturgis on the north, and
Sweeney, I think, on the east.
Our encampment was taken by surprise, but in hot haste soon formed for battle.
The forces engaged were about equal on each side, the
Federals having the advantage in position and heavy artillery.
The red harvest of death now commenced.
The cannonading was most terrible, and the slaughter on both sides immense.
In quick succession the hosts marshalled for the conflict and bared their breasts to the storm of battle.
The
Louisiana troops, the
Arkansas, the
Texans, and Missourians, rivalled each other in this great and bloody day. For six long hours the palm of victory remained undecided.
Seven times
Lyon was repulsed from the western heights by the
Missouri and
Arkansas forces, and seven times regained his position.
He had a strong force of regulars posted with
Totten's battery around his person.
The Missouri troops at the north, the
Louisiana troops at the southeast and south, and
General Weightman's brigade of
Missouri forces at the southwest, including his fine battery of artillery, having been victorious at each point, rallied to the heights on the west, to support
Gen. Slack's division, which had borne the brunt of the fight up to that time, for five or six hours, unsupported.
Generals Price and
Slack were both actively and gallantly urging forward this column, when
Gen. Slack was severely wounded and taken from the field.
Gen. Price was slightly wounded also, but not disabled.
He continued to lead his wing on to victory most gallantly.
Gen. Weightman now filed his column in on the right of my regiment, in
Gen. Slack's division, where he fell mortally wounded, near
Totten's battery, covered all over with wounds.
I received his sword to keep it from the enemy.
Meanwhile, the enemy's batteries were captured by the
State and Confederate forces, and routed in every direction, except on the heights west, where
Lyon commanded in person, and made his last, most desperate struggle.
General Parsons now advanced with his four pieces, and poured a terrific fire into the enemy's right, while
Woodruff's Arkansas battery mowed down his left.
At this point of time
General McCulloch came up, and directed
Slack's division to charge
Totten's battery in front, and the
Arkansas troops on the right.
This was the most terrific storm of grape and musketry ever poured out upon the ranks of any American troops.
On both sides the men were mowed down like the ripe harvest before the sickle.
My own regiment was then decimated, and
Churchill's and
McIntosh's Arkansas regiments suffered most severely.
Here
General Lyon was killed,
Totten's battery driven from the heights, and his whole force scattered in flight.
This ended the bloody strife of that most bloody day. Never has a greater victory crowned the efforts of liberty and equal rights.
The best blood of the land has been poured out to water afresh the tree of liberty.
This is only a synopsis of the fight — it is impossible to give you details; I cannot do justice to all the officers and men. It will require volumes to do it. It is sufficient to say that all the officers and men on our side behaved most bravely, and fought like veterans.
It is certain we have gained a great victory over the
Federal troops.
The loss on our side, as near as I can ascertain, is two hundred killed and four hundred wounded; some say more.
The whole field for miles is literally covered with the dead.
That of the enemy is fifteen hundred killed, and from two thousand to two thousand five hundred wounded! I have lost one hundred and forty-two in killed, wounded, and missing, from my command of six hundred and fifty men.
We captured thirteen of the enemy's best cannon, and all of the accompanying carriages and ammunition.
Also some four hundred prisoners, and several stand of colors, and a large quantity of good arms.
My regiment fought in that part of the field where
General Lyon was slain.
This is a just reward for the thirty-five men and children butchered by him on the 10th of May in
St. Louis.
I will furnish you a list of the killed and wounded as soon as possible.
Respectfully,
--
Western Argus, Mo.
General orders no. 4
I. The official reports of the
commanding officers of the forces engaged in the battle near
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Springfield, Mo., having been received, the
Major-General commanding announces to the troops embraced in his command, with pride and the highest commendation, the extraordinary services to their country and flag rendered by the division of the brave and lamented
General Lyon.
For thus nobly battling for the honor of their flag, he now publicly desires to express to the officers and soldiers his cordial thanks, and commends their conduct as an example to their comrades, whenever engaged against the enemies of the
Union.
Opposed by overwhelming masses of the enemy, in a numerical superiority of upward of twenty thousand against four thousand three hundred, or nearly five to one, the successes of our troops were nevertheless sufficiently marked to give to their exploits the moral effect of a victory.
II.
The General commanding laments, in sympathy with the country, the loss of the indomitable
General Nathaniel Lyon.
His fame cannot be better eulogized than in these words from the official report of his gallant successor,
Major Sturgis, U. S. Cavalry: “Thus gallantly fell as true a soldier as ever drew a sword; a man, whose honesty of purpose was proverbial; a noble patriot, and one who held his life as nothing where his country demanded it of him.”
Let all emulate his prowess and undying devotion to his duty.
II.
The regiments and corps engaged in this battle, will be permitted to have “
Springfield” emblazoned on their colors, as a distinguished memorial of their service to the nation.
IV.
The names of the officers and soldiers mentioned in the official reports as most distinguished for important services and marked gallantry, will be communicated to the War Department for the consideration of the
Government.
V. This order will be read at the head of every company in this Department.
By order of
Major-General Fremont.
A rebel shout of exultation.
The victory in
Missouri is gloriously confirmed;
Lyon is killed and
Siegel in flight and believed to be captured;
Sweeney is killed, and
Southwestern Missouri cleared of the
National scum of invaders.
All honor and gratitude to
Ben. McCulloch and the gallant men with him, who met and scourged the minions of National tyranny.
The brave sons of
Louisiana were there and foremost in the fight, as at
Manassas.
There was a panic, it seems, of the untried and probably half-armed troops of
Missouri, but the steady discipline and dashing courage of the
Arkansas and
Louisiana regiments retrieved the day, and after a stubborn fight with the United States regulars, under their most vaunted generals, made a clean sweep of the field.
The flying enemy, intercepted by
Hardee, have laid down their arms, and the day of the deliverance of
Missouri is nigh.
These were the best soldiers which the
United States had in the
State and in the
West.
They were well drilled by veteran officers, and confident of an easy victory in
Missouri.
They were the nucleus of the grand Western army which was to hold
Missouri in bondage as the basis of a grand movement for the subjugation of the States on the
Lower Mississippi.
They have been broken and dispersed.
Southwestern Missouri is free already.
The Southeast cannot long stand before the advancing armies of
Pillow and
Hardee, joined to those of
McCulloch; and the next word will be: On to
St. Louis!
That taken, the power of Lincolnism is broken in the whole
West; and instead of shouting, Ho!
for
Richmond!
and Ho!
for New Orleans!
there will be hurryings to and fro among the frightened magnates at
Washington, and anxious inquiries of what they shall do to save themselves from the vengeance to come.
Good tidings reach us from the
North and the
West.
Heaven smiles on the arms of the
Confederate States; and through the brightly-beaming vistas of these battles we see golden promises of the speedy triumph of a righteous cause — in the firm establishment of Southern independence.--
N. O. Picayune, August 17.