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48]
The officers and men acted well their part in the hard battle of yesterday, for awhile supporting the Missouri infantry amid a shower of balls from the enemy's infantry, mixed with grape from their batteries, hurled thickly around us; then in the charge by flank on the Totten battery; and the execution done in the charge shows how coolly and bravely all behaved; and where all did so well there can be no discrimination.
They drove the enemy in retreat from the battery, and it became easy for the infantry (Colonel McRae's) to march on it.
The artillery is mentioned with high praise in the many reports of the engagement.
Capt. J. G. Reid, speaking for his own battery, said:
Among the men who were attached to the battery it is impossible to say that any failed to fill the most sanguine expectations as to their courage; but among them I desire to mention Lieutenant Wilcox and Sergeant Louder-milk as displaying great coolness and bravery during the engagement.
Woodruff's Pulaski battery behaved with great gallantry, and did much to win the victory.
A part of the time the battery was opposed by the battery of
Capt. James Totten, who had been stationed at
Little Rock at the time the arsenal there was taken possession of; and in the artillery duel which ensued,
First Lieut. Omer R. Weaver was struck by a shell and instantly killed.
Private William Carver was also killed, and two were wounded, one of whom,
W. H. Byler, afterward died.
General Lyon's body was sent by
General McCulloch to
Springfield, where it was taken in charge by
Mrs. John S. Phelps.
The wagons of the
Federals were busy hauling and burying their dead.
In the hospitals there were 1,000 Federal wounded and about half that number Confederate wounded.
The hospitals at that place were in charge of
Dr. W. A. Cantrell, surgeon of
Churchill's regiment.
The following is a list of the killed and wounded among the
Arkansas troops in this battle:
