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his left; and in a lane in his rear, leading to the river, was the main body of his left wing.
His main right wing was posted behind a fence, between a wheat and corn field, and in these fields were detached and unorganized squads of men.1
Lyon led his troops up a gently rolling slope for half a mile, and when within three hundred yards of his foe, he made dispositions for battle.
He posted the regulars, with Colonel Blair's troops, on the left, and some German volunteers of Boernstein's regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Shaeffer, on the right.
Totten's artillery occupied the center, and they opened the conflict by firing a shell from a 12-pounder in the midst of the insurgents in the road.
Another shell immediately followed, and scattered the men in the wheat-field, when Lyon's column advanced, and the battle began.
It continued for a short time with great spirit on both sides.
The insurgents were forced back by the pressure of the Union infantry, and the round shot, and shell, and grape, and canister, from Totten's cannon.
Two of his shells entered the brick house and drove out the inmates; and twenty minutes later, Lyon's men occupied it, and had full possession of the battle-field.
The insurgents made a stand at the edge of a wood near their camp, but were soon driven from their rallying-point.
They now fled in confusion, for they found themselves attacked on their flank by a cannonade from the river.
Captain Richards, with some infantry, and a small company of artillery, under Captain Voester, who had been left in charge of the transports, had moved up the river and captured a shore-battery of two guns, with which the insurgents intended to sink the vessels of their pursuers.
They also took twenty prisoners, several horses, and a considerable amount of military stores.
They then moved forward to — co-operate with the land force; and it was the shot from a howitzer on the City of Louisiana, and the missiles from Totten's guns, falling simultaneously among the insurgents, that produced a panic and a flight.
Their camp, which Lyon took possession of immediately afterward, showed evidences of hasty departure.2
1 I These were new recruits just sent in from Camp Vest, about four miles from Booneville. That camp had been established on the 14th, and Marmaduke had sent out urgent appeals to the inhabitants of the surrounding country to rally to his standard. “Hurry on, day and night,” he said. “Everybody, citizens and soldiers, must come, bringing their arms and ammunition. Time is every thing.” As they came into the camp, they were sent to the front in squads.
2 An eye-witness wrote, that the breakfasts of the men were found in course of preparation. Half-baked bread was in the heat of fires, and hams had knives sticking in them. Pots of coffee were on the fires; and in various ways there was evidence that the flight of the occupants of the camp had been most precipitate. Lyon's loss was two killed, two wounded, and one missing. That of the insurgents is unknown. It was estimated at more than fifty killed and wounded, and a considerable number made prisoners. The latter were nearly all young men, who declared that they had been deceived and misled by the conspirators. They were very penitent, and Lyon released them. The whole number of insurgents was about three thousand, of whom nine hundred were half-disciplined cavalry, and the remainder raw militia, six-sevenths of them armed with the rifles, shot-guns, and knives which they had brought from their homes. The Union troops numbered less than two thousand; and not a third of either party was in the engagement at one time.
The accompanying illustration represents weapons found in |
| Weapons of the insurgents. |
Scanned printed text.
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