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

[506] and reported their approach; at the time they were first seen coming down the hill, Captain Switzler fell back and brought out the command. The command of the left was a complete success. I cannot speak too highly in praise of Captain Switzler and his entire company. To single any out would be superfluous. They acted as a unit. Officers and men under my immediate command acted bravely, nobly. In short, every order was promptly obeyed and courageously carried out, without the tremor of a single man.

Very respectfully submitted,

I have the honor to submit to your Excellency the following report of the operations of the army under my command, at and immediately preceding the battle of Springfield.

I began to move my command from its encampment on Cowskin Prairie, in McDonald County, on the 25th of July, toward Cassville, in Barry County, at which place it had been agreed between Gens. McCulloch, Pearce, and myself, that our respective forces, together with those of Brig.-Gen. McBride, should be concentrated, preparatory to a forward movement. We reached Cassville on Sunday, the 28th of July, and on the next day effected a junction with the armies of Gens. McCulloch and Pearce.

The combined armies were then put under marching orders, and the First Division, Gen. McCulloch commanding, left Cassville on the 1st of August, upon the road to this city. The Second Division, under Gen. Pearce, of Arkansas, left on the 1st day of August; and the Third Division, Brig.-Gen. Steen, of this State, commanding, left on the 2d day of August. I went forward with the Second Division, which embraced the greater portion of my infantry, and encamped with it some twelve miles north-west of Cassville. The next morning, a messenger from Gen. McCulloch informed me that he had reason to believe that the enemy were in force on the road to Springfield, and that he should remain at his then encampment on Crane Creek until the Second and Third Divisions of the army had come up. The Second Division consequently moved forward to Crane Creek, and I ordered the Third Division to a position within three miles of the same place.

The advance guard of the army, consisting of six companies of mounted Missourians, under command of Brig.-Gen. Rains, was at that time (Friday, Aug. 2) encamped on the Springfield road, about five miles beyond Crane Creek. About 9 o'clock A. M. of that day, Gen. Rains' pickets reported to him that they had been driven in by the enemy's advance guard; and that officer immediately led forward his whole force, amounting to nearly 400 men, until he found the enemy in position, some three miles on the road. He sent back at once to Gen. McCulloch for reinforcements, and Col. Me Intosh, C. S. A., was sent forward with 150 men; but a reconnoissance of the ground haying satisfied the latter that the enemy did not have more than 150 men on the ground, he withdrew his men and returned to Crane Creek.

Gen. Rains soon discovered, however, that he was in presence of the main body of the enemy, numbering, according to his estimate, more than five thousand men, with eight pieces of artillery, and supported by a considerable body of cavalry. A severe skirmish ensued, which lasted several hours, until the enemy opened their batteries, and compelled our troops to retire. In this engagement the greater portion of Gen. Rains' command, and especially that part which acted as infantry, behaved with great gallantry, as the result demonstrates; for our loss was only one killed, (Lieut. Northcut,) and five wounded, while five of the enemy's dead were buried on the field, and a large number are known to have been wounded.

Our whole forces were concentrated the next day near Crane Creek, and during the same night, the Texan regiment, under Col. Greer, came up within a few miles of the same place.

Reasons, which will be hereafter assigned, induced me, on Sunday, the 4th inst., to put the Missouri forces under the direction, for the time being, of Gen. McCulloch, who accordingly assumed the command in chief of the combined armies. A little after midnight we took up the line of march, leaving our baggage trains, and expecting to find the enemy near the scene of the late skirmish; but we found, as we advanced, that they were retreating rapidly toward Springfield. We followed them hastily about 17 miles, to a place known as Moody's