Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 7.
Frank Moore, Ed.

Having seen a very incorrect statement of the result of Captain S. W. Steinmitz's scout through the lower part of this county and the upper part of Boone, I ask a small space in your paper to give the facts as they occurred.

Captain Steinmitz belongs to company C, First Prov. regiment, E. M. M., Colonel Douglas commanding. The Captain left Glasgow at two o'clock P. M., May thirtieth, at the head of fifteen men of his company. He travelled till twelve o'clock that night, and reached Mrs. Jackman's farm, (mother of the bushwhacking colonel,) and after a good and complete search — for Captain Sam never leaves a thing half-finished — he was satisfied that the game had flown. He found some ammunition, and learned that the Colonel had been there only five hours before. We concluded it was best to stay in the vicinity until light, which we did.

At eight o'clock A. M., thirty-first, we took the [274] road for Rocheport, thoroughly scouring the intermediate country. We arrived at Rocheport at one P. M., thirty-first. During our rest of one hour, we learned that Major Rucker had been in the place the evening before, and other information not necessary to give here. We moved out to Forbis's farm, where we had our second meal. We moved again at eight o'clock P. M., and rode three hours, capturing a gun and more ammunition. We halted where we had supper, and remained there till daylight, June first. Again we were in the saddle, and had not gone over a mile when we struck a fresh trail of a horse. This we followed a half-mile, when we found a broad trail where forty or fifty horsemen had gone along. The chase was now exciting; we had not far to go when the advance saw two men with guns in their hands, coming down the opposite slope — we were following a ravine; our advance commanded them to halt, which they failing to do, the boys fired on them. They immediately returned the fire, when forty or fifty armed men showed their heads above the bank and fired on us. We gave them two volleys, and our captain ordered us to fall back on the hill and form in line of battle. About half our men heard the command and obeyed it; the others saw them going, and thinking it a run, started in a different direction. Captain Steinmitz and party were hotly pursued to within three miles of Fayette by the infuriated villains, where the First Sergeant's horse gave out, and he was taken prisoner. The others escaped.

We found them about three miles north-west of Rockport, encamped on the farm of John L. Jones. Captain Steinmitz had one man killed dead on the spot; Sergeant William H. Hensley mortally wounded, (lived about five hours,) private John M. Rhyne severely wounded in three places. We afterward learned that we killed one man dead, and wounded several who were taken from the field.

Captain Steinmitz and party went into Fayette and got a reenforcement from the Ninth Missouri--company A, Captain Leonard--and overtook them near the old battle-ground. They charged on Captain Leonard, which company A received gallantly and repulsed them. It was their time now, and Captain Leonard led them nobly. The bushwhackers ran, and we captured a keg of powder, several pistols and guns. About this time detachments from company F and--, (I forget the other company's letter,) of the Ninth Missouri, stationed at Columbia, came on the field under the command of the intrepid Captain Cook. The rout now became a perfect “skedaddle,” and so we left them, to attend to the mournful duties caring for the dead and dying.

Captain Leonard had a buck-shot in the right knee, and a ball passed through his hat, producing a painful contusion on the right side of his head.

The casualties on the rebel side were four killed, left on the field, and perhaps twice that number wounded. We have it from reliable authority that they they (the citizens) worked all night carrying off the dead and wounded. The rebels were behind a bank, which was a natural breastwork. Their advantages in the first fight were about ten to one, taking position, arms, and numbers into the account. They were all armed with double-barrelled shot-guns and navy pistols, loaded with fixed ammunition, and were under the command of Jackman, Rucker, Pulliam, and Todd.

They paroled Sergeant Vance, and the parole was signed