Spring, where we were compelled to halt our forces, who were already nearly exhausted by the intense heat of the weather and the dustiness of the roads. Early the next morning we moved forward to Wilson's Creek, ten miles southwest of Springfield, where we encamped. Our forces were here put in readiness to meet the enemy, who were posted at Springfield, to the number of about ten thousand. It was finally decided to march against them; and on Friday afternoon orders were issued to march in four separate columns, at nine o'clock that night, so as to surround the city and begin a simultaneous attack at daybreak. The darkness of the night and a threatened storm caused General McCulloch, just as the army was about to march, to countermand this order, and to direct that the troops should hold themselves in readiness to move whenever ordered. Our men were consequently kept under arins till toward daybreak, expecting, momentarily, an order to march. The morning of Saturday, the 10th of Angust, found them still encamped at Wilson's Creek, fatigued by a night's watching and loss of rest. conducted with the greatest gallantry and vigor on both sides, for more than five hours, when the enemy retreated in great confusion, leaving their commander-in-chief, General Lyon, dead upon the battle-field, over five hundred killed, and a great number wounded. The forces under my command have possession of three 12-pounder howitzers, two brass 6-pounders, and a great quantity of small-arms and ammunition, taken from the enemy; also, the standard of Siegel's regiment, captured by Captain Staples. They have also a large number of prisoners. The brilliant victory thus achieved upon this hard-fought field, was won only by the most determined bravery, and distinguished gallantry of the combined armies, which fought nobly side by side, in defence of their common rights and liberties, with as much courage and constancy as were ever exhibited upon any battlefield. Where all behaved so well, it is invidious to make any distinction, but I cannot refrain from expressing my sense of the splendid services rendered, under my own eyes, by the Arkansas infantry, under Gen. Pearce, the Louisiana regiment of Col. Hebert, and Col. Churchill's regiment of mounted riflemen. These gallant day the gratitude of every true Missourian. This great victory was dearly bought, by the loss of many a skilful officer and brave man. Others will report the losses sustained by the Confederate forces; I shall willingly confine myself to the losses within my own army. About six o'clock, I received a messenger from Gen. Rains that the enemy were advancing in great force from the direction of Spring-officers and their brave soldiers won upon that field, and were already within 200 or 300 yards of the position where he was encamped with the Second Brigade of his division, consisting of about 1,200 mounted men under Col. Cawthorn. A second messenger came immediately afterward from Gen. Rains to announce that the main body of the enemy was upon him, but that he would endeavor to hold him in check until he could receive reinforcements. Gen. McCulloch was with me when these messengers caine, and left at once for his own head-quarters to make the necessary disposition of our forces. I rode forward instantly toward Gen. Rains' position, at the same time ordering Gens. Slack, McBride, Clark, and Parsons to move their infantry and artillery rapidly forward. I had ridden but a few hundred yards when I came suddenly upon the main body of the enemy, commanded by Gen. Lyon in person. The infantry and artillery which I had ordered to follow me came up immediately to the number of 2,036 men, and engaged the enemy. A severe and bloody conflict ensued, my officers and men behaving with the greatest bravery, and, with the assistance of a portion of the Confederate forces, successfully holding the enemy in check. Meanwhile, and almost simultaneously with the opening of the enemy's batteries in this quarter, a heavy cannonading was opened upon the rear of our position, where a large body of the enemy, under Col. Siegel, had taken position, in close proximity to Colonel Churchill's regiment, Colonel Greer's Texan Rangers, and 679 mounted Missourians, under command of Colonel Brown and Lieutenant-Colonel Major. The action now became general, and was Among those who fell mortally wounded upon the battle-field, none deserve a dearer place in the memory of Missourians than Richard Hanson Weightman, Colonel commanding the First brigade of the second division of the army. Taking up arms at the very beginning of this unhappy contest, he had already done distinguished services at the battle of Rock Creek, where he commanded the State forces after the death of the lamented Holloway, and at Carthage, where he won unfading laurels by the display of extraordinary coolness, courage, and skill. He fell at the head of his brigade, wounded in three places, and died just as the victorious shout of our army began to rise upon the air. Here, too, died in the discharge of his duty, Col. Ben. Brown, of Ray County, President of the Senate, a good man and true. Brig.-Gen. Slack's division suffered severely. He himself fell dangerously wounded at the head of his column. Of his regiment of infantry, under Col. John T. Hughes, consisting of about 650 men, 36 were killed, 76 wounded, many of them mortally, and 30 are missing. Among the killed were C. H. Bennet, adjutant of the regiment, Capt. Blackwell, and Lieut. Hughes. Col. Rives' squadron of cavalry, (dismounted,) numbering some 234 men, lost 4 killed and 8 wounded. Among the former were Lieut.-Col. Austin and Capt. Engart. His I have the honor to be, with the greatest respect, your Excellency's obedient servant, STERLING PRICE, Brig.-Gen. Clark was also wounded. infantry (200 men) lost, in killed, 17, and wounded, 71. Col. Burbridge was severely wounded. Capts. Farris and Halleck, and Lieut. Haskins, were killed. Gen. Clark's cavalry, together with the Windsor Guards, were under the command of Lieut.-Col. Major, who did good service. They lost 6 killed and 5 wounded. Brig.-Gen. McBride's division (605 men) lost 22 killed, 67 severely wounded, and 57 slightly wounded. Col. Foster and Capts. Nichols, Dougherty, Armstrong, and Mings were wounded while gallantly leading their respective commands. Gen. Parson's brigade, 256 infantry and artillery, under command respectively of Col. Kelly aud Capt. Guibor, and 406 cavalry, Col. Brown, lost the artillery three killed and seven wounded, the infantry nine killed and thirty-eight wounded, the cavalry three killed and two wounded. Col. Kelly was wounded in the hand. Capt. Coleman was mortally wounded, and has since died. Gen. Rains' division was composed of two brigades the first under Col. Weightman, embracing infantry, and artillery, 1,306 strong, lost not only their commander, but thirty-four others killed and 111 wounded. The Second brigade, mounted men, Col. Cawthorn commanding, about 1,200 strong, lost twenty-one killed and seventy-five wounded. Col. Cawthorn was himself wounded. Major Charles Rogers, of St. Louis, adjutant of the brigade, was mortally wounded, and died the day after the battle. He was a gallant officer, and at all times vigilant and attentive to his duties, and fearless upon the field of battle. Your Excellency will perceive that our State forces consisted of only 5,221 officers and men; that of these no less than 156 died upon the field, while 517 were wounded. These facts attest more powerfully than any words can, the severity of the conflict, and the dauntless courage of our brave soldiers. It is also my painful duty to announce the death of one of my aids, Lieut.-Col. George W. Allen, of Saline County. He was shot down while communicating an order, and we left him buried on the field. I have appointed to the position thus sadly vacated, Capt. James T. Cearnal, in recognition of his gallant conduct and valuable services throughout the battle as a volunteer aid. Another of my staff, Col. Horace H. Brand, was made prisoner by the enemy, but has since been released. My thanks are due to three of your staffCol. Wm. M. Cook, Col. Richard Gaines, and Col. Thos. L. Snead, for the services which they rendered me as volunteer aids, and also to my aide-de-camp, Col. A. W. Jones. In conclusion, I beg leave to say to your Excellency, that the army under my command, both officers and men, did their duty nobly, as became men fighting in defence of their homes and their honor, and that they deserve well of the State. Major-General, Commanding Missouri State Guard. J. B. CLARK'S REPORT HEAD-QUARTERS, THIRD DISTRICT M. S. G., August 12, 1861. Maj.-Gen. Sterling Price, Commanding Missouri State Guard:GENERAL: I have the honor to submit to you the following detailed report of the part taken by the forces under my command in the action with the enemy on the 10th inst., near Springfield, Mo.: At about 15 or 20 minutes before 6 o'clock A. M., and while at breakfast, one of your aids, Col. Richard Gaines, brought me the intelligence that the enemy were upon us, and orders from you to form my command upon the crest of the hill under which I was encamped, and upon the line that I might then find formed, by other forces, ordered to the same point; my forces consisted of one regiment of infantry, commanded by Col. J. Q. Burbridge, and Major John B. Clark, jr., with 376 men, rank and file, and one battalion of cavalry, commanded by Lieut.-Col. James P. Major, with two hundred and fifty men, rank and file. I immediately despatched one of my staff, Col. R. H. Munson, with orders to Lieut.-Col. Major, (then encamped one mile and a half from me,) to report his command to me as early as possible at head-quarters. I also ordered Col. Burbridge, with whom I was encamped, to form his command instantly into line, which was promptly executed; and hearing cannonading at this time, I determined to move forward with this regiment of infantry to the position designated by your orders, leaving Capt. Jos. Finks, one of my assistant aids, with directions to order Col. Major, when he came up, to follow with his command. When I had moved forward about three hundred yards from my encampment, I discovered the enemy strongly posted in our front, upon the heights, engaging the command of Brig.Gen. W. Y. Slack, upon whose left my forces of infantry were formed. In a few minutes after Col. Kelly, of Gen. Parsons' command, formed upon my left, and rapidly following came the command of Gen. J. H. McBride, who formed upon the left of Col. Kelly, and commanded a flank movement upon the right of the enemy. In this position, by your orders, and led in person by yourself, the entire line advanced in the direction of the enemy, under a continuous and heavy fire of artillery and musketry, until we approached within range of our rifle guns, when we returned the fire with such terrific effect as to drive the enemy from his position, and cause him to make a rapid retrograde movement, after having borne up and resisted the steady advance and deadly aim of our riflemen for some thirty or forty minutes. At this moment, a heavy cannonading was heard im- Gen. Parsons' battery, which had been pre- pecially do I desire to bring before your particular notice the gallant and intrepid manner in which my orders were conveyed by Lieut.Cols. Wm. O. Burton and Samuel Farmington, the former of whom had two, and the latter one horse shot under them, while delivering orders. Throughout the entire engagement, these officers were distinguished for their bravery and dauntless valor. I desire, also, to make my acknowledgments to Col. J. Q. Burbridge, who was severely wounded while gallantly urging forward his men. I desire, also, to commend to your favorable notice Major John B. Clark, upon whom was devolved the command of the regiment in the latter part of the engagement, and who ably and gallantly led his forces, continuously exposed to the greatest peril, but providentially escaped with a slight wound to himself and horse. I desire, also, to bring before your favorable notice Lieut.-Cols. James P. Major and Hyde, and Major A. H. Chalmers, who, at the head of their respective forces, rendered valuable service under many disadvantages. I desire, especially, to bring to your With this formation you ordered a rapid movement to be made in the direction the enemy retired, and after advancing a short distance we again found him drawn up in great force, who opened again with a brisk fire upon us. We continued to advance until reaching again the range of rifle shot, and then an incessant fire of artillery and small-arms commenced on either side, and was continued for about an hour, when the enemy disengaged, and terror-notice J. P. Orr, of Paris, Mo., who bore our stricken by the number of his dead and wounded heaped around him, together with the fall of his chief and other officers, fled with consternation and confusion in sınall detachments, many of them abandoning their arms and am munition as they fled. The first battalion of cavalry, at the moment of receiving my orders, were attacked by a detachment of the enemy which had come in upon the rear, and was so hotly pressed that Lieut.-Col. Major was driven to the necessity of having to retire under cover of the wood to form his line. After forming his forces, he marched in the direction he had been ordered, when, I regret to say, large bodies of horsemen, who had been cut off from their companies, rushed through his line, dividing his forces, and leaving the colonel with but one company. I am glad, however, to be able to state that the gallant colonel, aided by Col. C. W. Bell, assistant adjutant-general, and Captain Joseph Finks, one of my assistant aids, succeeded in gathering up some 300 mounted men, who, under his command, attacked the forces in our rear, commanded by Gen. Siegel, capturing 157 prisoners, and killing 64 men; the balance of his forces, under the command of Lieut.-Col. Hyde and Major A. H. Chalmers, succeeded in reaching the line of battle in time to form upon the right of Gen. Slack, where they rendered most prompt and efficient service. For full particulars of the operations of this battalion, I refer you to the report of Lieut.-Col. Major. In the several engagements referred to, I regret the necessity of enumerating so large a list of killed and wounded, hereinafter stated. Before closing this report of the sanguinary battle of the 10th, I beg leave to make my acknowledgments to my staff; also Cols. Robert Walker and Woodson, my assistant aids; es standard through the heat of the conflict, BEN. MCCULLOCH'S DESPATCH. SPRINGFIELD, Mo., VIA LITTLE ROCK, ARK., Aug. 12. HON. L. P. WALKER: The battle of Oakhill has been fought, and we have gained a great victory over the enemy, commanded by Gen. N. Lyon. The battle was fought ten miles from Springfield. The enemy were nine or ten thousand strong; our force was about the same. The battle lasted six and a half hours. The enemy were repulsed and driven from the field, with the loss of six pieces of artillery, several hundred stands of small-arms, eight hundred killed, one thousand wounded, and three hundred prisoners. Gen. Lyon was killed, and many of their prominent officers. Our loss was two hundred and sixty-five killed, eight hundred wounded, and thirty missing. We have possession of Springfield, and the enemy are in full retreat toward Rolla. BENJ. MCCULLOCHI, Brigadier-General Commanding. BEN. MCCULLOCH'S REPORT. HEAD-QUARTERS MCCULLOCH'S BRIGADE, CAMP WEIGHTMAN, near Springfield, Mo., August 12, 1861. Brigadier-General J. Cooper, Adjutant-General, C. S. A.: GENERAL: I have the honor to make the following official report of the battle of the Oak Hills on the 10th inst. Having taken position about ten miles from Springfield, I endeavored to gain the necessary information of the strength and position of the enemy, stationed in and about the town. The information was very conflicting and unsatisfactory. I however made up my mind to attack the enemy in their position, and issued orders on the 9th inst. to my force to start at nine o'clock at night to attack at four different points at daylight. A few days before, General Price, in command of the Missouri forces, turned over his command to me, and I assumed command of the entire force, comprising my own brigade, the brigade of Arkansas State forces, under General Pearce, and General Price's command of Missourians. My effective force was five thousand three hundred infantry, fifteen pieces of artillery, and six thousand horsemen, armed with flint-lock muskets, rifles, and shot-guns. There were other horsemen with the army, who were entirely unarmed, and instead of being a help were continually in the way. When the time arrived for the night march it began to rain slightly, and fearing, from the want of cartridge boxes, that my ammunition would be ruined, I ordered the movement to be stopped, hoping to move the next morning. My men had but twenty-five rounds of cartridge apiece, and there was no more to be had. While still hesitating in the morning the enemy was reported advancing, and I made arrangements to meet him. The attack was made simultaneously at half-past 5 A. M., on our right and left flanks, and the enemy had gained the positions they desired. General Lyon attacked us on our left and General Siegel on cur right and rear. From these points batteries opened upon us. My command was soon ready. The Missourians under Generals Slack, Clark, McBride, Parsons and Rains, were nearest the position taken by General Lyon with his main force; they were instantly turned to the left and opened the battle with an incessant fire of small-arms. Woodruff opposed his battery to the battery of the enemy under Capt. Totten, and a constant cannonading was kept up between these batteries during the engagement. Hebert's regiment of Louisiana Volunteers, and McIntosh's regiment of Arkansas Mounted Riflemen, were ordered to the front, and after passing the battery, (Totten's,) turned to the left and soon engaged the enemy with the regiments deployed. Col. McIntosh dismounted his regiment and the two marched up abreast to a fence around a large corn-field, where they met the left of the enemy already posted. A terrible conflict of smallarms took place here. The opposing force was a body of regular United States infantry, commanded by Capts. Plummer and Gilbert. Notwithstanding the galling fire poured on these two regiments, they leaped over the fence, and gallantly led by their colonels, drove the enemy before them, back upon the main body. During this time, the Missourians under General Price were nobly attempting to sustain themselves in the centre, and were hotly engaged on the sides of the height upon which the enemy were posted. Far on the right, Siegel had opened his battery upon Churchill's and Greer's regiments, and had gradually made his way to the Springfield road, upon each side of which the army was encamped, and .in a prominent position he established his battery. I at once took two companies of the Louisiana regiment, who were nearest me, and marched them rapidly from the front and right to the rear, with order to Col. McIntosh to bring up the rest. When we arrived near the enemy's battery, we found that Reid's battery had opened upon it, and it was already in confusion. Advantage was taken of it, and soon the Louisianians were gallantly charging among the guns, and swept the cannoneers away. Five guns were here taken, and Siegel's command, completely routed, were in rapid retreat, with a single gun, followed by some companies of the Texan regiment and a portion of Colonel Major's Missouri cavalry. In the pursuit many of the enemy were killed and taken prisoners, and their last gun captured. Having cleared our right and rear, it was necessary to turn all our attention to the centre, under Gen. Lyon, who was pressing upon the Missourians, having driven them back. To this point McIntosh's regiment, under Lieut.Col. Embry, and Churchill's regiment on foot, Gratiot's regiment and McRae's battalion were sent to their aid. The terrible fire of musketry was now kept up along the whole side and top of the hill, upon which the enemy was posted. Masses of infantry fell back and again rushed forward. The summit of the hill was covered with the dead and wounded-both sides were fighting with desperation for the day, Carroll's and Greer's regiments, led gallantly by Capt. Bradfute, charged the battery, but the whole strength of the enemy was immediately in rear, and a deadly fire was opened upon them. At this critical moment, when the fortune of the day seemed to be at the turning point, two regiments of Gen. Pearce's brigade were ordered to march from their position (as reserves) to support the centre. The order was obeyed with alacrity, and Gen. Pearce gallantly rushed with his brigade to the rescue. Reed's battery was also ordered to move forward, and the Louisiana regiment was again called into action on the left of it. The battle then became general, and probably no two opposing forces ever fought with greater desperation; inch by inch the enemy gave way, and were driven from their position; Totten's battery fell back; Missourians, Arkansians, Louisianians, and Texans pushed forward. The incessant roll of musketry was deafening, and the balls fell as thick as hail stones; but still our gallant Southerners pushed onward, and with one wild yell broke upon the enemy, pushing them back and strewing the ground with their dead. Nothing could withstand the impetuosity of our final charge; the enemy fled and could not again be rallied, and they were seen, at 12 M., last retreating among the hills in the distance. | ticular attention to my volunteer aids, Capt. Bledsoe, Messrs. Armstrong, Ben Johnston, BEN MOCULLOON, MISSOURI "DEMOCRAT" NARRATIVE. SUNDAY, August 11, 1861. Night before last, a little army of fifty-two hundred men moved in two columns on a march of twelve or fifteen miles, to attack a Major-General Lyon, chief in command, was killed. Many of the officers, high in rank, were wounded. Our loss was also severe, and we mourn the death of many a gallant officer and soldier. Our killed amount to two hundred and sixty-five, eight hundred wounded, and thirty missing. Col. Weightman fell at the head of his brigade of Missourians, while gallantly charging upon the enemy. His place will not be easily filled. Generals Slack and Clark of Missouri were severely wounded-body of rebels twenty-two thousand strong. Gen. Price slightly. Capt. Hinson of the In a military point of view the move was one Louisiana regiment, Capt. McAlexander of of doubtful propriety, not to say absolute rashChurchill's regiment, Captains Bell and Brown ness. The larger force were, with the exception of Pearce's brigade, Lieuts. Walton and Weaver of three thousand men, well armed and equip-all fell while nobly and gallantly doing their ped, and they had a very large body of cavalry. duty. Col. McIntosh was slightly wounded by But the question of evacuating Springfield, the a grape-shot, while charging with the Louisi-key of the entire Southwest, had already been ana regiment-Lieut.-Col. Neal, Major H. discussed and settled in the negative. It was Ward, Captains King, Pearson, Gibbs, Ram- decided that the loyal citizens of Green and the saur, Porter, Lieutenants Dawson, Chambers, surrounding counties should not have cause to Johnson, King, Adams, Hardista, McIvor, and say we had left them without a struggle, abanSaddler, were wounded while at the head of doned themselves, their families, their all, to a their companies. Where all were doing their heartless and desperate foe, until the enemy duty so gallantly, it is almost unfair to discrim- had felt our steel and tried the mettle of our inate. troops. The mettle proved itself worthy of the great cause in which it was engaged. Tho Union troops who fought and won the battle of yesterday need no higher mark, no brighter name, than tho laurels carned justly entitle them to. They fought like brave men, long and well. I must, however, bring to your notice, the gallant conduct of the Missouri Generals-McBride, Parsons, Clark, Black, and their officers. To Gen. Price, I am under many obligations for assistance on the battle-field. He was at the head of his force leading them on and sustaining them by his gallant bearing. General Siegel, with six pieces of cannon, his own regiment, and that of Colonel Salomon's, moved in a southerly direction, marching about fifteen miles, passing around the extreme southeastern camp of the enemy, and halted until | daylight, or for the sound of artillery from tho northwest to announce the opening of the battle. Gen. Pearce with his Arkansas brigade, (Gratiot's, Walker's, and Dockery's regiments of infantry) came gallantly to the rescue when sent for; leading his men into the thickest of the fight, he contributed much to the success of the day. The commanders of regiments of my own brigade, Cols. Churchill, Greer, Embry, McIntosh, Hebert, and McRae led their General Lyon, with the volunteers composing different regiments into action with great cool-the Missouri First, Lieutenant-Colonel Andrews, ness and bravery, and were always in front of their men cheering them on. Woodruff and Reid managed their batteries with great ability, and did much execution. For those officers and men who were particularly conspicuous, I will refer the Department to the reports of the different commanders. Iowa First, Lieutenant-Colonel Merritt, Kansas First, Colonel Dietzler, and Second, Colonel Mitchell, part of the Missouri Second, under Major Osterhaus, and a detachment of twenty men from Colonel Wyman's Illinois regiment, three or four companies of mounted Homo Guards, a force of regulars about eight hundred To my personal staff I am much indebted for strong, and two batteries of four and six pieces the coolness and rapidity with which they car-respectively, left Springfield about eight o'clock ried orders about the field, and would call par- P. M., marching slowly along until two A. M., |