fence east of the house, which I did, crossing part of the ground that was fought over the day before. I occupied the position until ordered to fall back, so as to let both sides have a chance to collect their dead. I selected an advantageous piece of ground, and occupied it until ordered into camp. Below is a list of the killed, wounded, and missing of the Nineteenth regiment : KILLED. Commissioned officers,. Enlisted men, . ... WOUNDED. Commissioned officers, Enlisted men, Missing,.. Total aggregate, . . 3 5 140 8 .198 I remain your obedient servant, GENERAL HERRON'S LETTER. The following letter from General Herron to a gentleman in Dubuque, Iowa, gives a detailed account of the battle: HEADQUARTERS THIRD DIVISION ARMY OF THE FRONTIER, driving them back to Illinois Creek, where I found their whole force strongly posted on a long ridge, with magnificent positions for batteries. For one mile in front it was clear ground, and my road lay right in the centre of their line. From a prisoner taken I learned that Hindman was on the ridge with his whole force, and intended to whip me out before Blunt could get up; in other words, to take us one at a time. The case looked tough, with Blunt ten miles away, and twentyfive thousand men between us; but I saw at a 42 glance there were just two things that could be done, namely, fight them without delay, and depend on the chance of Blunt's hearing me and coming up, or retreat and lose my whole train. It required no time to make a decision; and sending back for the Second division to close up, I took a look over the ground. At the regular crossing of the creek, I ordered two guns over to feel the enemy's position; but having felt rather too hard, they opened on us with two full batteries. Myself and staff made a very narrow escape here, as we were standing by the side of our pieces when they directed the fire of all their guns on us. For about ten minutes the solid shot and shell flew thick, several passing within a foot of me. I withdrew my pieces from this position, satisfied we couldn't cross at that place. There was a place further down the creek that I found we could cross, but it required a road cut through the timber to get at it. This was quickly done, and getting one full battery over and divided, posting three pieces in each of two places, so as to make them believe it was two batteries, I sent orders for the other three batteries with the infantry to cross the creek as soon as the first battery opened fire. At ten o'clock all was ready, and I gave the order to open. Of course the enemy directed their firing at the battery in position, and before they could change any of their pieces, I had fourteen guns more across the creek, and hard at work. Under cover of these guns I crossed all the infantry, General Blunt had kept up communication and thus formed my line of battle in the midst with me until Saturday night, at which time the of a terrific artillery-fire. The firing on our side enemy forced his pickets back, and by making a was elegant, both for rapidity and accuracy, and feint in front, withdrew his attention, and threw excelled any thing I had ever witnessed. Seeing their whole force, twenty-five thousand, in be- that all was working well, I commenced advanctween us. On the Saturday before, I had sent ing the batteries toward the enemy's lines, folall my cavalry, three thousand in number, to re-lowing up close with the infantry. Our skirenforce Blunt, having nothing therefore with me but infantry and artillery. I had necessarily to leave considerable behind, to keep my line open, and keep a heavy guard on my train of four hun- The enemy then commenced moving his troops dred wagons, so that I had left but four thousand from right on to my left, to force my position. available men. A more beautiful morning or a There was but one thing to do; and sending forgrander sunrise than that of December seventh ward, I ordered the Nineteenth Iowa and Twennever beheld. We had marched about seven tieth Wisconsin to charge. It was a glorious miles south-west of Fayetteville, when musketry sight, and witnessed by me just as plain as I was heard in the distance, and in a few minutes could see a company manuœuvre in the street, the Arkansas cavalry came dashing back in great while standing on the sidewalk. They charged disorder. The enemy's advance had attacked up a hill, capturing a battery of four guns on the them. It took half an hour to get them rallied crest, and driving the rebels a thousand yards, and form a battery and two regiments of infantry but were unable to hold the ground, and were in for protection, when I again commenced an ad- turn driven back. These two regiments lost vance. For four miles we fought their cavalry, fifty men each killed in this charge. The fight You have undoubtedly received ere this pretty full particulars of the fight at this place on Sunday last. I left Wilson's Creek to help Blunt, as the rebels were pressing him hard, and had marched one hundred and ten miles in three days, with the entire baggage and commissarytrain. This you will see at a glance was a tremendous matter; but I told the boys there was a fight on hand, and that we must get there, or break a wheel. On Sunday morning at three o'clock we reached Fayetteville, and after one hour's rest pushed on. mishers soon became engaged with those of the enemy, and indeed in but very few minutes the whole left wing was engaged. The soldiers comprising my two divisions are invincible. Better men never went upon the field. But it is with a sad heart that I look upon the long rows of graves where lie my gallant soldiers who have died, victims of this accursed rebellion. May the authors of it have a hot place in hell. ing was desperate beyond description. Having managed, and nothing but desperate hard fightdriven our men from the hill, the enemy tried to ing ever carried us through. charge our batteries, coming up to within two hundred yards of them, but they couldn't face the music. Such firing as Foust's and Backof's guns put in just then could not be withstood, and they broke, 'our men pouring volley after volley of musketry into them while retreating. Our loss during this fighting was heavy, but theirs was awful. Again the enemy commenced massing troops on my left, to drive me back, and I saw the charge must be repeated. I ordered Col. Houston, commanding Second division, to take the Twentieth Indiana and Thirty-seventh Illinois, and try them again, which he did, leading the troops in person. It was a repetition of the first desperate charge. Time moved on, and soon it was three o'clock, yet no word of Blunt. My small force was all engaged, and badly cut up. Hold out till night we must, and so I told the officers. Just at four o'clock a battery opened on my extreme right, and the shell from it went into the ranks of my skirmishers. A second shell lodged in the same place. It seemed to be the enemy's guns, and our case looked tough. Taking Captain Clarke, I went out to examine it my self, and found about one mile from my right wing the advance of Blunt coming up. Sending word to him of the enemy's position, I kept up the fight on my left until darkness closed upon us. We had advanced from our position in the morning about a thousand yards, and occupied a portion of the enemy's line. Resting on our arms in the very face of an enemy, we distributed ammunition, and prepared to finish the job next morning, but the bird had flown. Under cover of night they had wrapped the wheels of their artillery in blankets, and had escaped over Boston Mountain. The field was ours, and such cheering you never heard. But many a brave soldier had paid for the victory with his life. One thousand of our men lay dead and wounded on the field, while twenty-five hundred of the enemy lay at their side. It was a bloody, desperate fight, and for the number of troops engaged on my side, the loss was heavy. Of my command, the Second and Third divisions, the loss was nine officers killed, thirty-three wounded, and seven missing, and eight hundred and forty-three men killed and wounded. This out of four thousand men engaged. Gen. Blunt's division was about five thousand strong in the fight, and his loss one hundred and fifty killed and wounded. The total Federal loss will be about one thousand. The loss of the enemy is terrific. After their burial-parties had been on the ground for three days, we had to turn in and bury two hundred for them. The country for twenty-five miles around is full of their wounded. We have as captures four caissons full of ammunition, and about three hundred stand of arms. Hindman had prepared himself, and risked all on this fight. His movements were shrewdly The boys are all well, and did nobly. I think my staff is just about as near right as you find them. Very respectfully, your friend, etc., MISSOURI "DEMOCRAT" ACCOUNT. ARMY OF THE FRONTIER, IN CAMP AT RHEA'S MILLS, Editors Missouri Democrat : Ere now you will, no doubt, have received and published brief telegraphic despatches furnishing some inklings of the desperate battle fought near here three days ago (on Sunday, December seventh) which resulted in another decisive victory for the Federal arms! As not less than thirtyfive thousand men and seventy pieces of cannon were engaged in this hard-fought battle, which commenced early in the day, and was terminated only by the coming on of night-a more full account of it will probably be looked for by your readers. It is confidently believed that, in the important results to flow from it to the Union cause, if not in the obstinacy and desperation of the conflict on the part of the rebel army, and the gallant and successful daring of the Union forces in driving it back, the battle of Prairie Grove will take no secondary rank, as compared with that of either Wilson's Creek or Pea Ridge; in fact, that history will record it as the battle, thus far, in the war of the rebellion, west and north of the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers, in its effects upon that whole section of the Union. Close upon the heels of the battles of Wilson's Creek and Pea Ridge, the Federal armies fell back from the fields of those actions. Now, the army of the frontier, under the command of General Blunt, holds its position further south than any other has penetrated the enemy's country in this region, and is expected to advance upon the foe with as little delay as may be practicable. The brilliant victory of Cane Hill, by which, as you are aware, Gen. Blunt's command drove Marmaduke's forces from that strong position and across the Boston Mountains, occurred on the twenty-eighth of November. From that day the Second and Third brigades of the Kansas division occupied Cane Hill, eighteen miles south-west of Fayetteville, the First brigade (Gen. Salomon's) being left eight miles back north (at this point). to protect the large subsistence trains that had recently come in from Fort Scott. For a few days immediately following the Cane Hill victory, it was perhaps as "quiet" there as the telegraphic despatches have been in the habit of reporting it, usually, "along the Potomac," during some cighteen months past. the Second and Third brigades of the Kansas division, word came to Gen. Blunt from the officer in command of a detachment sent to watch one of the roads to the east of the town, that the enemy, ten thousand strong, had managed somehow to slip by him-and were on their way north! How such a thing could have occurred with any thing like due precaution and vigilance on the part of the officer referred to, is something very explanation, with at least a show of reason in it, may be offered in regard to this matter; and for the present therefore, I forbear further comment upon it; but it would seem to have been a piece heart of an enemy's country, when a single mismovement may be productive of disastrous results, as to be almost unpardonable. But it was a quiet to be of very brief duration here. On the second of December Gen. Blunt received information of a character to leave no doubt upon the subject that the united rebel forces in Western Arkansas, at least twenty-five thousand strong, under the command of Hindman, a Major-General in their service-with Marmaduke, Parsons, Roane, Frost, Shoup, Fagan, and others as brigadiers-were preparing to march upon him from a point midway between Van extraordinary; yet, happen it did. Possibly some Buren and Cane Hill, and that they might be looked for at any day; the distance from their position to the latter point being not to exceed twenty miles. Determining at once to hold Cane Hill, unless driven from it by an overwhelming of neglect which, in a time of war, and in the force, General Blunt immediately sent despatches for the Second and Third divisions of the army of the frontier-which he had been advised by Gen. Schofield were placed at his command-to march with the least possible delay for Cane Hill. Those two divisions were in the neighborhood of Springfield, Mo., from one hundred and thirty to one hundred and forty miles away. Gen. Totten, commanding one of them, was absent in St. Louis; as was also Gen. Schofield, the latter sick. The command of both divisions fell thereby on Gen. Herron, who, with a true soldier's promptitude that does him honor, made his arrangements to march at once, and join the First (Kansas) division at Cane Hill. At noon on Wednesday, the third, he commenced his long march, one that must, necessarily, even if the weather and roads remained good, occupy several days, (perhaps a week, if it rained) to perform; but he had assured Gen. Blunt that he should lose no time on the road, and that he would keep him advised, from day to day, of his progress. He nobly kept his word. Some time during the night between the fourth and fifth, word came to Gen. Blunt that the enemy-still some dozen or fifteen miles off-were | approaching Cane Hill by the mountain road, over which, less than a week before, Marmaduke had been driven from it. A small force was sent some miles into the mountains to hold them in check. Early the next morning the entire command took position upon the strong points in the southern part of the town, which control the approach into it from the south. Waiting there several hours, no enemy came. On the morning of December sixth the same ceremony was gone through, with a similar result. Again on the seventh it was repeated, news having come that the enemy was actually on the march, and their advance but a few miles off. All this time detachments had been sent out, of course, some miles to the east and south-east to watch the Cove Creek, Van Buren and other roads leading toward Fayetteville, and see that the enemy did not pass up on one of them, During the night, between the sixth and seventh, some two thousand of Herron's cavalry reached Cane Hill, with intelligence that he himself had arrived in the neighborhood of Fayetteville-only some twenty miles off-with the remainder of his command. While, on the seventh, between nine and ten o'clock, still occupying Cane Hill with Of course the receipt of the intelligence just referred to, produced a prompt change in the proceedings of the day. The Second and Third brigades of the First division at once faced north, and proceeded by a rapid march in pursuit of the rebel force. Under this new state of affairs, two things were to be considered. The enemy might move first upon Rhea's Mills-eight miles off, and a little to the west of north from Cane Hill-for the purpose of destroying the large train there, of some three or four hundred wagons; or he might proceed directly up the Fayetteville road-on which Herron was undoubtedly approaching in a southwesterly direction, and not very far off-with the view of crushing or crippling his command first, and then turning upon the First division. Such turned out to have been his plan. Gen. Blunt determined to make sure the safety of the train-to do which would increase the march but a few miles-and then move rapidly to the right, to Herron's relief, if necessary. Rhea's Mills is at the eastern extremity of a beautiful, undulating and cultivated prairie-dotted by fine farms and patches of woods, of about eight miles long from east to west, by an average width of perhaps two miles. Near the eastern extremity of this valley Gen. Herron came out, on the mountain road, from Fayetteville in his march to Cane Hill; and it was in that neighborhood that he met the advance of Hindman's forces early in the day. Between eleven and twelve o'clock the engagement between them became serious-to last until nightfall. At about one o'clock, and soon after reaching Rhea's Mills, General Blunt became aware that a battle was going on, and starting immediately with his command for the scene of action, obtained the first knowledge of the enemy's extreme left being immediately in his front, at about two o'clock. They occupied the woods on the south side of the prairie, from the house of one Branch on the west, to the Prairie Grove church on the east, a distance of some three miles, and had received since the commencement of the fight with Herron, large accessions to their forces, thus numbering with those before on the ground, not less than twenty-five thousand men, Of cannon, they had twenty or more pieces, as was subsequently ascertained; and their infantry were well armed -all of as well as our own-with Enfield rifles and muskets. There has been heretofore, unquestionably, much misapprehension upon the subject of the arming of the rebel forces. The great body of Hindman's army has been furnished, from some source or other, with arms of an excellent quality. About that there can be no further doubt. On arriving upon the field, Gen. Blunt at once placed his batteries in the most available positions in the prairie-considerably depressed, however, below the woods occupied by the enemy-and the action soon became general along the whole line. The booming from some seventy pieces of cannon, at the same time, was indeed a "thunder of artillery" that was most sublime. Never was there a more charming day for such a scene. The sun shone out brightly, and the air was as warm as in early summer. The morning had been lovely beyond belief for so late a day in the season as the seventh of December; but such is the character of the climate of this region. For ten days past, while the nights have been cold, every day here has been all that the most fastidious could desire. But to return to the battle-it was not one confined solely to the artillery, by any means, though that arm played a prominent part in it, and did, perhaps, most damage to the enemy. His infantry force was more than double, if not treble ours, yet the latter met them face to face, for hour after hour, in a most desperate conflict, during all of which time the discharge of musketry was one incessant roar. On the morning after the battle, in quite a small orchard by the side of a house, over forty of our dead were counted, while close at hand, in a corner of the lot, some sixty of the enemy lay gathered up in a rail-pen, and all around the orchard, as far as the eye could reach, dead bodies might be seen. The woods, indeed, were strewn with them for a distance of two and a half or three miles one way, by perhaps one and a half the other. The trees themselves are torn and scarred, by both cannon and musketballs, within those limits, to a far greater extent than they were at Pea Ridge. Such is the statement of Gen. Herron himself; and it was at Pea Ridge, as will be remembered, that, wounded and taken a prisoner, he won the laurels that made him a brigadier. A most gallant soldier, and a true gentleman, he is worthy of every honor. Allusion is made above to the many dead found in and around a small orchard in Herron's front. It was there that the Twentieth Wisconsin regi ment, having charged into the woods, encountered the enemy, and fought them hand to hand. Beside this regiment, Herron had with him four others that participated actively in the battle, and all, I believe, suffered severely, to wit, the Nineteenth and Twentieth Iowa, the Twenty-sixth Indiana, and the Thirty-seventh Illinois. Of the Twentieth Wisconsin, forty-nine, I learn, were killed, and of the Nineteenth Iowa, one hundred and ninety-seven killed and wounded. What the casualties may have been in the other regiments named, I am not informed. The reports soon to be made will give the facts. Among the killed in Gen. Herron's command is Lieut.-Col. McFarland, of the Nineteenth Iowa, and Major Bredett, of the Seventh Missouri; and among the badly wounded, Col. Black, of the Thirty-seventh Illinois, Major Thompson, of the Twentieth Iowa, and Lieut. De la Hunt, of the Twenty-sixth Indiana. Some thirty of the line-officers of that division are said to have been wounded. Coming upon the field later in the day, the casualties in the right wing or First division of the army, are, perhaps, less than in the other— but still very numerous, Three only of the infantry regiments, the Tenth, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Kansas, and one of cavalry (dismounted and acting as infantry) the Second Kansas, of the First division, were involved in the conflict upon the field of battle proper; and all fought with the most determined bravery until night came on, though their comrades were constantly falling around them. Of the Tenth Kansas, which went into the action less than three hundred and fifty strong-several of its companies being absent on other duties-seven, I learn, are killed, sixty-six wounded, and eleven missing. The gallant Major Williams, who commanded this regiment, had his horse shot under him. The chivalric Capt. A. P. Russell, of the Second Kansas - who had passed through a dozen hard fights before-received a very bad wound in the breast, of which he has since died. The Eleventh and Thirteenth Kansas both have long lists of casualties, though what they are precisely I have not learned. I hear the conduct of Colonel Ewing and Lieut.-Col. Moonlight, of the former, and Col. Bowen, of the latter, spoken of in high terms for their gallantry in the engagement. All four of the Kansas regiments above named, under the head of their brigade commanders, Colonels Weer and Cloud-both soldiers of the true stamp-penetrated the woods where the enemy lay concealed, and fought them there for two hours or more, upon the ground of their own choosing. Against those four regiments, as has since been satisfactorily ascertained from some of their own wounded, were arrayed three brigades of the enemy. When our men entered the woods they rose, apparently by myriads, from every hollow and ravine, but only to be met by the most obstinate resistance. The musketry fire there, as already stated, was a continuous roar, for at least two hours, like the rattling of thunder in a terrible storm-the bellowing of the cannon, even, being drowned by it, to those who were nearer to the former than the latter. In regard to the conduct of the commanding officer of the Federal army in this hard-fought battle, (Gen. Blunt,) it need hardly be said, of course, that he was, where he always is, in the very thickest of the fight, when his presence is at all needed. His first act, as previously stated, on reaching the field, was to place his artillery, passing a long distance in front of the enemy, nearly up to Herron's command, to do so at the most suitable points, as well as to communicate to bear on it-not musketry merely, but ten arwith that officer. There Rabb's and Tenny's tillery guns, as was learned the next day from and Hopkins's batteries-the latter captured at some of themselves. Tenny's six "Parrotts,' Old Fort Wayne-soon opened a terrible and de- however, helped by the two troublesome howitstructive fire upon the foe, and drove him back zers, soon shut them up for a time; but as Gen. into the woods at every point where he had come Blunt and staff rode away from under the dense out from beneath its cover. Some of the little smoke, and over the field, a perfect shower of howitzers, too, soon joined in the chorus of the long-range "Miniés " followed them as they went, cannon, and the enemy danced to it in a most with an incessant whiz and whirr, indicating very lively manner- back from the front! When, clearly that those from whom they came were subsequently, our infantry were about entering bent on something more than a purpose to fire a the woods, Gen. Blunt with his staff rode up to mere idle shot. It was in that part of the field, the crest of the hill, near the house of one Mor- by the way, that the enemy's heaviest musketry ton, to observe as far as was practicable what fire occurred during the day. Renewed by them was going on, and to direct any movement that just at dark-by way perhaps of a last parting might be necessary. Two of the Kansas regi- salute-the blaze from their guns, for several ments were lying flat upon their stomachs, just hundred yards along the woods, was more like within the edge of the wood, at the hill-top, pre- some "fireworks" I have witnessed than like pared to give the enemy a hot reception so soon musketry fire; or, to use a homely but approas they should come within reach. Just then priate phrase to describe it, it was "a perfect their fire came rattling over the prostrate men, blaze!" as if delivered, apparently, for the special benefit of Gen. Blunt and staff; and such undoubtedly was the fact! Nobody was hit; but the sharp cutting of the twigs overhead, and barking of the trees close at hand, makes the escape seem miraculous. Major-General Hindman, it appears, had been issuing lately another of his characteristic orders or addresses to his troops, telling them how to shoot, and whom they must shoot. You have published already one of Hindman's "orders," upon the subject of "picking off pickets," killing off "pilots on steamboats," etc. That was an atrocious document; but his "Address to the Troops," issued on December fourth, only three days before the late battle of Prairie Grove, when he was crossing the mountains to attack us, I think it excels it in infamy! Who ever before heard of the commander of an army, among civilized nations, instructing his men, in a public address, to single out mounted officers in the ranks of his foe, and deliberately shoot them down? Oh! shame upon such chivalry; yet this is the conduct of which Hindman has proven himself capable. Let nobody doubt the genuineness of the "address." It is just what it purports to be; and, together with his "order," should be preserved to immortalize their author, "Major-General Hindman!" The case mentioned above is not the only one in which Gen. Blunt and staff received the very special attention of Hindman's trained "sharpshooters" on the field of Prairie Grove. Late in the day the enemy, having gradually worked his way over to the extreme left, (our right,) near Branch's house, it became necessary to put Tenny's battery, with some of the howitzers, in a new position to dislodge him. They had come up to the edge of the timber, and were pouring a terrible cross-fire into some of our people, who were holding their ground near Morton's house. Gen. Blunt went in person with his staff to help to get Tenny's battery properly at work. Hard ly had it opened ere the enemy's fire was brought It was there that, as Gen. Marmaduke informed the writer, the rebel Col. Stein fell, with a ball from the gun of some of "ours" through his brain. Night and darkness finally closed the battle, each party retaining the ground they had occupied at its commencement; the rebels to hide under cover of the woods and in the hollows and ravines; we to " 'bivouac upon our arms," as Blunt expressed it, on the open prairie, and to await the dawn of day to renew the attack. But when the dawn came the enemy had gone, at least the most of them. Early in the morning, Hindman sent, under a flag of truce, a message desiring an interview with Gen. Blunt. The request was granted, and the interview took place at nine or ten o'clock, occupying an hour and a half. Present at it were, with Gen. Hindman, his Adjutant-General, Col. Newton, and General Marmaduke. Accompanying Gen. Blunt were the Inspector General of his division, Major Van Antwerp and Gen. Herron. What transpired at this interview I am not prepared to state. It is said, however, that Hindman, in true diplomatic style, and with the skill and plausibility of a Talleyrand-he is a man of no little polish as well as ability-presented to. General Blunt, "for his consideration," several "points," in due order, relative to the treatment of the sick and wounded, to an exchange of prisoners, the employment in the army of Indians, negroes-admitting that the former had been first used by the rebels themselves, but with an air of mock chivalry, deprecating the practice by either party; and, finally, wound up with an earnest effort to justify the raising, by himself, of his bands of bushwhacking assassins, whom he plead to have recognized and treated as soldiers in his service-a part of his regular force! Those who were present say that, upon every point where there was any non-concurrence of opinion, Gen. Blunt met the artful and wily diplomatist with a directness of speech and a presentation of his own common-sense views in so practical a manner as to balk him at every turn. |