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JOHN V. DUBOIS,

Second Lieutenant Mounted Rifles, Commanding
Light Artillery Battery.

move my battery to the right-Captain Granger | not victorious. Very respectfully, your obewas to place me in position. Three companies dient servant, of the First Infantry and one of Mounted Rifles -recruits—were driven back by an overwhelming force of the enemy, (five regiments, I think,) who, in the ardor of our advance, had collected in masses.

Capt. Granger now countermanded my order to move, and by a change of front to the left I enfiladed their line and drove them back with great slaughter, Capt. Granger directing one of my guns.

Their broken troops rallied behind a house on the right of their line. I struck this house twice with a twelve pound shot, when they showed an hospital flag. I ceased firing and their troops retired.

Large bodies now collected in a ravine in front of the centre; by using small charges I succeeded in shelling the thicket, but could not judge of the effect of my fire. It seemed to check the enemy, as he changed his position to one more to my right and beyond my fire.

A new battery now opened upon us from the crest of the hill opposite, and having a plunging fire it did great execution, all the shot of which passed over me, falling among the wounded, who had been carried in rear of my battery in large numbers. We succeeded in partially silencing this fire, and at the same time drove back a large column of cavalry which had turned our position and were preparing to charge our rear.

CAPTAIN STEELE'S REPORT.

CAMP NEAR ROLLA, Mo., August 17, 1861. CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of my battalion, at the battle near Springfield, Mo., on the 10th instant. The battalion was composed of companies B and E, Second Infantry, commanded by First Sergeants Griffin and G. H. McLaughlin, a company of general service recruits, commanded by First Lieutenant W. L. Lothrop, Fourth Artillery, and a company of mounted rifle recruits, commanded by Lance Sergeant Morine. During the early part of the action the battalion was in position to support Dubois' battery, but had no opportunity of engaging the enemy except to assist in dispersing a large body of cavalry that frequently threatened our rear.

Soon after the fall of Gen. Lyon, Capt. C. C. Gilbert, First Infantry, joined my battalion with a part of his company, and we made arrangements to repel a threatened assault on the battery in front, which was repelled without our becoming engaged with the enemy. Major Sturgis then ordered me to form line of battle and advance upon the enemy's front, whence the heaviest firing had proceeded during the day. We very soon came within range of the During the entire engagement I was so em- enemy's rifles, when a fierce contest ensued, the barrassed by my ignorance of General Siegel's enemy gradually retiring upon his reserve, position, that on several occasions I did not fire where he made a stand from which our small upon their troops until they had formed within force was unable to drive him. After a heavy a few hundred yards of our line, fearing they firing on both sides in this position, without might be our own men advancing to form a any apparent advantage on either side, the conjunction with us. During the last effort of the test ceased for a short time, as if by mutual enemy to break through our right wing and consent. We were opposed to vastly superior capture our batteries, I limbered up two guns numbers, and many of our men were killed and to send to Captain Totten's assistance. Be-wounded, so that I did not deem it discreet to fore I could have a road opened through the charge upon the enemy without support, alwounded, I was ordered to fall back to a hill though Captain Gilbert suggested it. in the rear, and protect a retreat. I remained During this suspension of hostilities I reuntil all our troops had passed in good order,ceived orders from Major Sturgis to send a and was marching to the rear when my twelve company of skirmishers on the brow of the hill pound gun broke down; I asked Major Oster- to our left and front. Lieutenant Lothrop haus to protect me with his battalion; he re- went in command of this company, but was mained with me until I repaired damages, and met with such a galling fire from the enemy then marched in my rear until I joined the that he was compelled to retire; all of which command on the prairie. service he performed with coolness and intrepidity. Lieutenant Lothrop's retreat was followed up by a vigorous attack from the enemy upon us as well as upon Totten's battery, on our left and rear. The enemy had a field-piece established under the crest of the hill to our left and front, which threw grape with spitefulness-and occasionally a shell-with more moral effect than damage to us.

I now received orders to take command of a rear guard, but as I had already joined Captain Steele's battalion of regulars, and we had formed a rear guard under his command, I reported this fact, and marched to Springfield under Captain Steele. We were not followed by the enemy, who had, I think, been driven from the field before we left it.

Many of the company-myself included- This piece was now reinforced by one or two were struck and slightly injured by spent mus-pieces of the same character, all of which threw ket and canister shot, but only two were an incessant shower of missiles at us; but my wounded and one missing. My men behaved men were ordered to stoop, and very few took well, and cannot be convinced that we were effect on us. It was now evident that the ene

my intended to take Totten's battery, as a strong column of infantry was advancing upon it. Totten mowed them down with canister in front, and our infantry poured a murderous fire into their flanks, which compelled them to beat a hasty retreat. The enemy had failed in all his endeavors to dislodge us from our position, which I conceived to be the strategic point of the battle-field, and was determined to hold it at all hazards.

Another short suspension of hostilities ensued. After a consultation with the officers, Major Sturgis sent me orders to retire. Just at that time Captain Granger came up to me, and we discovered that the enemy were about to renew the attack upon us. Captain Granger rushed to the rear and collected several hundred volunteers of different regiments, while we held the enemy in check, and formed them on our left. We then advanced upon the enemy and drove them off the field, and never saw one of them afterward. After collecting our command we retired slowly from the field.

Lieutenant Farrand, First Infantry, also reported to Colonel Siegel, but was not under my command, being placed at the opposite extremity of the brigade. Colonel Siegel placed me in advance, with orders to seize persons who might give information to the enemy, and the command moved about sunset. The night was very dark, and it was with great difficulty that we avoided losing our way or getting separated. At about eleven o'clock the command was halted, and rested till two, when it moved on, approaching the rear of the enemy's camp. Upon nearing the camp, after daylight, different stragglers were met going from the camp to the surrounding country, and all captured, so that no intimation was given to the enemy of our presence till the first gun was fired. Colonel Siegel directed me to take the right flank, and then proceeded into the valley below the camp, and opened fire of cannon upon it; I, in the mean time, moving to the edge of the bluff and opening fire with our carbines, for the purpose of distracting the attention of the enemy, being at too great a distance to do much execution. A few minutes before Colonel

I commanded the rear guard on the retreat toward Springfield, but saw nothing of the enemy. It was evident that he had been se-Siegel opened fire, I heard the firing at the verely punished.

I wish to call the attention of the Major commanding to the gallant conduct of Captain C. C. Gilbert, of First Infantry; of First Lieutenant Lothrop, Fourth Artillery, and George H. McLaughlin received the highest commendations of all the officers present. I also mention the First Sergeant of Captain Gilbert's company, Mandrazz, who was killed in the last assault of the enemy; also First Sergeant Griffin, commanding Company B, Second Infantry, and Lance Sergeant Morine, commanding the company of Mounted Rifle recruits, each of whom behaved with distinguished gallantry. Sergeant Morine was mortally wounded, and died on the field.

opposite end of the camp, and sent word to him that General Lyon was engaged. This was a little after six A. M. The enemy ran out of their camp, which was of cavalry, and contained the head-quarters and tents of McCulloch and McIntosh. Colonel Siegel then took position on their camp ground, and I moved up along the bluff. Up to this time I had observed wagons and horsemen moving up toward the west and going south along the Fayetteville road, the point where we struck the camp being in the valley below that road and probably two miles from where it crosses the creek. At this time I was about a mile from the main command-it being on the west side of the valley, while I was on the bluff and higher up-when During the critical state of the combat, II observed a large body of cavalry forming and conferred with Captain Gilbert, whose intelligence and soldierly qualities are well known, and whose self-possession during the battle was calculated to inspire the men with confidence. In the latter part of the contest he received a wound in the shoulder, which compelled him to retire from the field.

I furnish herewith a list of the killed, wounded, and missing of my command during the day. I have the honor to be, Captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

FRED. K. STEELE,
Captain Second Infantry, Commanding Battalion.
REPORT OF CAPTAIN CARR.

CAMP NEAR ROLLA, Mo., August 17, 1861. SIR: Having been requested, through Major Sheppard, to write a report of my share in the late battle, I have the honor to state that :On the afternoon of the 9th inst. I was ordered to report to Colonel Siegel at six o'clock with my company, (I, First Cavalry,) which I did. Company C, Second Dragoons, commanded by

approaching the command. I immediately sent
word to Colonel Siegel and retired myself, as it
was getting between me and him.
I was
obliged to go back to get across the creek, and
in the mean time the cavalry had formed to
charge and had been broken up by Colonel
Siegel and put to flight, though their officers
raved and stormed and tore their hair in trying
to make their men advance. When I reached
Colonel Siegel again he told me he was going
to advance, and to take my place on the left
flank, which I did, keeping in line with the ad-
vance along the road. After advancing a short
distance-I think to within about half a mile
of the Fayetteville crossing, and over a mile
from where we first engaged-the command
encountered a concealed battery, on or near the
Fayetteville road, into which ours had forked.
The action here was hot, and there was con-
tinued cannonading with some firing of mus
ketry, for, I should think, half an hour. I
could see but little, being mostly in the timber
to the left, with my company, among which

At six A. M. the fire was opened on our right. Ten minutes later the enemy showed themselves in our front. I ordered a charge, which resulted in the entire rout of the enemy, about 1,000 in number, and drove them from the brush into the upper corn-field. The second was by the right of my command, making through the fence at the upper end of the cornfield, under Captain Switzler; the left under my immediate command to the left of the cornfield, with a right wheel, forming a cross fire and junction with the Eighth, telling fearfully on the enemy, and resulting in an entire rout and abandonment of the field. The squadron then retired to the left, and occupied a high ridge for observation. It was soon discovered that a company of cavalry and some four or five companies of infantry were flanking us on the left.

bullets, shot and shell frequently struck, with- | by me was ordered from the rear to the front out, however, killing a man. At that time of the command by General Lyon. When I many were in doubt if it were not our own advanced, I found the General occupying a troops firing upon us. At about ten o'clock point on the right of the ravine overlooking one of my corporals told me that one of Colonel the head of the rebel forces in camp on Wilson's Siegel's staff officers had brought our order to Creek. He at once called my attention to parretreat, and as all the troops in sight were re- ties occupying the ridges and corn-fields on the treating I did so too, bringing up the rear. left, asking me if I could drive them back; to After retiring about one and a half miles, dur- which I replied that I would try. I was then ing which we were fired on from a bushy hill- ordered to take the extreme left with my comside, by a body of men, whom I repulsed, but mand, (consisting of my own and Capt. Switzwho caused the loss of one of our remaining ler's company of cavalry,) and sustain it if posguns by killing a wheel-horse, I saw Colonel sible. I at once took position on the left, and Siegel at the spring where we camped the first immediately in front of the corn-fields. night, when returning from Dug Spring. It was then decided to move south on the Fayetteville road till we could go out and circle round the enemy toward Springfield. We then had my company, (fifty-six men,) about one hundred and fifty infantry badly demoralized, one piece, and two caissons. After retiring about one and a half miles, a large body of cavalry was discovered in front of us, and I was sent to the front, where I observed a column of horse of at least a quarter of a mile in length, moving toward the south on our right and filing into the road in front. I watched them for a few moments, when Colonel Siegel sent me word to take the first left-hand road, which luckily happened to be just at that point. While retreating along this road, Col. Siegel asked me to march slowly so that the infantry could keep up. I urged upon him that the enemy would try to cut us off in crossing Wilson's Creek, and that the infantry and artillery should at least march as fast as the ordinary walk of my horses; he assented and told me to go on, which I did at a walk, and upon arriving at the creek I was much surprised and pained to find that he was not up; as, however, I observed a great body coming from the enemy's camp, which was not far off, I concluded that it was no time for delay and moved on, after watering my horses, till I arrived at a spot where I thought I could venture to halt and wait for Col. Siegel, which I did for some time, and then pursued my march to Springfield.

It turned out that the Colonel was ambuscaded as I anticipated, his whole party broken up, and that he himself narrowly escaped. It is a subject of regret with me to have left him behind, but I supposed all the time that he was close behind me, until I got to the creek, and it would have done no good for my company to have been cut to pieces also. As it was, four of my men were lost, who had been placed in the rear of his infantry. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. A. CARR, Captain First Cavalry.

A. A.-G. Army of the West.

REPORT OF CAPTAIN WRIGHT.

CAMP NEAR ROLLA, August 19, 1861. MAJOR: On the morning of the 10th, at half-past five oclock, the squadron commanded

In their detached condition it was thought prudent to make an advance upon them. We advanced steadily until evident signs of retreat were visible, when a charge was ordered, which resulted in cutting off one company, and the entire destruction of it except two. At this point we were immediately south of the second or large corn-field, and immediately back of their hospital, at the mouth of a ravine leading to the left, and no doubt would have been cut off by a column in the upper end of the cornfield, (that had escaped my notice,) had it not been for the relief of Captain Totten's battery on the extreme right. A few shots told with fearful effect, relieved my command, and drove the enemy below.

Our victory at this time appeared complete on the left. In twenty minutes, perhaps, a body of cavalry appeared half a mile to our left. We advanced steadily upon them before coming in gun-shot. They gave way; we followed to the top of the ridge, when we found ourselves in the face of a camp not before discovered. Captain Switzler and myself took a position of observation, and estimated the forces in this camp at ten thousand. We soon learned from the movements that they were falling into column, and evidently going to march on the Federal troops to the right. We at once retired to our former position.

Finding no appearance of the enemy at that point on the left, (except the column referred to,) I at once rode up to head-quarters in per

son and reported their approach; at the time | Division, Brig.-Gen. Steen, of this State, comthey were first seen coming down the hill, manding, left on the 2d day of August. I went Captain Switzler fell back and brought out the forward with the Second Division, which emcommand. The command of the left was a braced the greater portion of my infantry, and complete success. I cannot speak too highly encamped with it some twelve miles north-west in praise of Captain Switzler and his entire of Cassville. The next morning, a messenger company. To single any out would be super- from Gen. McCulloch informed me that he had fluous. They acted as a unit. Officers and reason to believe that the enemy were in force men under my immediate command acted on the road to Springfield, and that he should bravely, nobly. In short, every order was remain at his then encampment on Crane Creek promptly obeyed and courageously carried out, until the Second and Third Divisions of the without the tremor of a single man. Very re- army had come up. The Second Division conspectfully submitted, sequently moved forward to Crane Creek, and I ordered the Third Division to a position within three miles of the same place.

CLARK W. WRIGHT,
Captain Commanding Dade County Squadron.
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL LOSS.

The official reports of the fight at Wilson's
Creek make up the following result:

Capt. Plummer's Battery,

Killed. W'ded. Miss'g.
19 52 9+

Capt. Elliot's Co. D, 1st Cav'y, 0 1 3
Capt. Dubois' Battery,

1

First Missouri Volunteers,

0 2 76 208

11

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Capt. Totten's Co. F, 2d Art'y, 4 7

Col. Siegel's Brigade,

0

15 20

231

0

Capt. Wood's Co. Ks. Rangers, 0
Capt. Clark Wright's Co. Dade

County Home Guard,

First Iowa Volunteers

Total,

0

0

12 138

4

223 721 292

SECESSION OFFICIAL REPORTS.

GENERAL PRICE'S REPORT.

HEAD-QUARTERS MISSOURI STATE GUARD,
SPRINGFIELD, August 12, 1861.

To His Excellency, Claiborne F. Jackson, Gov-
ernor of the State of Missouri:

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.

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. McIntosh, C. S. A., was sent forward with 150 men; but a reconnoissance of the ground having 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.

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 move-induced me, on Sunday, the 4th inst., to put ment. 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

Reasons, which will be hereafter assigned,

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

Spring, where we were compelled to halt our | conducted with the greatest gallantry and vigor forces, who were already nearly exhausted by the intense heat of the weather and the dustiness of the roads.

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 posses

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.

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,sion of three 12-pounder howitzers, two brass 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 at- The brilliant victory thus achieved upon this tack at daybreak. The darkness of the night hard-fought field, was won only by the most and a threatened storm caused General McCul-determined bravery, and distinguished gallantloch, just as the army was about to march, tory of the combined armies, which fought nobly countermand this order, and to direct that the side by side, in defence of their common rights troops should hold themselves in readiness to and liberties, with as much courage and conmove whenever ordered. Our men were con- stancy as were ever exhibited upon any battlesequently kept under arins till toward day- field. break, expecting, momentarily, an order to march. The morning of Saturday, the 10th of August, found them still encamped at Wilson's Creek, fatigued by a night's watching and loss of rest.

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 came, and left at once for his own head-quarters to make the necessary disposition of our forces.

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.

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 Brig.-Gen. Slack's division suffered severely. forces, successfully holding the enemy in check. He himself fell dangerously wounded at the Meanwhile, and almost simultaneously with the head of his column. Of his regiment of infanopening of the enemy's batteries in this quar- try, under Col. John T. Hughes, consisting of ter, a heavy cannonading was opened upon the about 650 men, 36 were killed, 76 wounded, rear of our position, where a large body of the many of them mortally, and 30 are missing. enemy, under Col. Siegel, had taken position, Among the killed were C. H. Bennet, adjutant in close proximity to Colonel Churchill's regi- of the regiment, Capt. Blackwell, and Lieut. ment, Colonel Greer's Texan Rangers, and 679 Hughes. Col. Rives' squadron of cavalry, (dismounted Missourians, under command of Colo-mounted,) numbering some 234 men, lost 4 nel Brown and Lieutenant-Colonel Major. killed and 8 wounded. Among the former

The action now became general, and was were Lieut.-Col. Austin and Capt. Engart.

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