were now ordered back, and their position taken by the Iowa First. General Lyon had previously had a poor opinion of the fighting qualities of these men, formed more from supposition than upon any real failure in duty; but now the time had come for him to reverse his judgment, which he did after their first repulse of the enemy. They fought like tigers, drove the enemy back, and followed up the advantage gained for a considerable distance. Captain Mason, Company C, was killed soon after his regiment was engaged. Lieutenant Purcell was mortally wounded. Major Porter and Colonel Merritt, gallantly cheering on their boys, escaped unharmed. The Kansas First and Second regiments were now ordered forward to support the right flank of the Iowas. Colonel Green's regiment of Tennessee cavalry, bearing a secession flag, now charged upon our wounded, who were partially guarded by one or two companies of infantry. Seeing the movement, Captain Totten poured a few rounds of canister into their ranks just in time to save our sick men from being trampled to death, dispersing the rebels so completely that nothing more was seen of them during the day. Gen. Lyon now desired the Iowa boys, who he had found so brave, to prepare to meet the next onset of the enemy with the bayonet immediately after firing. They said, "Give us a leader and we will follow to death." On came the enemy in overwhelming numbers, contident of victory over such a meagre force. No time could be lost to select a leader. "I will lead you," said Lyon. "Come on, brave men;" and placing himself in the van, received a fatal bullet in the pit of the stomach which killed him instantly. The Iowas delivered their fire and the enemy retired, so there was no need of charging bayonets. Gen. Lyon's body was carefully picked up and conveyed lifeless toward the ambulances by two of his body guard. In his death, as in his life, he was the same devoted, patriotic soldier, regarding his own life of no value if he could but rescue his country. His body has been brought hither and embalmed, for conveyance to his friends in Connecticut. There was no feeling of depression on the part of the troops at the unexpected calamity, but rather a feeling of quiet determination to revenge his death. On the Tuesday night previous he had arranged for a night attack upon the enemy, but singularly found himself delayed two hours behind the proper time for starting, by rumors of a skirmish on the prairie west of the town, and the attack was postponed. Wednesday he said to me: "Well I begin to believe our term of soldiering is about completed. I have tried earnestly to discharge my whole duty to the Government, and appealed to them for reinforcements and supplies; but, alas, they do not come, and the enemy is getting advantage of us." He then called a council of war, at which there was nearly an unanimous voice for evacuating Springfield. Gen. Sweeney pleaded eloVOL. II.-Doc. 40 quently against such a course, declared it would be the ruin of the Union cause in that quarter of the State, and urged a battle as soon as the enemy were within striking distance. He also pointed out the loss of reputation both to the General and his officers which would follow such a step. This counsel decided the course to be pursued, and Thursday, when the brigade quartermaster inquired when we were to leave Springfield, Gen. Lyon replied, "Not before we are whipped." This was the proper course to pursue. If he retreated without a battle he would certainly have been pursued by a boastful and unpunished enemy, and very likely have his retreat entirely cut off. After being wounded, he exclaimed to Major Schofield, "The day is lost," but the Major said, "No, General, let us try once more." So they tried, and the General fell. It was now a little after nine o'clock, and the battle had raged with a fierceness seldom if ever equalled for over three hours. The smoke hung like a storm cloud over the valley, a fit emblem of mourning for the departed hero. "He sleeps his last sleep, he has fought his last battle, No sound shall awake him to glory again." The battle raged for two hours more, the command devolving upon Major Sturgis. The enemy made repeated attempts to retake the heights from which they had been driven, but were gallantly repulsed each time. The Kansas regiments behaved with a bravery seldom or never equalled, forming ambuscades for the benefit of the rebels by laying flat on the ground until the enemy came near enough for them to see their eyebrows, when they would. pour a deadly volley into their opponents and again remain in possession of the field. The last repulse of the enemy was the most glorious of all, and was participated in by the members of every regiment on the field. The enemy came fresh and deceived our men by bearing a Union flag, causing them to believe Siegel was about making a junction with our forces. Discovering the ruse just in time, our gallant boys rushed upon the enemy, who, with four cannon belching forth loud-mouthed thunder, were on the point of having their efforts crowned with success, and again drove them with great loss down the slope on the south side of the hill. Captain Totten's ammunition was now nearly exhausted, and placing Dubois' battery upon the hill at the north end of the valley, Major Sturgis ordered the ambulances to move toward town. The infantry and Totten's full battery followed in good order and were not pursued by the enemy, who was evidently glad to be let alone. Among the prisoners taken was a surgeon living in St. Charles County. He was immediately released, and Dr. Melcher accompanied him to the rebel Generals, arranging for the return of our wagons to bring in our wounded and dead. Lieutenant-Colonel Horace H. Brand, of the First regiment, Sixth Division, who commanded the rebel force at Booneville, equipped and outnumbering his own more than three to one. It will be seen that to the last he was the gallant soldier and true patriot, with an eye single to the cause of the Union, and counting his own life as nothing compared with the honor and glory of his country. As I wrote you on the 7th, the enemy were encamped twelve miles from Springfield on Tuesday, while our force was scattered upon the different roads leading to the city, at a distance of three to five miles. Two thousand were five miles from town, on the Fayetteville road, under command of Major Sturgis, of the and who said he was now acting as aid to | Lyon to attack an army formidably armed and General Price, was taken prisoner early in the day. The Illinois Twentieth made themselves useful by guarding the prisoners. One of them had a horse shot under him. When General Siegel, who commanded the eastern division, heard the roar of Totten's artillery, he at once attacked the enemy in his quarter, driving him half a mile, and taking possession of his camp extending westward to the Fayetteville road. Here a terrible fire was poured into his ranks by a regiment which he had permitted to advance within a few paces of him, supposing it to be the Iowa First. His men scattered considerably, and Col. Salomon's could not be ral-regular army. This force was ordered by Gen. lied. Consequently Siegel lost five of his guns, Lyon to be ready to move at a moment's nothe other being brought away by Capt. Flagg, tice, and at 6 P. M. on that day they were in who compelled his prisoners, some sixty in ranks, artillery horses harnessed, and every number, to draw the artillery off the field. | thing in readiness. Shortly after 9 o'clock an Our troops took some four hundred horses and incessant stream of visitors, messengers, and about seventy prisoners, and compelled the communications poured in upon the General, enemy to burn nearly all of his baggage to some reporting the engagement of Capt. Stockkeep it from falling into our hands. The ene- ton of the Kansas First, and two companies of my had twenty-one pieces of cannon, and at Home Guards with a party of rebel cavalry, on least twenty-six, including those taken from the prairie west of the town, in which two of Siegel. There were none of them worked with the latter were wounded and carried off by precision, every shot for nearly an hour going their comrades; others receiving orders, and whiz twenty feet over our heads. Our army still others waiting for the same. Two comreached Springfield in safety, and are now pre- panies were ordered to the relief of Capt. paring to move toward Rolla, but with no Stockton. Eight companies of the Kansas hopes whatever of reaching there. With a First, part of the Kansas Second, and Major baggage train five miles long to protect, it will Osterhaus' battalion Missouri Second, were orbe singular, indeed, if the enemy does not dered to a certain point in town to await the prove enterprising enough to cut off a portion arrival of Gen. Lyon, who, strange to say, was of it, having such a heavy force of cavalry. so entirely occupied that, instead of starting at 10 With two more regiments we should have o'clock, it was two hours later when he left his driven the enemy entirely from the valley, head-quarters, and without looking at his watch and, with a proper cavalry force, could have he proceeded to Camp Hunter, having already followed up such a victory with decisive re-ordered Major Sturgis to drive in the enemy's sults. Our loss is about two hundred killed pickets if within two miles of his own. Capand six hundred or seven hundred wounded, tain Steele's company of cavalry were despatchwhile the loss of the enemy must have been ed on this errand at half-past 12, and General double our own. Dr. Schenck, who was in the Lyon, with the troops above mentioned, arrebel camp at a late hour last evening, bringing rived at 3 A. M. Here he consulted his watch, away our wounded, reports our men compara- and finding it more than two hours later than tively few with those of the enemy, whose dead he supposed, at once called together the prin were lying thick under the trees. cipal officers, communicated his embarrassing position, and took their advice, which resulted in the withdrawal of the entire force to Springfield. The General had intended moving his force seven miles further, and attacking the Sunday, August 11, 1861. enemy at daylight. On the return to town, We have passed through one of the most the General said to a friend that he had a preterrible battles ever fought upon the continent, monition that a night attack would prove and, though we drove the enemy from his disastrous, and yet he had felt impelled to try stronghold and successfully repulsed his re-it once, and did not know but he must do so peated attempts to retake it, forced him to burn his baggage train and tents to keep them from falling into our hands, and captured large numbers of prisoners and horses, we have lost our commander, and our army is compelled to fall back by the numerical force of the rebels, who are seeking to outflank us, and cut off our communication with St. Louis. A review of the events immediately preceding the battle, will show the causes which induced Gen. -St. Louis Democrat, August 15. NEW YORK "TRIBUNE" NARRATIVE. again. Before we reached Springfield it was daylight. An ambush was prepared a mile from the city, which would open upon the enemy if they pursued. During Wednesday continual alarms were circulating, and a real panic prevailed among the citizens, who rapidly packed up and left for supposed places of safety. The troops were under arms in every quarter, and several times it was reported that fighting had actually com where menced. Toward night the panic in a degree | around the extreme camp of the enemy, he halted thirteen miles from town, and on the The main body of troops, under Gen. Lyon, moved from the city about the same hour, halted a short time five miles west of the city, thence in a southwesterly direction four miles, where we halted and slept till 4 A. M., Saturday, the day of the battle. Thursday morning the rebels were reported actually advancing upon the city. The troops were quickly in line of battle, baggage-wagons all sent to the centre of the town, and in this position they remained during nearly the entire day. The enemy having been reinforced, had encamped in position two miles nearer the city on Wilson's Creek, their tents being on either side of it, and extending a mile east and south of the road, crossing to two miles west and north of the same, the creek running nearly in the shape of a horizontal. At the crossing of the Fayetteville road the hills on either side of the stream were two or three hundred feet high, the slopes being very gentle on the north and abrupt on the south side, and the valley about half a mile in width, though in many places up stream or west and northward, the slopes were so gentle that they were occupied by tents for a much greater distance. Thursday evening the troops were ready for marching orders, but a portion of the Kansas troops had been so much engaged the night before as to be really unfit for service, and an order for all except those actually on guard to retire and rest was issued, and the night attack was again deferred. Friday the city was remarkably quiet. Those who made it a business to repeat exciting rumors had been frightened away with much of the material upon which they operated. Enlistments in the Springfield regiment "for the war" were rapid, and a feeling of security prevailed. During the afternoon Capt. Wood's Kansas cavalry with one or two companies of regulars, drove five hundred rebel rangers from the prairie five miles west of the town, capturing eight of their number and killing two, without loss to our side. At 8 o'clock in the evening, Gen. Siegel, with his own and Colonel Salomon's command, and six pieces of artillery, moved sonthward, marching until nearly 2 o'clock, and passing Moving forward, with Captain Plummer's company and Major Osterhaus' battalion thrown out as skirmishers, we soon saw a party of rebel pickets near our extreme right, scampering off to alarm the camp, but as our centre and left were already partially between them and camp, they were forced to the westward, and it is doubtful whether they reached the camp at all before the battle. It was now five o'clock. The enemy's pickets were driven in; the northern end of the valley in which they were encamped was visible, with its thousands of tents and its camp-fires; the sky was cloudy, but not threatening, and the most terribly destructive of battles, compared with the number engaged, was at hand. Our army moved now toward the southwest, to leave the creek and a spring which empties in it on our left. Passing over a spur of high land which lies at the north end of the valley, they entered a valley, and began to ascend a hill moderately covered with trees and underwood, which was not, however, dense enough to be any impediment to the artillery. Capt. Wright, with three or four companies of mounted Home Guards, the only ones in the engagement, was sent to the left, across the creek, to cut off a party of horsemen visible on that side, near a house recently vacated by a Union man named Hale. Upon their approach, the rebels retired behind the south fence of a corn-field, and in the adjoining bush were soon visible swarms of men, whose fire threatened to be disastrous to the Home Guard cavalry should they approach. Through the thin stalks of the broom-corn, Capt. Wright had seen the ambuscade, and approached only near enough to draw their fire, when he withdrew, to induce them to follow him into the field, where he could charge upon them effectively. He repeated this movement three times, but the enemy were too wily, and would only remain behind the fence. Captains Plummer and Gilbert's companies of regulars were then ordered to attack them in the corn-field, which they did, and were driven back from the fence and followed by three thousand or thirty-five hundred rebels, before whom the two companies retired firing. Meanwhile the opposite hill had been stormed and taken by the gallant Missouri First and Osterhaus' battalion, and Totten's battery of six pieces had taken position on its summit and north side, and was belching forth its loudmouthed thunder, much to the distraction of the opposing force, who had already been started upon a full retreat by the thick raining bullets of Colonel Blair's boys. Lieut. Dubois' battery, four pieces, had also opened on the eastern slope, firing upon a force which was retreating toward the southeast, on a road leading up the hill, which juts into the southwestern angle of the creek, and upon a battery placed near by to cover their retreat. Observing the danger of Capt. Plummer and his gallant men, Lieut. Dubois skilfully threw a few shells among their pursuers, which, bursting just as they reached the dense mass of humanity, scattered them wounded and lifeless upon the ground by scores, while the balance ran for dear life in every direction. | effectually dispersed them. The roar of the distant and near artillery now grew terrific. On all sides it was one continuous boom, while the music of the musket and rifle balls, flying like an aggravated swarm of bees around one's ears, was actually pleasant compared with the tremendous whiz of a cannon ball or the bursting of a shell in close proximity to one's dignity. Capt. Cole of the Missouri First had his lower jaw shattered by a bullet, but kept his place until the regiment was ordered to retire to give place to the First Iowas and some Kansas troops. Up to this time Gen. Lyon had received two wounds, and had his fine dappled gray shot dead under him, which is sufficient evidence that he Having driven a regiment of the enemy from had sought no place of safety for himself while one hill, the Missouri Volunteers encountered he placed his men in danger. Indeed, he had in the valley beyond another fresh and finely- already unwisely exposed himself. Seeing blood equipped regiment of Louisianians, whom, after upon his hat, I inquired, "General, are you a bitter fight of forty-five minutes, they drove badly hurt?" to which he replied, "I think back and scattered, assisted by Capt. Lothrop not seriously." He had mounted another horse and his regular rifle recruits. Totten and Du- and was as busily engaged as ever. The Iowa bois were, meanwhile, firing upon the enemies First, under Lieutenant-Colonel Merrritt, and forming in the southwest angle of the valley, part of the Kansas troops were now ordered and upon their batteries on the opposite hill. forward to take the place of the Missouris. The brave and undaunted First, with ranks al- The former had all along the march been "gay ready thinned by death, again moved forward | and happy,” passing the time with songs which up the second hill, just on the brow of which were frequently joined in by the entire regi they met still another fresh regiment, whichment, making together a chorus which could poured a terrible volley of musketry into their be heard for miles, and Gen. Lyon had often rediminished numbers. Never yielding an inch, marked that they had too much levity to do they gradually crowded their opposers back- good fighting. Mutual friends suggested that ward, still backward, losing many of their own they ought at least to have an opportunity to men, killed and wounded, but covering the show themselves in case of an engagement, and ground thick with delegates from the ranks of many argued that they would fight the better the retreating foe. Lieut.-Col. Andrews, al- from keeping in good spirits. Gen. Lyon at ready wounded, still kept his position, urging one time replied, "Yes, I will give them an the men onward by every argument in his opportunity, but very much fear they will dispower. Lieut. Murphy, when they once halt- grace themselves." When they now came up ed, wavering, stepped several paces forward, to the front it was in splendid order and with waving his sword in the air, and called suc- a firm tread. The Missouri First had been cessfully upon his men to follow him. Every almost overpowered, were almost exhausted captain and lieutenant did his duty nobly, from the severe fighting in which they had and when they were recalled and replaced by been engaged for over two hours, and had they the fresh Iowa and Kansas troops, many were not been relieved, must soon have fallen before the faces covered with powder, and dripping the fourth body of fresh troops brought against with blood. Capt. Gratz, gallantly urging his them. The Iowas and Kansans now came upon men forward against tremendous odds, fell the stage of action, and right well did they mortally wounded and died soon after. Lieut. fight. The former fought like tigers, stood firm Brown, calling upon his men to " come for- as trees, and saved us from utter and overward," fell with a severe scalp wound on the whelming defeat. Gen. Lyon saw their inside of his head. Being carried to the rear, domitable perseverance and bravery, and with faint and bloody, he cheered on those brave almost his last breath praised their behavior defenders of the country whom he met, de- in glowing terms. Major Porter was all along claring that the enemy would yet be routed. the line, cheering his men forward, even when Gen. Lyon meeting him pointed to him as a bullets fell like hail, and scores were dropping proper example for his comrades. all around him. Companies B, under Lieut. Graham, C, Capt. Mason, who was killed soon after entering into action, F, Capt. Wise, H, Capt. Gottschalk, I, Capt. Herron, and K, Capt. Cook, were in the very thickest of the fight. The three latter were afterward placed in ambush by Capt. Granger of the regulars. Lying down close to the brow of the hill, they waited for another attempt of the enemy to retake their Just then Gen. Greene's Tennessee regiment of cavalry, bearing a secession flag, charged down the western slope near the rear upon a few companies of the Kansas Second, who were guarding the ambulance wagons and wounded, and had nearly overpowered them, when one of Totten's howitzers was turned in that direction, and a few rounds of canister | position. On they came, in overwhelming numbers. Not a breath was heard among the Iowas till their enemies came within thirty-five or forty feet, when they poured the contents of their Minié muskets into the enemy, and routed them, though suffering terribly themselves at the same time. Two Kansas companies afterward did the same thing on the eastern slope, and repulsed a vigorous attack of the enemy. Lyon now desired the men to prepare to make a bayonet charge immediately after delivering their next fire, and the Iowas at once offered to go, and asked for a leader. On came the enemy. No time could be lost to select a leader. "I will lead you," exclaimed Lyon. “Come on, brave men," and with an unnatural glare in his eyes he had about placed himself in the van of the Iowas while Gen. Sweeney took a similar position to lead on a portion of the Kansas troops, when the enemy came only near enough to discharge their pieces, and retired before the destructive fire of our men. Before the galling fire from the enemy fell the brave Gen. Lyon. An hour earlier, when the enemy had nearly regained the heights from which the Missouri, Iowa, and Kansas Volunteers had partially expelled them, when Lieut.Col. Andrews had been wounded and his horse killed under him, when Col. Deitzler and Col. Mitchell of the two Kansas regiments had both been disabled from wounds, when the General had lost his own horse and received two wounds himself, he exclaimed wildly to his Adjutant, Major Schofield, that the day was lost, but the Major said "No, let us try once again." So the General gave orders to rally the men into line without reference to regiments, for the latter were so thoroughly cut to pieces as to make it an impossibility to get half of any one regiment together. Many were carrying their wounded comrades back to places of comparative safety, others were getting water, and many, very many, slept the sleep that knows no waking. The firing almost entirely ceased for half an hour. The enemy prepared for another onset, and our troops prepared to receive them. I passed where several horses, including the General's, lay dead and wounded, Dr. Comyn attending upon the mortally wounded Captain Gratz, and saw the dead of the enemy lying in scores over the ground, where the rebels had been repulsed. One of their wounded asked me for water, but I had none, and told him a man who would fight against his country poorly deserved water, when our own men were suffering for want of it. He replied that he had been forced into their army much against his will, and that. he had been unable to get away, which might have been true, but was probably false. When Gen. Lyon fell he was picked up by his body-servant and one of his guard, and carried lifeless toward the ambulances, in one of which his body was placed to be conveyed to Springfield. Gen. Sweeney received a shot in his right leg, at the same fire, and limped back to the surgeon. The command now devolved upon Maj. Sturgis. There was no certainty that Siegel had been engaged in the fight at all, as our artillery had kept up such a constant roar that guns three miles distant were but little noticed. Under these circumstances, Maj. Sturgis had about determined to cross his command through the valley (the recent northern camp of the enemy) eastward, and, if possible, make a junction with Siegel on or near the Fayetteville road. Before he had time to give the necessary orders, another attack from the enemy was announced by the volleys of musketry which were heard on our right. Maj. Sturgis directed his attention that way, and the enemy were again repulsed. Some twenty minutes now elapsed before the firing was resumed to any considerable extent on either side. I now determined to cross the creek, and see if I could find Col. Siegel, as a report had reached us that he was entirely cut to pieces. I had crossed the creek, and was passing through a portion of the corn-field adjacent to the spot where Dubois' shells had burst with such terrible effect upon the enemy, when the artillery and musketry again resounded on the hill behind me. I turned for a few moments to behold the terrible scene. The enemy, in overpowering numbers, were just on the southwestern brow of the hill, with five or six pieces of cannon, and it seemed as though surely the handful of their opposers would never be able to successfully resist them, much less drive them back. But all who had gone back with wounded, and for water, were rallied, and, after a sharp, severe, and unequalled contest, the enemy were again repulsed. Capt. Totten then reported his cannon ammunition nearly gone. This decided the course to be pursued, and Major Sturgis at once sent the ambulances toward the city, and Lieut. Dubois' battery back to the hill at the north end of the valley to protect the retreat. Then in good order, the remnant of the bravest body of soldiers in the United States commenced a retreat, even while they were victorious in battle. I had not proceeded far on the eastern side of the creek when I met the son of the Hon. John S. Phelps, who had left town upon hearing the cannonading, with a few mounted Kansas troops, and not discerning the exact position of the two armies, had busied himself taking prisoners on the Fayetteville road and west of it. When I met him he had captured half a dozen, including a negro belonging to an officer in a Louisiana regiment. Placing them upon the trail for our guards, and in charge of the Kansans, Phelps and myself proceeded, but found it unsafe to attempt to cross the Fayetteville road, and seeing the army retreating, we joined them and returned to the city. Gen. Siegel, upon hearing the battle opened by Gen. Lyon, at once began the work on his side. He had already taken sixty prisoners, who, with several wagons, were engaged on farms in the vicinity of the camp digging pota |