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sissippi Valley and the Pacific, and in 1856 was nominated by the Republicans as their candidate for the Presidency. He received 114 electoral votes, and was defeated by Mr. Buchanan, who had 174. Returning to California in 1858, he devoted himself to the care of his vast estates until February, 1861, when he departed for Europe, whence he was summoned, as we have seen, to bear an important part in the present war.

While Fremont was still lingering on his route to St. Louis, important events were occurring in Missouri. The energetic movements of General Lyon, his expedition up the Missouri River, his seizure of Jefferson City, the capital, his expulsion of the secession bands at Booneville, his possession of that town, and his march to the southwestern part of the State, where the enemy were mustering in force, have been already recorded. General Lyon was spiritedly seconded in his efforts to establish the Federal authority by his subaltern, Colonel Sigel.

Franz Sigel was born in the Duchy of Baden, in Germany. During the revolution of 1848 he sided with the liberals, and under the provisional government was appointed to command the republican forces of the Grand Duchy of Baden. He proved himself a skilful general; but when the revolutionary government was overturned, and its army obliged to yield to the reactionary movement in Germany aided by the armed force of Prussia, Sigel, like Hecker and other German patriots, made his escape to the United States. Making St. Louis

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his home, he raised in that city, on the commencement of the civil war, a regiment of Germans, who appointed him their colonel. So great was the trust of his fellow-countryman, Hecker, in his skill as a military leader, that he left his home in Illinois, to which he had retired, and entered the ranks of Sigel's regiment as a private, together with his son, whom he had brought with him. Soon after Hecker was summoned back to Illinois to assume the command of a regiment of Germans formed in that State. at first refused, declaring that he had no higher ambition than to serve as a private under his old friend Sigel, but finally yielded to the persevering demands of his fellow-citizens in Illinois, and returned there to take command of a regiment of Jagers. Sigel was urged by the Germans of New York to become the general of a brigade, but refused, declaring that Missouri presented a wider field of usefulness, and that he did not care to desert the loyal Germans of his own adopted State. Though still a young man, Sigel's foreign experience as a military leader has made him one of the most accomplished officers, and he has given proof on various occasions during the fierce conflict in Missouri, that he not only is versed in the military art, but possesses that rare aptitude for command, which comes only from nature.

Sigel had pushed on in advance of Lyon, and had penetrated, after various encounters with the secession bands of Missouri, to the extreme southwest of the State. While encamped at Neosho, on the river of that name, in the

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BATTLE OF CARTHAGE.

southwestern corner of Missouri, near the frontier of what is called the Indian territory, he discovered that the enemy were in considerable force some miles north of Carthage, on the borders of Kansas.

Colonel Sigel determined to advance and give them battle. He accordingly marched with a force consisting of eight companies of his own regiment (the Third), under Lieutenant-Colonel Hasendenbel; seven companies of the Fifth Regiment, Colonel Solomon; and two batteries of artillery with four field-pieces, each commanded by Major Backhoff. His total strength in men was about 1,800. That of the enemy was computed to be 5,500 in all, of whom 3,000 were mounted; their artillery consisted of a battery of four six-pounders and one twelve-pounder. Generals Price and Rains commanded this force in person.

Sigel found the enemy advantageously posted on the prairie about ten miles north of Carthage. He, however, did not hesitate even with his inferior force to give them immediate battle. He July opened fire at ten o'clock in the 5. morning from his artillery, aimed at the enemy's centre.

"The aim was so effective," says an eye-witness, "that in less than one hour the enemy's twelve-pounder was dismounted, and by noon the whole battery of the State troops was silenced. Repeatedly the columns of the enemy gave way under the heavy fire, but rallied again, until our infantry, which had heretofore remained in security behind the batteries, were ordered to advance,

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when the centre of the enemy at once was broken. To remedy this disaster, about 1,700 of the enemy's cavalry were ordered to fall back, and by a side movement try to get possession of Colonel Sigel's baggage train, which had been left some three miles behind on the road, and thus encircle and cut him off from retreat. But this manoeuvre did not succeed. The moment that Colonel Sigel saw what was intended, he ordered his men to retreat, which was done in the greatest order, at the same time giving word to the baggage train to advance. Before the enemy's designs could be carried out, Colonel Sigel had his baggage train in safety. The wagons were placed in the centre of his column, protected in the front by Major Backhoff's artillery and Colonel Solomon's battalion, and in the rear by Colonel Sigel's eight companies.

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By this time it was four o'clock P. M. Our troops had suffered a loss of only about twenty killed and forty wounded, while the enemy's loss was stated, by some of their officers who had been taken prisoners, to amount at least to two or three hundred. The difference in the list of killed is mainly due to the efficient use of our artillery, which mowed down the enemy, while our troops were scarcely hurt by the fire from the miserable battery on the other side.

"Having thus placed his baggage train in a secure position, Colonel Sigel followed the enemy, who had now taken position on the south side of a creek, cutting through the only road leading to Car

thage. Here General Price thought his State troops could cut off all further advance of Colonel Sigel's forces, and at the first show of a retreat fall in their rear and cut them to pieces. To Colonel Sigel it was absolutely necessary to pass the creek and clear the road to Carthage, as he could not run the risk of being surrounded by an army of such numerical superiority by remaining where he was or by retreating. To dupe the enemy, he ordered his artillery to oblique, two pieces to the right and two to the left, following the movement with part of his force.

"The enemy supposing it to be Sigel's intention to escape them by cutting a road at their extreme sides, immediately left the road leading over the bluffs, south of the creek, to Carthage, and advanced to the right and left, to prevent Sigel's force from crossing their line. But scarcely had they advanced within 400 yards of our troops, when our artillery suddenly wheeled around and poured a most terrific volley of canister on the rebel cavalry from both sides. Simultaneously our infantry was ordered to advance at double-quick step across the bridge, and in a few moments the whole body of State troops was flying in all directions. Not a show of resistance was made. Eighty-one horses, sixty-five double shot-guns, and some revolvers fell into the hands of our troops. Some fifty prisoners were taken, and from them the number of killed and wounded was ascertained to amount to nearly 300. Very few on our side were lost.

"After this splendid achievement Colonel Sigel proceeded to move toward Carthage, the road to which place was now open. But all along the road, squads of the State troops kept at the side of our forces, though not daring to attack, and occasionally saluted by a discharge from the rifles of our infantry. Arriving at Carthage, Colonel Sigel found it in possession of the enemy; a secession flag waving from the top of the court-house was quickly shot down by our troops.

"Colonel Sigel now found it necessary to retire to Sarcoxie, eight miles southwest of Carthage, as his ammunition was beginning to give out, and it was necessary to connect again with the balance of our Southwestern army, concentrated at Mount Vernon and Springfield.

The road to Sarcoxie passes around Carthage, and is covered with heavy woods, which it was Colonel Sigel's object to gain, since the State troops at Carthage, almost altogether cavalry, could not follow him there.

"Fully aware of this, the enemy had taken his position on the road leading into the woods, prepared to dispute Colonel Sigel's advance to the last. The most desperate conflict now commenced ; the infantry on both sides engaging for the first time. Our troops fought splendidly, and for the first time the rebel troops screwed up some courage. their arms were very inefficient, and their cavalry could be of little use. The battle raged for over two hours, from a quarter past six to half-past eight o'clock, and was altogether the most

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