, 1861-10-22

Especial Correspondence Chicago Tribune41
IRosros, Mo,, Oct. Is, 1861.
As our Communication has been cut of for
the past tHo days, you have no doubt had all
sprts of rumors In relation to the events which
am about to nar1ate. I Therefore give you 4
full sccount, based partly on my own knowr
edge, but mainly on the accounts given to ns
by the parties engaged.
Or Monday night, at 10 O'Clock, We received |
notice by telegraph that JEFF Thompson WAS
at Desoto with large body OF men. Our reg |
ment {39d), and parts Of the 38th, and six |
companies Of cavalry were immediately put |
under marching orders, with four days ratioas.
we elept on our ar1ns during the night Col
Ca1lin sent three companies Of cavalry and one
Of artillery, with one gun, down the road
towards Potosi, to protect our companies at
the railroad bridges, and to ascertain the truth
Of the reports. At o'clock yeaterday morn
ing, the telegraph stopped working, and cut
CT onr communication. Twenty men, famil-
lar with the country, were dispatched by three
different routes for st. Louis, and the train
started north, cautiously feeling its way
towards st. Louis. At Mineral Point, q
few miles this side Potosi station, 1t was met
by two wounded soldiers, and turned back to
Pilot Knob. These men belonged to Capt-
Eil,ott's company, in the Normal regs-
| nent- They reported TINT they had been at
tucked, with two others, while watching =
| bridge, that their comrads had been captured,
| and that both Elliott's and Lippencott's COM
| panies had been cut to pieces or captured, at.
| Ter bloody fight.
| OF course there Was q stir in the $50 regi
NEXT. Thess we1etwo Of our best companies;
and the men could hardly be restrained from
marching on the captora-orders or no orders.
But Col. Ca1lin believing the attack on these
companies, the cutting Of the wires and the
burning Of the bridges, wers only preliminary
to IN attack upon this post By larger body,
put everything in the best state OF defense,
and determined to retain all the troops at the
post. Being in full readiness to march at
mcment's notice, therefore, We again laid on
our arms, last night, sent out numerous scout
ing parties, snd awaited the result. The scouts
could find no enem5--though others are still
During the latter part Of last night, the train
| again passed cautiously down the road, past
| tie camp Of Capt Lippencott's company to
the first burned bridge, at that Of Capt. Elliott.
! They found this camp deserted and everything
carried of, and the bridge IN ruins. The br,dge
was very superior one. at the crossing Of Big
river. Returning, they found Capt Lippencott
| with large portion Of his command, at Nine
raj Point aud brought them to Pilot Knob
| this morning. The remainder Of the account,
derfye from the brave Captain and bis men,
themselves
Between five and six o'clock yesterday
. morning, tWo Of El1iotts men {before alluded
] to- came to Lippeneotss camp, which Is Z U
!: miles this side Of El1iott's camp. and told The
; captatns how they had been attacked. Lip
T pencott and 56 men started Immediately K
| The relief Of Capt Elliott, marching along the
railroad track-the only practicable route
! After proceeding several miles, they were sud
: I n],A 4,na Hrr1r
+ BY q large body Of men in the bushes. Thei
q oa1y cover was the ditch beside the track, AMI
|. into it they went Here they loaded and fre<
Z some ten minutes, until some two hundret
It more Of the enemy forded . neighoorin1
g them, They then cut their way through AM
= retreated, firing es they went, along the track
Z Tie enemy, under command of the redoubta
i kle JEFF. Thompson, numbered between fou
/ and FIVE hundred-the former being the loves
Re and Lieut. Nixon, wefe taken prisoners II
II hurt, together with six wounded men, Non
d | Of the company were killed.
d After retreating thus along the track fo
n corndeld, when they left the track, got int
rs the field, and fired from the fence corner
d. From this cover their fire Was very destruc
n, i've, killing five Of Thompson's men All
ID wourd;ng many more. At length they T!
D. more, Making circuit throughthe woods I
five miles, they reached Mineral Point, whens
e. they were brought up BY the cars. Anon
n the Incidents Of The fight, related BY the boy
of are the following:
ed Capt, l., In hand-tohand struggle Wit
he one af Thompson's LientenAnts, tried IN va'
re-, 10 Kin him with his sword, which, not havi1
or been ground, would not cut deep enough
to do much hahn. Then, after trying In yatn
NJ thrust its dun point between the rebels rib
he be knocked him down with the Aand!e1 al
50. ltaped On to him. The fellow be1oWed luxe
ssa bull. calf-all the while trying to draw his
In yolyer. This the Captain Wrested from h:'
HI and with It killed him on the spot: Durn
to this struggle, private Spencer Killed p
m Who was Just pulling trigger on the Captain
I'D. While the company WIS shooting from !,
On. hind The fence, Orderly Higgins said "Ca
he taiu, believe can get that man Away
Of ttere!' He fired, ard down fell the reb
to aThkre," said the Orderly, II got him"
IN. After Higgins and the other prisoners Y
Ing with ThomPson. Jeff: told them that th
MT could give their parole {not to eerye ag'
1rb curing The waE,l o. be shot, g he had no
the tor prisoners. They gave 1hsi5 P.soie@ts -
set, ! IaeRteAant until e1ohanged-1nd were est
i1 Liberty. Thompson esid to H1ggtns7 "
osa what dId yru do :" HCeme here and