Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1861-09-12

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Isee the mostexaggerated accounts
in favor Of the North, of the bat
tie Of Carthage, IN every northern
paper that has fallen into my hands,
for STILL we occasionally see paper
which some traveller leaves in
the country. They lock upon
thatshameful and disgraceful defeat
of Seigefs command as positive
victory, representing us as having
lost from $50 to 1000 in killed
and wounded, whereas the records
of the army show that the State
troops lost s killed and mortally
wounded, s or 10 badly but not
Imortaliy wounded, and about 80
slightly wounded, many of whom
could have gone into battle next
day So the serious casualties
of the day would not reach 90,
Seigel in his official report, says
that he went into battle with $50
men and s field pieces, that he
lost l3 killed and 81 wounded,
lin all, and that the rebels, he
knows from reliable information,
lost from $50 to 400 men in killed
and wounded. 1t is notorious
fact, that Siegei passed through
Nit. Vernon, county seat of Law
renee county, next TO Jasper coun-
jty, in which the battle was fought,
with 2200 Federal troops and 2
pieces, VSlnting that they had 1000
men, and that there were $4,000 in
the State; and it is known also,
that in ten days, it being after the
battle, he returned to Mt. Vernon
with less than 1900 troops and
SIX field pieces. What upon earth
became of the balance OF his men,
| ii lie lost on Ii killed? and what
became of his cannon? Many of
them We're left dead along his
lineef retreat, giving a battlefield
of IA miles in length. Some of
them were buried by the citizens,
and the unburied bones Of many
of these poor fellows, now lie
strewed along the line of battle;
Is dead having been abandoned in
a few yards square, / have been
informed by an eye witness, and
others having been left at every
point where the Federal troops halt
led, along the whole line of battle.
| The State troops numbered not
far from 5000 men, only a few
hundred of whom were well
armed. Some had shot-gnns, 9TH
ers had the common small rifles Of
the farmers, some had revolvers
and very large number had no
arms at all. They were, i'll fact,
an unarmed body Of citizens, who
having fallen in with half doz-
en- antiquated field pieces, were
making their way to q point where
arms could be had. Seigel left
his camp that morning for the
purpose of arresting the rebels, not
expecting shot to be fired. l
live in fifteen miles Of the p oint
where the battle began, and in
about the same distance Of where
| it closed; was in about half the dis
lance of where it commenced
heard the first and last guns which
were fred-have seen a number
of gentlemen who had access to
1.-THE roll Of casualties, and the
ipublic may rest assured that the
numbers slain on the side of the
South, exists only in the imag-
nations of those who tell the tales
ION the subject. l have heard
the particulars of the death of
Gen: Rains, at least in four in
stances-he was shot to pieces at
Carthage by Minnie rifle balls
his head was shot off, by another
report, by a cannon ball, and again,
he was cut in two by the same
fearful missile of death, and in
the fourth instance, a large ball
struck his horse full in the breast,
tearing him to pieces and blow
ing bis buggy sky high and rend-
ing Rains into SO many fragments,
that not one of them has been
seen since! Yet the Gen. was
in good health a few days ago, at
the head of his column and look
ing like he is good for one more
battle, at least. Yours, etc. K.
Spring River, Lawrence Co, Mo-,
August 9Th, 1861.
NoTE.-Be assured we have In
deed terrible state of matters In
this county, and we have no hope