Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-09-15
'EsShs'R RaeouIIooh,s Officiaf 1sepSrt o
the Rattle of tho Oalx AAIiIS (sprinG


Hsshss laeouIIoeh,s Offlciaf isepSrt OF
the Rattle of tho Oak AsEiIsl tsprinG.
|, fieidl:sis shi 70 stsl laolsAib al sSaJo
=. .Slq qHEApsuARrEAs MoCuLLooH,si BaIaADR q
CAHHf WrI0HfnAN. pear Springfield Moa} ,H
- = 90 August 12ih, 1861. !,
Brioadity 0sasral' J. Coop.1, t4d;utsat ceneyal
40 sac lsyA43 Las strsIfh sfShI1 J FSusn
DsiGErsRAL have the honor ID make the fol.
lowing ofhcialrepert ofethe battle ofdthe Oak
His, On, the lob jnstsoiiElsl sid nisiGan oi VA
Having teken position about ten miles from
Springfield, Iehdeavored TO gain the necessary
information Of TIE strength and position Of the
enemy, stationed In and about the town. The
Information was.very conflicting and uusatsfac-
tory. I, hosever, made up ny mind TO attack
the enemy In their position, and issued orders on
the 9th ainstant toimy force to start at nine
O'clock atnght oDattsck ct four different points
at daylight A few days before, General Price,
OF the Missouri force, turned over hie command
to me, and y assumed command OF the entire
force, comprising my own brigade, the brigade
of Arkansas State forces, under General Pearce,
and General Prics's command Of Missourians,
y MY effective force was Eve thousand three
hundred infantry, ffteeu pieces Of artillery, and
ei1 thousand horsemen. ed With hint-lock
maSkets, rifles, and shot guns. There, were
Other horsenuen with the army, who were en-
tirely unhrmed, and Instead OF being help
were continually I'm the way. When the time
arrived for the night march IL began TO rain
slightly, and fearing, from the wantof cartridge
boxes, that my ammunition would be ruined,
ordered tae movement 70 be stopped, hoping to
move the next morning. MY mon had but
twenty-five roundso cartridge apiece and there
was no more to be had. While still hesitating
In the morning, the enemy was reported adyapc
ingI and i nude arrangements 20 meet him.
| The attack wssmsde simultaneously at half-past
B AM, on our right and left ;fanks, and the
enemy had gained the positions they desired, q
General Lyon attacked us on our left and
General sigei on our right aud rear. From
these points batteries opened upon us. glMy
command was soon ready. The Missourians
under Generals Slack, Clark, Mcbride, Parsons
and Rainswefe nearest the position taken by
Gen, Lyon with his main forcei they were in
stantly turned TO the left and opened the battle
with an incessant FIRE of small arms Wood.
ruff opposed his battery TO the battery Of the
enemy under Capt Totten, and conetxnt cam
ponsding waa kept up between these batteries
during the engagement Heibert'a Regiment
| of Louiaiana Volunteers and McIntosh's q Regi-
ment Of Arkansas Mounted RiAsmen, were or
dered TO the isont, and after passi6g VIE battery
/ lTotten's) turned To- the left end soon engaged
the enemy with the regiments ,deployed.l Col
McIhtoah dsmounted his regiment and the tWS
marehed up abreast to'a fence around q larg,
foorni field, where they met the left Of the enc
my alseady posted. "A terrible conflict Of ANAL
! arms took place here, The, opposing force wa
! d beAy Of regular United States, infantry, com
1bmshae by Captains Plummer and Gilbert. 'a''
clnS Notwithstanding the CALLING fee poured oI
4 theae two regiments, they leaped over the fence
land, gallsntly led by their Colonels, drove tb,
enemy before them back upon the main body
J During this time, the Missourians under Gen
Price we're nobly attempting toasustsin them
selves 10 the center, and we're hotly engaged OF
q the sides Of the height sPon yhiSh .,hs epsml
Ess e ,hs
\ iments, and rhadggradually made .hiswa 10 thi
4 lSpfinRfeld road, upon each eide Of which ths
army was encamped, and IN q pfominent POSI-
riot be established his battery at once tool
Two companies Of the Louisians Regiment, Wh,
we're nearest me, and, marched them rap
d Idly from sthe front and right to the rear
} with order 10 Col. Mcintosh 70 bring up ID
q rect. When we arrived near the enemyS BAT
q ter5 We found that Reeds battery had opene
upon Il, and IL was already in confusion, lAd
vantage was taken of it, and soon tn
Louisianishs were gallsntly charging among
the guns, and swept the cannoniers away. 'Fiv'
guns were here taken, and Slgeps oommant
4 completely routed, and were In rapid retrea
withs single gun, followed by some companies
d of che Texas Regiment and portion OF Col
Mslor's Missouri cavalry 10 the pursuit man,
Of che enemy were killed and taken prisoners
and their last gun captured. ss., 49,, ..., 4.
Having cleared our right and rear, It was ne
cessary 20 turn all our attention to the center
Il under General LION :, who Was presainp upon thi