New-York daily tribune., 1861-09-09
-. .-.,f.,.,on. and left US in possessiOi

bu Beiss battery, Csniain Slseles bsttslon e
left nshk * sremy in the eornIed hie u 81 .h 81
l;h ncb marked effect as W insh,sr tom the VI
v,rooat disorder, and with grew y
Geld. -.0r,sntsIy cessation Of hre along
1nere hole line, except the estieh' ilsr
n nr"a .hs Ist Missouri was t'iii ensse. o, igbt =
sorcs Of the enemy, attempting W ,nsnt y
nor lofoe Va sy;no been inform OF OF tbis meIeneu
The GeheIaut 10 the support at the Isl Missouri
Gent tne ~ - time TO prevent the MlSsoullkhs ion Ve
~ OAiIo AS,T+ppved by the overweeinnug ioie' s,oS
sng bsy were unAinch gly hoicluS tnSir $500
WnSu oi;on of regular iniaury uuoeT S9V ~
Inc pay han detailed to the support OF l4eu', Du
%ocn p,,sv 't was during this ime, Drought ior
,Is snnpoft Of Capt. Iotlep pd.,el!' .L ansmy
tH.s s dspo.itions been made, "heh 'no onvy ';,y
again appeared IN very large % 1Vts aspt The engage
mont snu bacsIue general and almost lneonceiVaoy
E"res sono the entire hns, tne e9riuy ' ISeeI'
Ht oGcn In three or four rankf 9l's uo"n' 49,;
inc and ,anding the lines oien ~ the eps,y woud
.5, ~ forty wards Of each "tnei Is VIC ,'.a
tHay ns " mon Capt. Totens Battery She % uri'en
back. .n, the 1st Iowa came to the
.o,i of the lst hHnssr a. As' hiSSou'i oOt4 ~
which had stood IKE Netei"" ''I'' W
inc Gre OF the enemy. ,,...
6Eys,v syaiIabe battalion was now IonBnt lhto ac-
t; ara die battle ragged with unabaiea fury for more
than an hour; the scales eeeuN'g A'l'ne "ie
eonaIly balanced onr troops sometimes gsilrg t,ie
1ronDd zld again giving Way lew yards To rally
sscs;n Ealy in this engagement, while Gen. Lyon
yss leading his horse along the line On the left OF
Capt. Tolttns battery, and endeayonge 10 rally eur
troeps which wsre at The tue in considerable disorder,
bis horse was killed, and be received wound In the
lee ard one in the head. lie walked slow ly few
naces "a the rear and saId 81 fear the day Il ost'
then dismouned one oi my oteefts eno tehaeFeo tne
horse 10 the Geueral who at rst declined, saying
WAS not pece ssary TIE bOTee however wat LETT with
him and moved of to rally portion OF the Iowa
reqiment which was beginning to break In consider
aOle n7ubeIs.
his hat in the air, called on the iToos ueires hln 10
follow. The I'd Kansas gallan,ly rallied around him,
headed by the brave Col Mitchell. In few moments
the Colonel fell severely wounded about me same
time b II was lodged in tie Generals breust, and he
was carried from the field corpse. thus glOrlonsly
4, III as brave a soldier ever drew swOrd-a man
whose honesty Of purpose was proverbidi-a noble
patriot and one who held his lie as nothing when his
country demanded 1t Of in.
OF this dire calamity was Uot informed until per-
haps half an hour after ice occurrence. In the mean
time our disordered line on the lett was again rallied,
ard pressed the enemy with gIeA vigor ac cooloes,
particularly the LIST Iowa Regiment, which fought like
veterans This hot encounter lasted perhaps half all
hour.
AID let the field clear ~ as conlt see, aud al
most to;;l silence reigned for space OF twenty mil
utes Major Schofel1 DoW informed me Of he death
of Gen. Lyon ana reported for orders Tie rogPoDs-
bity which now rested upon me was duly felt and
snure isted Our brave li'le army was altered and
broken over q, 600 men were stli IL ont fr'nt ard
our men had had water slnce O'Clock tie evening
before aud could hope ior none short OF Springfield l.
miles distant; If we should 20 forward Our success
yyould prove our certain defeat Ia the el0; If We re-
treated disaster stared in tie face amuuuiton
was W, Ii nigh exhausted, and should The eueuy make
this discovery through sacketlng oi vur ire, total
humiliation was all we cOlld expect. The great
Question in my mind was, " Where Is Sige q If L
could stl hope Tor vigorous attsck by Linn on tie
enemy's right flank rear, iheA We could GO forward
with some hope Of success. ~ We had fo,lested there
Was nothing left for us a.0. III tms pei ieng CON
sition of aairs summoned the Princisl officers for
consultation The great question with mosi oi them
IVES, {" L. retreat posshlei'
The consultation was brought TO close by the as.
vance Of heavy column q infantry SdyAneing from
the hill where Sgei's gins had been heard -scfore
Thinking they were Sgefs nen, The line w4s formed
for advance, with the hope Of forming lnn ti0n
with him. These troops wore dress much resembling
tat Of Sgels brigade, and carried the American fag.
They were therefore peTub Ted 70 move down the hill
within easy range Of DaDoi;s battery Unit they had
reached the covered oiion NJ the foot o. the ridge
which we were posted, ard from wincllwe had been
feroely asaled before when sUd ienly battery was
planted the hill in our 'front.' and began 30 pour
sbrapnel and canister ecies u tkot uo before
fred by the enemy. A. tLia moment the enemy showed
his true colors, and at eommaCed along
tire lines the fercest AID most bloody engagement Of
the day. Lieut.. DuBoss battery eir, calamity
supported by Major Os'eThauss battalion ard tie raj
lied fragments of tie Missouri lf., sileuced the
wing Of bis infantry. pt. Totem battery In the
center, supported by The lUwes and regulars was the
main poLt Of attack.
Tue enemy could frequently be seen wilhIu tweny
feet Of TOtten guns and be smoke Of the or -osing
lines was Ofieu 10 COuiUunGe1 % seen but one
Now for the first tine during the day. entire line
maintained its position wi;b eri5c Tmnes. Not tue
eli .hiest disposition 10 give way n.aIifested at
suy point, and while Capt. Sieee's batahon, wbi.h
was some yards in front of tie hue Oge r with the
troops The right and e WCre ia imminent danger
of being overwhelmed by superior numbers, he con-
tending lines heinz almost nuZzle - uuzEle, Capt.
Granger ru.h he'd TO the and brought u the sup
ports OF DuBoss battery, CONSISTING of two or three
companies Of The ist Miss mi, three colnpaues Of the
lsi Kansas, and two eOu,p4lsef Of abe IL Iowa. in
quick time, and fell upOn the enen rl3bt flank, and
poured into it murderous yolIey, billing or wound
Ing nearly every man within siZty Or seventy yards
From ihis moment perie, rOgt took place through.
OUT The Rebel front, while ons ths ight flank
continued to pour ghii- lire inothcr dsOrganized
masses.
Il was then evident that Tottens slG'tery and Steeles
little battalion were safe. An0rg TIE off conspic-
uous IN leading this alt wert Adutlnt llezcOsk
Captains Burke, Miller, Maurt'- Maurice and Rich
srdson, and Lieut.. Howard all of she LIST Missouri.
There others OF the LET nfSs All ls Iowa who
participated, and Whose names j 30 hOs remember.
The enemy then fed from the field. 4 few moments
before the close Of the ENGAGEMENT tie 2i Kansas
which had firmly maintlin ils position, the
treue right from the tine 1t rst solt there, foand
It's ammunition exhausted, aud directed Il 10 with
draw slowly gnd in good oder from thr he'd, wbi il
cid bringing off it's wounded whic lett our right flank
exposed, aud the enemy Renewed TIE stack ii that
lo,t ate it had ceased bloag re whole line but it
was CALAMITY met by CAPT ST. ele bait Ii of fegu-
lars, which had Just driven the enemy frou the night
OF the teuter, and alter slarp 5ggeI ent, drove
him Pfeeipitaiely from the ielo. 1has flos.d--at
sbou' III oeOck-an sluort uniueirutted conflict Of
six hours. Tho order TO was given g on after
the enemy gave way from ogy fost aud center Lieut..
Du BOISE battery having been previou,ly cent to oc
cupy, with it' supports, uIe iii 10 our rear