New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-08-07
From Missouri.

Since the commencement of active operations in
Missouri our news from the seat OF war in that
State has been very meagre and unreliable. we
published, some time ago, the fact that Gen. Nc
Culloch had captured body of Federals at
Neosho, in the southwestern portion of the State
and from letter addressed to the Woodville
(Mss.) Republican we extract the following par
culars of that affair, and of the subsequent defeat
of the enemy in the neighborhood OF Carthage:
The Federal troops, as you have heard, no aoubt;
moved on from st. Louis some weeks ago. ana
took possession of Jefferson CITY. orSiiS ous G" n
Jackson and a handful of patriots. Jackson then
moved on to BoonVille, whence he was dfNen by
superior force, and then commenced feueat1S
and rallying freemen in the dlreclon OF SOUTH
western Missouri. The enemy, in the meantime,
pushed their forces down through the central and
southwestern portion of the State, and success
sively occupied Springfield, Mt Vernon, Carthage
and Neosho.
ceiyinr an express from Gov. Jackson to come to
his aid as he was surrounded by Lyons on the
north, Gen. Segler at Neosho and Carthage on
the south; by the troops the east at Springfield
and by the Kansas troops on the west, moved up
the Arkansas cavalry in an advance and two
days before we arrived, July 9th, moved on to
Neosho, where, when he arrived he found the
enemy had moved on to attack Jackson north of
Carthage leaving one hundred Dutchmen to guard
the place; these he took prisoners without firing
gun and also two pieces Of artillery, and one hun
dred stand of arms; the same evening he took
provision train and its guard of thirty men, making,
in ALL one hundred and thirty prisoners. These he
released after making them take the oath not to
serve against the Conederacy, telling them, at the
same time, he had rather fight them than feed
them.
One significant feature in this affair was, that as
soon as the poor terrified Datchmen found out that
they were not to be butchered, many of them
profered their services to McCulloch, saying they
would as soon fight on one side as the other if they
M1t'ullOch
refused ali, except about dozen, whom he put to
driving the captured wagons, and one or two that
the officers brought along as cooks, etc. They
are now with us, and are as happy and contented
as need be. The others said they were glad to get
out of the service at any price, as they were tired
Of the business.
In the meantime, the Federal troops, some two
thousand strong, with a battery of artillery, moved
north of Carthage, and made an attack on Gov.
jackson they were repulsed and driven back.
Jackson pursued them seven Or eight miles to
Cartharge-a running fight all the day. AT night,
after making a feint of terrifying Carthage, the
Dutch troops retreated and, by daylight, were
some twenty miles away in the direction Of Spring
field. Jackson could have taken them prisoners,
but had no bayonets to make a charge. He was
only armed with shot-guns, rifles, pistols and
scythe- blades, cut off and handled.
The killed, in this battle, was twelve of Jack
sons men, and about sixty dead of the enemy
found sunk in deep pool. think they lost many
more, as the people Of Carthage said they moved
from there with three large wagons loaded with
the dead. Officers under Jackson have told me
that two hundred was the supposed loss of the
. enemy. This great difference in the loss is ac
counted for in this way: the Dutch troops were
splenddly equipped, and moved in solid phalanS,
with the precision OF old European soldiers,
ing their retreat in mastery manner with their
artillery; but when they came to the use of the
long range Shapes and Mini rifles, with which
they were armed, they failed, invariably over
shooting. One incident connected with the taking
r1,Str 4Iyyr 4 that ,a
nected with the flag taken from the enemy. The
old veneraed stars and stripes, when hauled down,
was seized by the ladies of Neosho, and torn into
thousand piecesone of which send to you, to
show you that one flag has been taken by our
troops. The Dutch officers had so oppressed the
citizens, that they had come to despse even the
stars and stripes, which they fought under and
desecrated. They had kept them under the most
tyrannical surveillance not being allowed to go
into the country, or visit lady friend, without
pass from the Dutch Captain. Thousands of Mis-
sourians and families are all around here in North
ern Arkansas, driven off by the Dutch and Adolf
tonists-the latter call themselves Union men.