The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-10-04

was continued with both cannon ana mus
kerry.
During the 18th Tuesday and the 18th
the rebels made very poor progress, getting
no nearer to US than we found them when
the battle began. On the 18th Thursday
they commenced erecting breastworks of
hemp bales, from behind which they con-
tinued their fire, while they rolled the
breastworks toward u.s. About three
o'clock in the afternoon of that day, they
charged over the entertainments upon Col.
Peabody's Home Guards, and planted their
flag upon the top of our breastworks. The
Irish brigade were ordered to leave their
position on the opposite side to retake the
ground which Colonel PeabO y had lost.
We fired on the run and continued at dou-
BILE Quick. The rebels scattered and fled
like flock of sheep, but left the top of the
entertainments covered with their dead. We
killed about 500 or 600 in this single charge
and captured their flag. We lost about
thirty killed and wounded. They had no
bayonets and most of their weapons were
shot guns, and we did not give them time
to make use of even these. They fred only
at random. Colonel MuIligan received
buck-shot in the leg; viii b passed through
the calf, tanning but not disabling him. He
received six or seven balls and buck-shot
through the green blouse he wore. This
was the end of the action On that day ex-
cept the cannonading, which continued
through the night.
On the Goth, the engagement continued,
with musketry-firing at intervals. We
fired hot sho. into their hemp bale breast
works. hoping to set them on fire, but we
found they were saturated with water, for
which purpose they dipped them in the
river. They came up in force to the top of
the hill, when the Brigade left the entrench-
ments, together with company A, of Col.
Marshall's cavalry, and charged upon them
driving them down the hill with great
slaughter. In this charge the cavalry COM
pany was entirely destroyed, both men and
horses being killed. Col. Marshall himself
was in the college building with the Home
Guards. This charge, like the one of the
day previous, was led by Col. Mulligan in
person The Brigade lost in this charge
about 60 killed and wounded. The cavalry
company received the whole contents of the
enemy's battery of six pieces, which swept
them entirely out of existence. But we
drove the rebels from their battery and
spiked their guns, not being able to take
them from the field.
On the Goth, (Friday,) they brought up
more cannon to their hemp, bale battery on
the hill Between ten and two o'clock we
made three charges upon this battery. We
were led by Colonel White of the Missouri
Sth, Colonel Muligan being scarcely able to
walk. Colonel White, and his men, fought
bravely during the whole battle. Colonel
White is one of the bravest of men. Col.
Mulligan relied more upon him than upon
any other officer of his command. In the
last charge upon the rebel battery, about
three o'clock Friday afternoon, he was shot
through the lungs, and died on Saturday
morning.
Six different times during the siege, the
rebels were allowed to approach the en-
trenchments on the side next the city to the
edge of the ditch. When regiment had
got sufficiently near, our boys inside would
explode q mine, sending them up into the
air and hurling them promiscously in every
direction, slaughtering them by hundreds.
Six mines we're thus exploded under their
feet, and they evidently began to regard
that side of the entertainments as danger
Gus locality.
Immediately after the charge in which
Col. White was killed, Major Baker, of
Col. Peabody's Home Guards, planted
flag of truce on the entrencments. Col.
Muligan Immediately ordered it to be taken
down. 1t was taken down, and the firing
III A r3o
when Capt. Graham, of the Home Guards,
again put up the flag of truce, and the
whole force of Home Guards left the trench
es, refusing to continue the fight.
We were out OF water, and out of ammu.
milton, three of our cannon had been silent
since the day before for want of shot our
men had only six rounds of balls left. The
renforcemerts we had expected had not
arrived, and we had reason to believe they
had been cut off. 1t was evident we could
not hold out much longer.
When the firing ceased the rebels sent in
flag from their battery, and Col. Mulligan
sent Major Moore to Prices headquarters.
Price came up 10 person and. received the
surrender.
A day or two previously, Price had sent
flag of truce to US, and offered if we would
surrender to permit US to march out with
our arms; but Col. Mulligan promptly
refused the overture.
The rebels took from US everything ex-
cept the clothes on our backs, and hurried
US across the river Saturday morning. The
swords of the officers were not taken away.
Price said TO Col. Mu!ligan that he was too
brave a man to be deprived of his sword,
and permitted him to retain it. MulGgan
wept like child when he found he must
give up the battle which he had fought for
four days without ceasing against an army
OF $1,000
All the round shot we had were cast by
ourselves at an iron foundry ip the city. We
continued this work until the rebels took
possession of the town.
The rebels had fifteen or sixteen cannon,
and seemed to be well supplied with ammu
milton, round shot, grape and canister. Their
small arms were principally shot guns and
squirrel rifles. They had only few mus
kets with bayonets, taken from our troops
at Springfield.
During the entire time, from the battle
on the 18th to the surrender on the evening