Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-11-07

road fled in conf sim and dismay, either 10 St. Louis or Iionton, and cir, ul it.d tle rIno that the force under Gen. Thompson amounted to six thousand when, in fact. he had in all at the ra!l road only 300 men, divided into three separate parties.
 Having accomplished the object of his visit to the raroa l, Gen. Thompson hastened to ioin the main body of the army which had been or dcred to Fredrcktown. On Wednesday, the l6th instant we encamped eight miles from the above named village, and early on the next morning (IhurSday the l7th, he received adis- patch from Col. Lowe, informing him that he had reached Fredricktown the evening before and found the enemy in force threatening to dispute the possession of the village, and that the pickets of the two armies had met about daylight and after short struggle the enemy were driven back. losing five killed and eight wounded, while no loss had been sustained on our side. In Q few minutes we were in our saddles and on the way to Fredricktown at rapid jrot. As We ap- preached the village we learned that there Were at least twelve hundred and fifty of the enemy -although they state their force was only eIght hundred six hundred infantry aad two hundred cavalry. Reaching the bridge on the west side of the village we were ordered to cnarge tue cavalry of the enemy, who fled before us toward Ironton. h a few minutes both theIr infantry and cavalry were seized win d panic and rode and ran so fast that the faSte5t horse m onr command could not overtakc them. l do not know what was the condition of our opponents a}fer fbe chase, but one thing Is certain, never wish to engage in another four mile heat with such little success and So much exhaustion.
 This disgraceful flight ofl250 before only 300, mounted men, Is designated n the S5. Lotus pa pers as a fiercely contested struggle. from winch l4incolns forces gdlla}u{y retired. pendlng thls movement the main body oi the army were quet' ly resting themselves in Fredrichtown and VI clnlty, and took no part Ill our cAaSe d!'ei 'l!e foe.
 On Sunday, the 20th instant our army left Fredrcktown for this place, (Greenyille,) and encamped that night some ten miles from the former village Some time during the night in- telligenco reached Gen. Thompson that the enc my, in considerable force, were marching on Fredrcktown from Cape Girardeau. On mon day morning, the 2lSt instant, taking with him eleven hundred and twenty men, he turned back t0 meet the foe. In approaching the town learned that three thousand ot the enemy bal arrived from Cape GrardeaU, and at a sttl later hour he obtained satisfactory and certain intel ligence that at least two thousand more had joined them from Pilot Knob or IrOnton, mak, ing their force more than five thousand; n the - face of this overwhelming combination Of foes he challenged them to battle and after a long delay on their part, it commenced at 3 o'clo ok in the evening, and lasted two hours and forty minutes.
 On our part Col Lowe with t1ro hunlred and fifty men sustained an attack from two regi- ments of the enemy for one hour and forty min utes, and did not fall back until he had sustain ed gallng fire from two other regiments who had outdanked him on the left, and had poured a ralljng fire on his gallant command for more than thirty minutes. In this contest he repui sed the enemy twice with great loss on their part. The fight wa, then continued Lieut.. Col. Brown $ battalion 200 strong, which had been deploy ed to a point still fur her to the right for an other hour repulsing the enemy in every charge he made. On our part we used one F 2pouader and one G-pounder, while the enemy employed five riled cannon against our ranks. Owing to the superior numbers of the foe, they had, by J in the evening, oatlanked us on both the right and left when 1t became necassaay to withdraw from the fell which we did quietly, calmly and in qDod order. In doing thi5 large body O, the enemy's cavarp'chargeCs UT retiring column, when they we c driven back by Col. Lowe 5 com mand with terrible slaughter. The history O. no battle in anCi CT modern times records q more heroic and gallant resistance of little band of patriots to overwhelming numbers than the glorious contest at FreGrcktOwn, and long can Missouri liut with honest pride to the no- be achievement performed by her unconquera' be sons on this proud ocrasiUn. Our loss can not ex eed itty in killed and wounded, while that of the enemy must extend to two hundred, though some suppose t must amount to four hundred.
 Being posted on the extreme right with a DOT ton of CJl. Smiths regiment, to watch the movements of the foe, Dad an opportunity to see large portion of the fight, and write oniy of such events as came under my own o5serva' ton. l take some pleasure in stating that be- fore the close of the engagement some Missis- sippi powder aud bucl,hot sent some of the op- pressors to their long homes.
 We lost one F pounder by accident the horses having become alarmed, ran of with the timber, and left the piece on the field. The rai Iaut Lieut.. Samuel Harris, under a galiIng fire from encirylug foes, labored nuby to save his tavoric, after dragging 1t M hand some lJe yards, was compelled to abandon 1t.
 Thus closed a bright day in the annals .! Missouri, and long will history, with it's truth.ul and impartial pen, immortaIize the memory of the patriots who fought aud died so nobly in her defence
 Hoping that you will excuse this long and hastily written letter beg leave to subscribe myself, Your irend
 F. l.. AGEE
 P. s. While on the extreme right, we obsery el one of the foe coming along the Cape Girar deau road; refusing to surrender, he was nor tally wounded and taken prisoner. He proved to be G. Q. A. Jones, lst lieutenant 0t company X, l7th Illinois regiment. He stated that he had been detained on the road by sickness, and that three full regiments. with three pieces o1 rltled cannon and 100 cavalry, had preceded him to Fredericktown from Cape Girardeau.