New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-08-19

all sent 10 the center OF me t0WB, ahu AL W."
positiou they remsinod Curing nearly the ent'io
day. The enemy, ba;dng been REINFORCED nau
encamped In positigA two miles nearer Ih0 'i2'
On Wilson Creek their tents being on eithei ',.o
of IT, and extending mile east and sou'n u w
road. crossing to two miles west anu nV.
Of the SAVE. the creek running nearly !" 'n |
shane of. q horizontal 10 At the crossing VI
49, Eo,,atta,;lla road the hills on either side OF
tho stream were two or three hundred ieet hie".
tho slOpes being very gentle on INC moi"
ahrnpt an the south side ana tno ''"'y "''O'
boT mile in width though in many places up
..,oo,o or west and northward, the slopes were
% GENTLE that they were occupied BY tents for
mueb greater distance. Thursday evening the
troons were ready for marching orders, but
a norton of the Kansas troops had been 60
much engaged the night before as to be really
un6t for service, and On order for oil except
those actually 'on guard to retire and rest was
issued, and the night attack was again deferred
Friday, the city was remarkably quiet. Those
who made Il q business 10 repeat exciting r'imors
had been frightened away with much OF the
material upon which they operated. Enhstrnents
ia the Springfield Regiment :" for the war were
rapid, and a feeling of security prevailed.
During the afternoon, Capt. Woods Kansas
Cavalry, with enc or two companies OF regulars,
drove 500 Rebel Rangers from the prairie five
miles west of the town. capturing eight OF their
number and killing two, without loss to our SIDE
At 8 o'clock in the evening, Gen. Sigel, with
his own and Col. Salomons command and SIX
pieces of artillery, moved southwark, marching
until nearly o'clock, and passing around the
extreme camp of the enemy, where he halted
| Is miles from town, and on the south side OF
| the Rebels, ready to move forward and begin
| the attack as soon as he should hear the roar
| Of Gen. Lyons artillery.
The main body of troops under General Lyon
moved from the city about the same hour, halted
a short time Eve miles west of the city, thence
| in O southwestery direction four miles, where we
halted and slept till A q. M, Saturday. the day
| OF the battle.
| THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE GREAT BATTLE.
Moving forward, with Captain Plunmer's Com
| pany and Major Osterhaus's Battalion thrown
| out as administers, We soon saw party OF
Rebel pickets near our extreme right, scamperipg
off to alarm the camp, but rs our center and
left were already partially between them and
camp, they were forced to the westward, and II is
doubtful whether they reached the camp OF oil
before the battle. 1t was now O'Clock. The
enemys pickets were driven in; the northern
end of the valley in which they were encamped
was visible, with its thousand Of tents and its
camp-fres; the sky was cloudy, but not threat
| ening and the most terribly destructive OF bat
ties, compared with the number engaged, was at
hand. Our army moved now toward the south
west to leave the creek and spring which
empties in it on our left. Passing over spur
of high land which lies at the north end Of the
valley, they entered valley and began to ascend
a hill, moderately covered with trees and under
wood, which was not, however, dense enough to
be any impeachment to the artillery. Capt
| Wright, with three or four companies Of mount
| ed Homo Guards, the only ones in the engage
| ment, was sent to the left, across the creek, to
cut off party of borsemen visible on that side,
near house recently vacated by Union man
named Hale. Upon their approach, the Rebels
retired behind the south fence of corn field,
and in the adjoining bush were soon visible
| swarms of men, whose fire threatened 10 be
disastrous to the Home Guard cavalry, should
they approach Through the thin stalks Of the
broom-corD, Capt. Wright had seen the ambus-
cade, and approached only near enough to draw
their fire, when he withdrew, to induce them to
follow him into the field where he could charge
upon them effectively. He repeated this move
ment three times but the enemy were too willy,
and would only remain behind the fence.
| Captains Plummer and Gilberts companies
| of Regulars were then ordered to attack
them in the corn field, which they did, and
were driven back from the fence and followed
by three thousand or thirty-fve hundred Rebels,
before whom the two companies retired firing.
COL. FRANK BLAIR's REGIMENT STORMS THE
NIGHTS.
| Meanwhile the opposite hill had been stormed
and taken by the gallant Missouri First and
Osterbauss battalion and Totten's battery of six
pieces had taken position On its summit and
north side, and was belching forth its loud
opposing force, who had already been started
upon full retreat by the thick raining bullets
of Col. Blair's boys. Lieut.. DuBois's battery,
four pieces, had also opened on the eastern slope,
firing upon force which was retreating toward
the southeast on q road leading up the hill,
which juts into the southwestern angle Of tie
creek, and upon battery placed near by to
cover their retreat. Observing the danger of
Capt. Plummer and his gallant men, Lieut..
Dubois skiIlully threw few shells amGg their
pursuers, which, bursting just as it reached the
dense mass of humanity scattered them wounded
.aIl h.. Ia