Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-08-23
The Battle mt Springfield.

Frank B. Wilzie, who was on the ground,
gives graphic description Of this battle in
the Dubuque Herald of the 18th. We copy
the most interesting portion:
Soon after the fight commenced Gen. Lyon
saw how fearfully the enemy outnumbered
him and he gave up the day as lost. From that
time he seemed utterly regardless of life, and
in fact seemed scarcely conscious of anything.
A ball struck him in the leg, to which he
paid no attention, and soon after another
Struck him in the head, inflicting a severe
flesh wound. He bled freely, but refused to
move out of the line of fire. The Iowa Regi-
ment were occupying the brow of the hill to
the right Of the battery, and were exposed to
the CALLING fire from the woods in front. Gen.
Lyon stood calmly few steps in the rear of
the color company, bareheaded, with balls
hailing around him in frightful quantities.
"If some one will lead us we will clear that
woods with the bayonet." II will lead your
said he; at that instant ball entered his breast
passing through his body justabove the heart.
lie fell instantly and moment after reaching
the ground said: "Iowa Regiment you are
noble boysr A little later and he grew
weaker and his last words were FORWARD MY
BRAY l. MEN, L W ILL LEAU AoC AAN "i.. NV
live dozen seconds after being struck by the
last ball.
1t is believed by many that he did not de-
sire to live after finding that he could make
no Roadway against the immense odds OPP
posed to him-he saw at glance the result of
a defeat both to him and the cause which he
revered--he saw that all his efforts from the
hour in which he took Camp jackson to that
of his splendid effort at Boonyille, and from
that down to the present-the tremendous ia
tigues of the march to Springfield the labors
at Forsyth, Dug Springs, Greenfield, Car
thage and Mt. Vernon-all were in vain, and
like brave but Respondent soldier, he dared
to die rather than live. All honar to his
memory, and as for the Government which
presistently refused to sustain him, let it be
anathemn mqranatha. Two horses were
shot under him short time before his death,
and one of his white plumed body guard al
most at the very same moment OF his fall,
dropped MORALLY wounded by his side, and
soon after his spirit took It's flight to join his
masters il the regions of the unknown.
.srhey fought liks brave men long and well,''
but what availed gallant fighting and desper-
ate charges when as fast as each regiment was
driven from the ground or cut to pieces, the
enemy was able to supply its place with a
fresh one and so after driving the enemy for
more than mile from his original position,
the Union troops were compelled from sheer
exhaustion to suspend the labor of slaughter,
and soon after to retire from the field as best
they could.
Here again the shattered forces of the Iowa
First were gathered into line to resist the on
e,.4 o. Tho opa,ov whiIo tho yyaar;ad hrol,ap
fragments of the army were collected in order
preparatory to a retreat. The enemy saw
the maneuvre end again hurled themselves
against the First Regiment in order to break
through it and precipitate themselves upon
our fragmcntary columns. Had Iowa yielded
then wofui would have been the result-the
retreat would have been q savage massacre,
an indiscriminate, terrible rout. But they
breasted like rocks the iron hail and tremen-
dous charges of the enemy-pouring in a
deadly fire and holding the enemy in COM
plete check till the Union fragments were
formed and moving, and then, not till then,
did they leave their position They came
away in splendid order-not man quickened
his step, and when soldier fell from the
ranks, they closed up and shoulder to Shout
der moved slowly from the field.
The Iowa regiment suffered severely. The
gallant Capt Mason, of the color company CO.,
while urging on his men, received ball through
the thigh, and in ten minutes thereafter was
corpse. His LIST Lieut.. Purcell, received
mortal wound. Three others of his company
were killed in their tracks, and some ten
others wounded; but through all, the colors
never for single moment kissed the dust,
and when the regiment covered the retreat of
the dispirited forces, they still futtered proud
ly as ever in the smoke Of the battle field
Poor McHenry, Of company l, rose incautious-
ly on his knee to cap his musket, but scarcely
did so ere musket ball tore through his head,
scattering his blood and brains upon his com,
rades on either side of him. He was dead ere
he reached the ground. At one time the enc
my lay upon the ground to avoid deadly
shower of bullets from point not fifty yards
distant. They were ordered to rise and charge
upon the cover and drive out the enemy
Come on, boys" cried George Pierce, Of the
Governors Greys, springing to his feet and
earlessly facing the storm. 'Come on, boys,
md let US chase them out r' At that instant,
fine looking officer, mounted on magnii-
,ent sosTel charger, galloped out in front of
he enemy, and appeared to urge them to
,harge. Pierce drew bead on him with his
nusket and fired-tle officer tumbled like a
log from his horse, and at almost the same
instant George drOpped. shot through the