, 1861-08-16
The Great Battle at Springfield.
Why it Was Fouoht.
Desperate Bravery Of the URIsn Treeps.
HOW GEN. LYON WAS KILLED.

Desperate Bravery Of tho URIsn Treeps. !;
HOW GEN. LYON WAS KILLED.
Particulars Of the Engagement. !:
Correspondence Of the St, Louis Democ1atl
SPRRer1ELp, Green Co., No.
Sunday, Aug. II, 1851.
Night before Last a little army of dfty.tWo
hundred men moved in two columns on
BODY Of rebels twenty two thousand strong.
In . military point Of view, the move vas one
Of doubtful propEiety, not to say absolute
rashness. The larger force were, with the ex-
ception Of three thousand men, well armed !
and equipped, and they had very large body
Of easa Bat the question t,sa o. sgaeoanS
had already been discussed and settled in the
reeatiye. II Has decided That the loyal eiti-
zens Of Green and the surrounding counties
should not have cause to say We had left
them without 3 struggle, abandoned them
selves, their families, their oil, TO 8 heartless
md despesate fee qntl the enemy bad fels anl our
That 1nettle proved itself worthy Of the: great
capse in which i. vas engaged. The Union
troops who fought and won the battle of yes
te1day, need no higher mark, no brighter
them to: They fought like brave men, long
Gen. sieel, with Elk pieces Of cannon, his
own regiment, and that Of Colonel Salomon'B,
moved in a sou:heriy direction, marching
about fifteen miles, passing around the ex:
halted until daylight, OF for the sonnd Of ar
ti]1ery ttcm the southwest to announce the
opening Of the battle.
Gen. Lyon, with the volunteers composing
the Missouri First, Lieut. Colonel Andrews;
Iowa First, Lieut. Colonel Merritt; Kansas
Mitchell part OF the Missouri Second, under
Major 05terhaus !; and q detachment Of twenty
men from Colonel Wymau's Illinois Regiment;
three or four companies Of mounted Home
Guards force Of regulars about eight hun
died strong, and two batteries Of four and SIX
o'clock P, u, marching slowly until A. Il,
when we halted for two hours, ct which time
Capt, Gilbert's company Of regulars and Major
Os1ethaus's battalion we're thrown cat as
ekirmiehezs on either side Of the column, and
We moved forward.
acting as picket, was seen scattering over
the bills to give the alarm, but portion Of
Cur column had already Penetrated far enough
| 10 cut off their route, unless they took q very
/ c;rcuitoun one, in which case re should reach
cam :, ahead Of them. We soon came In sight
! OF ING f&3ie9 III WHICH, luGf WFEE tlEAlilpGu.
| 4 thousand tents stretching off into the dis.
| lance and partially screened from view by q
! hill juttiug into an angle Of Wilson Greek
| were before ue, presenting as animated an ap-
| resrance as young, city. The euemy's camp
| extended from the head Of the valley, over
licked on the north, east and west sides ey
| hills lnd ridges TWO or three hnooEed feet In
| height southwaTd about a mile, thence east
ward mile ard halt, and then 6putlWard
half mile, following the Windings Of the
creek, along whose banks the gently slopius
! hills on either aide afforded the moet excel
| ,ent camping ground.
| Nesr the northern end Of the valley lived
Jutn McNsry, formerly from Indiana, who,
| finding the rebels within five miles, on Tues.
| 6py last packed up his few worldly goods
| took his family, aud started for the good old
| Hcosier State, where it iB not crime to BE-
| 1oya1to tie government under which we live,
| Not less than twenty or thirty families, living
| en- farms in the vicinity, started about the
Etme time, most Of them having little OF nc
| idca where they we're going, except to escaps
from tie danger which Threatened them
The battle etield, viewed BY your correspond
eut, Where the most severe fighting was done
#as along the ridges and hills On either side
{moet1J 0n the West) Of the stream for the frat
mile melluned above, where the creek runs
| in s3ulhe1ly direction.
| \. we crossed the hill On the north, moving
| in sonthwester1g direction, Capt Wright
| Win tne mpunteu ao1ue N1aIue, Was seuI u
| tie east eide, SO as to cut eft party Of rebels
| Eeen III that direction. -Adjntant Haaeock
| with glass, rode to the brow Of the hill
where, 1toklng down, he could see every
movement Of the enemy beneath him. Hi
appearance in full view caused great hub
hub in tie rebel camp, which had already beer
thoroughly aroused by our appearance, AMI
camps aud baggage were hastily loaded ans
moved toward the south. We had compIetel
surprised them. The evidence Of that fac
wae everywhere visible, but they had go
quickly into line Of batle-their clouds q
pieces Of cannon were not long silent afte
ours had opened the engagement.
On the sides Of the first ridge on the Wes
trp side Of the valley, Col. Biair's regiment
st ten minutes after six O'Clock, encouatere
} heavy force Of infantry, not less than q fu
gslned tie summit, and the defeated rebel
dispersed rapidly, going in direction whic
rendered 1t impossible for any eoufiderabl
humber of them to sgain participate in th
battle. Totten's battery then threw a fe'
Ealls as fee1erE, to draw out the enemy
} ! canuCn.
Gel Blair's regiment moved forward 2n
| were soon net BY we'll equipped regimen
: | Of Louisiana troops, whom, after bitter col
tett Of forty five minutes, they succeeded
= routing, though suffering severely themse}ve
l Cspt Iathrcp's company Of rifle recruits no
l
e Osterhaus' men, moved up the second bill
: which WIS considerably l,rger than the frs
and meeting third regiment, finally 81
2 ceeded in driving them back, with the aseia
q arce Of Totten's battery, and gaining II
: summit In this part OF the fight the galla1
Missouri volunteers acted braVely-lndee
4 uo words Ct Praise cCuld more than do the
7 jpstice.
OF course many acts Of va1or we're perfcrl
= Cd not wltEetEed by me, but among those
l. taw conspicuous we're Captain GFatz, leaai.
g Lis meE agsiust overwhelming cdds, aud "a
L:tnttL1nt Murphy 1ashirg forward asead
$ the LIE, waving his sword high In the q
g shouting onward to the almost wa7ering me
IS who gainedtreEh courage from the ezhi5stio
7 srd pushing forward, drove the enemy fro
Il the fed. In this fight, many Of on: bra
. Andrews hsd his horse shot frcm under hi
. snG was wounded himself slightly. G.nel
ID Lyon suffered in ei1nilsr manner; Capital
CAvepder, Cole and YAtee, each slightly OF
'e )esst not dangerously wounded; lieutensI
r Brown and johnson, and Corporals Cons
a- a1d Rogers, more or lees severely wounded.
+ Dnri1g this, engagement two companies
I reguiare were cent to the east side of the ere
totrgsEe force which was operating agair
sg Capt. Wright's cavalry, she1teriDg them5e11
e behind a fecce. Capt Plumner aud c.
as Gilbert With their companies marched cat
1 up L. iEICE dt1I OE-1ft&EA I'LL El4tC+lf6 u
Id but were compelled BY great odes to retf
!. which they did, but sgain renewed the atta'
The enemy being largely reinforced, and h
In ing GoE at least thres thousand m5n, jump
ovtr into the corn field, aud Capt. Plummt
gallant band MAS Immediately threatened "
- annihilation. They 1etreated rapidly, firing
N thty did go, when Lieut. Dubois having {
r. his battery under headway on the hill .
@ The Missouri volunteers, seeing the post!
ae Of affa.rs on the opposite side of the vail
e ae threw IN the moat precise manner eevt
r shells, which exploded inst as they reael
o1 them Weless on the ground In scores, vi
1e- all p ho could were glad to run tor dear lift
er The gallant men In Col Blalr's regim
m were now ordered back and their poslt
IN taken BY the Iowa First Gen Lyon had !
-, yionsyy had 3 poor opinion Of the fight
nd qualities Of these men, formed more fl
Eupposltion than upon any res. failure In d.
q but now the time had come for him to rese
=. his Judgment, which he did sitter their
4, repn1se of the enemy. They fought
:. .: tigers, drove tho enemy back, aad folio
ny up The advantage gained for considers
l. distance. Capt. Mason, Company c, was ki
2; 5000 alter lis regiment was engaged. Ii
E, Purcell was MORALLY wounded. Major Po
b; aEd Col Merritt gallantlg cheering on Z
At boys, escaped unharmed. The Kansas I
and Seeold regiments were nov ordt
nd forward to support the right flank Of
ing IoNa's.
N, Col. Green's regiment Of Tennessee caga
en- bearing secession flag, ncH charged u
lily OFT wounded, who we're partially gaaTdet
Ing ore OF two companies Of infantry. se
rin the movement, Capt Totten poured
the rcI16s Of canister into their ranks jus
lire 10 save cur sick men from being II
p'ed to death, dispersing the rebela SO {
pletely that nothing more Vas seen OF
during tie day.
at Gtn. LYON now desired the Iowa
ant ! u%rrn h a had fr-41.1 to hrava. IN 1,rpnaT