Nebraska advertiser., 1861-08-22
WHEREABOUTS OF GEN. SIGEL!


on a march Of twelve or fifteen miles to
attack a body Of rebels twenty-five thou
sand strong. In a military point of view,
the move was one of rather doubtful pro-
priety, not to say rashness. The larger
force were, with the exception of three
thousand men, well armed and equipped,
and they had a large body of cavalry.
IDtthe question of evacuating Spring
field, the key Of the entire Southwest,
had already been discussed and settled IN
the negative. 1t was decided that the
loyal citizens Of Greene, and the sur
rounding counties should not have cause
TO say that we had left them without 4
struggle, abandoned to themselves their
families, their all most dear, to a heart
hess foe, until the enemy had felt our
steel and tried the mettle of our troops.
That metile proved itself worthy of the
the great cause in which 1t is enlisted
The Union troops who fought and won
the battle Of yesterday, need no brighter
mark, no higher name, than the laurels
earned, Justly entille them to. They like
men fought long and well.
Gen. Sigel, with SIX pieces Of cannon,
his own regiment and that Of Col. Solo
mons moved in a Southerly direction,
marching about fifteen miles, passing
around the extreme Southeastern camp
of the enemy, and halted until daylight,
or the sound Of artillery from the North
ward to announce the opening of the
battle.
Gen. Lyon with the volunteers COM
posing the Missouri First, Lieut.. Colonel
Andrews; Iowa First, Lieut.. Col. Mer-
rit; Kansas First, Col. Deitzler; and the
Second. Col. Mitchell; part of the Mis-
r souri, Second. under Major Osterhaus
and a detachment Of twenty-five men
from Col. Wyman's Illinois Regiment;
threeO or four companies OF mounted Home
Guards ; a force Of regulars eight hun
dred strong, and two batteries of four
and six pieces respectively, left Spring
field at s o'clock, P. NJ, marching along
slowly until 2, A. NJ, when we halted
for two hours, at which time Capt. Gil
bert's Company Of regulars, and Major
Osterhaus' battalion were thrown out as
skirmishers on either side of the column,
and we moved forward.
Shortly after five o'clock, a party of
rebels, acting as a picket, were seen scat
tering over the hills to give the alarm,
hut a portion of our column had already
penetrated far enough to cut off their
route, unless they took a very circuitous
one, In which case, we should have reach
ed camp ahead of them. We soon came
in sight of the Valley in which they had
encamped. A thousand tents stretched
off into the distance, and partially screen
ed from view by a hill jutting into an
angle of Wilson's creek, were before US,
presenting as animated a scene as a little
tie city. The enemy's camp extended
from the head of the valley, overlooked
on the north, east, and west sides by hills
and ridges two or three hundred feet in
height, southwark about a mile, thence
eastward a mile and a half, and then
southwark a half a mile, following the
windings of the creek, along whose banks
the gently soping hills on either side
afforded the most excellent camping
ground.
The battlefield, where the most Sc
we're fghtieg was done, was along the
ridges and hills on either side, mostly
on the west of the stream for the first
mile mentioned above, where the creek
runs in a Southwardly direction,
AS we crossed the hill on the North,
moving in a Southwest direction, Capt.
Wright, with the mounted Home Guards
was sent to the east side so as to cut off
a party of rebels seen in that direction.
Adiutant Hascock, with a glass, rode to
the brow of the hill, where, looking down
he could see every movement of the en-
envy beneath him. His appearance in
full view, caused a great hubbub in the
rebel camp, which had already been a.
reused by our appearance, and camps and
baggage were hastily loaded and moved
toward the south. We had completely
surprised them. The evidence Of that
fact was everywhere visible, but they very
quickly got into line of battle-their
clouds of cavalry were visible, and their
twentv-one pieces of cannon were not
long silent, after ours had opened the
engagement.
On the sides of the first ridge on the
western side of the valley, Col. Blair's
regiment, at ten minutes past six o'clock,
encountered a heavy force Of infantry,
not less than a full regiment, and after a
severe. contest, they gained the summit,
and the. defeated rebels dispersed rapid
w, going in a direction which rendered
il impossible for any considerable num-
Der Of them to again participate in the
battle. lotions battery then threw a
few balls as f~eelers, to draw out the en-
emy's cannon.
Col. Blair's regiment moved forward,
and were soon met by a well equipped
regiment of Louisiana troops, whom, af-
ter a bitter contest of forty-ive minutes,
they succeeded in routing, though suffer-
ing severely themselves. Captain La
thorp's company of rifle recruits now as
sited them and together they, with Maj.
OsteFhaus' men, moved up the second
hill, which was considerably larger than
the first, and meeting a third regiment,
finally succeeded in driving them back
with the assistance of lotions battery,
and gaining the summit. In this part of
The fight the gallant Missouri volunteers
acted brayely, indeed, no words of praise
could more than do them justice.
During this engagement two compa-