Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-08
THE WAR IN MISSOURI.
GEN. sIgeI's Official Report OF the Battle
of Oak Hills
The following is the enemy account of his defeat
at Oak Hills,

Gen. SIgeI's Official port OF the Battle
of Oak Hills
The following is the enemy account of his defeat
at Oak Hills:
HEADQUARTERs % BRIGADE Missouri Vol,
CAMP OF Coon HOPE, NEAR RGLL4,
August 18 1861.
GENERAL respectfully submit to you the report
of the battle at Wilson's Creek far as the troops
under my command were concerned:
On Friday, the 9th of August Gen. Lyon inform
ed that it his intention to attack the enemy
in his camp at Wilson's Creek on the morning of the
| 10th; that the attack should be made from two
! sides, and that should take command of the left
The troops assigned to me consisted Of the Second
! Brigade Missouri Volunteers nine hundred men
| infantry of the Third and Fifth regiments under
the command of Lieut.. Col Albert and Col. Solo,
mon, and six pieces of artillery, under Leutenants
/ Schaeffer and Sehuetzenbach; besides two compa-
MES Of regular cavalry, belonging to the command
! of Major Sturgis.
left camp Fremont, on the south side of Spring.
field, at half past O'clock the evening Of the
9th, aud arrived at dsybIeak within mile of the
| enemys camp: / advanced slowly toward the
/ camp, and after taking forward the two cavalry
companies from the right and left, cut of about
| forty men of the enemy's troops, who we're coming
| from the camp in little squads to get water and
provisions. This done in such manner that
no ne US of our advance could be brought into the
camp,
In sight of the enemy s tents, which spread out
on our front and right planted four pieces Of ar
tillery on little hill while the infantry advanced
toward the point where the Fayetteville road crosses
Wilson's creek. and the two cavalry companies sx
tended to the right and left TO guard our hans IL
was 81 O'Clock, when soma musket firing was heard |
from the northwebt. therefore ordered the aFtl |
lery to begin their fire against the camp of the
my, (Missouriansl which destructive that /
the enemy were leaving their tents and retir ng
in haste toward the northeast of the valley. Mean
while. the third and fifth had quickly advanced, /
passed the creek, and traVersing the camp, formed
almost in the center Of it. As the enemy made has
rally in large numbers before u.s. about coo strong.
consisting of infantry and eavalFy, ordered srtil
lcry to be brought for ward from the hi and form
ed there in battery the valley with the third
and fifth to the left, and the cavalry the right.
After effsctual fire of half an hour, the enemy
retired IN some confusion INTO the woods and up the
adjoining hills. The firing toward the northwest
was now more distant and increased, until il wAs
evident that the main corps OF Gen. Lyon had en-
gagged the enemy along the whole lines. To give
the gTestest possible assistance TO him, left Osi
ton in the camp and advanced toward the north
west, to attack the enemy's line Of battle in the
rear.
Marching forward We struck the Fayetteville
read, making our way through large number Of
cattle and horses until We arrived at an eminenee
used s 4 saughtering place, and known as Sharp's
farm. On our route We had taken sbsub one hun
dred prisoners who were scattered over the camp
At ShsFp's place We met numbers of the eneuly's |
soldiers who were evidently retiring IN this dl-
rectiOn; and as suspected thst the enemy on his
retreat would follow in the direction form
ed the troops the read by planting the artiI
lery the plateau and the two infantry regiments
On the right and left, across the road, while the
cavalry companies extended on cur finks. At
b time, ani alter s)me skirmishng in front of
our line, the firing 10 the direction of the north
west, which was during hours time roaring in
succession, had almost entirely. ceased. thereup
Oh presumed that the attack Of Gen. Lyon had
been successful, and that his troops were IN pur
suit of the enemy, who moved IN large numbers to-
ward the south along the ridge of q hill, about
seven hundred yards opposite our right.
This was the stIte of affairs at eight and half
o'clock in tie morniug, when it was reported t. me
by Mr.. Melchoir, and some of our skirmishers that
Lyons men were coming up the road Lieut..
Albert Of the Third and Col Solomon, of the Fifth
notified theirregiments not to fire troops coming
in this direc while cautioned the artillery in the
same manner. Our troops in this moment expected
with anxiety the approach of our friends, and
waving the Aag raised signal to their conlrsdes
when at two batteries opened their fire against
us-one in front, placed on the Fayetteville road,
and the other upon the hill upon which we had sup |
posed Lyons forces were in pursuit of the enemy,
while a strong column of infantry, supposed to be
the Iowa regiment, advanced from the Fayetteville
road and attacked our right.
1t is impossible for me TO describe the cOnsteFna
ton ard fFighful confusion which oec oIsl
by this. important event. The cry, "They (Lyon's
troopsjarefring against us" spread like wild fire
thrOuqh our ranks the artleFymen. ordered 10 fire.
and directed by myself couldharl ly be brought for
ward to serve their pieces the infantry would net
level their arms until it was too late. The enemy
arrived within ten PAGES Of the mHZze Of our can>
non killed the horses, turned the fiauks of the in
fantry and forced them to fly. The troops wers
throwing themselves into the bushes and by-roads
as well as they could, followed and at
tackled necessarily by large bodies Of Arkansas and
Texas cavalry. In this retreat we lost five cannon
Of which three were spiked, and the colors of the
Third, the cOl0r-bearer having been wounded, and
his substitute killed. The Total loss Of the two reg
iments, the artillery and the pioneers, in killed
wounded aud missing, amounts to 292 men, as Will
be seen from the respective lists
In order to understand clearly our actions and
our fate you will permit to state the fOllow wing
facts First according t) orders it was the daty of
this brigade TO attack the enemy in the and to
cut off bis retreat, which order tried to executa,
whatever the eOnseq qusnces might be-
Second. The time of service of the fifth regiment
Missouri volunteers had expired before the battle.
had induced them, company BY company, not TO
leave us in the most critical moment, and had en-
gagged them for the term of eight days, this term
ending Friday the 9th, the day before the battle
Third. The third regiment, of which four hun
lred three months men had been dismissed was
composed of the greater part OF recruits, who had
not seen the enemy before, aud were imperfecty
lrilled.
Fourth The men serving the pieces and the dr-
7ers consisted of infantry, taken from the third
regiment, and were mostly recruits who had only
lew days instruction.
Fifth About two-thirds of our officers had left =
1s-sOme companies had no officers at ala grea.
oity-but the consequence of the system Of the =
.hree mon hs' service. a
After the arrival OF the army at Springfield, the :,
command was entrusted to me by Major Sturgis, 9
and the msjority Of the commanders Of regiments g
Considering all the circumstances and 10 accordance
with the commanding officers ordered the retreat
Of the army from Springfield The preparations
were begun in the night of the 10TH and at day
break the troops were on the march toward the
Before crossing the river | received
information that the ford could not be passed well,
and that strong force of the enemy moving
from the south West plains) toward Waynesvile,
10 cut off our retreat. also aware that it
would take considerable time to cross the RobidOux
and the Little and Big Piney on the old road.
To avoid all these difficulties aud to give the army
an opportunity to rest directed the troops fr01n
Lebanon TO the Northern rotd, passing Right Point
and Humboldt and terminating opposite the mouth
Of Little Piney, where, case Of the ford being u