Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-03
THE WAR In mIssOURI
official RePOrt OF Gen. Mccullough OF the
Battle or Oak HIH.

Il HEAIQUARrERs NCCULLoUGH's BRIGADE, }
CAMP WEIGHTMAN, near Springfield. No.,
August II, 1861
BTlgadisr- General y. Cooper, AdjEtGnt- General
GENERAL: have the honor to make the follow
ing Official report of the battle of the Oak Hills Of
the 10Th instant. Having taken position about ter
miles from Springfield, endeaYOred to gain th,
necessary information Of the strength and position
OF the enemy, stationed in and about the town :
The information was very conflicting and unsstis
factory. however made up my mind to attack the
enemy in their position, and issued orders on the
StA instant TO my force to start at o'clock at night
| to attack at four different points at DAYLIGHT A
| few days before, Gen. Price IN command of the
| Missouri force, turned over his command to me
and assumed command of the entire force. COM
pTising ray own brigade, the brigade Of Arkansas
State forces. dnder Gen. Pearee, and Gen. Prices
| command Of Missourians.
Ny effective force vas five thousand three buu-
dred infantry, fifteen pieces of artillery and six
| thousand hOrsemen. armed with fint-lock muskets.
rifles and shot guns. There were other horsemen
With the army, who were entirely unaPmed and
| instead of being a help were continually in the
way. When the time arrived for the night march
1t commenced to rain slightly, and fearing from the
want of cartridge boxes that my ammunition wOuld
De ruined, ordered the movement TO be stopped
hoping TO move the next morning. Nv men had but
twenty-five rounds of cartridges apiece and there
was no more to be had. While still hesitatipg in
the morning, the enemy was reported advancing
and Eade arrangements to meet HIM. The attack
was made simultaneously at halfpa A. NJ on
our right and left hanks, and the enemy had gained
the positions they desired.
General Lyon attacked us on our left and General
Seigel on our right and rear From these D9ints
batteries opened upon Us. My command was soon
ready. The MlssOnrisns under Generals Slack
Ciark, Mcbride, Parsons, and Raines, were nearest
the position taken by General Lyon with his main
foTcs; they were instantly turned to the left and
opened the battle with incessant fire Of small
arms. Woodruff opposed his battery to the battery
OF the enemy under Captain Totem and a constant
cannonsdiDg was kept up between these batteries
during the battle. Heberts regiment of Louisiana
Volunteers and MeIntOsh's regiment of Arkansas
Mounted Rihemen were ordered to the front. and
after passing the battery tTOttens) turned to the
left and soon engaged the enemy with the regiments
deployed. Col. Mcintosh dismountsd his regiment
and the two marched up abreast to a fence around
large corn feid, where they met the left of the
enemy already posted. A terrible conflict of small
arms took place here The opposing force was a |
body of Regular U. S. Infantry, commanded by
Captains Plummer and Gilbert.
Notwithstanding the CALLING fire poured on these !
two regiments, they leaped over the fence and gal
laaty led by their Colones drove the enemy before
them. back upon the main body. During this time |
the MissOurians, under Gen. Price, were nobIy at
tempting to sustain themselves in the center and /
were hotly engaged the sides of the height upon
which the enemy were posted. Far on the right /
Se1gel bad opened his battery upon ChurehlFs and
GEeef re eglulenIS, ana naQ gradually made his
TO the Springfield road upon each side of which the
army was encamped, and in prominent position
he established his battery. at once took two com
panles OF the Louisiana regiment, who were nearest
me ans marched them rapidly from the front and
right to the rear with order to Colonel Mcintosh to
bring up the rest When we arrived near the enc.
mys battery, we found that Reds battery had
opened upon it. and it was already In eonfusion.-
Advantages was taken Of it, and soon the Louisian
lAns were gallantly charging among the guns and
ulwf~ ~Ha man 1rwTn-a
taken, and Seigels command, completely routed.
were IN rapid retreat with a single gun, followed
by some companies of the Texas regiment and a
portion of Colonel Majors Missouri cavalry In the
pursuit many Of the enemy were killed and taken
prisoners and their last gun captured.
Having cleared our right and rear it was neees-
sary TO turn our attention to the centre under Gen
Lyon, who was pressing upon the Missourians hav-
ing driven them back. To this point McIntosh's re
yiment under Lieutenant Col. Emery and Chureh>
lls regiment on foot Gratiot's regiment and Nc
Rae's battalion were sent to their aid.
A terrible fire Of musketry was now kept up along
The whole side and top of the hill, upon which the
enemy were posted. Masses of infantry fell back
and rushed forward. The summit Of the hill was
covered with the dead and wounded both sides
were fighting with desperation for the day. Car
rolls and Greer's regiments, led grlantly by Capt
8radfute, charged the battery, but the whole
strength of the enemy were Immediately in rear,
Ind deadly fire was opened on them. At this crit
De at the turning point, two regiments Of General
'ierce's brigade were ordered to march from their
POSITION las reserves) to support the centre. The
'rder obeyed with slscrity, and General
'esrce gallantly rushed with his brigade TO the
'escue.
Reeds battery was also ordered to move forward
md the Louisiana regiment was again called into
ctlon OIL the left of it. The battle then became
,eneral, and probably no two opposing forces ever
ought with greater desperation. Inch by inch the
nemy gave way and were driven from their posi-
ion. Totten's battery fell back. MlssOurians, Ar
,ansians, Louisanians and Texans pushed forward. |
he incessant roll of musketry was deafening and
he balls fell thick hailstOnes but still our gal
ant Southerners pushed onward. and with one wild
ell broke upon the enemy, pushing them back and
trewIng the ground with their dead. Nothing
Oud Withstand the impetuosity of our final charge
he enemy fled and could not again be rallied aud
hey were seen at II NJ. fast retreatiBg among the
ills in the distance. Thus ended the battle. Il
lsted six hours and hall.
The force of the enemy. between nine and ten .
lousand was composed of well disciplined troops,
Tell armed, and large part of them belonging to
he old army of the United States. :
With every advantage on their side, they have
let with signal repulsa. The loss of the enemy 2
at least eight hundredklled, one thousand wouu- :
ed. and three hundred prisoners. We captured six
'eces of artillery and several hundred stand of
rms. and everal Of their standards
Major General Lvon, chief in command, was kill
]. Many of the officers high in rank were wound
]. Our loss was also severe, and we mourn the
cath of many gallant officer and soldier. Our
illed amounts to two hundred and sixty-ve eight :,
undFed wounded and thirty missing. Col. Weight
ian fell at the head of his brigade of Missourians
The gsllantly charging upon the enemy. His place
I'LL not be easily filed Generals Slack and Clark
{ Missouri. were severely wOunded-Gen. Price
lightly. Capt. HiDsOn of the Louisiana regiment
aptain McAlexander, of ChuFchilps regiment,
aptains Bell and Brown, of Pearce's brigade, Lieu
anants Walton ard Weaver, sll fell while nOby and
allsntly doing their duty Col Mcintosh was
lightly wounded by grape shot while charging
With the Louisiana regiment-Lieut Col. Neal. Ma
Or H. Ward. Captains King, Pesrsons Gibbs. Ram
aur, Porter, LieuteDants Dawson. Chambers. John
on, King. Adams. Hardesta. McIvor and Saddler
we're wounded while at the head of their con-
snies While all were doing their duty SO gallant
y, it is almost unfair to Discriminate.
must however, bring to your notice the gallant
conduct Of the Missouri Generals, Mcbride, Par
ions, Clark, Slack and their officers. To General