The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1861-10-04
THE SIEGE AND SURRENDER OF
LEXINGTON.
Full and Circumstantial Accounts of
the Event.
from the Chicsgo Times.1

From the Chicsgo Times.
QuIScY, Sept. 25
The general features of the siege anc
surrender of Lexington, under The com
mand Of Col. MULLIGAS, Of Chicago, have
already been published, but the account,
are SO grossly incorrect, and embrace 81
much of contradiction and mi.statement
that clear and detailed description viii
not be considered ami.s by the reading
public. This | am prepared to give.
COL. MULLIGAN's COMMAND.
Col. Mulllgsn's command arrived il
| Lexington on the Sth of September, con
ssting of the Irish Brigade, 1000 men
Col. Marshall's cavalry, 600 men; TIL
Thirteenth Missouri Regiment, 600 men
the Home Guards, 800 men, and a com
pany of Independen. Rangers, rum BERN,
81 men. These, with teamsters and th
usual attendants Of the camp. ssele1 th,
force to 200 men, for which numbe
daily rations were issued. The artiler
consisted of FIVE six-pounders, and two o
three old mortars, one Of which date,
back to 1872, and bore honorable scar
received in the battle of New Orlean.
The mor,ars were procured At Lexington
but were useless, as they required elk incl
shell, of which none were to pe had. Th
men we're inditferentlv armed. The Iris
Brigade had poor quality Of muskets
the cavalry had nobing but sabres an
horse pistols, and the rest were short il
all their equipments. With these draw
backs 10 contend against, they were ful
Of fire and animation. and with feelin!
of des crate eagerness, awaited the ap
Troach Of a foe who brought with hiu
almost Overwhelming numbers.
The cavalry were employed during sew
eral days in foraging and scouting through
the neighboring country. Among tn
rebel institutions upon which thev levie'
with effect were the banks Of Lexington
and Warren ION. from which 1920 900 i
specie was taken. OF this amount 800,
600 was taken from one bank 1t Warren
| ton.
| TIE ADVANCE OF THK EMMY.
While engaged in this profitable fora
ging, intelligence was received that Gen
fains ~ss advancing npon Lexington wit
a force Of 5000 men Scouts were sen
out to reconnoitre, who returned in hast
confirming the statement, having had al
encounter with the rebel scouts. in whicI
they lost QUE man, who was shot from hi
horse during the melee Col Mulliga
Immediately collected his forage, se;zec
what provisions and implements of labo
he could find, and made forced marcel
for the College He'll, an eminence situate,
about three miles from the town, near tn
river bluff, on the summit of which stoo
brick building, which was partially for
titled for the protection of the troops tina
had for some time been in that vicinit'
previous to Col. MulIigan's arrival.
The enemy were only three miles il
the rear when this point was gained, an,
| Immediately showed themselves in front @
the fortlhcatlons, at respectable distance
Col. Muligan detached tive companies
ane ordered a charge on body of th
enemy whc were ensconced on bnrvine
ground. Our men made a running charg,
under a heavy firing of musketry, an,
routed the rebels from their position
They were two or three hundred in mum
Der, acting as an outpost, and as soon a
tEey received the charge they fell back int,
an adjacent corn field, where the mail
body lay. The alarm was given and tn,
corn field bristled with armed soldiers il
a moment, who swarmel forth and fel
upon our little body of men like an ava
lanche. The latter retreated in good or
der, and gained the covsr of the intrench
ments without serious loss In the after
noon two companies Of infantry and tw,
companies of cavalry were se,.t out to re
connoiire. They met the enemy in force
and had a skirmsh which ended liz on
men retreatiDg to the intrenchments unde
heavy fire of musketry. which klle,
some snd wounded several.
The enemy made no further attack. bu
retired to a locality near the town known
as the Fair Ground. where thew campec
and waited for reinforcements Thev SUP
| posed, at this time, that the Federal fore,
was nearly equal to their own, and did no
dare attack it in fortified position The,
expected heavy reinforcements, which im
mediately commenced coming in from al
directions, in large and small bodies, anc
even singy and in parties of ten aDc
twenty. In this way their numbers swell
ed rapidly.
The FoRrIFIcATIoNs.
Colonel Mulligsn at once commenced
throwing mp extensive foriifications. The
embankment had been run around the col
lege building. but the space was SO small
as to be useless, and trenches we're opened
further down the hill. These works,
which were about two thousand yards in
length, extended in semi circle around
the hill. leaving he side next 10 the river
IoPen. The outer trench was about five
fee' deep, and the emb binkmeut inside was
the same number Of feet in height, thus
forming verv strong fertilization, proyi