The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-08-22

ting Springfield Gen. Sweeny pieao
elodusntly against such 9 course, de-
clared it woald- be the ruin of the Un-
ION cause in that quarter OF the State,
and urged battle as soon as the enc
nv were within striking distance He
also pointed out the loss of reputation
both TO the General and his officers
which would follow such a step. This
Counsel decided the course to be pur-
sued, and Thursday when the brigade
Quartermaster inquired when we were
TO leave Springfield, Gen. Lyon replied
ssNot before we are whipped" This
was the proper course to pursue. III
he retreated without battle he would
certainly have been pursued by boast
ful and ,lppunished enemy, and very
6kelv have his retreat entirely cut off.
After being wounded he exclaimed to
Major Scho6eld, ''The day is lost" but
the Major said "Nd, General, let US try
once more" So they tried, and the
General fell. 1t was now little after
nine o'clock, and the battle had ragged
with ferceness seldom if ever equaled
for over three hours. The smoke being
like storm cloud over the valley, tit
emblem of mourning for the departed
hero.
rssHe sleeps his last sleep. he has fought his last
- battle,
Ne sound shall awake him to glory again."
The battle ragged for two hours more,
the command devolving upon Major
Sturgis. The enemy made repeated
attempts to rctake the heights from
which they had been driven, but were
gallantly repulsed each time. The
Kansas regiments behaved with a
bravery seldom or never equaled, FORM
ing anbuscades for the benefit OF the
rebels by lying fiat on the ground until
the enemy came near enough for them
to see their eyebrows, when they would
pour deadly volley into their oppo-
nents and again remain in possession
of the field. The last repulse of the
enemy was the most glorious of all and
was participated in by members of eve-
regiment on the field. The enemy
came fresh and deceived our men by
bearing a Union flag, causing them to
believe Sigel was about making juno
ton with our forces. Discovering the
ruse just in time, our gallant boys rushed
upon the enemy, who, with four cannon
belching forth loud mouthed thunder,
were on the point Of having their eff
forts crowned with success, and again
drove them with great loss down the
slope on the south side of the hill.
Capt. Totten's ammunition was now
nearly exhausted, and placing Dubois
battery upon the hill at the north end
of the valley, Major Sturgis ordered
the ambulances to move towards town.
The infantry aud Totten's full battery
followed in coed order, and were not
pursued by the enemy, who were evil
IDENTIFY glad to be let alone.
Among the prisoners taken was a
surgeon living in st. Charles county.
He was Immediately released, and DIR.
Melchsr accompanied him to the rebel
Generals, arranging for the return OF
our wagons to bring in our wounded
and dead.
Lieut.. Col. Horace H. Brand, Of the
First Regiment, Sixth division, who
Commanded the rebel forces at Boon.
vile, and who said he was now acting
rs aid to Gen. Price, was taken prison
er in the day.
When Gen. Sigel, who commanded
the eastern division, heard the roar OF
Totten's artillery, he at once attacked
the enemy in his quarter, driving him
half mile and taking possession of his
camp, extending westward to the Fay.
etteville road. Here terrible fire was
poured into his ranks by regiment
which he had permitted to advance
within few PAGES of him, sapposins
It to be the Iowa 1st. His men scat
tered considerably, and Col. Salomon'f
could not be rallied. Consequently
Sigel lost FIVE of his guns, the other be.
ing brought away by Capt. Flagg, who
compelled his prisoners, some sixty in
number, to draw the artillery off the
field.
Our troops took some four hundred
horses and about seventy prisoners, and
compelled the enemy to burn nearly al
Of his baggage to keep it from falling
into our hands.
The enemy had twenty.one pieces o
cannon, and at the last, twenty-six, In
Guiding those taken from Sigel. There
were none of them worked with pre-
cision, every shot for near an hour 60
ing whiz twenty feet over our heads.
With two more regiments we shouli
have driven the enemy entirely from
the valley, and with a proper cavalr'
force, could have followed up such
victory with decisive results.
Our loss is about 200 killed and 60,
or 700 wounded, while the loss of tn
enemy must have been double our own
DIR. Schenck, who was in the rebe
camp at late hour last evening, bring
ing away our wounded, reports on
men comparatively few with those o
the enemy. whose dead were lyins
thick under the trees.
~ Gen. Mcclellan is describe