The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-09-05

August 20, 1861.
S1R. have the honor TO submit the fol-
lowing report of the battle of Springfield,
fought on the 10th inst, on Wilson's Greek,
some ten miles south of the city, between
the United States troops under Gen Lyon,
and the rebel forces under McCulloch. On
the 9th inst, Gen. Lyon came to the deter
mination of attacking the enemys camp,
ard accordingly, dispositions were made on
the afternoon of that day for an attack at
daylight next morning, (loth.) The com
mand was to move in two columns, compos-
ed as follows, VIZ:
The first, under Gen. Lyon, consisted of
one battalion regular infantry under Capt.
Plummer, Co.'S b, G, and D, First Infantry,
Captains Gilbert, Plummer, and Huston,
with one company Of rife recruits under
Lieut.. Wood Major Osterhaus' battalion
Second Missouri Volunteers, two companies;
Capt Totten's light battery, six pieces, and
Capt. Woods mounted company of Second
Kansas Volunteers, with Lieut.. Caulfeld's
company First Cavalry Regulars. This
constituted the first brigade under Major
Sturgis.
The second brigade, under Lieut.. Col An
drews, First Missouri Volunteers, was COM
posed OF Capt. Steele's battalion of regulars,
companies B and E Second Infantry; one
company of recruits under Lieut.. Lothrop,
Fourth Artillery; one company of recruits
under Sergeant Morine; Lieut.. Dubois light
battery, consisting of four pieces, one of
which was twelve FOUNDER gun, and the
First Missouri Volunteers.
The third brigade was made up of the
First and Second Kansas Volunteers, under
Deitzler, Col. Mitchell commanding the lat
ter regiment. The First Regiment Iowa
Volunteers, with some two hundred Home
Guards, (mounted,) completed the column
under Gen. Lyon.
The second column, under Col. Sigel,
consisted of the Third and Fifth regiments
Missouri Volunteers, one company of Cav
airy under Capt. Carr, one company of Sec
ond Dragons, under Lieut.. Ferrand First
Infantry, and one light battery of six
pieces. This column, was to march by a
road on the left Of the main Cassviile road,
and leading to the supposed right of the
enemy's position. Here my official Informal
ton of the movements of Col. Sigels col
umn ceases, as we have not been able to
procure any written report of its operation.
Gen. Lyon marched from Springfield at 5
| O'Clock P. NJ, on the 9th, making a detoa1
| to the right, and at o'clock in the morning
arriving in view of the enemys guard Eres.
| Here the column halted and lay on their
arms until the dawn of day, when it again
moved forward. Capt. Gilbert's company,
which bad formed the advance during the
| night, still remained in advance, and the
! column nr,-ru IL the same order in which
it had hai ed.
A southeasterly direction was now taken,
with view to strike the extreme northern
point of the enemy's camp. At daylight
line of battle was formed, closely followed
By Totten's battery, supported by strong
reserve. In this order, We advanced with
skirmishers in front, until the first out post
of the rebels was encountered and driven in,
when the column was halted, and the fol-
lowing dispositions made, viz: Capt Plum
mer's battalion, with the Home Guards on
his left, were to cross Wilson's Greek, and
move towards the 'front.' keeping pace with
the advance on the opposite bank for the
! purpose of protecting our left flank against
any attempt of the enemy to turn it. After
crossing a ravine and ascending a high
ridge, we came in full view of considers
BILE force of the enemy's skirmishers. Mai.
| Osterhaus' battalion was at once deployed
to the right, and two companies of the First
Missouri Volunteers, under Capts Yates and
Lavender, were deployed to the left, all as
skirmishers. The firing now became very
severe, and it was evident we were ap-
! preaching the enemy's stronghold, where
they intended giving battle A few shells
from Tottens battery assisted our skirmish-
ers in clearing the ground in front.
The First Missouri and First Kansas nov
ed at once to the front, supported By Tot
tens battery, and the First Iowa Regiment.
Dubois battery, Steele's battalion, and the
Second Kansas, were held in reserve. The
First Missouri now took its position in the
front, upon the crest of small elevated
! plateau. The First Kansas was posted on
! the left of the first Missouri, and separated
| from it some sixty yards, on account of a ra-
! vine. The First Iowa took its position on
the left of the First Kansas, while Totten's
battery was placed opposite the interval be-
tween the First Kansas and First Missouri.
Major Osterhaus' battalion occupied the ex-
treme right, with his right resting on a ra-
vine which turned abruptly to our right and
rear Dubois battery, supported by Steele's
battalion, was placed some eighty yards to
the left and rear of Totten's guns, so as to
bear upon powerful battery of the enemy,
posted to our left and front, on the opposite
side of Wilson's Creek, to sweep the entire
plateau upon which our troops were formed.
The enemy now rallied in large force near
the foot of the slope, and under considerable
cover, opposite our left wing, and along the
slope in front, and on our right towards the
crest of the main range, running parallel to
the creek. During this time, Capt Plum-
mer, with his four companies of infantry,
/ had moved down a ridge about 500 yards to
our left, and separated from US by deep
ravine, and reached its abrupt terminus,
where he found his further progress arrest
ed by large force of infantry occupying
cornield in the valley in his front. AT this
moment an artillery fire was opened from
high point about two miles dis tant, and
nearly in our front, from which Col. Sigel
was to have commenced his attack. This
fire was answered from the opposite side of
the valley, and at little greater distance
from US; the line of fire of the two batter
les, being nearly perpendicular to our own.
After about ten or twenty shots on either
side, the firing ceased, and we neither heard
nor saw anything more of Gen. Sigeps bril-
gade until about 81 o'clock, when brisk
cannonading was heard for few minutes