, 1861-09-17
THE WAR IN KANSAS.


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ruE wsu rr raw4ax. I
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Fiaht Near Fort Scott-7he Eaenay Moving or |
foscurds Le7fn0ton- F[s1,,onf's Rpez&tnationl
,Slares Of R1bels LAxruteI- -Gn. LANES Ar- !
-Montqomc7v aad Jex,sisoa-4BaiYs At 81, |
Joseph, etc,
The mail Yesterday morning from the West
hronoh+ 1s f-aava.-.,t., v,a,,s-s r,,nr;no fr,,,
HeA.
tae ts1 70 toe 1SsA 1nss', tn16 peIh8 tne nfss
mail through sfnce the first named date. We
find much in them cs .uterest. and mako RAE.
49,, o,r+-.t.
lCoE' Of the LeaVenWorth conse17atfVe]
FoHr scoT1, Sept. 4, 1851.
For Bome time past the movements of the
rebels in Southwest Missouri have been watch
ate trouble during the latter part Of last week
did not seem to be 60 g1ea! as it had been.
Our etple fit more secure. The military
had somewhat relaxed their vigilance, and Oh
Last Sunday afternoon, while the soldiers were
erard. and tfe rnn1es helonrinn oCol Waa+'.
cnmmarf rSera 1-eg;n1 1nena5dadN - -
few careles: tean,ste1FestTo m;les eaat ~ rs;a
place, a comnanv nf sfx bundred secess;on;sts ;as
moved boldly u1, killed one Of the teamste-s'
took two other prisone,s, surrounded the an'
lire drove OF mniaa. cons1stino of ahos,
eighty. aad started ranidIy toFafds the s,s1a
line,
The alarm VISA at nnce 6o1nded and .oo,
five hundred OF cur cavalry we're in hot mr..
suit, and earnest In their endeayors to oyrr.
take the eneny, They retrested to woodrd
1a1ine between here and the State line IN
which they formed into line, Our force I'd.
7aneed to ttfer them battle, Col. Johnson m
the right. Col. MONTGOMERY With his 49,
aud Col. Weer's commant upon the center
and Lift. Col Johuson's command came first
in range, and q brisk fire opened upon hoth
sides, but owi1e to the distance. and the
b1ushwood Intervening. there was bnt little e
If apy execution done On either side.
The enemy after little maneuVerinn ca3cn-
lated to miaiead our to1ce, began a rSrid 20.
treat, our force following in close pursuit. and
a running fire Has kent m nver dis+ .naa ~ ~
six miles untl at 1ast te enanv uesace @s1a oI
in the heavy timber which skITis The h,nSs
Of the Little Dry Wood, Our men. o7ertata1
by night, retu1ned to Fort Scntt - ''70A
Gen. Lane baYiuS ascertained that . ,sr1e
force Of the confederate army was stationed
somewhere In that vicinity, ordered Col Jen-
nison, who vas stationed at Barnesy:lle, with
part of lis fo1ce-consisting OF four hun
drtd men-t0 repair at once to Fors Scott.
He arrived here with his command on Mon
day morning at daylight. E.rly on Monday
morning, Col Montgomery was ordered to ad-
iVA~@ Il kAV Aata15 Ut1DUELu4 10 IDG ID.
9Th and 9Th Kansas regiments, and the twelve
pound ho~itzer, under the direction Of CAPT
Moonlight, into Missouri with the view of
drawing out and ascertaiaing the strength Of
Tie e1emy. They we're discovered in the
edge Ct the dry wood timber, al the sane
polnt to which they had retrcated ou the ero-
ming before. They main force was concealed
beyond the timber, hut our brave men re-
solved to make an attack as the snrest mode
Of ascertaining their strength. Col Johnson's
cavalry moved forward upon the right, and
Col. Montgomery upon the centre and let,
HIRE eEo1t skirmish enqued, and the enc
my man1e e6ted their aversion to the music Of
sharp's rifle balls, by ret1eating very rapidly
through the timber. Oar force folioWsd on
in pursuit, and upon emerging fro 2 the woods
on the opposite side, discovered the enemy
with increased force in battle array. The bat
Our force which fret reached the ground
were thrown into llre by Col Johusop-the
artillery in the centre, supported on rhe right
by Capt. Williams and Capt. Ricbey, and M IN
the lett by Capt. Veal and Capt. Stewart Tne
remainder OF our force hsd not ret arrived up.
On the ground.
Five Of the enemy's cannon were opened
upon them, and the grape and canister whis-
tied feartu1ly over the heads OF our soldiers.
and went tearing through lhe trees and brush
behind. Il At once became evident that they
we're aiming too high to be elective. Treir
mu=keiry had but little effect upon our In.
and cur little force, mostly having ian their
horses, were living in the grass as m,,ch rnn.
cea,ed as possible, aud dealing ont lead in
deadly doses from fheir Sharp's rif]es.
The two forces were within one hnndra3
and sixty 1ards Of each ntber At The hsa;nA
ming Of the engagement. bat the confinna1
yoliey frcm thc S5arn's 3;f1fs was nors ths1, M
their men could stand and veil directsd s1d
shell from Cant aIonn3;gh1,s ar.,1ar. III
en- ore Of The enemv,s enn ca,riaoas t. and ~ ~
! --~
| dieablinp the pnn. The ene11v ratrast,d ~ bal
voud the rany,: rf mnsEe+ and i,seG on1v III sir
artillery fhe3r tire Inostiv ness:~or 49, G,a ta
| hpsds Gf onr rnen a no3,nsnT ~ oha,t a.e ~
hnnnrsd ri ne enemv 80 ,o,r ~ ou. 49,. W. 70
| emerge from the Woon unon the r;obt Gant
and drove thtm hacL aboH{ tha H. sama nsvn, t,,ns
! two hundred moved nnon tha lafs tonI Sile
! Thtv were attacEei ho Esnt G;haons. nn+-,
n,and nn3er Ti.nt S1nmara ps. nho nraa,s,.+
| Gown tier flap and drove then hact T;sn+
summers actt fhe u4e srt of ofe bss1. oa osar snt
Gallant conf1nct ri Lawson had nrsn,ra5 ~ u.S
Gifx ons and CIa,k j. comnsua aau az nlSres.
| md fif,y strong ~ 1o,ra q cha'r-o ,.no1, *
a,til,tIy of he aneror Rnt haf:,E, TX n-5,. 5ue
to cla1se was piTyn' Col Montgomerv TN
- .rsr Eo+,htr55n ~ Il ~! a.oHt ~ wv
ine the ntter fn13v of sttsna,t;r ~ ns - msn, sse
| win such enner;or 1nmhers - 49, ast;1
| Iery. ordrred : r.treat "a md o1aar Tsa ~.
trent came near hetnr = stamneda IN ao,n q
| onsrten Of onr force. Int hv re eyett;n.e ~
1ola. Montqcmerv and .Johnson IL fn-ca sa9 ua
agein formed into une. Capt. Veal renorted m d
| his comna1,v onr of ammnn;t;o. anS G,nt
| S1eBa1ts were a]so onf Of a,nmnn;tion VIII
| The exception of ten men. The Tetrea;t Wa
ppain ordered. Cants W;,liams's. Richev's
| and ter Of Cspt, Sttwart's command. .ormed
the rear euard.
The retreat vas made slowly and in excel
lent orter, the enemy tolowinp onr rear
! ruard. firing mon them whenerer there Was
ar Opportunity. Shortly after The retrest he.
can ihe enemy eained 1ossessjon cf ino
house on The one side and corn1ie1d IN th@E
other. and ebarp skirmish ensned in which
the commards Of Cants. Vi1Iiaros and stewart
were prjncipsIlY engaged. and in which tTn
If The lareest Of The eneimy's pieces Of arti1
1ery which had until nov bser heId IN reserve
were opened u1,cn our force The lat of On,
men having crossed the creek. tie retreat wa
resumed slowly and Ia GOOD order. with thf
single exception Of Cspt. Vears comm.I,d
which was evidently slightly panic stricken
Alter ccmfrg out upc1 The prafrie. on thiE
side Of Dry Wood Timber, the force was me1