St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-08-22

PlummCr's gallant band was immcdi
atcly threatened with humiliation
They rctrcated rapidly, firing as they
did so, when Lieut.. Dubois having 60
his battery under head way on the bill
near the Missouri volunteers, seeing
the position of affairs on the opposite
side of the valley, threw in the mos
precise manner several shells, which
exploded just as they reached The
dense mass of seccssionists, scatter
ing them lifcless on the ground il
scores, while all who could were glad
to run for dear life.
The gallant men of Col. Blair's reg
iment we're now ordered back, and
their place was taken by the LIST Iowa
regiment. The Iowa boys fought like
tigers. and with great odds against
them drove the enemy back, and fol.
lowed up the advantage gained for a
considerable distance. Capt. Mason,
Company G, was killed soon after his
regiment was engaged. Lieut. Pur,
cell was mortally wounded. Major
Porter and Col. Merritt gallantly
cheering on their boys, escaped un.
harmed. The Kansas First and Sec,
ond regiments were now ordered for.
ward to support the right flank Of the
Iowas.
Col. Green's regiment of Tennessee
cavalry, bearing a secession flag, now
charged upon our wounded, who were
partially guarded by one or two COM
panies of infantry. Seeing this infer
nal movement, Capt. Tottcn poured a
few rounds of canister into their
ranks just in time to save our disa-
bled men from being tramplcd to death
the rebels so completely
that nothing more was seen of them
during the day.
Gen. Lyon now desired the Iowa
boys, whom he had found so brave, to
prepare to meet the next onset of the
enemy with the bayonct Immediately
after firing. They said, "Give us u
leader and we will follow to the death"
On came the enemy in overwhelming
numbers, confident of victory over
such a meagre force. No time could
be lost to select leader. 81 will
lead you," cxclamims Lyon "come
on, brave men !" and putting himself
in the van, received fatal bullet Just
at the pit of the stomach, which killed
him instantly. The lowas delivered
their fire and the enemy retired, SO
there was no occasion for charging
bayonets. Gen Lyons body was
carefully picked up and conveyed life
less towards the ambulances by two
of his body guard. In his death, as
in his life, he was the same devoted
patriotic soldier, regarding his own
life as of no value if he could but res
cue his country. His body was
brought to Springfield, ard embalmed,
for conveyance to his friends in Con-
lecticut.
When Gen. Lyon was first wound
ID, and had lost his horse, he said to
Major Scholield, "The day is lost"
'ut the Major said, mo, General, let
is try once more" So they tried and
he General fell. 1t was now little
after nine o'clock, and the battle had
aged with iierccncss seldom if ever
squalcd, for over three hours. The
smoke hung like a storm cloud over
he valley, a fit emblem of mourning
or the departed hero.
The battle ragged for two hours
more, the command devolving on Ma
jor Sturgis. The enemy made repeat
ed attempts to rctakc the heights from
which they had been driven, but were
CALAMITY repulsed each time. The
Kansas regiments behaved with
bravery seldom or never cqualcd,
ambuscadcs for the benefit of
he rebels by lying fiat on the ground
until the enemy came near enough for
hem to see their eyebrows, when they
would pour deadly volley into their
opponents, and again remain in pos
session of the field The last repulse
Of the enemy was the most glorious of
all and was participated in by men,
bers OF every regiment on the field.
The enemy came fresh and deceived
our men by bearing a Union flag,
causing them to believe Sigcl was
about making a junction with our
forces. They had four cannon which
belched forth their loud mouthed thun-
der. Our gallant men discovered the
ruse just in time, and, maddened by
the deception, rushed upon the rebels
with demoniac fury and drove them
down the hill on the south side scat
tering them in all directions, and leav-
ing the ground covered with the slain.
When Gen. Sigel, who commanded
the eastern division, heard the roar
of Totten's artillery at the commence
mcnt of the action, he at once attack
ed the enemy in his quarter, driving
him half mile and taking possession
of his camp, extending westward to
the Fayetteville road. Here q terri
bic fire was poured into his ranks by
a regiment which he had permitted to
advance within a few PAGES of him,
supposing it to be the Iowa lst. His
men scattered considerably, and Col
Salomon's could not be rallied. Con-
sequcntly Sigel lost five of his guns,
the other being brought away by
Capt. Flagg, who compelled his pris-
oners, some sixty in number, to draw
the artillery off the field.
Our troops took four hundred horses
and nearly one hundred prisoners, and
compelled the enemy to burn nearly
all of his baggage to keep it from
falling into our hands.
The enemy had twenty-one pieces
of cannon, and at the last twenty-six,
including those taken from Sigel.
There were none of them worked with
precision, every shot for nearly an
hour going whiz twenty feet over the
heads of our men.
Gen. Sigel had very severe strug-
gle at the time he lost his five guns.
His artillery horses were shot in their
harness, and the peices disabled. He
endeavored to haul them off with
number of prisoners he had taken but
was finally compelled to abandan
Them, first, however, spiking the guns
and disabling the carriages.
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