The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-08-24
JUNE 1899.

| present generat0n, though We may depiore the
necessity, should, b proud Of the occasion to
| show our devotion TO . cause % sacred and 90
great, To fight for such country, created ~
such heroes the home Of 90 many millions. and
1 the hope Of TIE whole world, who can refrain
| from enrolling their names in such . causesis
Liberty, law, religion, and society; our homes,
our wives, and our little ones-all that we hold
dear and sacred are involved in the issue before
as. For such d country aud such a cause 1
cheerfully unitezmy humble exertions., Come
what may, / follow, tn, Gag of our fathers, con-
fident of ultimate SUCCESS. A nation like ours
vas never born TO dig, Its strength, its glory,
its prosperity, It's unity must continue to the end
Of time. The stanach old Slip Of State, launch
ed BY. the hands Of patriotic fathers, will yet
outride the tempest and safely moor in peaceful
| waters. Well may We address her in the noble
words Of one of our countrymen:
1--WE know what master laid thy keel ai't
- What workmer wrought thy ribs Of steel,
Who made each mast and sail and rope,
" What anvils rang, what hammers beat, -
In what forge and what neat
We're shaped the anchors Of thy hope.
*fgass *ii 4ed q 5sHTs9s7 i
In spite of rock and tempest roar, Il,
In spite Of false lights ON the shore,
~ Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea!
s Our hearts, our hopes are oil with thee. ai
Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears,
Our faith triumphant DER our fears, i
\. Are all with thee-are all with thee"
LV return my thanks to you, my constituents,
for all your kindness. In leaving Congress ior
the war do NOT feel thatl leave ,y,svy or, ny
State, for I have left the brave volunteers Of
Iowa-your neighbors and sons-in the sangui.
| nary fields of Missouri, where expect soon to
join them. Hoping to meet you at no distant
dav again in prosperity and peace, remain,
sincerely, your friend and obedient servant,
70 SAMUEL R. CURTIS.
Washington, July es, 1851:
was FoughisDesperase Bravery OF the
.ssleais1s crss
Correspondents 7of the 81. Louis Demoeratl l@1
SPRINGFIELp, GREEN Co., Mo.
s58 SUNDAY, Aug ii 1861. )al.
L Night before last little army of tifty-two
hundred men moved in two columns on a march
of twelve or fifteen miles to attack body Of
rebeles twenty two thousand strong. In miiit.
ary point of view the move was one OF doubtful
propriety, not to say absolute rashness. The
larger force were, with the exception of three
thousand men, veil armed and equipped and
they had very large body of cavalry. But the
question of evacuating Springfield, the key of
ed and settled in the negative. 1t was decided
that the loyal citizens OF Green and the surround
ing counties should not have cause to say we had
lett them without a struggle, abandoned them.
selves, their families, their all, to a heartless
and desperate foe, until the enemy bad felt our
steel and tried the mette Of our troops. That
mettle proved itself worthy of the great cause in
which it WAS engaged. The Union troops who
fought and won the battle OF yesterday need no
higher mark no brighter name than the laurels
Justly earned entitled them to. They fought like
brave men long and well. 81" q
Gen. Sigel, with six pieces Of cannon, his own
regiment with that OF Colonel Salomon's, moved
! in a southery direction marching about fifteen
miles, passing around the extreme southeastern
camp of the enemy and halted until daylight for
the sound of artillery from the southwest to an.
| nounce the opening oftbe battle.
Gen. Lyon, with the volunteers composing the
| the Missouri First, Lieut.. Colonel Andrews; the
|. Iowa First, Lieut. Colonel Merit; Kansas First,
! colonel Deitzler; and Second Colonel Mitchell
| part of the Missouri Second unuer Major Oster.
hsus, and detachment Of twenty men from Col
| Wyman's Illinois Regiment; three or four com
panes of mounted Home Guards; force of reg
ulars about eight hundred strong, and two bat
teries of four and six pieces respectively, left
| Springfield about eight O'Clock P. n, marching
| A. II.
at which time Capt. Glherrs company Of regu.
lars and Major O-terh ius's battalion was thrown
| out as skirmishers on either side of the column
and we moved forward. m r- -.
| Shortly after five o'clock party of rebels, act
ing as picket was seen scattering over the hills
to give the alarm, but portion of our column
had already penetrated far enough to cut of
their route, unless they took q very circuitous
one, in which case we should reach camp aheat
| of them. We soon came in sight Of the valley
in which they encamped. A thousand tent,
stretching off into the distance and partially
/ screened from view by hill jutting into an an
gle of Wilson Creek were before US, presenting
as animatng appearance as young city. The
enem,'s camp extended from the head OF the val
ley, overlooked on the north, eastand west sdel
by hills and ridges tso or three hundred feet in
height southward about nile, thence eastward
| q mile and half, and then southward half a
| mile following the windiDgs of the creek, along
whose banks the gently slipping hills on ethel
side afforded the most excellent camping ground
Near the northern end Of the valley lived Johr
| McNary, formerly from Indiana, who, finding the
rebels within five miles, on Tu sday last packed
up his few worldly goods, took his family, and
started for the good old Hoosier State, where il
is not crime to be loyal to the government un
der which we live. Not less than twenty ol
or thirty families, living on farms in the vicinity
started about the same tse, most of them hav
ing little or no idea where they were going, ex
cept to escape from the danger which threatened
| them. 70 31Fa
The battlefield, viewed by your correspond
ent, where the most severe fighting WAS done
was along the ridges and hills on either sid,
| tmostly on the west) Of TIE stream for the frs
mile mentioned above, where the creek runs in
| southerly direction
| As we crossed the hill on the north, movin,
| in southwesterly direction, Capt. Wright, Will
the mounted Home Guards, was sent to the cas-
side, so as to cut of a party Of rebels seen il
that direction. Adjutant Hascock, with glas
rode to the brow Of the hill, where, looking down
he could see every movement Of the enemy be
meath him His appearance in full view caused
great hubbub in the rebele mp, which had alread,
| been thoroughly aroused by our appearance, ant
camps and baggage were hastily loaded anc
moved toward the South. The evidence of tina
fact was every where visible, but they had GO
quickly into line Of battle-their clouds of cav
airy were visible, and their twenty-one p eces o
cannon were not long silent alter ours hat
opened the engagement.
On the sides Of the first ridge on the wesserl
side Of the valley, Col. Blairs regiment at ter
minutes after six o'clock, encountered a heav,
force Of Infantry, not less than full regiment
| and alter severe contest they gained the sum
nit and the defeated rebels dispersed rapidly
going in o direction which rendered it impos
sible for any considerable number Of them ts
again participate in the battle. Totter's bat
terry then threw few balls AS feelers, to draw ou
the enemy's cannon.
Col Bsir's regiment moved forward and wer
soon met by well equipped regiment Of Louis
lana troops, whom after bitter contest of for
ty.fve minutes, they succeeded in routing
though suffering severly themselves Capt
Lsthrop's company Of rifle recruits now assiste,
them, and together they, with Major Os,erhaus'
men moved up the second hill, which was con
siderably larger than the first, and meeting
third regimeEt, fin lily succeeded in driving then
back, with the assistance Of Totten's battery
aud gaining the summit. Ia this part of th
fight the gallant Missouri volunteers acted brave
ly-indeed, no words Of praise could more thai
. do them justice
or course many acts Of vaior we're performe
I not witnessed by me, but among those 50,
conspicuous we're Capt Gratx, leading his me
against overwhelming odds, aud falling in deaf
Just as he had vepulsed the foe; Lieut. Murph