The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-26
OUR SOUTHERN EsTAFETTF.
FROKI MISSOURI.
PaIcE's REPORT
Twelve Companies OF Regulars and Two OF
Volunteers Captured.


lowing abstracts Of Gen. Prices official report of
the late battle at Springfield.
"The advance guard Of the army, consisting of
six companies of mounted Missourans, under COM
maud of Brgadier- General Rains as at that time,
(Fr;day, August 2,) encsmped on the Springfield
road, about five mites beyond Crane Creek About
8 O'Clock A NJ, OF that day, Gen. Rains pckets
reported to him that they had been driven in by
the enemy's advanced guard, and that officer i'm
medateiy led forward his whole force, amounting
to nearly 400 men, until he found the en- my in
position, some thI zee miles on the road. He sent
back at once to Gen. McCull0ch fo- reinforce
ments, and Col. McIptosh, G. S. "A, sent for
ward with $50 men, but a reconnaissance Of the
ground having satisfied the latter that the enemy
did not have more than $50 men on the ground, he
withdrew his men and returned to Crane Greek.
Gen Rains soon discovered however, thai he
was in presence of the main body OF the enemy,
numbering, according to his estimate, more than
five thousand men, with eight pieces of artillery,
and supported by a considerable body of cavalry.
A severe skirmsh ensued, which lasted several
hours, until the enemy opened their batteries and
compelled our troops to retire. In this engage
ment the greater portion of Gen. Rains command
and especially that part which acted as infantry,
behaved with great gaantry, as the result demon
strates; for loss only killed, (Lieuten-
ant Northcut) and five wounded, while five Of the
enemy's dead were buried on the field, and large
number are known to have been wounded.
| Our whole force were concentrated the next day
near Crane creek, and during the same night, the
Texan regiment, under Col Greer came up within
a few miles of the same place.
Early the next morning we moved forward to
Wilson's creek, ten miles southwest of Springfield,
where 4mped Our forces We're here put in
readiness to meet the enemy, who were posted at
| Springfield to the number Of about ten thousand
The morning Of Saturday, the 10th day of Au-
gust, found them still encamped al Wilson's Creek
tatigued by Il nights watching and loss of rest.
At about o'clock | received a message from
Gen. Rains that the enemy advancing in great
,,fs
| already within 200 or 500 wards of the position
| where he was encamped with the ID brigade of his
| division. consisting of about 200 mounted men,
| under Col. CawtbOrn. A second messenger came
| Immediately afterwards from Gen. Rains, to
| nounce that the main body OF the upon
| him, but that he would endeavor to hold them in
! check until he could receive renforcements Gen.
| McCuloch with me when these messengers
| came, and left at once for his headquarters to
| make the necessary disposition of our torces
Il rode forward instantly towards Gen. Rains po-
siton, at the same time ordering Genera ais Slack,
| Mcbride Clark and Parsons to move their infantry
and artillery rapidly forward. | had ridden but
| few hundred yards when | suddealy upon
! the main body OF the enemy, commanded by Gen
| eral Lyon, in person. The infantry and artillery
/ which had ordered to follow me, cime up imme-
| dia ely, to the number of 2036 men and engaged
the enemy. severe ard bloody conflict ensued,
my officers and men bahaving with the greatest
| bravery, and. with portion OF the Confederate
forces, successfully holding the enemy in check.
| Meanwhile, and almost simultaneously with the
opening of the enemy's batteries in this quarter
| heavy cannOnading was opened upon the of
our position, whore a large body of the enemy,
der Col. Siegel, had taken position in close prOxm-
| ity to Col. Churchls regiment, Col. Greer's
| Texan Rangers, and G79 Missluriens, under COM
nand of Col. Brown and Lieut.. G o Major.
The action now became general, and was con-
| Quoted with the greatest gaIlantry and vigor
both sides for more than five hours, when the enemy
| retreated in great confuson--leaving their com
mander-in, chief, Gen. Lyon, dead upon the battle
| field, over 800 killed and 600 wounded.
The forces under my command have possession of
three l2pnunder howitzers, two brass Founders,
aud great quantity of small and ammuni-
ton, taken from the enemy; also the standard of
Siege's regiment, captured by Capt. Staples. We
have also large number of prisoners
This great victory was dearly bought by the
| blood OF many a skillful officer and brave mau.-
Others will report the losses sustained by the Con-
ederate forces; / shall willingly contino myself to
the losses within my own army.
Among those who fell mortaly wounded upon
the battlefield, none deserve dearer place in the
memory of Missourians than Richard Hanson
| Weg hman, Colonel commanding the lst brigade
of the I'd division of the army. Taking up arms at
the very beginning ofthis unhappy conflict, ne had
already done distinguished services at the battle of
| Rock Creek, where he commanded the State forces
after the death Of the laneuted Holloway, and at
| Carthage, where he won uniading laures by the
display OF extraordinary coolness, courage and
skill. He fell at the head of his brigade, wounded
in three places, and died just the victorious
shouts Of our army began to rise upon the air.
Your Excellency will perceive that our State
forces consisted of only 5,22l officers and men,
that of these less than lac died upon the field,
while 5l7 were wounded. These facts attest more
! powerfully than any words the severity
OF the conflict, and the dauntess courage of our
| brave soldiers.
'1T THE FEDERAL army s04sulss IN MIssoGKI a J.
RETREAT TO RoLLA.
To do,, - ha soi1
that the army which was in the battle near
Springfield has reached the terminus of its long
and tedious march. That terminus, however Is
not Rolia, as was at first expected, but a place
about eight miles southwest of here, on the road to
Springfield, where there is plenty of water and
other facilities for camp life. The distance is so
short as to induce almost continuous tide OF
travel between the camp and the town, and the
road for miles is covered with horsemen, wa
gons, buggies and pedestrians, making their way
in or out. All the hotels and taverns in town are
crowded to overflowng. Among the guests are
quite large number of officers of the retreating 2
army, who have come into town to enjoy more
comfortable quarters than can be afforded them in
camp. They not very talkative, but seem ia
tigued from their long march and considerably de-
pressed by the unsatisfactory result of their heroic
aoors.
sIEGEL oUTRANKED BY sTURGIs.
1t has been generally supposed that Gen. Segel
conducted the whole retreat from Springfield to
Roa. But this is not Major Sturgis is now
in command. The circumstances, as far as | can
ascertain, as follows: On the morning of the
commencement of the retreat Gen. Siegel assumed
command of the troops, all the officers acquiescug,
on the supposition that he had received his com
mission as Brigadier General. On the same day
by the direction of Segel, the troops marched
some thirty miles But on the very next day he
caused them to relax their pace to march only
six miles 1t was presumed from this that it was
his intention to institute another Carthage retreat
, inviting the enemy to come on, and dealing them
, blow after blow as he went along. 1t was, more
Sinpel would
guard service almost exclusively to the regulars
thereby causing them much inconvenience, as they
had to march at least FIVE miles behind the van
and could not get into camp at night until twelv
'"iOck These two circumstances called forth muct
, '1E. 2lant. It was agreed among the officers tha
the troops could not, in their present weakened
sta ,ton, afford to be drawn into another battle
AID the practice of Sege in assigning regulars t.
the guard service to the exclusion of the vol
, | uuteers, construed into an undue preferenc
h for the latter. The question next arose whethe
IS Sege had received his formal commission rig
8 adler General snd it being found that he had no,
. Major Sturgis assumed the command, by right &
his superior title, and conducted the retreat for tn
Y remaining days.
e BAD FEELING BETWEEN GERMANS AND REGULARS.
IS | am sorry to say that cordial understanding be
II tween Sege and other officers in high postio
| should exist in order to insure the greatest sue
cess. The feeling, in part, dates froma period an
terrier to the late battle of Springfield, and party
| am tOld has sprung up on the battle field itsel
1t Is well known that General Siegel is the pecu
liar favorite of several of our volunteer regiments
D, and with two of them be has performed prodigis
# of vaior at Carthage. HI is also looked upon wit
T. peculiar Teneration by very large portion OF gu
r Home Guard, who see in him the champion of thel
4 liberties and the representative of German valO
: and military ability. The first foundation for
o. disturbance of cordial feelings was increased in tn
E. late battle by the following incident:
I Gen. Siegel had been ordered to take positio
in south of Springfield, but instead of that, seeip
= that he could gain an advantage over the eDem
IN he pushed further, and came to position south
N west. He there mistaken by Captain Totte
A. for the enemy and received disastrous fire fro
70 him, which, according to SiegePs words
n proved to him the destructive fire he receive
il that whole day. Major Sturgis as soon as he sa'
- the mistake ordered Capt. Totten to desist but tn
injury had been done, and the ill feeling which ha
= been created could not be obliterated.
" INSTRUMENTATION.
4 An incident happened in Colonel Stephenson
camp day before yesterday. Sergeant Majo
named Armilla, had suffered himself to become il
81 toxicated. When the officer of the day, Captal
IN Hawkins went arrest him, he fired his gun, tt
to ball lodging IN the Captains arm. Ampntatlc
It's was necessary.
B. From old Crimean soldiers engaged in the stru!
a gle, learn that the battle of Wilson's creek W
I'd one of the most hotly contested-fur its size
n which they were ever engaged. The tederals ns
lg the advantage in three particulars: the surprls
ry excellently served artillery, and high positlo
ed The Confederate and State troops had also thr
se advantages: nearly, quite, two men to one
th the Federals, more cavalry, and better or BRAY
. reqmental officers In instances of individual cou
e. age both armies had about equal share the Or
ng ponderance of general bravery, however, is conc
ded to be with the Confederates for they had to
I'M nose shot guns and one hundred yard rifles to d
- nine hundred yards death-dealing Minnie rifles 81
,e- Totten's point blank cannon.-CorrespOndenc