The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-08-17
War News of the Week.
TRY WAR N aiissrEri.

tween Gen. Ivon and the rehei army un-
der Ben McCuiloc:l, which. from ali &C
counts. was. considering the re.ai.vs force
s,caccd. the most desperate enr0rEtir OF
the war
For week CT two il was kLown that
McCu.loch with force yaricu siy estilnated
RI from 1900 &c 2uGf0 meu. was threat
ening Lyons little army Of s,ioV men at
Springfield. Mo. Lyon held Gut every in
ducement for McCulloch to attack him.
but without avail. At length hearing that
Gen. Hardee, with force of six or eight
thousand men, was marching to reinforce
McCulloch, Gen. Lyon determined TO at
tack him before the junction could be made
The enemy was strongly posted on roll
ing ground on suail stream called Will
sons creek about nine miles southwest OF
Springfield On Friday night the move
ment forward was commenced to attack
him. Gen Siegel, with two regiments ana
ak pieces of cannon moved in q southeriy
direction. marching about 10 miles, pass
ing aroudd the extreme southeastern
camp Of tie enemy. Gen Lyon, with the
main body of his army, some 4,oVo men,
marched directly upon the!enemy centre.
About ) o'clock in the morning, his force
ca,ne in sight of the enemys pIekets on
the height between Lyon and the enemys
-ercanIpment Oh the stream. The stream
.;,peared to ,un from the northwest turn
in. 70 the southwark, with heights on
9TH sides and valley between N which
ne ,i,emy was encamped. Lyon ascend
81 the iiist height, where he could see
....,u directly into the enemy,s camp:
wni..h evidently taken by surprise, was
t.o.ou-i.!y aroused by this time, and
-. ,t>iy forming i'll the order OF battle
., t.. iI,: commenced on the side OF
-.. .,t,a o., the western side OF the valley.
-, -..airs regiment, st ten minutes past
49, :ist. morning encountered heavy
Of Infantry The battle soon became
-. .r-:al, the enemy opening with u guns,
b,. WINCH appear TO have been badly
.vrd. and did less damage than might
.....- been expected, while Lyons guns
we'd by regular artillery men, did ter
...,.e execution. While this fighting was
1.a. Oh IN front, Sie.el, attacked the enc
Nv witt, great spirit on the flank. charg-
u. clean up into his encampment. and
compelling him To destroy all his wagons
and camp equiruge. Siegei appears, how
ever, to have remained too long III this
position, for w..et, the enemy had been
repulsed 10y Lyon N front, they Tell upon
Siegel in a body, and compelled him TO
retreat with loss Of FIVE Of his six guns.
1t was near the close OF the battle III ilont
when the enemy seemed 10 have made
last desperate rally TO charge our little
army. Gen. Lyon desired the Iowa boys
10 meet this onset, with the bayonet, after
firing. Their Colonel had been killed,
and they cried Give US q leader aad We
will follow to death" Lyon, although
wounded, said II VIII lead you, ana
waving his hat exclaimed Come Oh, nlen,
when he received the fatal bullet at The
lit of the stomach which killed him in
s:antly The Iowa boys, however, were
not di-mayed, but delivered their fire, and
without waiting for the bayonet, the enc
my retired peli NEIL They were driven
by the artillery TO and beyond their en-
compliment, but having 20 cavalry, and the
men being too tired TO follow, the battle
soon ended. Siegel's force soon rejoined
the main column, who remained on the
field until morning, when the whole Iorce
returned to Springfield, ON Sunday and
Oh Monday, still fearing the enemy might
be reinforced by Hardee and emboldened
to pursue him, he gathered up his trains
and started back towards Rolla, Mo.
Our loss IN the battle was about 1,5
killed and from $50 20 200 wounded. As
to that of the enemy no estimate can be
made As they often appeared IN great
masses, presenting fair marks tor our ar
tllery, it is naturally supposed their loss
has been immense The first reports that
McCulloch, Price, and Rains were among
the slain, however. are not confirmed.
At latest accounts Siegel was about mid
WY between Springfield and Roila, where
i,e vas joined by about 1000 re intorce-
nIents, and had probably halted.
llar,lee, instead of moving towards Nc
Cuiioch, appears to have turned his at
teutiOu toward ironton, at Pilot Knob
where about 4, 900 federal troops are posted
Reiniorcemeuts are being hurried in that
direction as well towards Siege!, al
though no apprehensions are now lett 70,
tie safety of our troops either al the Knoll
q: III Si..eIs column
Gen. Fremont has been directed by the
- = Impairment to call OF Indiana ano
ls.-....- 81. mediate aid, a,.d at tie rate
~ r-t .-rl reinforcement, are going Tor
ward. 3. : confident Of neing able /" clean
1.-5us >eces>ionists in Il few weeks.
=. Popes system of committees Of
salty unl organizing in the principal
comic nas worked WELL and there
nas- "a ;,wer oi the small village raids
s.4e.u- ,uc past week than usual
FROM CAIRO.
From Cairo there j, very little OF interes
apr.ns the past week. Pillow Is still a
NJ. Madrid with so,ie 10000 men. Tn
.-4.r day he suddenly hurried the mali
- " Of i.i, troops on steamboats, and starte'
iosii the river, but III u few hours returhe,
ass.ln. There is no telling what the ma
na.uver mean. y part OF his force la
been pushed 10 ward TO Charleston, wher