Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-09-04
THE HERALD.
The Death of Gen. I4yon-TIis
Grand Heroisln His Last
Words.

aNNOT1S.
TIE army correspondent Of the Dubuque
Herald, Mr.. F. B. Wilkie, gives q superb
description Of the battle Of Springfield.
He has some particulars IF the death Of
Gen. Lyon, which we have not seen in any
other paper:
Soon after the fight commenced Gen.
LYON saw how feartully TIE enemy out
Numbered him and be gave UP the day as
lost. From that time he seemed utterly
regardless of life, and in fact seemed
scarcely conscious Of anything. A ball
stfucRhim in the leg, to which he paid no
attention, and soon after another struck
him in the head, iuflcting a severe flesh
wound. He bled freely, but refused to-
move out Of the line Of fire. The Iowa
regiment were occupy ing the brow Of the
hill to the right Of tie battery, and were
exposed to a CALLING fire from the woods
in front. Gen. Lyon stood calmly a few
steps in rear Of the color company, bare
headed, with balls haiing around him in
frightful quantities. If some one will
lead as, we will clear that woods with the
bayonet." II will lead you'll" said he,
and at that instant ball entered his breast,
passing through his body just above the
heart. He fell instantly, and moment
after reaching the ground said: IoWq
regiment, you are noble Joysf" A little
later he grew weaker, and his last words
were: !" FORWARD MY BRAVE MEN, WILL
LEAD you! He did not live a dozen
seconds after being struck by the last ball.
1t is believed by many that he did not
desire to live after finding that he could
make no Roadway against the immense
odds opposed to him. He saw at a glance
the Jesuit of defeat both to him and to
the cause which he reyered-he saw that
all his efforts from the hour in which he
took Camp jackson to that of his splendid
effort at Bonneville, and from that down
to the present--the tremendous fltigues of
bhe march to Springfield, the labors at
Forsyth, Dug Spring, Greenfield, Carthage
and Mt. Vernon-all were vain, and like a
brave but Respondent soldier, he dared to
die rather than live. All honor to his
memory, and as for the Government which
persistently refused to sustain him, let it
he--anatbema naraRatha. Two horses
were shot under him short time before
bis death, and one of his white-plumed
body-guard, almost at the very same mo-
naent Of his fall, dropped MORALLY wounded
by his side, and soon after his spirit took
its flight to join bis masters in the regions
of the unknown.
They fought like brave men, long and true"
but what avaied gallant fighting and des-
perate charges when as fast as each Regi-
ment was driven from the glouud or cut to
pices, the enemy was able to supply its
place with fresh one, and so, after driv-
ing the enemy for more than mile from
bis original position, the Union troops
were compelled, from sheer exhaustion, to
suspend the labor Of slaughter, and soon
after to gel4ge from the field as best they
could. Here again the shattered forces Of
the Iowa first were gathered in line to resist
the onset of the enemy while the wearied,
broken fragments Of the army were col
lected in order preparatory to a retreat.
The enemy saw the maneuvre and again
and again hurled themselves against the
First Regiment in order to break through
il and precipitate themselves upon our
fragmentary columns. Had Iowa yielded
then woful would have been the result;
the retreat would have become a savage
massacre and indiscriminate rout. But
they breasted like rocks the iron hail and
tremendous charges Of the enemy-pour-
ing in deadly fire and holding the enemy
in complete check till the Union fragments
were formed and moving, and then, and
not til then, did they leave their position.
They came away in splendid order-nol a
man quickened bis step, and when sol
der fell from the ranks they closed up and
shoulder to shoulder moved slowly from
The field.