, 1861-09-24
BATTLE or BLUE mHLxs LAND.
Desp2rate EBRaxeMent Of 4 PART Of
the1oWa Third with A, 500 Rebels.

{From the st. Lonls Democrat, s3d,J
!. a tsW Aaye since, IN an article on Ehe condt-
tion Of Northern Missouri, We mentioned that
on Monday laat Gen. Pope dispatched col
umn from St Joseph, under Col Smith,
another from Cameron, under Lieut. Col.
Scott, and third from Mexico, in pursuit. OF
Of :he rebels who recently ;.lnndered E. 10
eeph a1d the adjacent country. Col. asni:h
IL, and hayi1g shout 1he same distance to-
Uiaxcb, we1e expected to meet at Liberty, and
uniting their forcSs, TO march on towards Bias:
MirlE Landing, where it ~as believed thas tte.
enemy intended crossing the river.
Col Scott With past ef the Iowa Third, s:
few Home Gnards, and part OF German ar
tjnery company from St. Louis, With ore six
pount.er, nun bering IN all 575 men, reached
Liberty oh Wednesday morning, and learning
that the enemy, uudef Boyd, ratten. and 9th
ere, pumhering 4,5o0, were In strong posss5on
serget to Col. Smith, who, having been de-
tained by rains and bad roads, Was still ten
miles from Liberty, and without waiting for
Col. Smith 70 rrlnfcrce bin, he Advanced to-
wards Blue MILF. The attack Was made about
OPENED strong fire On his skir1niahtss, who
slowly rstreatea to the nsin body. The action
toan bs cane general. The tH popndeE Was
brought to bear and two ehots were fired with
telling effect, The enemy opened da heavy fire
on ,h,s, or only PIECE, ana killed one gnnnet
n.the Eunne-s ahandooed tn: piece, carrying
With them the primer md matches ,gnd render
irg the gun useless.
Tie action wss continued for aa hour after
this, the men fighting like veterans, brt ex~
hansted BY the long marches OF the preceding
days, without artillery, and opposed to III en-.
emy six times their number, the struggle
eeemeo hopeless and they slowly withdrew 70
the open ground adjacent, bringing off with
them their wounded and dragging TIE poan,
Nar ht5h how'd hA Inv 81 HaA. II "A
or badly wnuEeed.
Col. Smith, oE receiving the message sent
By Lieut.. Col. Scott, hurried forward his artil-
1eIy and mounted force at full speed to his
support. Al 1t Va. quite dark when these
re!nto1cemepts reached Col Scott, and the
troops were exhausted by their forced march,
It vas concluded not to attack the enemy,
whose force was more than dpub>e the united
forcer If Col Smith AID Lieut.. Col Scott IN
til daylight the next morning.
Eazly the next day our scouts brought In
word that the enemy had abandoned his posi-,
| 1icn the night before and creased the river,
| the last party crossing e little after 8 In the
] morning. Having three large Cats and aeteau
| ftrry for transportation, end tie river bsiue
| very narrow at this point, they we're eRableG
| to cross the river quite rapidly.
The enemy rambered ~ their own showing
4,5Q0 mtn.
AEhoush ii we may condemn the want of pru
derce displayed by the Iowa Third in no
awAitanE the arrival Of Col. Smiths column
according to Gen. Pope's orders, we ca3no
but admire the courage and gallantry display
ed IN Illus engaging and successfully with
standing q force stI times greater than thei
Own AID this, too, after they had been ahan
doned bs the gunneTs, who went into the e1
Placement with them.
The Third Iowa wss engaged IN the Shelb
Ia fight, and have ever since been buruing t
| sf1ace the stigma cast on them by this di
: | graceful aaaif. They have at LAST had the OF
portunity :hsy have SO arxi iously desired, an
60 enc = uhc rtads the List Of Killed and woun'
r I'd will attribute that dizgrace to the office
who led, nur the men who fought with 8
much bfaFe. = and steadiaess at Blue Nils.
We might se1atc particular iustsnce5
brsvzry on the part ct afHrers and men, bl
q where all fought 50 gallantly and steadily
: might ettn jnT.dous to mention irdigidua!
: This tD1ce driven ont ct Northern Nilsson
= lea7es that section Of the State clear Of larE
b,rd: Of rebe}s, and now that Genera! Pr:
tiss hes replaced Gen. Hurlhut we are gu
! this: h.. WiH be able to msu'atn the peace
;h;a s=v:itn Of the State. Tha I3lled al
, wourdtd, fol the number engaged, is e8cee
ipgly large. We are unable to give a core
j, et1ttme1t cf the enemy's kiled aud woande
> but 1t muEt have been very greet.