The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-11-05
Charge of the Body Guard !!
Most Briliaut Achievement or the
Warsg
tCorrespondesce Of the Missouri Democrat. /
AMP Lyon, SPRINGFIELD, Mo-, !
Monday, Oct. 26th, 1861.

/ the Body Guard, received orders to take a
detail from each of the three companies of
his own command, and uniting it with
Major Whites battalion of Prairie Scouts,
proceed to Springfield by forced march,
and take possession Of the Place. 1t was
understood that the city was held by but
about 800 rebel troops, and no opposition
whatever was anticipated to the progress of
Major ZagonyTs command.
The Major, stopping in camp only long
enough to cook one ration, and rest his men
and horses from the fasigues of the / g mile
march of that day, was with his command
duly on the road by II o'clock P. NJ. At
daybreak, on Friday, he halted at a point
five miles this side of Bolivar, where he
made another brief halt, allowing the men
an opportunity of eating their rations, and
the horses of getting little feed. Pro-
ceeding again, he met with no signs of the
enemy until within about eight miles OF
this city, when squad Of some dozen or
fifteen armed men were discovered taking
wheat from a barn on the prairie near by.
A platoon of the Body Guard was sent after
them, and six of them captured, the Others
succeeding in making good their retreat
through the neighboring woods.
/ It was then ascertained that the men
| were foraging party from large rebel
I
| on, the Major gained additional information
! from Union citizens ia regard 10 the enc
my's numbers. From these accounts, it
seemed that the pace was held by force
at least Eve or six times az large as was
supposed prior TO leaving the headquarters
| of Gen. Fremont. Notwithstanding all
this, the undannted Major resolved to press
on and examine for himself; but the far
Their he progressed towards the town, the
more emphatic were the statements as to
the large force with which the town was
held.
In the mean time, some Of the foraging
party, who had managed to make good
their escape, had appraised the rebels of the
approach Of the federal cavalry, and long
before he arrived before the town, they had
made their dispositions Cor receiving it. The
first seen of the enemy was short distance
from town, " hen the advance of the Body
Guard discovered full regiment drawn
up on selected ground near the road, pre-
pared to receive them. The ground not be-
ing favorable for offensive operations v it'll
cavalry, after consultation with his guide,
the Major resolved To give this force the go
by, cross over the prairie to the westward,
and approach the city by the As. Vernon
road.
This maneuvre was auccessfu ly accom-
piished, but upon arriving within about a
mile of the citv by this route, the citizens
gave the formation that the enemy,
i 800 or 2s.s1.. long, were here, too, drawn
up and prepared TO meet them, but quar-
ter or q half mile ahead. This Yves about
three or four o'clock. Men, women and
! children came hocking down to the road
side, and with tears in their eyes welcomed
the federal force; and while assuring them
/ al haor an rs
large forces ready to receive them, and be-
sought the Major and his officers to hesitate
-5vs- s=reis.h 4Iaa;r
Major had not made forced march of over
fifty miles to take possession of a town, to
return without least making an attempt to
I carry out his Instructions. He had, besides
the most unlimited confidence in the drill
and effectiveness of his own immediate COM
maud, the Body Guards, and was perhaps,
himself animated by a soldier-like desire to
do gallant deed. Placing his own COM
mand in the front, and himself in advance
of all, he led the way towards the point
where the enemy was drawn up prepared
to meet them.
The ground selected by the rebels for
their reception of the Majors command was
in the immediate vicinity of their camp, on
the Mount Vernon road, about half a
mile west Of the city. 1t is the same road
over which our troops marched out to meet
the enemy prior to the battle of Wilson's
Greek, and by somewhat similar coinci-
dence the head of the same Wilson's Creek
here, however, a mere brook-runs
through the lot in which the present en-
gagement took place.
As the Major was 10 approach from the
west, the rebels had scattered skirmishers
throughout the dense woods or chapparaI
on either side, who from the frst greeted
his approach with scathing fire which
emptied several saddles. The woods and
rough bushy ground To the south Of the
road, was also full of their skirmishers
hidden in the tops and behind bushes and
trees. The main body Of the force. how
! ever, was drawn up in the form of a hollow
square, in large open field to the north Of
the road, the infantry bordering along
high Virginia rail fence. nearly to tie
brook, and also at the head Of the field
bordering on the woods, and the cavalry
on the other side Of the field, also support
ed by the forest.
Upon reaching the vicinity of this place,
Major 2. ordered an advance at trot, uns
til, when fairly IN the woods the pacs was
increased TO a gallop. When the fire frst
opened, for some cause yet to be explained,
the two companies of the First Missouri
cavalry, aud the Irish Dragons, composing
Major Whites battalion eountermarched to
the left, and were seen no more By Major
Zagonyi, who, with his command, alone
proceeded down the road through the fire
OF the enemy. Upon reaching the open
field, an attempt was made to tear down
the fence and charge upon the enemy. Il
was soon discovered, however, that this
would be impossible without a heavy loss,
and they Immediately made a rush down
the road, over brook, where in q measure
shielded from the enemys fire, they leveled
the rails and effected an entrance Here,
in the midst of the briars and stnbbe bor-
dering the brook, be succeeded in forming
his men, and giving the word, with the
Msjor at their head, they gallaotly charged
up the hill of t E open field, right into the
midst of their foes. AS they charged, the
/ command spread out fan like, some charg-
ing to the right, some TO the left, aud orb.
eTs straight up TO the woods in front.
The cavalry to the right were scattered
| al 20 In. tl,os g.