Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-08-18
Ohio 9tatesntan
q.1 3D. From The Missouri D.Aesrat.l y I5s., ao
The Great Battle at Springfield.
bGl -5h TO aIftaBBd ~ jaruossyl1 Sanoloig
ss7llq ''9dT Jl9ar7- Oh os sigyg Of
.ao ~ THE LATEST 1HTEI11aEncE. 3 :
Gen. Lyon Shot Near the Heart.
Price, and McCulloch NOT Killed, bul
Unable 10 PURSUE, =, -

Price and McCulloch NOT X KiIIgd. bul
unable TO PurSue' s,,! a, e1r
TGs 3lEu b.yoE y 49, l..s. l-assL .lH
.,i,, sPRiSoFiEtD, GREEN Co, MOI
80 SUNDAY, Aug. ii, 1861. '
Night before last a little army of ffty.two
hundred men moved in two columns on a march
Oh twelve or fifteen miles, to attack a body Of
rebels twenty-five thousand strong. In mill
tary point OF view, the move was one of doubt
iui propriety, not to say absolute rashness. The
larger force we're, with the exception of three
Thousand men, we'll armed and equipped, and
they had very large body OF cavalry. But the
question Of evacuating Springfield, the KEY Of
the entire Southwest, had already been discussed
and settled in the negative. 1t was decided
that the loyal citizens of Green and the sur
rounding counties should not have cause TO saw
we had lett them without a struggle, abandoned
themselves, their families, their all, to heart.
less and desperate foe, until the enemy had felt
our steel and tried the meitle of our troops
fnat mettle proved itself worthy Of the great
cause in which IL was engaged. The Union
troops who fought and won the battle of yester-
DAY need no higher mark, no brighter name
man the laurels earned justly entltle them
well. III - N.e NET
DO Gen. Sgel, with six pieces of cannon, his
own regiment and that of Col Solomon's,
moved In southerly direction, marching about
hfseen miles, passing around the extreme south
eastern camp OF the enemy and halted until
daylight, or for the sound of artillery from the
northwest to announce the opening of the
battle.
General Lyon, with the volunteers composing
the Missouri First, Lieut.. Col. Andrews; Iowa
FIRST, Lieut.-Col. Merritt; Kansas First, Col.
Deltzler; and Second, Col. Mitchell; part of
the Missouri Second, under Major Osterhaus;
and detachment of twenty men from Col
Wyman's Illinois Regiment three or four CON-
panies OF mounted Home Guards; q force Of
regulars about 500 strong, and two batteries Of
-FOUR and six pieces respectively, left Springfield
about . O'Clock P. M, marching slowly along
until A. M, when we halted for two hours, al
which time Capt. Gilbert's company of regulars
and MOjor Osterhaus's battalion we're thrown
out as skirmishers on either eide of the column,
and we moved forward =,
Shortly after 5 o'clock party Of rebels, act
ing as picket, was seen scattering over the
hills to give the alarm, but q portion Of our
column had already penetrated far enough to
cut oil their route, unless they took very cir
cuitous one, in which case we should reach
L
OF the valley iu which they were encamped. A
thousand tents stretching off into the distance
and partially screened from view by hill jut4
ting into an angle of Wilson creek were be.
fore US, presenting as animated an appearance
as young city The enemy's camp extended
from the head OF the valley, overlooked on the
north, east and west sides by hills and ridges
two or three hundred feet in hight, southwark
about mileI thence eastward q mile and q
4 bali, and then southwark half mile, following
the wiDdings Of the creek, along whose banks
the gently sloping hills on either side afforded
the most excellent camping ground. 1850 %
\ Near the northern end Of the valley lived
John McNary, formerly from Indiana, who,
finding the rebelsiwithln FIVE miles, ON Tuesday
last, packed up his few worldly goods. took his
family and started for the good old Hoosef
State, where il Is not crime to be loyal to the
Government under which we live. Not les3
than twenty or thirty families, living on farms
in the vicinity, started about the same time,
most of them having little or no idea where they
were going, except to escape from the danger
which threatened them. Mr.O r.- ,5 4 !
The battle field, viewed by your correspon-
dent, where the most severe fighting was done,
was along the ridges and hills on either side
(mostly on the west) Of the stream for the first
a southerly direction.
AsWe crossed the hill on the north, moving
in south-westerly direction, Captain Wright
with. the mounted Home Guards, was sent To
the, east side go as to cut off party Of rebels
aeen In that direction. Adjutant Hascock, With
a glass, rode to the brow Of the hill, where
looking down, he could see every movement oil
the enemy beneath him, disappearance in full
view caused q great hubbub in the rebel camp
which had already been thoroughly aroused bJ
our appearance, and camps and baggage were
hastily loaded and moved towards the SOUTH :
We had completely surprised them. The evi
dence Of that fackwas everywhere visible, but
they got quickly into line of battle-theil
clouds of cavalry were visible, and their TWEEN,
| ty.one pieces Of cannon were not silent afteI
ours had opened the engagement saj u /
On the sides OF the first ridge on the western
side Of the valley, Col. Blair's regiment, at ter
minutes after sick o'clock, encountered heavy
force OF infantry, not less than full regiment
and after severe contest they gained the sum
init, and the defeated rebels dispersed rapidly
going in direction which rendered 1t impossi
BILE for any considerable number of them tc
again participate in the battle. Totten's bat
terry then threw q few balls as feelers, to draw
out the e1emy's cannon 71 ~ '..
IL Oul' Dihir reBlment 5mOVeu FORWARD AnC
were soon met by well equipped regiment o
\ Louisiana troops, whom, after bitter contest
OF forty-fve minutes, they succeeded In rout
ing, though suffering severely themselves,
Captain Lathrop's company Of rife recruits nov
assisted them, and together they, with Majo
0sterhaussa men, moved up the second bill
which was considerably larger thauthe first. ant
meeting q third regiment, finally succeeded In
diving them back with the assistance Of Tot
tens battery, and gaining the summit. In thil
| part OF the fight the gallant Missouri volunteers
acted brayely, indeed, no words of praise could
l more than do them justice.
or course many acts Of valor were performed
not witnessed by me. but among those i saw
conspicuous were Captain Gratz, leading hil
men against overwhelming odds, and falling Ii
4 death Just as he had repulsed the, foe, Letten
ant Murphy dsshing forward ahead Of the line
waving his sword high in the air, shouting on
j ward to the almost wavering men, who gaines
flesh courage from the exhibition, and, pushinI
4 forward. drove the enemy from the .field I,