The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-08-26
THE WAR IN NiIsSO URI,

lrWnton, ga, Aug. ID, 1851.
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ThE WAR IN MIssO URI.
The following is the Official report of Dol.
Merritt, Of the First Iowa Regiment:
]. NJ. ScEoEIsLD, Acting Aajutant General:
Dear Sir: have the honor to submit the
following report OF the part aiken by the Iowa
troops in the late hotly contested battle of
" Wilson's Greek ~
At SIX o'clock, p M, on the 9Th instant. the
First Reg ment OF Iowa yolunte under the
command OF Lieutenant Colonel William II
Merritt, Colonel J +. Bates being sick, uni.
Jed with the forces at Springfield under com.
mand Of General Lyon, and commenced the
march 70 Wilson g Greek, twelve miles dis
tant. Arriving within three miles OF the enc
m3's camp, aud in close proximity to their
pickets, the order was given to halt. The
troops lay On their arms until six O'Clock A.
NJ of the 10th instant, wien they advanced
on the enemy's lines. ADons fv O'Clock
A. nj. our advanced sk!rIn ishers engaged the
enemy's pickets and drove them in. The First
Missouri and First Kansas volunteers, and a
battalion OF regular infantry, under command
Of Captain Plumber, with Tottsns battery,
very soon engaged B considerable number of
The rebel forces
DUBOIS battery took position a short dis
lance East of where the enemy were being Oh
gagged, and the Iowa troops were draw up in
line Of battle on the LETT. brisk fire was
commenced and kept up tor thirty minu tes -
The enemy responded promptly with a bat
terry in the ravine, but their sho, passed from
ten to one hundred feet over heads. Detailed
Uom pany D, LIST Lieutenant Keller command
ing. and Company +, LIST Lieutenant Am Der
cronbie commanding, TO act as skirmi shers
in advan of my line. Ordered 10 advance
over the hill, engage the enemy, and relieve
the First Regiment Of Kansas voIun ueers. In
ad vance to engage the enemy, met the First
They broke through our line Oh the right
| separating companies a anu ( from the oal.
ance Of The command.
While in this confused state, received q
murderous fire from the enemy'x infantry
| Gave the command to fall back aud reform
| the line. The din of fire arms, and the LOUD
| talking of The retreatil& troops drowned my
| voice, so that the command could not be
| heard OF the left. Lad the two companies
| A and F over the hill, ma cd them, an or.
/ deTed them 10 about face az fire on a squad.
| ron OF the enemys cavalry advancing tC
| charge on a section of Tottcn's battery. The
| ice was executed with promptness and effect
| and, after receiving the discharge from the
| battery, the enemy retired In double
quick time, leaving number CT deaG
| and wounded ON the field. Ordered com.
| panies A and TO hold their POSITION
| until further orders, and then returned to
| companies 1, y, II, K. q, and 3, who
| had been left facing the enemy's line, found
| our troops advar cirg uaoer calling fire
| from the enemy's infantry. After repuisiEe
| the enemy, they fell back in good order. Or,
| dered Mai. A. b. Porter to proceed 10 the rear
| and take command Of the four com panies, A
+, ID and i, there stationed. Held our posi-
| tion in front for five hours, alternately ad.
vancing AID retiring as the approach and re.
pulse OF the enemy made 1t necessary to do so
In every charge the enemy Esde we repulsed
them, and drove them into the ravine belo "
About twelve O'Clock N the order was
riyen to retire from the field, which was
done in good order AS we retired over the
hill, we passed a sec ton Of Totten's battery
occupying q commanding point 70 the right
supported on the right by com 3anieS A +.
ID and 4, of the Iowa troops, under com
mand Of Major Porter, and on the left by one
company of regular infantry, under command
Of Capt. Lothrop. This command Sustained
our re treat with great ccolness aud de.e-mi.
nation, under most terrific discharge from
the epemy's infantry. After the wounded
were gathered up, our column formed in or
der of march, and the enemy repul ed the
battery and infantry retired In god order
Thus closed one Of the most hotly con testad
menclng twenty minutes past 4, We O'Clock a.
NJ, and concluded twenty minutes after
twelve O'Clock, NJ in which the enemy
brought to the field 1900 we'll armed and
troops, and our own force amounted to abou
900 troops In the early part OF the engage
mem, and considerably less than 600 troops
for the concluding fourth Of it.
1t is with great pleasure that dc knowledge
valuable aid ana assistance from Mol A i
Porter, Adj alta, Geo. w. Waldron, who was
wounded in the leg, and Sergeant Major Chas.
Compton and to express my unbounded I'd /.
miratiOn OF the heroic conduct displayed bv
both officers and men. No troops, reg ular OF
volunt eer, ever sustained their country's nag
with more determined valor and fortitude
they have crowned themselves with i'm per-
ishable honor, and must occupy q conspicuous
place in the history Of their country.
Before concluding this report, i must bear
testimony to the gallant and meritorious con
duct OF Captain A l.. Mason, OF Company q,
who fell in q charge at the head OF his com
pany. WILLIAM H. MERRITT,
Lieutenant Colonel Commanding
NORTHEAST MISSOURI.
The St. Louis Republican Of the 18th says
The steamboat Jeanie Deans, which arrived
on Saturday morning, brought report from
Canton, on the authority Of g letter TO Col.
Bissel, that Gen. Harris mad united with
Martin Green, making their joint forces from
three TO i've thousand. Col. Moore of the
Union troops, was st Memphis, Scotland
county, with but fifteen hundred men, and
unless soon reinforced, 1t was feared that his
whole command would be captured. We
learn from the Bloomfield Clarion that about
four hundred troops marched down from
Davis and netghboring counties in Iowa, on
Tuesday, to 20 to the assistance of Colonel
Moore, and similar movements have been
going on elsewhere.