Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-09-02
VISIT ~ THE BATTLEFIELD.


brothern law OF the late Gen. Lyon,-arrlveu |
in this city, en- route to Springfield to procure
the remains of their lamented relative Tor sep |
ulture in the east. Early Monday morning |
the party, with the necessary papers rom
Cen Fremont, started for Springfield
X 1t was painful to witness, as we ire
quently did on our way, families fleeing from
the reign of terror that is now pretty well IN
augurated throughout the southwestern part
of the state. We passed one train, composed
of twenty or thirty families travelling together
for mutual protection; and frequently met SIN
gle wagons, in which few household goods
had been hastily thrown, and the members OF
the family dumped in on top-all steering for
Illinois, where they hoped to escape the hor-
rors of war Now that the Union forces have
been withdrawn from the southwest there is
no longer any safety for either person or prop
erty, and these flying families prefer to give
up their all rather than remain TO see their
homes pillaged by semi b&rbariatls, or, to save
them, espouse the cause OF this most lnlqul
tous rebellion. How long shall it be before
these persons can return in safety 10 their
dearly bought land the only thing the rebels
will not steal, and quietly enjoy their posses
sions, with no one to modest or make them
afraid!
GLIMPSE OF THE REBELS.
In little town called Lebanon, sixty miles
from Ro!a, we found company OF rebel sol
diers vino had come from Springfield the day
before to take formal possession Of the town.
They at first gathered around us and stared as
though they had never seen civil-looking
white men before but it was not long before
they grew upon intimate terms with us, and
freely pressed us with an invitation to smoke
and drink. We talked to them freely and I'M
reservedly, and they in turn poured into our
III NJ flto
south, invariably clinching their remarks with
the assertion that they never could be con-
quered.
young captain in the confederate army
named Boon, and an exceedingly agreeable
fellow by the by, remarked tC me i'll the course
of some conversation that the national forces
were completely routed at the battle at Spring
field, and that it was one of the most decisive
battles ever won.
We don't so consider il in the north" re-
Piled
"Well, what do you think OF it, candidly z"
he asked.
are We'll satisfied with The Conflict Of oar f6S6
at Springfield"
"Well," continued he, 81 think you were
utterly routed"
"Why did you not follow up the victory,
then 2"
awe had but three rounds of ammunitio,
left"
"But you said awhile ago that but six or
seven thousand OF your force was engaged in
the fight!"
Not more"
''Where, then, was your reserve of ten or
fifteen thousand 2"
''Wel, lie answered, somewhat reluctantly,
"Gen. Price was in favor of pursuing, but
McCulloch opposed it, and they came near
quarreing on this point"
81 will tel you, said /, chow we look upon
this matter and how it will be written down
by the historian. Four thousand FIVE hundred
men marched out, engaged toul times their
number in battle; fought them for six hours,
and crippled them so badly that they could
not pursue
INCIDENTS OF GEN. LYONS DEATH AND
BURIAL.
Leaving Lebanon, we pushed on Is miles
further, amid drenching rain, and halted at
Il wayside mn for the night. The next after
noon, abou four o'clock, we reached Spring.
field. We drove up to Gen. PIECES head.
quarters, who received us haughtily, and, as [
had ANTICIPATED, declined to open our docu,
ments. hlnk, however, that Capt. Macdon.
aid, had previously arranged the matter, for
Adjt. Gen. Sneed furnished us a pass TO the
farm of Hn. John S. Phelps, where the body
of Gen. Lynn had been inferred. Mrs. Phelps.
who has bdtled the heresy of secession with
zeal thatsome of the union men in Missouri
would do yell to initiate, received us cordial.
ly and inlsted upon our remaining at her
hospitable during our stay.
1t appeas that after the death of Gen Lyon.
which occrred about nine o'clock in the morn
ing in the morning OF the battle, his body was
placed in n ambulance Tor removal to town.
but the diver, or some one else, acting upon
~. I;,,,,,
dead lion laid it on the ground again. to |
make roo, for wounded soldier, and there il |
remained till evening, when flag of truce
was sent Fl it, which was successful in recoy
ering it. t was laid upon table in his for
mer heatluarters, and after the wounded sol |
diers hadeceived what little attention could |
be bestowd upon them in the hurry of the
hour, an fort was made to preserve it by in. |
iecting asenc into the veins but a retreat |
had beemrdered, and the surgeons relinquish- |
ed the entertaining. The next morning Mrs.
Phelps, hrning that the body of the general |
was still wing in town, asked and obtained |
permissin to bury it. She first placed it in |
kind of ave near her house, but entertaining |
fears, NIT pr jbabIy groundless, that it would |
be distuIed by the soldiers Of Gen Parsons |
brigade, ,hiel is encamped on her farm she
quietly Id it removed and buried Ii had
been plaad in an ordinary coffin, covered with
velvet, te whole enclosed in an ali tight lin
case lhen it was disinterred it was had un.
dergone considerable decomposition, almost
enough) prevent recognition. The general
was KILL by a small rifle ball, which passed
entirelyhrough his body, entering on the left
side, in he region OF the heart. He had pre-.
viuusly zen wounded in the thigh, but con.
tinued fight as though nothing had hap
pened.
FRTNIGHT AFTER THE BATTLE.
Theretill remain about seventy-five or one
hundremnburied bodies upon the field of bat
tie bests a large number OF horses. The
bodies e in every instance those of national
soldierslnd are generally lying on hard gray.
ely rid,s. Those who fell in the hollows. or
where e ground was soft, have been hid from
view he stencil arising from the field is not
so oveDwering as might be supposed With
a singlexception, every face has turned as
black can Ethiop's, aud that one, strange to
say, peists in retaining its Circassian char
acteris.. In several instances, the visitor can
dislinc, see where the wounded men have
dragge themselves from the places where
they f to the shade afforded by the few
scrubboak bushes in the field, and there.
with thcrimson tide of lie ebbing away, and
no kinuand to administer so trting a thing
as cuof water, Tor the want of which they