The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-02-01
Richmond, Wayne County, indiana,

/ Just betore the Charge, Zagoiyi directed
one of his bugIers. a Fteacnman, to sound
a signal. The bugler dIi not seem TO pay
any attention to the order, bot DARED off
With Lieutenant Maythenyi. A lew mo
Inenls Afterwards he was observed III anoth-
er part of the field vigorously pirsuing The
h,ing infantry. Hs- active form was al
Was seen in the thiekest OF the fight =
When he line was formed in the Plaza;
Z tgony noticed the bugler. and approath
ing nim he said. In the mids. of The battle
you disobeyed my order. You are un
worthy to be a member Of the Guard,
dismiss you" The bugier showed his bu-
I gle to his indignant commander; = the
mouth piece Of the instrument was shot
away. He said. "the mouth was shot off
could not bugls viz mon bugle, and SO /
bugls viz mon pistol and sabre 1t is un
necessary to add, the brave Frenchman was
not dismissed.
/ must not forget to mention Sergeant
Hunter. of the kentucky company. His
solaierly figure never failed TO attract the
eye in the ranks of the Guard. He had
served 10 the regular cavalry. and the Body
Guard had profted greatly from his skill
as drill master. He lost three horses in
the fight. As soon one was killed, he
caught another from the rebels; the third
horse taken by him in this way he rode to
st. Louis.
The Sergeant slew FIVE men. Il won't
speak Of these shot, said be,-" another
may have hit them; but those | touched with
my sabre l am sure of, because l feh
them
AT the beginning Of the charge, he came
to the extreme right and took position next
to Zagonyi, whom he followed closely
through the battle. The Major seeing him.
said,--
"Why are you here Sergeant Hunter
Your place is with your company on the
left"
II kind o. want to be in the 'front.'" was
the answer.
"What could say to such man +" ex
claimed Zsgonyi, speaking Of the matter af
terwards.
There was hardly horse CT rider a.
mong the survivors that did not bring away
some mark of the fray. saw one animal
with no less thsn seven wounds,--none of
them serious. Scabbards were bent, clothes
CAPS pierced. pistols injured. | saw one
pistol from which the sight had been cut as
neatly as 1t could have been done by ma
chinerv. A pieae of board a few inches
long was cnt from fence b ,ard on the field,
1t was now nin9 O'Clock. The wounded
had been carried to The hospital. The dis
mounted troopers were placed in charge OF
them, ,---in the double capacity OF nurses aud
guards, Z.gonyi expected the Toe to re
turn every minute Ii seemed like madness
eossry and hold the town with his small force.
er haasted by the long march and desper ate
hight. He therefore left Springfield, and
retired before morning twenty i've miles on
the Bolivar road. ss s III
Captain f .irbanks did not see his com
mander after leaving the column in the
lane, at the commencementso OF the engage
ment. About dusk he repaired TO the prair-l
lie. and remained tsese within mile OF the
village until mi light when he followed
Zagonyi, rel ,iniug him in the morning
The loss OF the enemy, as reported by
some of their workipg party, was one hun
dred and sixteen killed. The number
wounded could not be ascertained. After
the conflict had drifted away from the hill
side. some of the foe had retur led to the
field. taken away their wounded, and rob
bed our dead. The loss Of the Guard was
fifty three out Of one hundred and forty
eight actually engaged. twelve men having
been lef: by Zayonyi in charge OF the train.
The Prairie Scouts reported loss of thir-
of these belonged to the Irish Dragons.
In a neighboring field an Irishrnsn was
found stark and stiff. still clingIug to the
bilt Of the sword. which was thrus, through
the body of R bel wLo lay beside him =
Wnhip. a few feet second Rebel lay. shot
tt rough the head.
| have given statement Of this affair
drawn from the testimony taken before a
Court Of Inquiry, from conversations with
men who were engaged upon both sides.
and from careful examination OF the locali-
ty. 1t was the FIRST essay Of raw troops. and
yet there are few more brillian. achieve.
ments in history.
1t is humilia,ing to be obliged to tell
what followed The heroism of the Guard
was rewarded by such treatment as we
blush to record. Upon their return to ST.
Louis, raiions and forage were d. MED them,
the men were compelled to wear the cloth |
ing soile,l and torn in battle. they were
disbande1, and the officers retired |
from service. The swords which pricked /
the clouds and let the joyful sunshine of
victory into the darkness Of constant de-
feat are now idle. But the fame Of the
Guard is secure. Out from that fiery bap !
tism they came children Of the nation. and /
song ID story will carry their
heroic triumph do wn to the latest genera