The New York herald., 1863-01-13

Blu. tlc Of the town Springfield was destroyed and
shs done by troops.
Ts rcSss have almost wholly destroyed The telegraph
Aoswecn Springfield and Sand Spring
General Curtis has three columns Of troops marching
sftsr the onemy.
Our st. Louis Correspondence.
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 0, 1853.
Reported Capture Of Springfield, Mo Fya Appearance Of
SAe Ret.s-Pysisminary SkirmishinS--1hey Open TIE
7Ocs--Gesaeral Bro,cs Wounded-Tae Da,naec-Wh0
GneArwy Of the F'onticr7 de-, dc.
An unexpected dtsaster suddenly relieved the in.
activity the Southwest Tho reported return Of Dor
non Of the Army Of the Frontier 70 Springfield turns
out premature. Only afew hundred sick and wounded
man and officers furloughs have arrived there. and
sAe place comparatively defcnceless when The onemy
stsacked yesterday.
The forca at Springfield under command Of Brga-
der General Egbert B. Brown, orhe State militia
vce. Several months ago, when Hindman connmenred
As forward movement, Springfield was fortified. Five
Sssss built and between Of them rife pits
nads. unluckly these fots mounted. Gene
m schoaeld's movements we're - quick thaa all
No. Of n attack BY HindnaA was asanAessds
~ no cannon were ever mounted tho earthworks.
Jsld pieces placed In ths works but subsequently
removed On General schsassds arrival he changed The
sAnes o the forts previously designated by the numerals
&C. two three, eur and Ave. and named them acr the
1sad hsssss 6 Wilsoas creek, respectively Lyon"
"nesn "Grsts" and two others not now remembered
MS was the situation Of affairs Wednesday morn
hg, when discovered in Springfield that the tele
graph line 70 Fsyetssvis down. rcpairer sent
Cut 70 fx the wires, but he gobblsd up by the
enemy near Wilson'S cresk and never heard from
About this time the Union farmers rushing the
town with Information that the rebels approaching
0e 4 str
sadsr command Of General Msrmaduke and Colonel Bur-
sridge both Of Missouri Strange 70 say. ths the
0rst Intelligence General Brown, the commanding oacsr
nd of the affair Dispatches General Curtis
Mud all the avsable troops the Southwest placed under
Gen. Browns command.
The rebels then moved eastward by roads ,r they
reached the Ozark read. By this they or
Abe garrison Ozark the shire OF Christian county
sbsu under the command of Captain Fiagg troops which
being cavalry, they may have ecsped unless surprised
a. daylight yesterday morning they were met by
sounsitering party from spruaned, Jonn 8 Phelps
tarm, about three miles from the town. skrmshng
sued, when men driven back by overwhclm-
ng force Of the enemy From this spot they moved hill
within sheng distance and without dcigning 10 send in
nag Of truce to notify the and children 70 leave
sAey opened Springfield with artillery. The be-
hg wide, and the houses detached less damage In.
dicted than might have been expected Three shells
which did not explode penetrated the telegraph ooce
end the operator says Of them rolled
~ lightly IN II he had gently pushed It.
General Brown IN the meantime had stationed his sol
aers In the houses tho edge Of the town. and relied
chiefly muketry and the firing OF two six Founders 70
rcpc attack Ono Of tho field pieces was placed In
Fort Lyon and the other the street near the cemeary
This gun the rebels captured but the other held them =,
bay until poured volleys of muskstry into the
rsbe with deadly effect General Brown. horse
back, moved from quarter TO another Of town
without regard to the bullets whis,ing abound him bu,
hc presented too plain mark Tor the rebels 10 escape
always. conical ball struck him In the as he
delivering order orderly, and glanced upwards
toward bis shoulder. The wound very dangerous Tue
arm win require amputaion 70 the vctims nc.
The eghting continued very irregular all the afternoon,
the rebels getting within sir hundred yards of their
csveted prye-tho quartcrmsster's and commssary g
s,orehousc the public squarsand unable TO proceed
farther The telegraph opsptor rrn whom all these par
Scuia of the hght derived, took his gun and
sot 20 assist n defending the His next report
scui during last evening" when tho despatch from
tDe medical director, DR. s. n. Nelcber announs ng 70.
pulse of the enemy, vas Forwarded
understand that, AZ three O'Clock A. NJ IL was tele.
rnphed this city that the troops had retired TO For
lyon aud would bold out unt the last extremity For,
Lyon Il believed 10 be impregnabIo to assault Tho
troops cannot be sbccd of IT, and ought no, 10 be
driven oul by charge. nn holds out all tho important
supplies u smmuniton will be saved But II lost the
rebels ri have access 20 the immense supply OF rro
visions acunnl.ted Springfield for tho use Of tho
Army Of ne Frontier vAucd by competent Judges at
s 600 900 Tho rebels would then have their revenge
for cur raid nlcryan Buren, sooner than expected.
How could ths disaster happen while Generals hunt
and Hsron between Springfield and Van Buren Ibis
IL the question naturally asked by persons Ut distance
n easily accomplished. wher routed frcr Van Fiurcn
she robek passed down The Arkansas river 40 Norris.
soyn Pope county, Arkanssp Thence they travelled 70
Yeilye on the White river, aud tbencs by good road
s~ios travelled by federal cavalry Forsyth TN dis
tance from Forsyth Springfield ia sbou, sixty n~ies
BY this route they leave Btton Mountain aad the aid
overland naoad 10 tbs west aud escape ob.crysio
Who rcsponAble Aor the dsmsge done by ths rebel
rad ifor n - simply s,aa. THIS 10 dcult question
~ srswer. The rebels have tried 20 outwit again and
dd us serious damage
Gen plunt when last heard from was at Huntsville,
end ecu Harrons dlvson iD ,be rscsDhy n fsyettyne