Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-05-30

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down and resting in the portico Of thl
bouae. BE hal just preyionsiy ordsred
myself and ono or two Others of thu cona
pany TO remain in charge Of some sfoFel
which had besn gathered there, and Of
dered the bs1xncs Of the compeny baci
to their skirmish line which they ~
lost, and then the general and hie three
or four orderlies and two or thtee infsn.
try men sat there awaiting the approach
OF the advance gusrd of his own column,
which he bad left behind. e Preeentiv.
around . turn of tho Eosd,. came gsllop.
cavalry, and drew up in line il front Of
the spring and dismounted. They wsre
uniformed in bntternut and carried no
flag, but thst did not surprise 10 o. ouits
e portion Of our little army vas oua.
posed Of lo9al Nissourians. whose cloth.
ing and e4uipn1suts tsse ngts di6srsot
from the rebels. N So,
The commanding Officers Of the cavalry,
after they had dismounted and wsire
refreshing themselves and their hodfses,
walked up to where General Lyon was
sitting on the porch. Lyon was accus.
toned t. 60 around with an old worn.
out, faded captains coat, without
shoulder straps or buttons. The general
wore broad brlmmed, long knapped
hat OF some kind OF felt or fur, such Is
the wagon masters then wore, not half
as genteel as oar COW boys wear, and he
was dressed that way this day, and was
about as little distinguisbable BY his
clothing from the rebels as the Nilsson
rians themselves. Up marched Mr..
captain to the porch, and taking Lyon
Tor some common soldier or person be
spoke to him roughly and asked him
what command do you belong to 2"
Lyon jumped to his feet and says, "Who
in the hell are you?" II belong to
Rane's cavalry" was the reply. The
words had not all left his mouth before
Lyon shouted, Fire, fire." The rebel
captain turned to his men, gave the
word to mount" The word went down
the line flying, mount, mount.mount,"
and in less time than I can tell it the
one hundred rebel cavslry were fleeing
down the road with Lyons three order.
lies after them. Pretty soon, in about
fifteen or twenty minutes, the advance
guard of our army came up. Lyons
orderiies came back bringing with them
three prisoners. The incident Il
thoroughly illustrative of the coolness,
presence of mind and daring of that
great general; with but three
cavalry orderlies and three
infantry men who could as easily as not
have captured him and thsre ended .he
campaign in southwestern Missouri by
his bold snd fearless action he averted
the danger and put . company of one
hundred cavalry in retreat. Anew weeks
after this Lyon, with his little army
finding that Price who outnumbered him
three to one, was in danger OF surround.
ING him and cutting him OF fell back
again into Springfield. The enemy
halted at Wilson's creek, twelve miles
south of him. The failed 70
reinforce Lyon. BE was one hundred miles
distant from the nearest. railroad com.
munication. 10 retreat to Rolia, Mis-.
sonri, the end Of the railroad, in the face
Of this force would have simply been to
have his little army surrounded and emf
up 10 detail, but he came TO tho gallant
resolution to take the offensive himself
antby night march and night attack
surprise the enemy in their camp, and il
he had lived the result shows that he
would have been successful. As the sun
set on the 4th of August in each regl.
ment in his army the companies were
silently mustered in the company's
street. Tents were struck, baggage
loaded and the whole command rested
under arms till night. Soon as the
shades gathered around, without life,
drum or nolee of any kind, without
baggage wagons, with the wheels of the
artillery mufled the little column
marched out Of Springfield southwark
as noiselessly as the swallows fy
Travelling by the unfrequented road and
over open prairies the army
marched steadily on during the hour.
OF the night. Conversation was forbid
den; men spoke only in whispers. I,
was bright starlight night ae We march
ed along under the shadows of the treel
and the hills and then out again into the
bright starlight without noise. Yor
might have imagined that you were witt
y company Of ghosts. at last We receiy
ed orders to lie down in our tracks, ane
permission to sleep. We had approach
ed as close as it was possible to get L
the enemy's camp aud were waiting fo
the first streaks Of dawn for the attack
Never have slept harder or swevteJ
than on that hard ground. It didn'
seem as if We had slept two seconds be
fore went out word, some one Quietl,
awakening us. We sprang up. took ou
guns and resumed our march Just as thu
fret break of day opened.
Presently as it grew lighter We coult
see IL the ravines beneath us the tent!
OF the rebels; only struggling shot wa.
heard here and there and over yonder
In q minute they came more rapidly
then as it grew lighter We could see or
the sweils of the hills our skirmish line,
and see the puffs of smoke from theil
guns, then the fire became general anJ
rapid, then we saw our first wounded
man by the side OF the road, then other,
coming back. Soon We began to heal
the balls as well a. the reports of th.
guns; finally we we're marched up tt
the support OF Totten's artillery, ane
there was the worst experience O
the battle. The regiment was ordered
to remain in support and to re
serve their fire until the battery should
be attacked and the men were command
ed to lie down. The bullets and she'll
of the enemy over them and into then
and vet they to remain perfectly passive
was the most trying ordeal that the mel
had to endure.
Soon the shells whistled over tn,
heads of our company, and the first mar
of Company "a struck dead, "a he wa,
lying, BY piece Of i she'll. Then the
rebel cavalry charged the guns and cir
oled round our tanks. The regiment i,
ordered to charge them, and from that
time the scene is indescribable. Lyor
fell; another officer, succeeding him, be
came discouraged; one portion of Lyon
army is separated from the other, and
although before his death, he had pun
ishen the enemy SO severely that in spit,
OF their superior numbers, they were al