The weekly intelligencer., 1891-08-01
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE LEN
INI,tIHN l. AINII L.

OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE LEN
INGTON BATTLE.
IIEAn!I AErEEs Mo. STATE GrARp)
Camp Wallace NLr\ingiom
September %, 1851.
To the Hon. Claiborne +. jackson,
Governor of the state of Missouri:
| have the honor To submit to Your
rNccllcncy the following report OF the
actions which terminated on the 10Th
inst, with the surrender of the L. S.
forces and property nj tins place, TO
the army under my command.
After chastising the armies of Lane
and Mont lg"mcry, and driving them out
of the stale, and after compelling them
To abandon Fort Scott, rs detailed in
my last report, | continued my march
toward this point with an army in
crcasing hourly in numbers and enthu-
siasm.
On the 10th inst, as we We're about
to cncamp for the day, Il mile or two
west of Rose Hill, | learned that II de-
tachmcnt of Federal troops and Home
| Guards were marching from Lexington
to Warrcnsburg to rob the bank i'm that
place and plumber and arrest the citi-
ZcnS of johnson county, i'll accordance
with Gen. Fremont ; proclamation and
instructions. Although my men were
greatly fatigued by several days con
tinuous and rapid marching, | deter
mined TO press forward so as TO sur
prise the enemy if possible at Warrens-
burg. Therefore after resting II few
hours, we resumed the march at sunset
and marched without intermissiOn until
two O'Clock in the morning: when IT
became evident that the infantry very
few of whom had eaten mouthful in
TWENTY-FIVE hours, could march no
farther then halted them, and went
forward with the larger part of my
mounted men till we came, about day
break, within view of Warrensburg,
where aSccrtained that the enemy had
hastily fled about midnight, burning
the bridges behind them. The rain
began to fall about the same time. This
circumstance, coupled with the fact
that my men had been fasting for more
than twcnty-four hours, constrained
me TO abandon the idea of pursuing
the enemy that day. My infantry and
artillery having come up, we encamped
at Warrcnsburg, whose citizens We'd
with each other IN feeding my almost
famiShed soldiers. An unusually viO-
lent storm delayed our march the next
morning till about 10 O'Clock. We
then pushed forward rapidly still hop
ing to ovcrtakc the enemy. Finding it
impossible To do this with my infantry,
| again ordered II detachment of men
to move forward and placing myself at
their head continued the pursuit Ia
within ~, miles of Lexington, when,
having learned that the enemy were
already within town, and il being late,
! and my men fatigued by Il forced
: march, and utterly without provisions
| halted them for the night. About
day break the next morning Il SHARP
skirmiSh took place between our pick
. cts and the enemies outposts. This
threatened To become general. Being
unwilling, however, To risk a doubtful
engagement, when II short delay woull
: make success certain, ! fell back tive
> or three miles and awaited the arriva
- of my infantry and artillery; these
having come up we advanced upon tn,
i town, driving in the enemy's picket
until we came within Il short distanc,
- of the city itself. Here the enemy at
tempted to make a stand, but they Were
r speedily driven from every position, ant
:, forced To take shelter within their en-
II trenchments We then took our posi-
:. tion within easy range of the college
~ which building they had strongly forti
: fed, and opened upon them brisk fir
- from Bledsoe's Battery, which, in tn
absence of Capt. Bledsoe, who ha,
r. been wounded ut Big Dry Wood, wa
= gallantly commanded by Capt Emmet
t, Mcdonald, and by Parsons Batter
Al under the skIilful command of Capt
u Guibor.
Finding after sunset that our ammu
nition, the most of which had been let
behind on the march from Springfield
was nearly exhausted, and that m
men, thousands of whom had not cate
y particle in SO hours required rest am
y food, | Withdrew to the fair groun,
and encampcd there. My ammunition
! wagons having been nj last brought III
4 and large reinforcements having bee
received, again moved into town oI
Wednesday the 18th inst, and bega
the final attack upon the enemy
works.
Brig. Gen. Rains division occupie
II strong position on the east and north
east of the Notifications, from whic
: an effective cannonading was kept II
on the enemy by Bledsoc'S batter
under command, except on the last day
of Capt. Emmett Mcdonald and anothc
{. battery, commanded by Capt. Chul
chill Clark, of ST. Louis. Both of theS
gentlemen and the men and officer
under their command are deserved
), commended in the accompanying II
port of Brighten. Rains.
Gen. Parsons took II position soutl
west of the works, whence his battery
rs under command Of Capt. Guibor,pOure
Il steady fire into the enemy.
SkirmiShcrS and sharp shooters wei
to also sent forward from both of thes
m divisions To harrasS and fatigue I'll
enemy and 10 cut them off from I'll
water on the north, east and south I
the college, and did Inestimable servio
in the accomplishment of these pu
poses.
Col. Congrcvr .Jackson's division
" and a part of Gen. Steen'S, were pos
~ ed near Gen. Rains and Gen. Parson
;ls reserve, but no occasion occurrr
\ to call them into action. They wer
' however, at all times vigilant and read
I" rush upon the enemy.
- Shortly after entering the city on Il
r. 18th, Col. Rivrs, who commanded Il
Fourth Division in the absence of Grl
:, Slack, led his regiment and Col. IIughe
4 along the river bank (" point imm
u diatrly beneath and west of the forth
llh cations. General Mcliridr's comman
rs. and Il portion of Gen. Harris havil
b. been ordered To reinforce him, C
,rs RWcs, III order To cut off the enemy
"II means OF escape, proceeded down Il
by bank of the river to capture Il steaI