Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-10-13
Later Accounts of the Battle Be-
tween Gea. Bacon and His
Men and the Pillagers.
as WITNESSED BY NEWSPAPER MEN.
Gallant Conduct OF Omcers and Men En-
gaged-Fought to the Death and Died
Like Men-Narr0w Escape OF the Cor
resp0ndents-TragicD Death OF Col. Shee-
han.

AAlOuAC q 1OaS dSSo0At Va ZIG OobeiCs
After describing the landing, he says:
AS there was no indication of trou-
BILE, Brill, Knappen and myself made
up our minds to go back to Walker ON
the boat to be sent by Gen. Bacon for
the tents and rations for another day.
We were down at the landing waiting
for the rowboats to take us to the
steamer, when shot was heard. I'm
mediately we ran back to the rest on
the hill, when volley came from the
woods to the front of US.
Was at Loss to Understand the Sig
nificance of the Firing.
The soldiers were just about to be
dismissed, and for a moment was at
a loss to understand the significance
of the firing. A second later another
volley came and the bullets whistled
past my head.
run to cover some one cried, and
as the soldiers grabbed their guns and
ran to the left, I hurried down to the
beach, where I was soon safely housed
behind big powders and brush. AS
I ran down, however, more bullets
chased me. and it was wonder that
myself and those with me were not
killed.
Gen. Bacon's Voice.
STEADY men; steady" was the first
sound of a voice we heard, and as I
raised my head could see Gen. Bacon
running about with his troops.
sect up in the firing line" was the
next order given, and the men of the
fighting Third were seen to run
through the grass ana woods in the
direction from which the shots had
been fired.
Another peep above the stone be-
hind which I lay-and peep at
great chance of death-and I saw Maj.
Wilkinson and Lieut.. Ross calling to
their men to advance.
All the time the shots were fast and
furious, and bullets few a few inches
above our heads as we lay on the
beach.
Ubiquitous Officers.
The men continued to advance. The
three officers were everywhere, Maj.
Wilkinson in charge of the left flank,
Gen. Bacon in charge of the center,
and Lieut.. Ross in charge of the right
flank. The soldiers were running
along, it seemed to me, on their hands
and knees, dropping every moment to
fire a yolley into the ranks of the
enemy. The officers, however, stood
in the open. They were brave almost
to recklessness, and seemed only to
consider the safety of their men, for
they advised them what to do in tones
that could be heard all over the point.
There Was ~ Ceaseless Roar.
For 30 minutes there was cease
could hear the cries of the men who
had been shot. looked up once and
saw that Maj. Wilkinson had been in
jured, but where / did not know. I
heard him cry: ROSS, I've been
wounded; but won't give up, for it's
not bad"
The next moment, as he stood right
back of his firing line calling at the
men: ''Give it to them, boys, I've got
them going; give it to them, they are
towards and they're going to run"
He seemed to be staggering, and Sur
geon Ross ran toward him.
Fell Into the Arms of the Doctor.
Give them hell, general, give them
over towards the central flank, where
Gen. Bacon was taking aim at a red
man. Then he fell into the arms of
the doctor, who carried him into the
log cabin at the crest of the hill, where
he died one hour and 80 minutes later.
There were two wounds in his stom-
ach and an artery had been cut and
he bled to death, despite the efforts
of the surgeon to save him. His was
the death of soldier, and such a
death as he expressed to me a few
minutes before he desired to expert
ence, for the major and myself had
walked back from the scouting tour
together.
An Awful sight.
It was an awful sight, but strange
as it seems, we reporters down upon
the bank talked back and forth of
what good story it would be, and did
not seem to realize our position until
the battle was over and the shots
were fewer, and we had nothing to
think about except the fact that we
might follow in the footsteps of the
major.
Private Powell Was Seen to Drop.
About the same time the major fell,
Private Powell, who was running
from one cover to another, was seen
to drop, and in the evening, after
darkness had come, he was carried to
the little cabin, the victim of another
bullet from the Indians Winchesters.
Sergeant Hit.
t'The stripes on the sleeve of anoth-
er dead man, whom I saw throw up
his hands and drop his gun, told me
that sergeant had been hit. AS he
fell he clapped one of his hands to his
head, and afterward learned that he
was Sergeant Butler, and that he had
been killed instantly by a shot
through his head.
Avenged the Death of the Gallant Ser
Reant.
AS he fell, Lieut.. Ross, who had
charge of the two TANKS after the in
jury sustained by Maj. Wilkinson, was
seen to drop upon his knees and fire
in the direction in which the shot that
had killed Butler had come. They
told me afterward that Ross got his
imam and had fully avenged the death
of the gallant sergeant.
| After that the men were out OF sight
up in the woods and behind the cabin,
and we could only lay on the beach
and wonder when our end would come,
for we did not know but that the sol
diers had been annihilated. There was
no let up in the firing.
Led nm Advance by Portion Of the Righs
F1aak.
"Suddealys to eur right va sheard