The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-05-14
WILSON'S CREEK.
of an Artilleryman-Failur
to Follow Up the Advantage.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The q

coinfic,d. At that particular time, when
| they were being overwhelmed by num-
bcrs. Du Boiss guns We're to the left rear
of Tctten's Battery, on n high point CT
ground, in full view of tae enemy. and
the Regulars in great distress, the Long
Tom" caused the havoc in the rebel ranks.
aided by the other three guns.
| Our battery being engaged in desper-
ate struggle on lower ground at c.ose
range near the center of the rebel main
line of battle, could not see the fighting i'll
the corniield on the left front.
Any survivors of Du Bois's Battery
will bear me out in the above statement.
Other Regular army officers not named
by either of your correspondents, and who
were conspicuously engaged on the field,
were one-armed Jack Sweeney, Carr,
Pummer, Schofield, Conant, Hutson,
Garfield. S'okaIski Farrand. Lothrep,
Wood, Gilbert and Wherry.
In my article with Lyon in Missouri.
an error appeared. naming Osterhaus's
battalion rs battery. The two companies
of infantry commanded by Osterhaus
fought most of the time on our right.
4 company of the LIST Iowa (who fought
the battle five days after the expiration
of their term of service had expired)
aiding the writer in saving his 6-poundcr
gun by replacing n fallen horse with n
mule is one OF the reasons, among others.
that can be given that the rebels were in
full retreat, because it required all of
20 minutes to change the harness to fit
TIE mule; the other troops had all with
drawn to the open prairie a half mile
away. by order of Sturcis. who had as
sumed command after the death of Lyon,
and not n rebel fired ut MS, but were re-
treating down the Fayetteville road.
This and the saving of a caisson that
had lodged against q tree between the
lines. under n brisk fire, caused Congress
to issue TO your humble comradc a medal
of honor: but it did not go far enough in
giving medals. because each cOmrade who
fought at Wilson's Creek deserved
medal of captured cannon.
Mai. Osterhaus used n rifed musket
at Wilson's Creek. and, as well as being
hero of heroes. was a dead shot: very
oddlookins soldier to mounted men, as he
wore high boots, in that awful struggle
in the timber and brush that extremely
hot August day, on the right of his COM
mand, standing mp full six feet of bone
and muscle. aiming as deliberately as if
at target practice. whfie men were being
hit all around him. m'
After Sigel's command had been run
over. five Of his six stIie captured, him
self trying to escape. asked for n map of
Missouri, to find his way TO Springfield,
only seven miles away. Gis five guns
were later used agaiustI orr line by the
enemy. Sieel kept tire aapers full of ar
dS W HIS oh Il IL
treat. ~.
Hallecls. the greatest failure as a COM
mander. excent Sturgis.1 said of Sigel in
the Valley. "Sigel is running, and has
never done anything else but run" i
Two mistakes were made in connection
with Wilson's Creek: Lyons consent TO
divide the small command, and Sturgis or
were in full retreat. Sigers casualties
were 81 and LYONS 1872.
The battle Of Wilson'S Creel, continued |
so long. the heat so extreme. that the ar
tillerymen were greatly exhausted. as we'll |
as many wounded. My detachment of !
nine was reduced to two; Comrade John |
Mitchell and myself were,
"Alone beneath the trees dear TOM,
That sheltered him and me-"
IL years ago, Aug 10, 1909.
Mitchell, the big Englishman, was No.
! at the gun, and under 81 years. six feet |
two inches in hight, would stand up under
home, lock fierce as a tiger toward the
rebels. curse them at each shot, and say:
Take that canned goods, - you," and
then laugh at their attempts to capture
or silence our guns, and they would have
done so but for our infantry supports.
was, to quote the immortal Com
rade Iron Quill of tie list Iowa, a
"JOedandy."
We had about 100 men in the battery
of the same caliber as Mitchell as to
sand, but none of them looked as fierce
and could laugh and swear under fire in
the same breath.
He would load, ram home, then drop
the hammer, run to the lanyard, fire the
gun. laugh, and curse again. How he
escaped being hit is one of the mysteries
of battle.
Dooling was the first to fall at our gun;
eight of the nine We're hit.
Lyon came near TIE guns after he was
bit the second time, and said: where
is Capt. Totten," repeating it.
Totten was called by his men ION the
yUieU Jack of Clubs
Lyon at the moment he asked for Tot
ten seemed to feel the battle was lost.
owing to being largely outnumbered, and
appeared rs if suffering extreme agony,
blood running down the right side of his
and white. He said to the infantry:
Another volley. men, and then give them
the bayonet,' and mounting the horse of
Nh orderly, led the charge, in which he
was killed.
The contest fought on that bloody hill
was by 300 under Lyon, with fully 20
100 rebels, but many of the latter were
poorly armed.
Sigel had 400, and had the attacks
not been made separately the rebels
would have been driven from the State, b,
nd beautiful Southwest Missouri would !
not have been overrun by them, which
.aused so much suffering to that Union
owing people.
Wien the 1SOO Arkansas and Texas
.avalry charged our right. Lieut.. Dave
Murphy, of the LIST Mo. assisted us to get
.hree cannon shots into them at short
range. causing stampede. they being
% near crushing of tho bones OF the men
md horses was distinctly heard.
They disappeared to our right rear, and
we're not again in evidence until II a. H.,
iext day, at Springfield. cautiously feel
ng their way, We having left at = a. m, 7
he 18th, for Rolla. Mo. !
Murphy was amoIigI the wounded, and
vas hauled off the field on one of our {
'aissOns. JG.1
AS to Halleck. sample of his field :
.cneralship was showne during the siege I
# Corinth. approaching by building in !.
and with Standing orders to
lot bring on a general engagement. r
Sherman or Sheridnn with two or three n
divisions would have iianked Beaureglrd r
'ut of Corinth in Il hours. \
After the rebels skddaddled from there.
Ialleck had a circle Of immense forts l.
'uilt around Cerinth that would have re- !,
!uired 100000 men to defend. +
Somewhat similar were the tactics of :