The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-08-08
AT OAK HILLS FIFTY-ONE YEARS AGO.

as it ia called in the Confederate reports Of
the engagement, was hard and bloody
struggle Of seven hours duration, Tough,
in an oren field by troops most of whom
had never before been under fire. The
war. was then just opening in the West.
and On the 10Th OF August, 1861-fifty -one
years ago next Saturday-the sound of
hostile cannon had never been heard by
the people of Springfield, and the inhabi-
tants Of the surrounding country. 1t was
more than one hundred miles from the bat
tlefield to the nearest railroad, and news of
the progress of the war on the Atlantic
coast reached the Ozark Mountains very
slowly. But meagre reports of the great
Southern victory at Manassas had been
received by the people of Southwest Mis-
souri, when the Battle of Oak Hills brought
the realities of war to their very doors.
Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, at the head of the
Army of the Southwest, occupied Spring.
field. Gen. Frank Siegel, a soldier of for
tune and foreign birth and education, was
the second officer in the Union Army. The
Federal forces were we'll equipped and
drilled for that stage of the war. Some of
Lyons men were soldiers of the regular
army. Siegel's troops were German vol
unteers, and some of these had done SER
vice in the Fatherland.
Gen. Ben McCulloch, Texas veteran
who had helped ayenge the butchery of the
heroes of the Alamo at San Jacinto, was
the senior officer of the Confederate forces
advancing on Springfield from the Arkan-
sas border. Gen. Sterling Price, a veteran
of the Mexican War and former Cover
nor Of Missouri, commanded the Missouri
State Guards at the Battle of Oak Hills. In
Prices command were many raw recruits
from Arkansas and the mountains of Mis-
souri, who had no other weapons than the
flint rock rifles and shot guns they had
brought from their cabin homes in the
Ozark wilderness when the signal of war
called them away to fight for Southern
rights against the "Northern invaders, -
as Union soldiers were properly called by
the Confederates. McCulloch was moving
to attack Lyon, and bivouacked on the 9th
of August near the mouth of Wilson'S
Creek to rest his men and allow them to kill
some beeves and roast green corn for
rations. It would have been an easy hall
days march to Springfield, and the plan
was to reach the town by night and give
battle to the Union Army early on the
morning of the 10th. The order to advance
however, was countermanded on account oil
rain, and the Confederates remained in
camp. Lyon that afternoon decided to
anticipate the Confederate attack, and at.
ter dark marched down to Wilson Creek,
reaching the Southern pickets about day.
light.
The battle began about sun-up on the
front and rear of the Confederate camp
The surprise was almost complete and fully
half of the Confederates were either in bee
or preparing breakfast when the Federals
opened fire from the top of what is nov
known as "Bloody Hill" on the Confeder.
ate camp in the valley below.
When McCulloch realized that he had ar
enemy in his front and rear, he selected
the Third Louisiana Regiment, commanded
by Col. Louis Hebert, to repel the attach
of Siegel's thanking column, which by this
time held strong position on hill soutf
of the center of the camp, and about ont
mile from Lyons front. The Louisiana
troops made splendid appearance az
they marched up that little mountain slope
in the face of Siegel's battery, and ad'
vanced close to Siegels line before they
loaded their guns. A deadly fire ther
blazed in the faces of Siegel's artillerymen
With a wild battle cry the gallant soldiers
in gray rushed up the hill and captured the
battery before gun could be fired. Siegel's
whole column was routed in five minutes
His army became a panic stricken mob ano
every man sought safety in his own way
AS the German troops scattered and flee
towards the James River the Texas cavalry
took up the pursuit and the daring riders
who had done service for years on the In.
dian frontier, now did deadly execution
with their carbines and big revolvers.
Siegel was thus quickly put out of the
fight. He retreated back to Springfield