Year: 1862

Hunter, Of the Kentucky company. His
soldierly figure never failed to attract the
eye in the ranks of the Guard. lie had
served in the regular cavalry, and the
Body-Guard had prof;ed greatly from his
skill as drill-master. He lost three horses
in the fight. AS soon as one was killed, he
caugh, another from the rebels the third
horse taken by him in this way he rode in
to ST. Louis.


The Segeant slew FIVE men. al won't
speak OF those ! shot, said he,--" another
may have hit them but those touched
with my sabre | am sure of, because / fell
them"


AT tie beginning of the charge, he came
to the extreme right and took position next
TO Zagonyi, whom he followed closely
through the battle. The Major seeing him
said -


"Why are you here, Sergeant Hunter?
Your place is with your company on the
left"


81 kind o wanted to be in the 'front.'"
was the answer


"What could say to such man p ex-
claimed Zagonyi, speaking of the matter
afterwards.


There was hardly horse or rider among
the survivors that did not bring away some
mark of the fray. saw one animal with
no less than seven wounds,-none of them
serious. Scabbards were bent, clothes and
caps pierced, pistols injured. | saw one
pistol from which the sight had been cut as
neatly as it could have been done by ma
chinery. A piece of board few inches
long was cut from a fence on the field, in
which there were thirty-ooe shct-holes.


1t was now nine o'clock. The wounded
had been carried TO the hospital. the dis
mounted troopers were placed in charge OF
them,-in the double capacity of nurses and
guards. Zagonyi expected the foe 10 re-
turn every minute. 1t seemed like madness
to try and ho,d the town with his small
force, exhausted by the long march and des-
perate fight. He therefore left Springfield,
and retired before morning, twenty-five
miles on the Bolivar road.


Captain Fairbanks did not see his COM
mander after leaving the column in the lane,
at the commencement of the engagement.
About dusk he repaired to the prairie, and
remained there within mile of the village
until midnight, when he followed Zagonyi,
rejoining him in the morning.
The loss of the enemy, as reported by
some of their working party, was one hum
dred and sixteen killed. The number of
wounded could not be ascertained. After
the conflict had drifted away from the hill
side, some of the foe had returned to the
field, taken away their wounded, and robbed
our dead. The loss of the Guard was fifty
three out of one hundred and forty-eight
actually engaged, twelve men having been
left by Zagonyi in charge of his train. The
Prairie Scouts reported loss Of thirty-one
out of one hundred and thirty; half Of
these belonged to the Irish Dragons. In
a neighborng field an Irishman was found
stark and stiff, sill clinging to the hilt of
his sword, which was thrust through the
body of rebel who lay beside him. With
in a few feet second rebel lay shot through
the head.


have given statement Of this affair
drawn from the testimony taken before a
Court Of Inquiry, from conversation with
men who were engaged on both sides, and
from a careful examination OF the locality.
It was the first essay of raw troops, and
yet there are few more brilliant achieve
ments in history.


1t is humiliating TO be obliged TO tell what
followed. The heroism of the Guard was
rewarded by such treatment as we blush to
record. Upon their return to ST. Louis,
rations and forage we're denied them, the
men were compelled 10 wear the clothing
soiled and torn in battle, they were prompt
| ly disbanded, and the officers retired from
service. The swords which pricked the
clouds and let the joyful sunshine of victo
ry into The darkness of constant defeat are
now idle. But the fame of The Guard j;
secure. Out from that fiery baptism the,
earnv children of tire nation, and America
song and story will carry their heroic til
umph down to the latest generation.