Lyon had left behind him the Greene and Christian County Home Guards to take care of Springfield, directing the officers in command to watch the Fayetteville road below where Sigel turned off, and send word to him across the country, should the Confederates be found approaching from that quarter. This is a circumstance corroborative of the theory that Lyon knew that the Confederates meditated a night attack on him (as they did) or believed that such was a fact. Everything in Springfield had been gotten ready for a retreat. Wagons were loaded, and the funds of the bank were secured for transfer, and were being guarded by the Home Guards. The citizens were in quite a state, to be sure.
LYON OPENS THE BATTLE.
In describing the battle of Wilson’s Creek in this history, which, it is believed, contains the only fully elaborate and accurate account ever published, of that memorable contest, it is proper to do so in detail. The statements herein made have been derived from the official reports of commanders, and from the fairest accounts of actual participants. Care has been taken to discard all reports which are highly colored, sensational, not corroborated by undisputed facts, and savoring of the improbable. Both Federal and Confederate accounts of this character have been rejected. The Federal accounts believed to be the most reliable are those furnished by Maj. (General) Sturgis, Lieut. Col. Merritt of the 1st Iowa; Lieut. Col. Blair and Maj. Cloud, of the 2d Kansas; Maj. J. M. Schofield, then of the 1st Missouri; Capt. Totten and Lieut. Dubois of the artillery, and Capt. Steele of the regulars; Capt. Wright of the Home Guards, all of Lyon’s column; and Gen. Sigel, Dr. S. H. Melcher, the guides, and Capt. Carr, of Sigel’s column. The Confederate or Southern accounts relied upon, are the official reports of Gens. Price, McCulloch, Pearce, Clark, Rains, McBride and Parsons; reports of Col. John T. Hughes, of Slack’s division, and Col. John R. Graves, of Rains’ division; letters from Col. Thos. L. Snead, Asst. Adj. Gen. of Gen. Price, and Lieut. W. P. Barlow, of Guibor’s battery; reports of and letters from Col. T. J. Churchill, 1st Arkansas Mounted Riflemen; Col. James McIntosh, and Lieut. Col. B. T. Embry, 2d Arkansas Mounted Riflemen; Lieut. Col. D. McRae, of McRae’s battalion, Arkansas Volunteers; Col. Lewis Hebert, Lieut. Col. S. M. Hyams and Maj. W. F. Tunnard, 3d Louisiana Volunteers; Col. E. Greer, South Kansas-Texas Regiment Cavalry; Capt. J. G. Reid, of Reid’s Arkansas Battery; Col. John R. Gratiot, 3d Arkansas; Col. J. D. Walker, 4th Arkansas; Col. Tom P. Dockery, 5th Arkansas Infantry; Col. De Rosey Carroll, 1st Arkansas Cavalry, and other commissioned officers, and many private soldiers and a few citizens.
Maj. Sturgis, who assumed command of Lyon’s column after the battle, states that at daylight, Lyon’s battle line was formed, the infantry in front, closely followed by Totten’s battery, which was supported by a reserve. In this order the line advanced but a few hundred yards, when the first outpost of Price’s men was encountered. Firing was commenced instantly, and the outpost hurriedly retreated. This was the advance of Rains’ division. The Federal line then halted, and Capt. Plummer’s battalion of regulars, with the Dade County Home Guards on his left, was sent to the east across Wilson’s creek, and ordered to move toward the front, keeping pace with the advance on the Federal left. The main line then swept forward, and after crossing a considerable ravine and ascending a high ridge, a full view of a line of Rains’ skirmishers was had. Maj. Osterhaus’ two companies of the 2d Missouri, and two companies of the 1st Missouri, under Capts. Yates and John S. Cavender, were deployed to the left, all as skirmishers. Firing between the two skirmish lines now became very severe, and Totten’s battery, then in position, opened with shell, and the boom of the cannon and the crashing of the bombs added to the excitement.[7]
The 1st Missouri, Col. Andrews, and the 1st Kansas, Col. Dietzler, were now hastily moved to the front, supported by Totten’s battery; the 2d Kansas, Col. Mitchell, Steele’s battalion, and Dubois’ battery, were held in reserve. The 1st Missouri took its position in front, upon the crest of a small elevated plateau. The 1st Kansas went to the left of the 1st Missouri, while Totten’s battery was placed opposite the interval between the two regiments. Osterhaus’ two companies occupied the extreme right, with their right resting on a ravine, which turned abruptly to the right and rear. Dubois’ battery, supported by Steele’s battalion, was placed seventy-five yards to the left and rear of Totten’s guns, so as to bear upon a well-served Confederate battery (believed to have been Capt. Woodruff’s “Pulaski Artillery,” of Arkansas), which had come into position to the left and front on the opposite side of Wilson’s Creek, and was sweeping with canister the entire plateau upon which the Federals were posted.
The Missourians now rallied in considerable force under cover at the foot of the slope and along it in front and opposite the Federal right, toward the crest of the main ridge running parallel to the creek. During this time Plummer’s battalion had advanced along the ridge about 500 yards to the left of the main Federal position, and had reached the terminus of this ridge, when he found his further progress arrested by a force of infantry (a portion of McCulloch’s division), which was occupying a cornfield (Mr. Ray’s) in the valley. At this moment the “bang” of a cannon was heard more than a mile to the south, at about the point where Sigel was supposed to be. This fire was apparently answered from the opposite side of the valley, at a still greater distance, the line of fire of the two batteries being apparently east and west, and nearly perpendicular to Totten’s and Dubois’ batteries. After about ten or twelve shots this firing ceased, and nothing more was heard of Sigel until about 8:30, when a brisk cannonading was heard for a few minutes, about a mile to the right of that heard before, and still further to the rear.
Early in the engagement the 1st Iowa had been brought up from the reserve to the front, and immediately became hotly engaged, doing good fighting and winning the praise of Gen. Lyon, who thought at one time that men who sang rollicking songs would not fight well.
The entire Federal line was now successfully advanced with much energy, and apparently with every prospect of success. The firing, which had been spirited for half an hour, now increased to a continuous roar, heard miles away—in Springfield, plainly. Capt. Totten’s battery came into action by section and by piece, as the nature of the ground would admit, it being wooded, with much black-jack undergrowth, and played vigorously upon the Confederate lines with considerable effect.
More desperate fighting was not done during the civil war. The men of the West were fighting. For fully half an hour the armies fought over the hill before described—“Bloody Hill,” it was afterward called. The 1st Kansas gave way and went to the rear, but the 1st Iowa promptly took its place, and the fighting went on. Back and forth over the ground they went. Now the Union troops fell back a few yards, then advanced again and drove the secession troops a short distance, then the latter advanced, and so it was for half an hour. At last the Federals were left in possession of the ground for a short time, the Confederates falling back and reforming.
Meantime Plummer’s battalion on the Federal left had encountered McIntosh’s regiment of Arkansas riflemen, and Hebert’s 3d Louisiana regiment, in Ray’s cornfield and been driven back with considerable loss. The Arkansas and Louisiana regiments both belonged to McCulloch’s army. They would have annihilated Plummer almost, but just as they were preparing to do so Dubois’ battery opened with shells, filling the cornfield full of them, and making it untenable for any troops, and the two regiments retreated in some disorder. Steele’s battalion was supporting Dubois’ battery on this occasion. Plummer was severely wounded.