About this time Capt. Powell Clayton’s company, of the 1st Kansas, was attached to the left of the 2d, and the companies of Capts. Roberts, Walker and Zesch, also of the 1st, were formed on the right. On the right of this position a ravine stretched down to the enemy, and up this ravine the Confederates (of John B. Clark’s division) attempted to flank Col. Blair. Some men sent down it from Capt. Cracklin’s company did not return, and then Col. Blair himself rode out to see what was the matter. He had not gone twenty yards when he “found what darkened de hole!” A sharp fire was opened on him and his horse killed, but the colonel himself was unhurt, and mounting a horse brought him by his orderly, Alex. H. Lamb, he was soon again directing the movements of his men.
Meantime, aware of the danger in front, Maj. Cloud had gone back to Sturgis for reinforcements and obtained two guns of Totten’s battery, under Lieut. Sokalski. These came up in good time. As they stopped, Capt. Chenoweth, of the 1st Kansas, rode out to the head of the ravine, and saw the Confederates coming up it in considerable numbers. Cloud and Sokalski got the guns in position and opened on the ravine. As the Confederates approached nearer Col. Blair ordered the men to lie down and load and fire in that position and to be careful of their ammunition. Here the men received a most terrific fire, which they seemed to relish. Artillery and musketry were playing on them, but the shot and shell went too high and only the grape, the muskets, and the rifles of the enemy did execution. Yet not a man broke ranks or left his place in the line. At last the Confederates fell back or slackened their fire and the artillery limbered up and retired to the rear to join in the general retreat, which bad been ordered some minutes before.
Maj. Sturgis, on assuming command after Lyon had fallen, sent Col. Blair word to retreat as soon as he could do so with safety, and after the Confederates had fallen back the last time he did so. The men were brought off in good order and in slow time, without a panic or confusion. After crossing the first ravine in the rear the line was reformed and marched by the right flank to the main command and off the battle field.
The loss of the 2d Kansas in the battle was 5 killed, 59 wounded, and 6 missing—total, 70. Both officers and men behaved splendidly. When Col. Mitchell fell he turned over the command to Col. Blair, saying: “Colonel, take the regiment and maintain the honor of Kansas.” As he was being carried from the field he called out to Gordon Granger, of Sturgis’ staff, “For God’s sake, support my regiment.” Of Lieut. Col. Blair, it was said by Gen. Sturgis that “he attracted the attention of all who saw him.” Col. Mitchell, Lieut. Col. Blair and Maj. Cloud were all highly complimented by Gen. Sturgis and Gen. Fremont and recommended for promotion. Maj. Cloud, Adjutant Lines and Capt. Ayres were mentioned in Col. Blair’s report as conspicuous for their gallantry.
TOTTEN’S BATTERY.
The share of fighting done by this organization (Light Company F, 2d Artillery), in the battle of Wilson’s Creek was large and important. Soon after the skirmishers of Lyon’s advance fired on the Southern pickets, the line of march, as directed by Gen. Lyon in person, lay through a small valley which debouched into that through which Wilson’s Creek runs at the point immediately occupied by the front of Price’s troops and just where a road to Springfield entered the valley, keeping along the foot of the hills, and soon after the battery opened. The left section, under Lieut. Sokalski, was first brought to bear upon the enemy in the woods in front, and shortly afterward the other four pieces were thrown forward into battery to the right on higher ground. A few rounds from the artillery assisted the infantry in driving the secession troops back toward the crests of the hills, nearer and immediately over their own camp.
Capt. Totten now conducted the battery up the hill to the left and front, and soon found a position where he brought it into battery directly over the northern position of the enemy’s camp. The camp of Gen. Rains’ division lay directly beneath the front and to the left of, though very close to, the position of the battery, while a battery of the secessionists (Woodruff’s Arkansas) was in front and within easy range. Of course Rains’ camp was entirely deserted, and therefore Totten’s first efforts were directed against the Arkansas battery in his front and right. The right half of Totten’s guns were principally directed against Woodruff, although the entire six pieces as opportunity offered, played upon him. The two batteries pounded away on each other for some time, neither seeming to get much the advantage of the other. As the position of the Arkansas battery was somewhat masked by the timber, Totten’s gunners were obliged to give direction to their pieces by the flash and smoke of the opposing artillery.
In the meantime, while this fight between Totten and Woodruff was in progress, the battle was raging in the thick woods and underbrush to the front and right of the position of the Federal battery, and the 1st Missouri was being hard pressed.
Gen. Lyon ordered Totten to move a section of his battery forward to the support of the Missourians, which was done, the guns coming up on a run and unlimbering in front of the right company of the regiment. A Confederate regiment with a Confederate flag, which at that distance seemed to be the stars and stripes, was two hundred yards away, and fearing they might be friends Totten hesitated before opening. Their fire soon undeceived him and he turned loose his guns upon them with canister from both pieces.
The next important step in the progress of the battle was when a portion of Clark’s (?) division tried to force its way up the neighborhood road passing along toward Springfield in order to turn the Federal right. For a time the situation was critical, for the Missourians were plucky and were fighting hard. Four pieces of Totten’s battery were still in position commanding that point, and Dubois’ four guns were on the left also near the road and commanding it. As Slack’s men came in good view and range, both artillery and infantry opened on them and drove them back.