Early in the morning, Lieut. Call and his men went forward to reconnoiter. The field was abandoned. The enemy had crossed the river and was out of our reach. But would we pursue to Lexington? We understood that Price had besieged the garrison there with all his forces. Smith was now without orders; but reason and duty pointed to but one course; to march down the river and support Sturgis, who was endeavoring to succor Mulligan. Had Smith known or acted upon the simplest principle of defensive warfare, that forces concentrate when threatened, he would not have hesitated at least in placing himself in communication with that officer. But he took precisely the opposite course. After spending most of the following day at Liberty, his men in the meantime plundering and outraging the citizens, he took up the march in the evening for St. Joseph, giving Scott an additional piece of artillery of Schwartz's battery, under command of a lieutenant, and leaving him under orders to return to Liberty as soon as he had made dispositions for his wounded, at the same time refusing him transportation to enable him to do so; thus, as we were willing to believe, placing us between him and the enemy, while he was making his shameful flight. Thus, while the enemy was making an inroad into our territory and threatening all our detachments west of St. Louis, he divided his small force and commenced the occupation of the country from which a portion of the rebels had just retreated. The privates in the ranks saw the stupidity of these movements at the time; and it is a striking illustration of their patriotism that, under such leadership, they were not thoroughly demoralized.
Our regiment spent the day after the battle in taking care of our wounded and burying our dead. Most of the bodies of the dead were brought from the field and buried in the public cemetery with military honors. The building of the William Jewell College was converted into a hospital for the use of our wounded. Dr. Cool, our assistant surgeon, and Dr. ——, assistant surgeon of the Sixteenth, were untiring in their efforts in behalf of the sufferers. The three wounded men left in the hands of the enemy were taken across the river by them, but procured next day by flag of truce. They reported the rebel loss very severe, and the captain of the ferry boat confirmed their statements. Other corroborative statements have since been made, and all the evidence that can be gathered, including the studied silence of the rebel official report on this point, tends to convince us that such was the case.
The following is Colonel Scott's official report:
Head Quarters, 3d Reg. Iowa Volunteers, }
Liberty, Mo., Sept. 18th, 1861. }S. D. Sturgis, Brig. Gen. U. S. A.—Sir: In relation to an affair of yesterday which occurred near Blue Mills Landing, I have the honor to report:
Agreeably to your orders, I left Cameron at 3 o'clock, P. M. of the 15th instant, and through a heavy rain and bad roads, made but seven miles that afternoon. By a very active march on the 16th I reached Centerville, ten miles north of Liberty, by sunset, when the firing of cannon was distinctly heard in the direction of Platte City, which was surmised to be from Colonel Smith's (Illinois 16th) command. Had sent a messenger to Col. Smith, from Hainesville, and one from Centerville, but got no response. On the 17th instant at 2 A. M. I started from Centerville for Liberty, and at daylight the advance guard fell in with the enemy's pickets which they drove in and closely followed. At 7 A. M. my command bivouacked on the hill north of, and overlooking the town. I dispatched several scouts to examine the position of the enemy, but could gain no definite information. They had passed through Liberty during the afternoon of the 16th to the number of about four thousand; had taken the road to Blue Mills Landing, and were reported as having four pieces of artillery. At 11 A. M., heard firing in the direction of the Landing, which was reported as a conflict between the rebels and forces disputing their passage over the river. At 12 M. moved the command, consisting of five hundred of the 3d Iowa, a squad of German artillerists and about twenty Home Guards, in the direction of Blue Mills Landing. On the route, learned that a body of our scouts had fallen in with the enemy's pickets and lost four killed and one wounded. Before starting, dispatched a courier to Colonel Smith to hasten his command.
About two miles from Liberty the advance guard drove in the enemy's pickets, skirmishers closely examined the dense growth through which our route lay, and at 3 P. M., discovered the enemy in force, concealed on both sides of the wood, and occupying the dry bed of a slough, left resting on the river, and right extending beyond our observation. He opened a heavy fire which drove back our skirmishers, and made simultaneous attacks on our front and right. These were well sustained, and he retired with loss to his position. In the attack on our front the artillery suffered so severely that our only piece, a brass six pounder, was left without sufficient force to man it, and I was only able to have it discharged twice during the action. Some of the gunners abandoned the piece, carrying off the matches and primer, and could not be found.
The enemy kept up a heavy fire from his position—and our artillery useless, and many of the officers and men already disabled—it was deemed advisable to fall back, which was done slowly, returning the enemy's fire and completely checking pursuit.
The six pounder was brought off by hand, through the gallantry of various officers of the Third Iowa, after it had been completely abandoned by the artillerists. The ammunition wagon becoming fastened between a tree and a log in such a manner that it could not be released without serious loss, was abandoned. The engagement lasted one hour, and was sustained by my command with an intrepidity that merits my warmest approbation.
I have to regret the loss of many brave officers and men, who fell gallantly fighting at their posts. I refer to the enclosed list of killed and wounded as a part of this report.
The heaviest loss was sustained by Company I, Third Iowa Volunteers, which lost four killed and twenty wounded, being one-fourth of our total loss. This company deserves especial mention. Captain Trumbull, assisted by Lieut. Crosley of Company E, brought off the gun by hand under a heavy fire. Major Stone, Captains Warren, Willet and O'Niel were severely wounded, and also Lieutenants Hobbs, Anderson and Knight. The latter refused to retire from the field after being three times wounded, and remained with his men till the close of the engagement. Among the great number who deserve my thanks for their gallantry, I mention Sergeant James H. Lakin of Company F, Third Iowa, who bore the colors, and carried them through the fight with all the coolness of a veteran. The loss of the enemy can not be certainly ascertained; but from accounts deemed reliable, it is not less than one hundred and sixty, many of whom were killed. His total force was about four thousand four hundred.
Your most obedient servant,
(Signed) John Scott
Lt. Col. 3d Iowa Volunteers, Comdg.
This report was written the day after the battle, under very harassing circumstances, and before any written reports of subordinates could be received. Leaving out some slight inaccuracies on points which could not be thoroughly investigated then, it reflects very closely the impression of the affair most of us had at the time.
I think it was nearly two o'clock when we moved from Liberty to the attack, and that the action did not commence before four. The manner in which he mentions the officers is both truthful and just. Captain Trumbull and Lieutenants Knight and Crosley attracted the attention of all by their gallantry. Major Stone returned to the field as soon as his wound was dressed, and kept with us during the remainder of the action. I think the report should also have mentioned Sergeant Abernethy, who commanded the twelve skirmishers that commenced the battle, four of whom were wounded, and who was one of the first to follow Captain Trumbull in dragging off the cannon. I am personally knowing to the fact, that the German sergeant who commanded the gun assisted in dragging it off. I do not believe that any of the published accounts of this action do justice to those German artillerists. They were almost recruits, they and their horses untrained. They were ordered to take the position so far in advance that they were within buckshot range of the enemy. The road was so narrow, that with their untamed and fractious horses, it was almost impossible to get their gun in position at all. It was stated by men who say they saw it, that the man who had the primer was shot, and staggering fell dead several yards in advance of the piece. Their post was in the road where they could not seek shelter. Here they stood till many of their horses and half their number were shot down. Who could expect more, or be surprised if, under these circumstances, some of them were appalled. I only blame some of them, including their sergeant, for drinking whisky several times out of a pint bottle on their way from Liberty.
Colonel Scott refrained from mentioning more fully the gallantry of the enlisted men, from a sense of delicacy in saying too much on a subject in which he might be supposed to be personally interested.
When the battle was well over, and we began to distribute, comrade to comrade, his proper meed of praise or blame, two names were mentioned by every tongue, and with an enthusiasm which amounted almost to idolatry; Scott, who led his men into the fight and followed them out, and upon whom, riding nearest the enemy, all eyes were turned so often with the expectation of seeing him fall; and Lakin, who bore the colors so bravely; totally heedless of his own safety, but thinking only of duty; keeping the flag all the while near the Colonel, and calling upon his comrades to stand by it. Scott's horse was hit several times, and several balls went through his clothes. Eight balls went through the flag in the hands of Lakin, and a ninth one struck the staff. It seemed half a miracle that, while so many fell in places less exposed, these two, all the while in sight of the enemy, escaped unhurt.
The following is the official report of the enemy:—
Lexington, Sept. 21st, 1861.
General Price,—Sir: In pursuance of your orders I left this place on the 15th inst., and proceeded forthwith to Liberty, Clay county, Missouri, where I met the State Guard on the march from the northwest, one regiment of infantry under command of Colonel Saunders, and one regiment of cavalry under command of Colonel Wilfley of the Fifth District, and one regiment of infantry under command of Colonel Jeff Patton, and one battalion of cavalry under command of Colonel Childs of the Fourth District. I delivered your orders to the above commands to hasten to this point (Lexington) with as much dispatch as possible. They marched forthwith and reached the Missouri river about four o'clock in the evening, when Colonel Boyd's artillery and battalion and baggage were crossed to the south side, where he took position, Captain Kelly planting his artillery so as completely to command the river. The crossing continued all night without interruption, every officer and man using his best exertions. We received news during the night that the enemy would be in the town of Liberty, about six miles from Blue Mills Ferry, at an early hour the ensuing morning. We were crossing in three small flats, and much time was necessary to move the large train of a hundred wagons. Colonel Childs with his command had taken post for the night about two miles from Liberty on the road to the ferry. Here he engaged the enemy's advance or pickets, killing four and wounding one, with no loss on our side. The enemy then fled, and we heard no more of them until three or four o'clock, when their approach was announced in large force, supposed to be nine hundred men with one piece of artillery, a six pounder. The men of our command immediately formed, Colonel Jeff Patton leading the advance, to meet the enemy. After proceeding about three miles from the river, they met the advance guard of the enemy and the fight commenced. But the Federal troops almost immediately fled, our men pursuing rapidly, shooting them down until they annihilated the rear of their army, taking one caisson, killing about sixty men, and wounding, it is said, about seventy. The Federal troops attempted two or three times to make a stand, but ran after delivering one fire. Our men followed them like hounds in a wolf chase, strewing the road with dead and wounded, until compelled to give over the chase from exhaustion, the evening being very warm.
Colonel Saunders, Colonel Patton, Colonel Childs, Colonel Caudiff, Colonel Wilfley, Major Grease, Adjutant Shackleford, and all other officers and men so far as I know or could learn, behaved gallantly.
R. D. Atchison.