WILSON’S CREEK, AND THE DEATH OF LYON.

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Rolla, it was deemed wise to clothe and shoe the men as far as practicable,and to give them another day for recuperation.

On the 9th it was intended to march that evening with the whole forceunited, as agreed upon the 8th, and attack the enemy’s left at daylight, andLyon’s staff: were busied in visiting the troops and seeing that all things werein order. During the morning Colonel Sigel visited Lyon’s headquarters, andhad a prolonged conference, the result of which was that Colonel Sigel wasordered to detach his brigade, the 3d and 5th Missouri , one six-gun bat-tery, one company of the 1st U. S. Cavalry, under Captain Eugene A. Carr ,and one company of the 2d Dragoons, under Lieutenant Charles E. Farrand,for an attack upon the enemy from the south, while Lyon with the remainderof his available force should attack on the north.

The troops were put in march in the evening; those about Springfieldimmediately under General Lyon moving out to the west on the Little Yorkroad until joined by Sturgis’s command from their camps, when they turnedto the south across the prairie. The head of the main column reached thepoint where the enemy’s pickets were expected to be found, about 1 a. m., andwent into bivouac. Sigel’s force, consisting of 1200 men and six pieces ofartillery, moved four miles down the Fayetteville road, and then, making along detour to the left by a by-road, arrived within a mile of the enemy’scamp and rear at daylight.

In the vicinity of the Fayetteville road crossing, the creek acquires con-siderable depth, and in most places has rough, steep, and rather high banks,rendering fording difficult. On the left side the hills assume the proportionof bluffs; on the right or western bank the ground is a succession of brokenridges, at that time covered for the most part with trees and a stunted growthof scrub oaks with dense foliage, which in places became an almost impene-trable tangle. Rough ravines and deep gullies cut up the surface.

The Confederates were under command of General Ben. McCulloch. Onthe west side of the stream, “Old Pap” Price , with his sturdy Missourians,men who in many later battles bore themselves with a valor and determina-tion that won the plaudits of their comrades and the admiration of theirfoes, was holding the point south of Wilson’s Creek, selected by Lyon forattack. Price ’s command consisted of five bodies of Missourians, under Slack,Clark, Parsons, McBride, and Rains , the last-named being encamped fartherup the stream. On the bluffs on the east side of the creek were Hebert’s3d Louisiana and McIntosh’s Arkansas regiment, and, farther south, Pearce’sbrigade and two batteries, while other troops, under Greer, Churchill, andMajor, were in the valley along the Fayetteville road, holding the extremeof the Confederate position.

Lyon put his troops in motion at early dawn on the 10th, and about 4o’clock struck Rains’s most advanced picket, which escaped and gave warningof the attack, of which General Price was informed just as he was about tobreakfast. Captain Plummer’s battalion of regular infantry was the advance,followed by Osterhaus’s two companies of the 2d Missouri Volunteers, andTotten’s battery. A body of 200 mounted Home Guards was on Plummer’s left.