2C)2
Having reached the enemy’s pickets, the infantry was deployed as skirmish-ers, Plummer to the left and Osterhaus to the right, and Lieutenant-ColonelAndrews, with the 1st Missouri Infantry, was brought up in support of thebattery. Advancing a mile and a half and crossing a brook tributary to thecreek, the Union skirmishers met and pushed the Confederate skirmishers upthe slope. This disclosed a considerable force of the enemy, along a ridge per-pendicular to the line of march and to the valley of the creek, which wasattacked by the 1st Missouri and the 1st Kansas , assisted by Totten’s battery,who drove back the Confederates on the right to the foot of the slope beyond.
Plummer on the left early became separated from the main body by a deepravine terminating in a swampy piece of ground, beyond which lay a corn-field which he entered, encountering a large force, the main part of whichwas the Louisiana regiment. These troops fought with determined valorand checked Plummer’s progress. DuBois’s battery was moved up to a hillon the left, supported by Osterhaus’s battalion, the 1st Iowa, and the 2d Kan-sas , and opened a deadly fire with shells upon the corn-field, with suchmarked effect as to throw the Confederates into disorder and enable Plum-mer to draw off his command in good order across the ravine.
A momentary lull occurred at this time, except on our extreme right, wherePrice’s Missourians opposed the 1st Missouri and attempted to turn that flank,but the 2d Kansas by its timely arrival and gallant attack bore back Price ’soverwhelming numbers and saved the flank. Meanwhile Totten’s battery,which had been brought into action by section and by piece as the conforma-tion of the ground would admit, performed extraordinary service. Steele’sregular infantry was added to its support. Price ’s troops had fought withgreat bravery and determination, advancing and retiring two or three timesbefore they were compelled to give way on the lower slope of the ridge theyhad occupied. Many times the firing was one continuous roar.
The lull enabled the enemy to re-adjust his lines and bring up fresh troops,having accomplished which, Price made a determined advance along nearlythe whole of Lyon’s front. He charged fiercely in lines of three or fourranks, to within thirty or forty yards, pouring in a galling fire and directinghis most determined efforts against Totten’s battery, for which Woodruff’s,which was pitted against it, was no match at all. ,1
Every available man of Lyon’s was now brought into action and the bat-tle raged with redoubled energy on both sides. For more than an hour thebalance was about even, one side gaining ground only to give way in its turnto the advance of the other, till at last the Confederates seemed to yield, anda suspension of the fury took place.
General Lyon had bivouacked near the head of his column on thenight of the 9th, sharing a rubber-coat with Major (now Major-General)John M. Schofield, his chief of staff , between two rows of corn in a field bythe roadside, his other staff-officers near by. He did not seem hopeful, but was
j Woodruff’s Little Rock battery was composed had been in command. Woodruff and his gun-of guns which had been captured at the seizure of ners had, in fact, been drilled and instructed bythe Little Rock arsenal, of which Captain Totten Totten.— Editors.