picket of some troops advancing on the right flank. I ordered the sergeantto ride in haste to General McCulloch with this information, and proceededto place my command in position. I was the better enabled to do this with-out delay, because I had on the day before, with Colonel R. H. Weightman,made a careful reconnoissance of the ground in the direction from which theenemy was said to be approaching. The colonels commanding were imme-diately notified, and the regimentswere formed and posted so as to meethis advance. Captain Woodruff’s Lit-tle Rock (Ark .) battery was orderedto occupy a hill commanding theroad to Springfield , and the 3d Ar-kansas Infantry (Colonel John R.
Gratiot) was ordered to support him.
I placed Captain Reid’s Fort Smith (Ark .) battery on an eminence tocommand the approaches to our rightand rear, and gave him the 5th Ar-kansas Infantry (Colonel T. P. Dock-ery) as a support. I then advancedthe 4th Arkansas Infantry (ColonelJ. D. Walker) north of this batteryto watch the approach down theravine, through which Sergeant Hitehad reported that the enemy wascoming. Thus, the Arkansas troopsunder my command had all beenplaced in favorable position, ready for action, within a very short time afterthe first alarm.
While these events were taking place under my immediate notice, GeneralMcCulloch had been actively making disposition of the troops more nearlyopposed to the first advance of the enemy, under General Lyon. He hadposted the 3d Louisiana Infantry (Colonel Hebert) and McIntosh’s 2dArkansas Rifles (dismounted) to meet the earliest demonstration from thedirection of Springfield . General Price had also been industriously engagedin placing his troops to intercept the advancing foe. General Rains’s (Mis-souri ) command had the honor of giving the first reception to the main col-umn under General Lyon. He was ably supported by the gallant Missouri generals, Slack, McBride, Parsons, and Clark, with their respective brigades.The fighting at this juncture — perhaps about 7 o’clock — was confined tothe corn-field north of Wilson’s Creek, where the Louisiana infantry, withLieutenant-Colonel Embry’s 2d Arkansas Mounted Rifles (dismounted), allunder the immediate command of Colonel McIntosh, effectually charged anddrove back the enemy. Simultaneously the battle opened farther west andsouth of Wilson’s Creek, where the Missouri troops were attacked by the maincolumn or right wing of the enemy. Totten’s (Federal) battery was pushed
MAJOR-GENERAL BEN. MCCULLOCH, O. 8. A., KILLED INTHE BATTLE OF PEA KIDGE, MARCH 7, 1862.
FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.