THE FLANKING COLUMN AT WILSON’S CREEK.
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by what they had accomplished. It is, therefore,totally false, as rumor had it after the battle, that“Sigel’s men” gave themselves up to plunderingthe camp, became scattered, and were for thisreason surprised by the “returning enemy.”
When we had taken our position on the plateaunear Sharp’s, a cannonade was opened by meagainst a part of the enemy’s troops, evidentlyforming the left of their line, confronting Lyon, aswe could observe from the struggle going on in thatdirection. The firing lasted about 30 minutes. J
Suddenly the firing on the enemy’s side ceased,and it seemed as if we had directed our own fireagainst Lyon’s forces. I therefore ordered thepieces to cease firing. Just at this time — it wasbetween 9 and 10 o’clock — there was a lull in thefight on the north side, and not a gun was heard,while squads of the enemy’s troops, unarmed, camestreaming up the road from Skegg’s Branchtoward us and were captured. Meanwhile a partof McCulloch’s force was advancing against us atSharp’s farm, while Reid’s battery moved into po-sition on the hill east of Wilson’s Creek, and oppo-site our right flank, followed by some cavalry.
All these circumstances — the cessation of thefiring in Lyon’s front, the appearance of the ene-my’s deserters, and the movement of Reid’s artil-lery and the cavalry toward the south — led us intothe belief that the enemy’s forces were retreating,and this opinion became stronger by the report ofDr. Melcher, who was in advance on the roadto Skegg’s Branch, that “Lyon’s troops” werecoming up the road and that we must not fire.So uncertain was I in regard to the character ofthe approaching troops, now only a few rods dis-tant, that I did not trust to my own eyes, but sentCorporal Tod, of the 3d Missouri , forward to chal-lenge them. He challenged as ordered, but wasimmediately shot and killed. I instantly orderedthe artillery and infantry to fire. But it wastoo late — the artillery fired one or two shots, butthe infantry, as though paralyzed, did not fire ; the3d Louisiana , which we had mistaken for the gray-clad 1st Iowa , rushed up to the plateau, whileBledsoe’s battery in front and Reid’s from theheights on our right flank opened with canister atpoint-blank against us. As a matter of precautionI had during the last moment brought four ofour pieces into battery on the right against thetroops on the hill and Reid’s battery; but afteranswering Reid’s fire for a few minutes, the horsesand drivers of three guns suddenly left their posi-tion, and with their caissons galloped down theFayetteville road, in their tumultuous flight carry-ing panic into the ranks of the infantry, whichturned back in disorder, and at the same time re-ceived the fire of the attacking line.
On our retreat the right wing, consisting mostlyof the 3d Missouri Infantry and one piece of artil-lery, followed the road we came, while the left
} Colonel Graves, commanding the First Brigade, Mo .State Guards, says in his report: “ Colonel Rosser, com-manding the 1st Regiment and Fourth Battalion, withCaptain Bledsoe’s artillery, being stationed on the ex-treme left, was attacked by Colonel Sigel’s battery, andhis men exposed to a deadly fire for thirty minutes.”—F. 8.
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wing, consisting of the 5 th Missouri Infantry andanother piece, went down the Fayetteville road,then, turning to the right (north-west), made itsway toward Little York and Springfield; on itsway the latter column was joined by LieutenantFarrand’s cavalry company. Colonel Salomon wasalso with this column, consisting in all of about450 men, with 1 piece and caisson. I remained withthe right wing, the 3d Missouri , which was consid-erably scattered. I re-formed the men during theirretreat into 4 companies, in all about 250 men, and,turning to the left, into the Fayetteville road, wasjoined by Captain Carr’s company of cavalry. Afterconsidering that,by following the left wing towardLittle York, we might be cut off from Springfieldand not be able to join General Lyon’s forces, wefollowed the Fayetteville road until we reached aroad leading north-east toward Springfield. Thisroad we followed. Captain Carr, with his cavalry,was leading; he was instructed to remain in ad-vance, keep his flankers out, and report whatmight occur in front. One company of the 3dMissouri was at the head of our little column ofinfantry, followed by the piece of artillery and twocaissons, behindthem the remainder of the infantry,the whole flanked on each side by skirmishers. Sowe marched, or rather dragged along as fast as theexhausted men could go, until we reached the fordat James Fork of the White River. Carr had al-ready crossed, but his cavalry was not in sight; ithad hastened along without waiting for us; apart of the infantry had also passed the creek ; thepiece and caissons were just crossing, when therattling of musketry announced the presence ofhostile forces on both sides of the creek. Theywere detachments of Missouri and Texas cavalry,under Lieutenant-Colonel Major, Captains Mabryand Russell, that lay in ambush, and now pouncedupon our jaded and extended column. It was invain that Lieutenant-Colonel Albert and myselftried to rally at least a part of them; they left theroad to seek protection, or make good their escapein the woods, and were followed and hunted downby their pursuers. In this chase the greater part ofour men were killed, wounded, or made prisoners,among the latter Lieutenant-Colonel Albert andmy orderly, who were with me in the last momentof the affray. I was not taken, probably becauseI wore a blue woolen blanket over my uniform anda yellowish slouch-hat, giving me the appearanceof a Texas Ranger. I halted on horseback, pre-pared for defense, in a small strip of corn-field onthe west side of the creek, while the hostilecavalrymen swarmed around and several timespassed close by me. When we had resumed ourway toward the north-east, we were immediatelyrecognized as enemies, and pursued by a fewhorsemen, whose number increased rapidly. It wasa pretty lively race for about six miles, when ourpursuers gave up the chase. We reached Spring-
Colonel Carr says in his official report: “ It isa subject of regret with me to have left him [Sigel]behind, but I supposed all the time that he was closebehind me till I got to the creek, and it would have doneno good for my company to have been cut to piecesalso.”— Epitors.