Numbers 8. Report of Brigadier General John B. Clark, commanding Third Division Missouri State Guard.

HDQRS. THIRD DIVISION MISSOURI STATE GUARD,
July 19, 1861.

SIR: I have the honor to submit for your consideration the following report of the part taken by the forces under my command in the engagement with the enemy on the 5th instant in Jasper County, in this State.

On the morning of the 5th instant, at about 6 o'clock, the line of march in the direction of Carthage was resumed in the following order: Brigadier-General Rains occupying the extreme right, Brigadier-General Slack on his left, my division on the left of General Slack's and on the right of Brigadier-General Parsons, who formed the extreme left of the advancing columns. After marching about 5 miles, I received intelligence that the enemy was strongly posted in line of battle 2 miles in my advance and 8 miles from Carthage, on the road we were traveling. I immediately dismounted such of my men as were mounted, and caused all under my command who were supplied with guns to be formed into line of battle, under the immediately command of Colonel J. Q. Burbridge, Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Price, and Major John B. Clark, jr. The line thus formed contained 365 men, rank and file. With this force I in person advanced, and on nearing the line of battle formed by the command of Colonel Weithtman I observed Brigadier-General Parsons advancing with his artillery and infantry, and seeking to take his position in line immediately on the left of Colonel Waightman's command, such position being the only available point for using successfully his battery against the enemy. Seeing this movement of General Parsons, and concurring with him in the propriety of changing our positions as observed in the line of march, I deployed my forces to the left, thus making my command occupy the extreme left of our line of battle.

It was now 11 o'clock. The enemy being posted something near a thousand yards form our front, with eight pieces of artillery, responded to the fire of General Parsons' artillery with brisk and continuous fire of shell, grape, and shot, lasting between twenty and thirty minutes, which was spiritedly replied to by the artillery from the batteries of Captain Guibor, of General Parsons' command, and Colonel Rosser and Captain Bledsoe, of Colonel Wightman's command, killing and wounding a number of the enemy's men and horses. At this engagement, and while taking my position with my force in the line of battle, my horse was severely wounded in the neck by a shot from the enemy's artillery, which circumstance, together with the shower of grape and shell continuously poured upon my forces, caused a momentary confusion in the line, but was soon repaired, and every officer and soldier received the fire with the coolness and composure of veterans. Upon consultation with Colonel Kelly, commanding a regiment of General Parson's division immediately on my right, I ordered an advance of my forces in the direction of the enemy. At this moment General Parsons came up from his batteries and gave a similar order, when our commands, together with the battalion of Colonel O'Kane, of Colonel Weightman's command, made a rapid movement in the direction of the enemy. After advancing some fifty yards the enemy made a retrograde movement in double-quick time over the eminence on which he had been