tied in the ravine, I received orders from General Lyon to retreat. We could easily have captured all those horses, but I supposed we were being cut off by the enemy's column, which was concealed from our view. We fell back in good order upon a position chosen by General Lyon, occasionally fronting towards the enemy, but without being molested by him. The enemy expended a large amount of ammunition, but aimed too high to do the infantry much harm. Private John Buskirk, of Company E, Second Infantry, received a severe wound in the hand.

The strength of the battalion in this skirmish, excluding the guard in charge of prisoners, was about 200.

The following is Captain Stanley's report of the number of his troop engaged, killed, wounded, &c.* Conspicuous in the fight, First Sergeant Coates, Sergeant Sullivan.

About 800 of the enemy's cavalry, in column, followed us up to within 600 yards of General Lyon's line of battle, and were soon dispersed by a sharp practice from Totten's battery.

It is impossible for me to make an accurate report of the enemy's loss in this affair, but from the best information that I can obtain it is probable that their loss was about 20 killed and 50 wounded, including their loss from the shells thrown by Totten's battery. Some of the enemy's wounded men, found in a house near the field, told us it took three six-mule wagons to carry off the dead, and that their loss in killed and wounded was over 70.

Very respectfully, captain, your obedient servant,

FRED'K STEELE,

Captain, Second Infantry, Commanding Detachment.

Captain G. GRANGER, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 3. Report of Brigadier General James S. Rains, Missouri State Guard (Confederate).

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION MISSOURI STATE GUARD,
August 3, 1861.

SIR: In consequence of the conflicting rumors which have reached headquarters regarding the action yesterday between the advance guard and the forces of General Lyon, I have the honor to report the following facts in the case:

About 9 a. m. our pickets reported that they had met the advance guard of the enemy, and had fallen back before them after receiving two fires from their artillery. I immediately ordered the whole advance guard not on duty (amounting to nearly 400 men) forward, and at a point about 3 miles from our encampment I found the enemy in position. Their forces were covered by the timber and brush, in which they could occasionally be seen deploying. At short intervals they threw out reconnoitering parties, which were checked and driven back by a party of sharpshooters, picked for that purpose. After having thus kept them in check for about five hours Colonel McIntosh arrived on the ground with a force of 150 mounted men, which, by my direction, he kept concealed. In person he reconnoitered the enemy, and reported to us at the result that there were not more than 150 of them on the

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*Nominal list omitted shows 42 engaged, 4 killed, and 6 wounded.

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