miles south of the city, between the United States troops under General Lyon and the rebel forces under McCulloch.

On the 9th instant General Lyon came to the determination of attacking the enemy's camp, and accordingly dispositions were made on the afternoon of that day for an attack at daylight next morning (10th). The command was to move in two columns, composed as follows:

The first, under General Lyon, consisted of one battalion regular infantry, under Captain Plummer - Companies B, C, and D, First Infantry, Captains Gilbert, Plummer, and Huston - with one company of rifle recruits, under Lieutenant Wood; Major Osterhaus' battalion, Second Missouri Volunteers, two companies; Captain Totten's light battery, six pieces, and captain Wood's mounted company of the Second Kansas Volunteers, with Lieutenant Canfield's company, First Cavalry, regulars. This constituted the First Brigade, under Major Sturgis.

The Second Brigade, under Lieutenant-Colonel Andrews, First Missouri Volunteers, was composed of Captain Steele's battalion of regulars, Companies B and E, Second Infantry; one company of recruits, under Lieutenant Lothrop, Fourth Artillery; one company of recruits, under Sergeant Morine; Lieutenant Du Bois' light battery, consisting of four pieces, one of which was a 12-pounder gun, and the First Missouri Volunteers.

The Third Brigade was made up of the First and Second Kansas Volunteers, under Deitzler, Colonel Mitchell commanding the latter regiment. The First Regiment Iowa Volunteers, with some 200 Home Guards (mounted), completed the column under General Lyon.

The second column, under Colonel Sigel, consisted of the Third and Fifth regiment Missouri Volunteers; one company of cavalry, under captain Carr; one company Second Dragoons, under Lieutenant Farrand (First Infantry), and one light battery of six pieces. This column was to march by road on the left of the main Cassville road, and leading to the supposed right of the enemy's position.

Here my official information of the movements of Colonel Sigel's column ceases, as we have not been able to procure any written report of its operations. General Lyon marched from Springfield at 5 o'clock p. m. on the 9th, making a detour to the right, at 1 o'clock in the morning arriving in view of the enemy's guard fires. Here the column halted and lay on their arms until the dawn of day, when it again moved forward. Captain Gilbert's company, which had formed the advance during the night, still remained in advance, and the column moved in the same order in which it had halted.

A southeasterly direction was now taken, with a view to strike the extreme northern point of the enemy's camp. At daylight a line of battle was formed, closely followed by Totten's battery, supported by a strong reserve. In this order we advanced, with skirmishers in front, until the first outpost of the rebels encountered an driven in, when the column was halted, and the following dispositions made, viz: Captain Plummer's battalion, with the Home Guards on his left, were to cross Wilson's Creek and move towards the front, keeping pace with the advance on the opposite bank, for the purpose of protecting our left flank against any attempt of the enemy to turn it. After crossing a ravine and ascending a high ridge, we came in full view of a considerable force of the enemy's skirmishers. Major Osterhaus' battalion was at once deployed to the right, and two companies of the First Missouri Volunteers, under Captains Yates and Cavender, were deployed to the left, all as skirmishers. The firing now became very severe, and

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