On coming upon the battle field in the early morning, the 1st Kansas Infantry—led by its colonel, Geo. W. Deitzler, and its major, John A. Halderman—was posted in the rear of the 1st Missouri and 1st Iowa. Very soon Gen. Rains’ skirmishers or outposts were driven in, Totten’s battery took position and opened fire, while the 1st Missouri was sent up and soon became engaged.
At this time, under an order from Gen. Lyon, the 1st Kansas moved to the front in “double quick,” while the right wing and one company from the left, under command respectively of Capts. Chenoweth, Walker, Swift, Zesch, McFarland, and Lieut. McGonigle—all under Col. Deitzler—advanced to a position beyond that occupied by the 1st Missouri, and here, forming in the very face of the enemy, engaged the Confederates and held their ground steadfastly under an uninterrupted and murderous fire of artillery and infantry.
The four remaining companies of Capts. Clayton, Roberts, Stockton, and Lieut. Angell, under Maj. Halderman, having been posted on the right of Totten’s battery as support, where they suffered severely from a constant fire, were now brought up by Maj. Halderman, who called out, “Forward boys, for Kansas and the old flag!” Aligning with remarkable coolness upon the remnant of the six right companies the four left companies settled down to work. With but slight and immaterial changes of position the 1st Kansas occupied this ground for over two hours, holding its ground and dealing and receiving severe punishment.
While thus engaged, Capt. Chenoweth, Capt. Clayton and a portion of Capt. McFarland’s company under Lieut. Malone, were ordered to charge the enemy with their commands, which order they executed and drove back the Confederates a considerable distance, although soon after they were themselves compelled to retire. While leading this charge Col. Deitzler had his horse killed under him, and was himself severely wounded. The command then devolved on Maj. Halderman. The regiment now had a very exposed position, lying in plain view, obliquely across a ridge, but, though it suffered severely, it bore itself well.
When the 2d Kansas fell back the 1st formed on its left, three companies remaining on the brow of the hill, and on the right of the battery. After the severe volley firing had ceased for a few minutes—the Confederates having retired—it was recommenced by them again as they advanced, and kept up for nearly a quarter of an hour, when the whole Federal line, apparently, opened on them and they again retired down the hill. After this Maj. Sturgis ordered the retreat.
With scarcely any material change of its position the 1st Kansas stood under fire and returned it, maintained every ground assigned it, without turning its back on the foe, for the five long hours during which the battle raged. Its loss was the heaviest in killed of the Federal regiments engaged—77, one more than the 1st Missouri. It had 187 men wounded and 20 missing; total, 284. It went into action with nearly 800 men, and left the field in good order with about 500.
This regiment, as stated in the general description of the battle, was at first stationed in reserve on a hill on the right of and overlooking Ray’s cornfield, where Plummer’s battalion fought. After Plummer had been driven back and the pursuing Confederates checked by Dubois’ battery, Lieut-Col. Chas. W. Blair, of the 2d Kansas, rode to Gen. Lyon and requested that the regiment be given a place in the front. Gen. Lyon gave the order and Col. Mitchell brought the regiment forward, in time to take part in the last grand charge. Prior to this, and early in the action, before the regiment, as a regiment, was fairly under fire, a force of Missouri cavalry (presumably of Rains’ division) attempted a flank movement, and Maj. W. F. Cloud, of the 2d, taking Capt. McClure’s company and deploying it, drove them back after a few volleys.
As the regiment went up to the forefront, Gen. Lyon put himself at its head and assisted the field officers in bringing it into action. Just as the regiment raised the crest of the hill, and while it was still in column, a terrific fire was opened on it, and it was under this fire that Gen. Lyon fell dead and Col. Mitchell was severely wounded. Gen. Lyon was leading the 2d when he was killed. After Col. Mitchell was wounded, command of the regiment was assumed by Lieut-Col. Blair and Maj. Cloud, who threw the men into line, and after a hard fight of fifteen minutes the Confederates were driven down the hill, and a lull in the conflict resulted.
About this time Capt. Powell Clayton’s company, of the 1st Kansas, was attached to the left of the 2d, and the companies of Capts. Roberts, Walker and Zesch, also of the 1st, were formed on the right. On the right of this position a ravine stretched down to the enemy, and up this ravine the Confederates (of John B. Clark’s division) attempted to flank Col. Blair. Some men sent down it from Capt. Cracklin’s company did not return, and then Col. Blair himself rode out to see what was the matter. He had not gone twenty yards when he “found what darkened de hole!” A sharp fire was opened on him and his horse killed, but the colonel himself was unhurt, and mounting a horse brought him by his orderly, Alex. H. Lamb, he was soon again directing the movements of his men.
Meantime, aware of the danger in front, Maj. Cloud had gone back to Sturgis for reinforcements and obtained two guns of Totten’s battery, under Lieut. Sokalski. These came up in good time. As they stopped, Capt. Chenoweth, of the 1st Kansas, rode out to the head of the ravine, and saw the Confederates coming up it in considerable numbers. Cloud and Sokalski got the guns in position and opened on the ravine. As the Confederates approached nearer Col. Blair ordered the men to lie down and load and fire in that position and to be careful of their ammunition. Here the men received a most terrific fire, which they seemed to relish. Artillery and musketry were playing on them, but the shot and shell went too high and only the grape, the muskets, and the rifles of the enemy did execution. Yet not a man broke ranks or left his place in the line. At last the Confederates fell back or slackened their fire and the artillery limbered up and retired to the rear to join in the general retreat, which bad been ordered some minutes before.
Maj. Sturgis, on assuming command after Lyon had fallen, sent Col. Blair word to retreat as soon as he could do so with safety, and after the Confederates had fallen back the last time he did so. The men were brought off in good order and in slow time, without a panic or confusion. After crossing the first ravine in the rear the line was reformed and marched by the right flank to the main command and off the battle field.
The loss of the 2d Kansas in the battle was 5 killed, 59 wounded, and 6 missing—total, 70. Both officers and men behaved splendidly. When Col. Mitchell fell he turned over the command to Col. Blair, saying: “Colonel, take the regiment and maintain the honor of Kansas.” As he was being carried from the field he called out to Gordon Granger, of Sturgis’ staff, “For God’s sake, support my regiment.” Of Lieut. Col. Blair, it was said by Gen. Sturgis that “he attracted the attention of all who saw him.” Col. Mitchell, Lieut. Col. Blair and Maj. Cloud were all highly complimented by Gen. Sturgis and Gen. Fremont and recommended for promotion. Maj. Cloud, Adjutant Lines and Capt. Ayres were mentioned in Col. Blair’s report as conspicuous for their gallantry.
The share of fighting done by this organization (Light Company F, 2d Artillery), in the battle of Wilson’s Creek was large and important. Soon after the skirmishers of Lyon’s advance fired on the Southern pickets, the line of march, as directed by Gen. Lyon in person, lay through a small valley which debouched into that through which Wilson’s Creek runs at the point immediately occupied by the front of Price’s troops and just where a road to Springfield entered the valley, keeping along the foot of the hills, and soon after the battery opened. The left section, under Lieut. Sokalski, was first brought to bear upon the enemy in the woods in front, and shortly afterward the other four pieces were thrown forward into battery to the right on higher ground. A few rounds from the artillery assisted the infantry in driving the secession troops back toward the crests of the hills, nearer and immediately over their own camp.
Capt. Totten now conducted the battery up the hill to the left and front, and soon found a position where he brought it into battery directly over the northern position of the enemy’s camp. The camp of Gen. Rains’ division lay directly beneath the front and to the left of, though very close to, the position of the battery, while a battery of the secessionists (Woodruff’s Arkansas) was in front and within easy range. Of course Rains’ camp was entirely deserted, and therefore Totten’s first efforts were directed against the Arkansas battery in his front and right. The right half of Totten’s guns were principally directed against Woodruff, although the entire six pieces as opportunity offered, played upon him. The two batteries pounded away on each other for some time, neither seeming to get much the advantage of the other. As the position of the Arkansas battery was somewhat masked by the timber, Totten’s gunners were obliged to give direction to their pieces by the flash and smoke of the opposing artillery.
In the meantime, while this fight between Totten and Woodruff was in progress, the battle was raging in the thick woods and underbrush to the front and right of the position of the Federal battery, and the 1st Missouri was being hard pressed.
Gen. Lyon ordered Totten to move a section of his battery forward to the support of the Missourians, which was done, the guns coming up on a run and unlimbering in front of the right company of the regiment. A Confederate regiment with a Confederate flag, which at that distance seemed to be the stars and stripes, was two hundred yards away, and fearing they might be friends Totten hesitated before opening. Their fire soon undeceived him and he turned loose his guns upon them with canister from both pieces.
The next important step in the progress of the battle was when a portion of Clark’s (?) division tried to force its way up the neighborhood road passing along toward Springfield in order to turn the Federal right. For a time the situation was critical, for the Missourians were plucky and were fighting hard. Four pieces of Totten’s battery were still in position commanding that point, and Dubois’ four guns were on the left also near the road and commanding it. As Slack’s men came in good view and range, both artillery and infantry opened on them and drove them back.
Just after this had been done Gen. Lyon came up to the battery and complimented the men who were working it. Capt. Totten saw blood trickling from Lyon’s heel and the general said he had been wounded in the leg, but not seriously. The captain offered his commander some brandy in a canteen, but the general refused it, and rode away, and that was the last time Totten ever saw Lyon alive. Soon after leaving Totten, Lyon sent him word to support the Kansas men on the extreme right, who were being hard pressed. Lieut. Sokalski took up his section immediately and saved the Kansans from being overthrown and driven back.
After this came an attempted charge on the Federal position by some Missouri, Texas and Arkansas cavalry, of which there was a great abundance. Some 800 of them, including a battalion or so of Greer’s Texans and Carroll’s Arkansans, fresh from the southern end of the little valley where Sigel had been so easily whipped, formed at the foot of the hill on which four of Totten’s guns stood and were getting ready for a charge, when the artillery and the infantry opened on them and they were driven away so rapidly that they were out of sight in a moment.
The last point where the battery was engaged was on the right of the left wing of the 1st Iowa and somewhat in front. Lyon was then killed and Sturgis was preparing to retreat. Totten’s battery was still in action, two pieces in advance on the right so hot that the water thrown on them almost hissed, and yet pounding away. The left wing of the 1st Iowa came up and supported the guns from the field, and they were brought away off the field and to Springfield, without the loss of a sponge-stick. The battery lost 4 killed and 7 wounded; no prisoners.
This battery so named consisted of four pieces of light artillery, three six-pounders, and one twelve-pounder, commanded by second Lieutenant John V. Dubois, of the U. S. Mounted Rifles, a semi-cavalry regiment. Lieut. Dubois had been detailed from his regiment to command this battery, newly organized and manned by recruits.
Entering the fight Dubois selected his own position, some 80 yards to the left and rear of Totten’s battery, where his men were partially and his horses entirely protected from the enemy’s fire. He assisted Totten in clearing the ground of the enemy at the start, and under direction of Capt. Gordon Granger (afterward a major general), opened on McCulloch’s men down in Ray’s cornfield, who had just driven back Plummer, and drove them in disorder, Capt. Granger directing one of the guns. The Confederates rallied behind a house (J. A. Ray’s), on the right of their line. Dubois struck this house twice with a twelve-pound shot, when a hospital flag was displayed and he ceased firing. Using small charges of powder, Dubois’ guns now shelled the thicket in the ravine, a short distance in front, and forced some of Price’s Missourians to retire.
Bledsoe’s battery now opened on Dubois from the crest of the hill opposite and “Old Hi’s” fire did great execution. “Old Sacramento,” as Bledsoe’s twelve-pounder was called, got in her work very disadvantageously to the Federals. The shots passing over Dubois’ gun fell among the Federal wounded that had been carried to the rear and did considerable execution. Dubois could not entirely silence Capt. Bledsoe’s guns, but he made it very uncomfortable for him. One shot from Dubois’ gun, killed two of Bledsoe’s battery horses, tore off one arm and all of the hand of the other arm of the man who held them, Judge James Young, now of Lexington, and killed another man far in the rear. While engaged with Bledsoe and his Lafayette county battery, Lieut. Dubois assisted in driving back the cavalry that formed to charge on Totten.
During the last charge of Price and McCulloch on Sturgis, two of Dubois’ guns were limbered up to be sent to Totten, but before a road could be opened through the brush and through the wounded, orders came for Dubois to fall back to a hill in the rear and protect a retreat. This he did, remaining until all the troops had passed when he turned and marched toward the rear. Shortly after starting back the twelve-pounder broke down. While it was being repaired Maj. Osterhaus’s two companies remained with it to protect it, and then followed in its rear until the main portion of the command on the prairie was reached. Here the battery joined Steele’s battalion and formed the rear guard the rest of the way into Springfield, neither firing or receiving a shot on the way and not being molested in anywise—never seeing an enemy. Being well protected during the entire engagement, the loss in this battery was very slight—none killed and only two severely wounded. Several of the men and Dubois himself received slight wounds.
The battalion of regulars commanded by Capt. Fred Steele was composed of two companies of the 2d regular infantry—company B, commanded by Sergt. Griffin, and company C, commanded by Sergt. McLaughlin, a company of “general service” recruits under Lieut. M. L. Lothrop, and a company of mounted rifle recruits commanded by Lance-Sergeant Morine. It will be seen that Capt. Steele had but one commissioned officer under him.
During the early part of the action the battalion was in position to support Dubois’ battery, but had no opportunity of engaging the enemy except to assist in dispersing a body of cavalry that threatened the rear. Soon after the fall of Gen. Lyon, Capt. Gilbert’s company joined the battalion and Maj. Sturgis ordered Capt. Steele to form in line of battle and advance against the enemy’s front. Heavy firing on both sides followed, without any apparent permanent advantage to either, until the suspension of hostilities mentioned before. During this suspension Lieut. Lothrop took his company forward as skirmishers, but they were driven back in very short order and without much ceremony.
A Confederate field piece (probably one of Guibor’s), was run up under the hill and threw grape and occasionally a shell over Steele’s battalion, but with no serious effect, as the shots passed too high. Two other pieces were added and worked vigorously but not carefully, and with no other effect than to cause Steele’s men to lie close to the ground.
In the last grand charge on Totten’s battery and the main Federal position, Steele’s battalion did good work, the men firing away nearly all their cartridges. Just before the retreat began Capt. Gordon, with his hastily collected detachment from different regiments, and Capt. Steele repulsed another attack, and enabled Totten’s battery and other commands to retire in good order. On the retreat to Springfield after reaching the prairie Capt. Steele commanded the rear guard, and states that he was not molested at all, “never seeing an enemy.” The loss of Steele’s battalion was 15 killed, 44 wounded, and two prisoners. Sergt. Morine, commanding the rifle recruits, was killed on the field.
This battalion performed brave service at the battle of Wilson’s Creek. It belonged to the 1st U. S. Regular Infantry, and most of the men had been some time in the service. Frequent reference has already been made to the part it performed in this battle. Gilbert’s company had the advance upon reaching the battlefield and was the first thrown forward on the skirmish line. The principal portion of the battalion, commanded by Capt. J. N. Plummer himself, made the fight in Ray’s cornfield against the 3d Louisiana and 2d Arkansas Mounted Rifles, and afterward engaged in the terrible conflict on and along Bloody Hill.
The battalion was remarked as much for its coolness as for its bravery. Upon the retreat of the Federals to Springfield it entered the town in perfect order, the flag flying, the drums beating, and the men keeping perfect step as if they were on parade or drill, and as collected and unexcited as if nothing of consequence had taken place that day.
The battalion was composed of Cos. B, C and D, of the 1st Regulars, commanded by, respectively, Capts. Gilbert, Plummer, and Huston, and Lieut. Wood’s squad of Rifle Recruits. Capts. Plummer and Gilbert were severely wounded, and Capt. D. Huston then took command. Out of 230 men engaged, the battalion lost 19 killed, 52 wounded and 9 missing—a total of 80, or a little more than one-third of the entire number in the fight.
Two companies of mounted Union home guards—one called the Dade county squadron, commanded by Capt. Clark W. Wright, and the other under Capt. T. A. Switzler—were present at the battle, but took no very important part. They made some charges on scattered squads of secessionists, driving them under cover and out of all danger to the Federal line, but for the greater portion of the time they were stationed to the right and rear of Lyon’s position as a post of observation and to prevent the line from being flanked by the enemy’s cavalry. In one of the charges Capts. Wright and Switzler ascended a hill in plain view of Gen. Rains’ camp, and counted a number of tents.
Ah, Sir Launcelot. Thou there liest that never wert matched of earthly hands. Thou wert the fairest person and the goodliest of any that rode in the press of knights. Thou wert the truest to thy sworn brother of any that buckled on the spur; * * * and thou wert the sternest knight to thy mortal foe that ever laid spear in rest.
For the purpose of ascertaining the truth concerning the death and burial of the body of Gen. Lyon, the writer hereof caused certain newspaper publications to be made in the St. Louis Republican and other journals, making inquiries pertinent to the case. Many and varied were the replies, some of which, perhaps, ought to be given, as illustrating the different lights in which men see the same object, and the morbid desire for notoriety on the part of others, which leads them to lie like book-agents, in order that their names may be published in connection with some notable event. No less than ten newspaper articles were published and thirty-two written communications were received by the compiler relating to the death and burial of Gen. Lyon. The result was forty-two different versions thereof.
The work of ascertaining the truth was thereby complicated instead of being facilitated. A dozen or more claimants for the distinction of having first discovered the body on the battlefield appeared. Half a score bore the corpse to Gen. Price’s tent. Twenty saw the body, noted its appearance carefully, etc. Knowing from incontrovertible proof how the general was dressed when he was killed, the writer inserted a test question asking that his garb be described. Two ex-officers, one Union, the other Confederate, answered that he was “in full general’s uniform.” A minister of the gospel, who was also the “first to discover the body,” promptly replied that he was “dressed in a complete suit of black broadcloth, white shirt, gold studs, fine boots and kid gloves!” The majority of the answers, however, were to the same effect, that he was dressed in his old fatigue uniform of his former rank—that of captain in the regular army—without epaulettes or shoulder-straps. After much labored investigation the writer has ascertained the following facts, which he can easily substantiate:—
Gen. Lyon was killed while placing the 2d Kansas Infantry in position, by a rifle or navy revolver ball through the region of the heart. He was borne to the rear by Lieut. Schreyer, of Capt. Tholen’s company, 2d Kansas, two other members of the same regiment, and Ed. Lehman, of Co. B, 1st U. S. Cavalry, the latter the soldier who caught the general’s body as it fell from the horse. As the body was borne to the rear, Lieut. Wm. Wherry, one of the general’s aides, had the face covered, and ordered Lehman, who was crying like a child, to “stop his noise,” and tried in other ways to suppress the news that the general had been killed. The body was placed in the shade of a small black-jack, the face covered with half of a soldier’s blanket, the limbs composed, and in a few minutes there were present Surgeon F. M. Cornyn, Maj. Sturgis, Maj. Schofield, Gen. Sweeney, and Gordon Granger, and perhaps other officers. Cornyn examined the body, and from the side of the face wiped the blood made by the wound in the head. He also opened the vest and split the general’s shirts, which were soaked with blood, and examined the wound, which was found to be in the heart, the aorta having been pierced. The minister’s story, which he has the effrontery to give a newspaper publication, relates that two or three hours afterward the body was neatly dressed, with its smooth white shirt and studs, kid gloves, etc.! Those best acquainted with the personal habits of Gen. Lyon say he never wore a pair of kid gloves during his term of service.
Maj. Sturgis ordered the body to be carried back to a place selected as a sort of field hospital and there to be placed in an ambulance and taken to Springfield. While the body was here lying a few Federal officers examined it and one of them reports that the face had again become bloody, from the wound in the head, and that the shirt front was gory from the death wound. About twenty minutes after the body had been brought back, Lieut. David Murphy, of the 1st Missouri, who was already badly wounded in the leg, and Lehman placed the body in an army wagon, being used as an ambulance, and belonging to Co. B, 1st U. S. Cavalry. This wagon was about to start to Springfield, and contained already some wounded men. A few minutes later a sergeant of the regular army came up and ordered the body taken out, saying, “There will be an ambulance here in a minute for it.” The corpse was then carried beneath the shade tree where it had before reposed.
The Federal army now retreated, and the ambulance ordered never came up. Before the Confederates came on to the ground where the body lay, which location was 200 yards northeast of “Bloody Hill,” half a dozen slightly wounded Federal soldiers had gathered about the dead hero, and an hour after the Federal retreat a party of Arkansas skirmishers came upon them and discovering the occasion of the crowd instantly spread the news that Gen. Lyon had been killed. Immediately there was a great tumult and the report was borne to Price and McCulloch by half a dozen. Many were incredulous and did not believe that a body so plainly dressed—in an old, faded captain’s uniform, with but three U. S. buttons on the coat and a blue (or red) cord down the legs of the trousers to indicate that he was in the military service—was that of Gen. Lyon.
The body was then placed in a small covered wagon, used as an ambulance, to be conveyed to Gen. McCulloch’s headquarters (not Gen. Price’s) when an order arrived that it should be taken to Price’s and delivered to Dr. S. H. Melcher, of the 5th Missouri, who, as before stated, had come upon the field in company with Dr. Smith, Gen. Rains’ division surgeon. Dr. Melcher had been informed by Col. Emmett McDonald that Lyon had been killed, and at once asked for his body. When the little covered wagon containing the corpse had driven up and Gen. Price and Gen. Rains and other officers had viewed the body, it was turned over to Dr. Melcher. A number of Southern soldiers standing by drew knives and made attempts to cut off some buttons or pieces of the uniform as relics, and one or two expressed a wish to “cut his d——d heart out;” but Gen. Rains drew his sword (or revolver) and swore he would kill the first man that touched the corpse, and Emmett McDonald denounced the ruffianly would-be violators in the harshest terms—and McDonald could be harsh when he wanted to be!
Beside the body of Gen. Lyon was a wounded man, who was now taken out, and then Gen. Rains himself and some of his cavalry escorted the wagon to the house of Mr. Ray, on or near the battlefield. It is proper now to give the testimony of Dr. Melcher himself, as given to the writer and furnished the press for publication. Speaking of the courtesy of Gen. Rains in escorting the body to Ray’s house, Dr. Melcher goes on to say:
Arriving there the body was carried into the house and placed on a bed; then I carefully washed his face and hands, which were much discolored by dust and blood, and examined for wounds. There was a wound on the right side of the head, another in the right leg below the knee, and another, which caused his death, was by a small rifle ball, which entered about the fourth rib on the left side, passing entirely through the body, making its exit from the right side, evidently passing through both lungs and heart. From the character of this wound it is my opinion that Gen. Lyon was holding the bridle rein in his left hand, and had turned in the saddle to give a command, or words of encouragement, thus exposing his left side to the fire of the enemy.
At this time he had on a dark blue, single breasted captain’s coat, with the buttons used by the regular army of the United States. It was the same uniform coat I had frequently seen him wear in the arsenal at St. Louis, and was considerably worn and faded. He had no shoulder-straps; his pants were dark blue; the wide-brim felt hat he had worn during the campaign was not with him. After arranging the body as well as circumstances permitted, it was carried to the wagon and covered with a spread or sheet furnished me by Mrs. Ray.
When I was ready to start Gen. Rains said: “I will not order any to go with you, but volunteers may go;” and five Confederate soldiers offered their service of escort. One drove the team; the others, being mounted, rode with me in rear of wagon. The only name I can give is that of Orderly Sergt. Brackett of a company in Churchill’s Arkansas regiment. Another of the escort was a German who in 1863 was clerking in Springfield, and during the defence of Springfield against the attack of Marmaduke, January 8, 1863, did service in the citizens’ company of 42 men which was attached to my “Quinine Brigade” from the hospitals.
The following is a copy of a paper written at Mr. Ray’s house. The original I now have:—[14]
Gen. James S. Rains, commanding Missouri State Guards, having learned that Gen. Lyon, commanding United States forces during action near Springfield, Mo., Aug. 10, 1861, had fallen, kindly afforded military escort and transportation subject to my order. I have also his assurance that all the wounded shall be well taken care of and may be removed under the hospital flag, and that the dead shall be buried as rapidly as possible.
[Signed]
S. H. Melcher,
Asst. Surg. 5th Reg. Mo. Vols.
Wilson Creek, Aug. 10, 1861.
The above fully approved and indorsed.
[Signed]
James S. Rains,
Brig.-Gen. 8th M. D., M. S. G.
About half way to Springfield I saw a party under flag of truce going toward the battlefield. Arriving at Springfield, the first officer I reported to was the ever faithful Col. Nelson Cole, then captain of company E, 1st Missouri Volunteer Infantry, who, with what remained of his gallant company, was guarding the outposts. I passed on to the camps of Gen. James Totten and T. W. Sweeney. Here Gen. Totten relieved my escort and sent them back to their command, a new driver was furnished, and I delivered the body of Gen. Lyon to Maj. J. M. Schofield, 1st Missouri Volunteer Infantry—now Maj.-Gen. Schofield, U. S. A.—at the house that had been used previous to the battle by Gen. Lyon for his headquarters.
It is proper to state that Dr. Melcher’s testimony is corroborated in part by two survivors of the 1st Arkansas, and by Mrs. Livonia Green, now of Lane county, Oregon, and also by Mrs. Jerome Yarbrough, of this county, both of the latter being daughters of the Mr. and Mrs. Ray mentioned. (Mr. and Mrs. Ray are now dead.)
After Sturgis’ army had gotten well on the road to Springfield, it was discovered that Gen. Lyon’s body had been left behind. Sturgis immediately started back a flag of truce party under Lieut. Canfield, of the regular army, with orders to go to Gens. Price and McCulloch, and, if possible, procure the remains and bring them on to Springfield. Lieut. Canfield and party went to the battle field, saw Gen. McCulloch, obtained his order for the body (the general remarking that he wished he had a thousand other dead Yankee bodies to send off) and there ascertained that the body had already started for the Federal lines.
When the corpse was deposited in the former headquarters of the general, on the north side of College street, west of Main, in Springfield, word was sent to Sturgis. He and Schofield and other officers held a consultation, and decided that the body should be taken with the army to Rolla, if possible. There not being a metallic coffin in the place, it was determined to embalm it, or preserve it by some artificial process. Accordingly, the chief surgeon, Dr. E. C. Franklin, was sent for. Responding to the inquiries of the writer, Dr. Franklin says:—
About ten o’clock p. m., on the night when it arrived at head quarters, I was summoned there and then first saw the body of Gen. Lyon lying upon a table, covered with a white spread, in a room adjoining the one where two or three of the Union officers were seated. Gens. Schofield, Sturgis, and others consulted me as to the possibility of injecting the body with such materials that would prevent decay during its transit to St. Louis. I prepared the fluid for injection into the body, but discovered that instead of being retained within the vessels it passed out into the cavity of the chest. This led me to suspect a laceration either of one of the large arteries near the heart, or, possibly, a wound of the heart itself. This hypothesis, coupled with the fact that there was an external wound in the region of the heart, confirmed my opinion of the utter uselessness of attempting the preservation of the body during its passage to St. Louis. These facts I reported to the commanding officer, who then gave me verbal orders to attend to the disposal of the body in the best possible manner. At this time preparations were being made and the orders given for the troops to retreat and fall back upon Rolla, some fifty or more miles nearer St. Louis. Returning to the general hospital, of which I was in charge, I detailed a squad of nurses to watch by the body of Gen. Lyon till morning, which order was faithfully carried out. I then disposed of my time for the best interests of the wounded and sick under my charge.
Dr. Franklin was furnished with money and directed to have the general’s remains well cared for, and he ordered an undertaker, Mr. Presley Beal, to make a good, substantial coffin at once. Early the following morning, in some way, word was sent to Mrs. Mary Phelps, wife of Hon. John S. Phelps, that the body of the great Union leader was lying stiff, and bloody, and neglected in the temporary charnel house on College street. Soon she and the wife of Mr. Beal were by his side, and watching him. Not long thereafter came the wife of Col. Marcus Boyd and her two daughters (one of whom, now Mrs. Lula Kennedy, still resides in Springfield), and kept them company. And so it was that women, “last at the cross and first at the tomb,” were those who kept vigil over the corse of the dead warrior, who, although he died the earliest, was one of the greatest Union generals the war produced.
The body had now lain about twenty-four hours in very hot weather. It was changing fast, and its condition made it necessary that it should be buried as soon as possible. Mrs. Phelps left Mrs. Boyd and her daughters and went to see about the coffin. Dr. Franklin came in and sprinkled the corpse with bay rum and alcohol. Mr. Beal brought the coffin, and soon a wagon—a butcher’s wagon—was on its way to Col. Phelps’ farm with all that was mortal of the dead hero, and with no escort save the driver, Mrs. Phelps, Mr. Beal and one or two soldiers.
Col. Emmett McDonald, than whom the war produced no more knightly a soldier, had been made a prisoner by Gen. Lyon, at the capture of Camp Jackson. When Lyon was killed, Col. McDonald not only assisted Dr. Melcher in recovering the body, but Dr. Franklin says of him:—
Here let me do justice to Col. Emmett McDonald, who called upon me at the general hospital and after some conversation in regard to the circumstances attending the death of Gen. Lyon, tendered to me an escort of Confederate troops as a “guard of honor” to accompany Gen. Lyon’s remains to the place of burial, which I refused from a too sensitive regard for the painful occasion, and an ignorance of military regulations touching the subject.
Mrs. Phelps was practically alone at the time. Her husband was in his seat in the Federal Congress, her son, John E. Phelps, had followed off the Federal army, and even her faithful servant, George, had accompanied his young master. But Mrs. Phelps was a lady not easily daunted, or one that would shrink from what she considered a duty, no matter how unpleasant it might be. The body was taken to Mrs. Phelps’ residence, and not buried at once, it being the understanding that it would be sent for soon. Mr. James Vaughan, who owned a tin-shop in Springfield, was ordered to make a zinc case for the coffin, to assist in the preservation of its contents.
The coffin was temporarily deposited in an out-door cellar or cave, which in summer had been used as an ice-house, and in the winter as an “apple-hole,” and was well covered with straw. It was here placed about two o’clock on the 11th. A day or two later, the slave, George, returned. While the body of Gen. Lyon lay in Mrs. Phelps’ cellar, the place was visited by some citizens and many Southern soldiers. It is much to be regretted that some brutes there were among the soldiers that treated the remains of the dead man with all disrespect, cursing them and him openly and in the vilest terms. One young officer is reported to have said to Mrs. Phelps: “There is quite a contrast betwixt the resting place of old Lyon’s body and his soul, isn’t there, Madame? The one is in an ice-house; the other in hell!” he added with a heartless chuckle.
At last some drunken ruffians, by threatening to open the coffin and “cut the d—d heart” of the body for a relic, so frightened Mrs. Phelps, causing her to fear that the remains would be mutilated in some horrible manner, that she asked Gen. Price to send a detail and bury the body. This was done by volunteers from Guibor’s and Kelly’s infantry, of Gen. Parsons’ division, at that time encamped on Col. Phelps’ farm. It is believed the body was not buried until the 14th. The slave, George, dug the grave, which was in Mrs. Phelps’ garden. Some of the soldiers stamped on the grave in great delight. An Irishman told Capt. Guibor, “Be jabers, we shtomped him good.”
On the 22d of August there came to Springfield a party in a four-mule ambulance, bearing with them a 300-pound metallic coffin. This party was composed of Danford Knowlton, of New York City, a cousin of Gen. Lyon; John B. Hasler, of Webster, Mass., the general’s brother-in-law, and Mr. Geo. N. Lynch, the well-known undertaker, still of St. Louis. From Rolla in, the party was accompanied by the gallant Emmett McDonald, who had been up to arrange for an exchange of prisoners, and from whom, Mr. Hasler says, they received many attentions and favors.
Arriving at Springfield, Mr. Hasler says, they visited Gen. Price and handed him a letter from Gen. Fremont explaining their mission, which was to bear the body of Gen. Lyon. As the letter was directed “To whom it may concern,” Gen. Price, after glancing at the address, threw it contemptuously aside, saying he could read no document thus directed. At the same time he offered to grant them every facility for procuring the body of their dead relative.
Repairing to Phelps’ farm the party disinterred the body and placed it in the metallic coffin, after removing the zinc case made by Mr. Vaughn. Gen. Parsons, whose division was encamped on the farm, came up, introduced himself, and Mr. Hasler says, “showed us numerous civilities. Among other attentions, he tendered a guard for the body and team over night, which was accepted.”
The next day the party left Springfield and were in Rolla on the 25th and in St. Louis the 26th. Here a military escort joined. From thence the party proceeded to Eastford, Connecticut, the birthplace of the general, which place was reached September 4th, there being great receptions and honors paid the body in the cities and towns en route. September 5th the body was buried in the family burying ground at Eastford. “Upon the coffin, as it lay in the Congregational church when the funeral ceremonies were being rendered,” says Mr. Woodward, who was present, “were placed the hat, a light felt, which the general had waved aloft when rallying his ranks at Wilson’s Creek, and also the sword, scarred and weather-beaten from sharing in the long hard service of its owner.” The hat was brought from the battlefield by the wounded men in the wagon in which the general’s body was first placed, and was given to Mr. Hasler by the driver, who had preserved it. Both hat and sword were given to, and since have been in the possession of the Connecticut Historical Society.
Gen. Lyon was born in Eastford, Connecticut, July 14, 1818. He entered West point in 1837; graduated in 1841, standing eleventh in a class of fifty. He served in Florida in 1841-2; was in the Mexican war under Taylor and Scott; in California and on the frontier from 1850 to 1861. He was never married. The statement that he bequeathed his private fortune to the Federal government is erroneous.