NEWS OF 150 YEARS AGO
November-December 1862
From The Missouri Democrat, Thursday, December 11, 1862.
THE VERY LATEST.
OUR EXCLUSIVE DISPATCHES.
THE VICTORY OF PRAIRIE GROVE.
A SECOND DISPATCH FROM GENERAL BLUNT.
Enemy Beyond the Boston Mountains.
Great Mortality among the Rebel Wounded.
THE ENEMY DEAD AND WOUNDED ON OUR HANDS.
Capture of Caissons, Ammunition, &c.
GENERAL CURTIS’ CONGRATULATORY ORDER.
DISPATCHES FROM GEN. HERRON.
ADDITIONAL AND INTERESTING DETAILS OF THE FIGHT.
THE BATTLE FURIOUS FROM 7 A.M. TIL NEAR DARK.
The Killed and Wounded of the 20th Iowa.
Below we present an interesting budget relative to the grand victory at Prairie Grove. Major General Curtis congratulates the Army of the Frontier. Generals Blunt and Herron telegraph additional and important particulars of the engagement and the subsequent movement of the enemy. We are also furnished, at headquarters, with a list of the casualties of the 20th Iowa.
FROM GENERAL BLUNT.
ARMY, PRAIRIE GROVE, Dec. 10, 1862.
Major General Curtis:
The enemy did not stop in their flight until they had crossed the Boston Mountains, and are probably, ere this, across the Arkansas river.
The enemy’s killed and wounded are between fifteen hundred and two thousand—a large proportion of them killed. One hundred of their wounded have died since the battle, and a large proportion of the others are wounded mortally; showing the terrible effects of my artillery. My casualties will be about two hundred killed and five hundred wounded. Most of the wounded will recover. The enemy has left all his wounded on my hands, and the most of his dead uncared for. They are being buried by my command.
Hindman admitted his force to be twenty-eight thousand. Major Hubbard, who was a prisoner with them all the day of the fight, counted twenty regiments of infantry and twenty pieces of artillery. They had no train with them, and muffled the wheels of the artillery in making their retreat. Four caissons filled with ammunition, were taken from the enemy. The 20th regiment Wisconsin volunteers, in addition to those mentioned yesterday, suffered severely in charging one of the enemy’s batteries, which they took, but were unable to hold.
JAS. G. BLUNT, Brigadier General Commanding.
CONGRATULATORY ORDER.
HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI;
ST. LOUIS, MO., December 10, 1862.
Brigadier General Blunt, Battlefield, Prairie Grove:
GENERAL: The country is rejoicing over the victory of Prairie Grove. I congratulate you and General Herron upon your glorious success, and thank you, and the officers and soldiers of the “Army of the Frontier,” for a victory that will carry despair into the hearts of our foes, and gladness to the friends of liberty throughout our country.
S. B. CURTIS, Major General.
Commanding Department of the Missouri.
FROM GENERAL HERRON.
HEADQUARTERS, PRAIRIE GROVE, ARK.,
December 10, 1862.
Major General Curtis:
General Blunt has undoubtedly informed you of the battle of the 8th. Hindman moved in to the east of Blunt, with his entire force, twenty-five thousand men, intending to cut off my command. I had sent forward to Blunt all my cavalry, having left six regiments of infantry, three batteries, and about five hundred cavalry.
General Marmaduke opened on my advance at seven o’clock in the morning, with a heavy cavalry force, but I drove them back to Illinois Creek, eight miles form Cane Hill. At this point they took a strong position with infantry and artillery, and tried to prevent my crossing. But by cutting roads through the woods, I got the batteries into position, and at half-past nine o’clock opened on them with eighteen guns, bringing forward my infantry, crossing the creek, and getting them into position under cover of my artillery.
From this hour (half-past nine o’clock, A. M.) until two o’clock in the afternoon, the fighting was furious. At four o’clock General Blunt arrived within one mile of my right, opening on the enemy’s left. Learning definitely that he was on the ground, I ordered the infantry to charge the enemy’s batteries, The 19th Iowa and 20th Wisconsin did it gallantly, taking a whole battery, but were afterwards overwhelmed and forced to leave it. Colonel Huston, commanding the Second Division, then charged the same battery with the 37th Illinois and 36th Indiana, taking it a second time; but after holding it half an hour, was compelled to give way. The fighting was constant and furious throughout the entire day.
I met General Blunt late in the evening, and we arranged to attack in the morning, but daylight found the rebels gone.
Their loss is from six hundred to seven hundred killed nad twenty-five hundred wounded. Ours is probably two hundred and fifty killed and seven hundred wounded. In the 2d and 3d Divisions, Lieut. Col. McFarland, of the 19th Iowa, and Col. Black, of the 37th Illinois, are killed. Major Thompson, of the 20th Iowa, and a large number of lined officers are wounded.
The prisoners state that on their side General Stein and five colonels were killed. We captured four caissons full of ammunition, and a large number of small arms. Their artillery was knocked to pieces by our batteries; and Major Hubbard, who was a prisoner with them, reports seeing piece after piece sent off entirely disabled. The working of Murphy’s and Forrest’s batteries excelled anything I ever witnessed.
General Blunt and myself had an interview with Hindman and Marmaduke. We are camped on the battlefield.
F. J. HERRON.
Brigadier General Commanding