Camp McCulloch, McDonald Co., Mo
20th July 1861

The various false rumors which have been circulated, both printed and verbal, induces me to communicate to the public the details of the Battle of Spring River. On the night of the 4th last, while in camp eight miles south of Lamar, in Barton County, we received information that the Federal troops had on that day taken possession of Carthage, and during the night would move upon us for the purpose of making an attack. Our camp was accordingly pitched in battle order, and our soldiers ordered to sleep on their arms. No attack being made during the night, our forces were put in motion at 4 o’clock on the morning of the 5th, and after moving some 5 miles, the troops were brought to a halt, it being announced that our pickets were engaged with some of the enemy. One of ours received a shot in the arm, which proved to be only a flesh wound. The wounded man returned the fire of the enemy, killing one of them, whom if was afterwards ascertained was the Adjutant of Col. Solomon’s regiment.

Our forces were at once drawn up in line of battle and ordered to take a position on a ridge on the prairie a mile in advance. Having reached our point of defence, we saw that the enemy had taken their position immediately in front of us, and distant nearly half a mile.

As soon as we could be seen rising over the undulation of the prairie, the enemy opened fire upon us with one eighteen, three twelve, and four six-pounders, at first throwing shell, and afterward round shot, grape and canister. The battle began at ten minutes to 10 o’clock, with eight pieces by the enemy and six upon our side. Our artillery consisted of five six-pounders and one 12-pounder.

The cannonading continued until 12 o’clock. During the entire time both batteries were plied with the utmost vigor. We had no shell, and but little grape and canister, they were well supplied with all, and singular as the fact may appear, our artillery told upon them with more deadly effect than did theirs upon us. Our cavalry had, in the meantime, flanked the enemy upon both right and left. Finding themselves in a position to be entirely surrounded, and cut off from their baggage train, in a few minutes Gen. Seigel, commanding the Federal forces, ordered a retreat, which was consummated in double quick time and in good order. During the retreat, a small portion of our cavalry had succeeded in reaching their rear. Observing this, they immediately turned their battery upon them, throwing three-second shell, which bursted among the horses, unused and untrained. Such startling phenomena had the effect of breaking our ranks, and gave them an opportunity of continuing their retreat. The enemy soon reached a desirable position, in fact, the very best known, in which their artillery was placed on a steep bluff, their infantry in front, with a sufficient elevation to enable them to fire their artillery over the infantry without danger.

But our boys were not deterred by this formidable array of cannon and Minie muskets; they approached to the edge of the wood, about one hundred yards distant, and taking shelter behind the trees, opened upon them a most destructive fire with rifle, musket and double-barrel shot-guns. The enemy maintained their position until our artillery was planted upon an opposite hill to the left, about 400 yards distant. Finding, for the first time, the enemy in range of grape and canister, our guns were accordingly laden with them. The first round threw them into great confusion, being unable to withstand the fire of both artillery and small arms. Gen. Seigel ordered a second retreat, which was not conducted in as good order as the former one, we getting some three or four rounds at them before they could cross the hill and escape our range. The retreat was made with much greater speed than I had believed it possible to move so large a train of wagons, &c. Each one of horses attached to the gun-carriages was mounted by a driver, as were the horses attached to the baggage-wagons, and with whip in hand they were put in a gallop and kept at this rapid rate of travel until they had crossed a level prairie, five miles in width, where they were stopped by the hills of Spring River, distant only a mile from Carthage. Here again our cavalry succeeded in getting in their rear. Observing this they determined to make a third stand. They planted their artillery, drew their forces up, and opened fire upon us. In a short time our artillery arrived with the Infantry and some shots were exchanged between the batteries, during which time our cavalry were pouring into the wood to both right and left of them. Fearing lest too heavy a force should plant themselves in their way and make retreat impossible, they hastily withdrew and disappeared in the dense wood. Silence was not long preserved. Our men stationed themselves along the wayside for a mile, and the sharp crack of the small arms as they followed one another in rapid succession told plainly its tale of death. Here the enemy’s loss exceeded that of the former engagements. They finally succeeded in reaching Carthage in an exhausted condition. They at once took possession of the Court-house with a view to occupy it, and proceeded to plant their artillery two abreast to sweep the four streets that enter the public square, except two booms from our twelve-pounder admonished them to take leave, or else the house could soon be a mass of crumbling ruins upon their heads. They now poured out into the square, and after a fierce and desperate fight of nearly an hour, they were forced to retreat with all their advantages. During the continuance of the engagement, a large body of our cavalry had proceeded on and had again beset them in their flight which continued in a series of ambushes and charges until their forces were completely routed and scattered. We succeeded in capturing one piece of artillery, several wagons and several prisoners. Their entire force consisted of about twenty-five hundred well-armed and well-equipped infantry, two companies of cavalry, and their artillery. Our forces engaged in the various actions never exceeded at any time more than fifteen hundred men, although our entire force reached nearly four thousand, a large portion of whom were entirely destitute of arms. This is a short and correct statement of the circumstances of the battle, which began ten miles north of Carthage, at ten minutes to 10 A.M., and ended five miles south of Carthage at 8 o’clock P.M. My regimental surgeons, the following morning, reported to me, officially, seven killed and thirty-six wounded; since which time five more have died, making an aggregate of twelve killed in all. The rest of the wounded will recover. The best information in my possession in regard to the enemy’s loss I obtained from one of the prisoners, a surgeon in their employ, and who has lived in Hannibal for the last three years, who says their loss in killed and wounded, was not less than two hundred - subsequent reports make it much more. This statement is made with a view to correct those falsehoods which the enemy is industriously circulating in the vain hope of propping up their failing cause, or to keep down our Southern friends in maintaining the sovereignty of the State and saving the last vestige of liberty among us.

George W. Taylor
Surgeon General 8th Military District, M.S.G.

New York Times, October 8, 1861.