ver
to go forward to him, but they could hardly reach him in less than
a fortnight. There were at that time some 44 regiments in
Missouri--regiments commanded by men whose names afterward shine in
history--U. S. Grant, John Pope, S. A. Hurlbut, John M. Palmer, John
B. Turchin, S. B. Curtis, Morgan L. Smith, O. E. Salomon, John McNeil,
etc.,--but they were kept garrisoning posts, chasing guerrillas, and at
almost everything else than hurrying forward toward him, as they should
have been.

Two of his regiments--the 3d and 4th Mo.--took their discharge and
started for St. Louis. The 1st Iowa's time was out, but Lyon asked the
men to stay with him a few days longer, and they did to a man.

Aside from the military reasons for holding Springfield there were
others which appealed to Lyon's mind with equal power. His heart had
bled over the outrages committed by the Secessionists upon the Union
people in that section of the State. The presence of his army was the
only security that the loyal people had that their farms would not
be robbed and themselves murdered. Hundreds of them had gone into
Springfield to be under his protection. How they could be ever gotten
back to a place of safety in retreat was the gravest of problems. Gen.
Schofield, at that time his Adjutant-General, and who disapproved of
fighting the battle of Wilson's Creek, thinks that this consideration
had more weight with him than the military reasons, and induced him to
fight where the judgment of the soldier was against it.

157

Four anxious days longer Lyon remained at Springfield. He called a
council of his principal officers, and the unanimous decision was that
the army should retreat.

On Aug. 9 he sent the following letter to Gen. Fremont, the last he ever
wrote:

General: I retired to this place, as I before informed you,
reaching here on the 5th. The enemy followed to within 10
miles of here. He has taken a strong position, and is
recruiting his supply of horses, mules, and provisions by
forages Into the surrounding country, his large force of
mounted men enabling him to do this without much annoyance
from me. I find my position extremely embarrassing, and am
at present unable to determine whether I shall be able to
maintain my ground or be forced to retire. I can resist any
attack from the front, but if the enemy move to surround me
I must retire. I shall hold my ground as long as poss