r, who went ahead with the combined force to attack Thompson,
leaving Carlin, who was exhausted and ill, in town with a portion of his
command.

Possibly, what helped induce Carlin to yield was the knowledge of an
agreement between Col. Plummer and Col. Ross, of the 17th Ill., who
outranked both of them, that if Carlin persisted in his claim, Ross
should assert his seniority and take command of the whole. Carlin
retained the 8th Wis. and two 24-pound howitzers in Fredericktown to
hold the place, while Plummer took the rest of the force and started out
in search of Thompson.

He did not have to go very far.

250

A half mile from town shots were heard, and the cavalry came back with
the information that the enemy was just ahead. The leading infantry
regiment, the 17th Ill., went into line to the left and moved forward
into a cornfield, where the enemy's skirmishers were immediately
encountered.

Lieut. White came up with his section of artillery and opened fire upon
a hill about 600 yards distant where it was likely that Thompson had his
artillery masked. Thompson's guns could not stand the punishment quietly
and opened up only to be speedily suppressed by other guns which Maj.
Schofield hurried up to join two which had been firing.

Col. Lowe, commanding the Missouri State Guards, first engaged, was soon
shot through the head and his regiment began falling back before the
steady advance of the 17th Ill., to which was soon added the fire of the
33d Ill. and a part of the 11th Mo.

At first the Missourians fell back steadily, but after the rough
handling of the artillery their retreat became a rout and Col. Baker
dashed forward with the 1st Ind. Cav. in pursuit.. A half mile in the
rear Thompson succeeded in rallying his men and also brought one piece
of artillery into action, receiving the cavalry with a fierce volley, by
which Maj. Gavitt, who had been active and prominent in the operations
in that section, and Capt. Highman were killed.

Notwithstanding this, the cavalry rallied, charged, and took the gun,
which they had, however, to soon give up under a charge led by Thompson
himself.

251

The 17th Ill. had already secured one gun, and now as the infantry
came up Thompson's men broke and retreated rapidly in every direction.
Hearing the noise of the fighting, Col. Carlin arose from a sick-bed,
galloped to the battlefield, and took command of a part of the troops.
The pursuit was continued by the inf