o well that the pursuing
cavalry were kept at a distance, while he marched with his train through
Carthage, and fifteen miles beyond, before halting. That night and next
morning Jackson was heavily reinforced by Price, who brought from the
south several thousand Arkansas and Texas troops, under General Ben.
McCulloch and General Pearce. Sigel continued his retreat to
Springfield, where he was joined by General Lyon on July 10th.

[Illustration: The Field of Operations in Missouri and Northern
Arkansas.]

Price and McCulloch being continually reinforced, largely with cavalry,
overran Southwestern Missouri. Lyon waited in vain for reinforcements,
and, having but little cavalry, kept closely to the vicinity of
Springfield. Learning that the enemy were marching upon him in two
strong columns, one from the south and one from the west, he moved out
from Springfield with all his force on August 1st, and early next
morning encountered at Dug Springs a portion of the column advancing
from the south under McCulloch. This detachment was shattered and
dispersed, and McCulloch recoiled and moved to the west, to join Price
commanding the other column. Price advanced slowly with the combined
force and went into camp on Wilson Creek, ten miles south of
Springfield, on August 7th.

Lyon's entire force was, upon the rolls, 5,868. This number included
sick, wounded, and detached on special duty. General Price turned over
his Missouri troops and relinquished command to McCulloch. According to
Price's official report, his Missourians engaged in the battle of the
10th were 5,221. According to the official report of McCulloch, his
entire effective force was 5,300 infantry, 15 pieces of artillery, 6,000
horsemen armed with flintlock muskets, rifles, and shotguns, and a
number of unarmed horsemen.

General Lyon, not having sufficient force to retreat across the open
country to supports, resolved to strike a sharp blow that would cripple
his opponent, and thus secure an unmolested retreat. He marched out from
Springfield at five o'clock P.M., on August 9th, leaving 250 men and one
gun as a guard. Colonel Sigel, with 1,200 men and a battery of six
pieces, moved to the left, to get into the rear of McCulloch's right
flank; Lyon, with 3,700 men, including two batteries, Totten's with six
guns, and Dubois with four, and also including two battalions of regular
infantry, inclined to the right so as to come upon the centre of the
enemy's front. T