that had been guarding the road
to the rear. Carr had sent word he could not hold out much longer.
Curtis sent word to persevere, and went in person to the left, where
Sigel with his two divisions had not yet been under fire, and hurried
Ashboth over to Carr's relief. Carr had been gradually pushed back
nearly a mile; Van Dorn had been concentrating upon him, resolved to
crush him. Curtis, returning with Ashboth, met the Fourth Iowa marching
to the rear, in good order. Colonel Dodge explained that ammunition was
exhausted, and he was going for cartridges. "Then use your bayonets,"
was the reply, and the regiment faced again to the enemy and steadily
advanced. It was about five o'clock P.M. when Ashboth reached Carr's
line and immediately opened fire. The combat continued till dark set in.

As it was evident that Van Dorn was throwing his whole force upon the
position held by Carr, General Curtis took advantage of the cessation
during the night to re-form his line. Davis and Osterhaus were brought
to join Carr's left, and Sigel was ordered to form on the left of
Osterhaus. When the sun rose, Sigel was not yet in position, but Davis
and Carr began attack without waiting. General Curtis, riding to the
front of Carr's right, found in advance a rising ground which gave a
commanding position for a battery, posted the Dubuque battery there, and
moved forward the right to its support. Sigel, coming up with the
divisions of Osterhaus and Ashboth on Davis' left, first sent a battery
forward, which by its rapid fire repelled the enemy in its front, and
then with its deployed supports wheeled half to the right. Another
battery pushed forward repeated the manoeuvre with its supporting
infantry. The column thus deployed on the right into line, bending back
the enemy's right wing in the execution of the movement--each step in
the deployment gaining space for the next succeeding step. The line as
now formed, from the Dubuque battery on the right to Sigel's left,
formed a curve enclosing Van Dorn's army. Under this concentric fire Van
Dorn's entire force before noon was swept from the field to find refuge
in the deep and tortuous ravines in his rear. Pursuit was fruitless.
McCulloch's command, scattering in all directions, was irretrievably
dispersed. Van Dorn, with Price's corps and other troops, found outlet
by a ravine leading to the south, unobserved by the national troops,
went into camp ten miles off on the prairie, and sent in a f