[266] pillagers that had any expression save that of agony, exhibited in its last sleep the look of terror which illiterate plunderers take on in flight when the avenger's arm is stretched forth and its grasp upon them becomes inevitable. The Yankee, in death, shows his inferiority to the Southron as in life. The battery which we captured consisted of two beautiful brass rifled, and one brass smooth-bore cannon.
It is now sunset, and we have everywhere advanced the “stars and bars.” I have said nothing of Generals Van Dorn and Price, for the reason that I have been separated from them during the entire fight; but all accounts from all quarters state that the Missourians surpassed all ancient and modern history of valor, under these generals. Gen. Van Dorn exclaims: “The Old Guard of Napoleon was not composed of braver men.” “I have never in battle seen their equals,” etc., etc. Truly can he say so. We have seen their trials and their gallantry. Amidst the bravest of the brave, we know that the army of Missouri and its leader, Sterling Price, should have the highest place.
The next morning (Saturday) we all expected to capture the entire Federal army. I was on the way in my second attempt to reach Gen. Price, when the most terrific shocks from artillery that ever saluted the Western ear burst forth. The guns of friend and foe, at least one hundred and thirty-five in number, were in concert. Amidst this terrific cannonade, and whilst the Missourians again struggled fiercely with the foe, our army fell back. It was at this moment that the head of Churchill Clark (gallant young hero) was taken off by a shot from a rifled cannon; and here, too, Rives, the dashing hero of other fields, was killed by a wound, which, as he told me a few days before, he most dreaded, a Minie ball in the bowels.
The reasons for retreating were doubtless good. At any rate we are not disheartened: and of one thing rest assured, the army under Gen. Price will never surrender. The enemy's loss in this battle was fully four times as great as ours. They were so utterly paralyzed as to be unable to pursue us, and are said to be now falling back. The result is that in fighting we have shown ourselves their superiors, as we always do; but the accidental deaths of McCulloch and McIntosh deprived us of the fruits of the victory.
