Published in The Daily Whig and Republican, Quincy, Illinois Tuesday, August 26, 1862
The following account of the battle of “lone Jack,” near Lexington, Mo., is from a private letter to a gentleman of this county by an Admas County boy. Of course it is not a general account, but only that of a single soldier’s experience, in, we presume, his first fight, and will have an interest for many who know him personally.
The Battle of Lone Jack, Mo
Camp Mulligan, Lexington, Mo. Aug. 18 1862
My Dear Brother: We started out last Friday, the 15th, for what we have been long wishing for, a fight with the secesh. We started from here with a force of 600 men and two pieces of artillery, marched about 35 miles, when we came to the enemy’s pickets and captured them at about 9 o’clock in the evening.
We were marching in toward their camp, when they made a charge on us—but the artillery, supported by Co. A, was ready for them and their reception. Pouring in too warm a fire for their comfort, they immediately “charge back again,” leaving several of their men dead on the ground.
They, however, soon rallied and charged on us again, if possible with greater force, but were again repulsed as before. It was at this time quite dark, and we were in a narrow lane, so we turned and went back to “Lone Jack,” a little town we had just passed through, and camped for the night. Lieut. Boswell was officer of the guard, and he came to me and said he wanted me to act as Sergeant of the guard, for he knew me. Of course I went on. It was 10 o’clock at night. I put out my guard and kept riding all night among them. One post was in sight, and almost in speaking distance of the secesh picket all night.
In the morning I ordered breakfast for all my guard at the different houses in the vicinity. I fed my horse and had just started to the town for some refreshment for myself, when our pickets came rushing into camp and said they had been fired on, and that the enemy was marching on the town. I told our company to fall in, and in three minutes every man was in his place, on foot. The cannon was immediately placed with Co. A., on the right for guard.
The enemy soon came charging on us with yells, and then we commenced and fought for four hours and a half as hard as we could fight. We were on the open common in the center of the town, which was perfectly surrounded with standing corn, in which they could screen themselves, forcing us to fire at random, which they could sight at us.
We were on the right as guard to the cannon, and they directed their full fire at us, yet everyman stood his ground in splendid style until order to retreat, and that was done in good order, keeping up a constant fire as we retreated. The number of the secesh was estimated at 3,000 when we began; they were afterwards reinforced by 2,000, making 5,000 against 600 of our men.
I got through a hedge fence and was doing good execution, when I heard an officer curse his men and tell them they were firing on their own men and the enemy in 30 feet of then. He then drew his gun on me and said, “I’ll save you, “but I was ready first and gave him the contents of my gun; and running in the rear of them, I found myself cut off from our command. The only thing I could then do was to run or be taken prisoner, and I did not want to be taken, so I started and made a safe trip, arriving here in Lexington this morning, (the 18th) at 7 o’clock. I met some bushwhackers about five miles from here, who made me put my revolver down, then told me to march on.
At first I refused, but when I found I was obliged to I threw it down in the road with all my might and tried to break it. They might have taken $10 and my watch if they had had courage enough, but they were too close to the encampment and were afraid of pursuit. I saw them in the day time, and I will have pay for that pistol yet, mark it.
When I got into camp the boys cried, “why here comes the Orderly,” and such a reception I never had before. They caught my hands and arms and around my neck, and I tell you if ever I was happy it was then. I had been among the missing for two days, and they all supposed me dead. I tore away from the boys to find Capt. Browner [Brawner] and Lieut. Anderson, whom I had supposed killed, and here I met another warm reception. The tears came in their eyes, and I assure you they did in mine.
I told them of my trip, and they said the whole force withdrew about the time I left. It was an awful fight—150 killed and wounded out of the 600 that went into the fight. They have all been brought in under a flag of truce, and are here now. We suppose that their loss is greater than ours. They took our two cannon and a good many prisoners. Some of these they paroled, some they took away.—Some of the paroled prisoners here refused to leave. They say the secesh officers treated them very well. I cannot begin to give you the details, but I will say that I was in the thickest of the fight and did not receive a scratch.
The report here now is that after we left Lone Jack Gen. Lane came in with his force and whipped them completely. We have now 3,000 men at this place and long for an attack, but there seems to be no probability of one at present. Nearly all our horses were killed at the battle, mine among them.
All that were there say it was as severe a battle as has ever been fought in Missouri, and some who were in the fight at Fort Donelson say there was no fighting as severe. Yours, Truly, AMOS
The Daily Whig and Republican, Quincy, Illinois Tuesday, August 26, 1862
