Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 9.djvu/359

Rh and a born soldier. He knew nothing of arms at the beginning of the war, but in much less than a year's time had fought his way to the command of as good a regiment as there was in the service. His untimely death cut short a brilliant career. He was succeeded in the command of the regiment by Col. James A. Pritchard.

The Federal loss was 300 killed, 600 wounded and 300 prisoners. The trophies of the battle were with the Confederates. They brought off four pieces of artillery, several battleflags, four loaded baggage wagons and 300 prisoners. They did not lose a gun or a wagon. In fact, the Federal commander found himself so badly crippled that he abandoned the plan of making a campaign into Arkansas and occupying the portion of the State north of the Arkansas river, and fell back into Missouri more like a beaten than a victorious general. Of the part taken by the Missourians in the battle, General Van Dorn said, in a communication to the government at Richmond: "During the whole of this engagement, I was with the Missourians under Price, and I have never seen better fighters than these Missouri troops, or more gallant leaders than General Price and his officers. From the first to the last shot, they continually rushed on and never yielded an inch they had won ; and when at last they received orders to fall back, they retired steadily and with cheers. General Price received a severe wound in the action, but would neither retire from the field nor cease to expose his life to danger.

General Van Dorn retreated across the Boston mountains and went into camp near Van Buren, Ark., preparatory to moving his command across the Mississippi to the support of General Beauregard, at Corinth. General Martin E. Green, who had received his commission as a general officer from Richmond, was assigned to the command of the Second Missouri Confederate brigade. The detached Confederate organizations were consolidated into battalions commanded respectively by Lieutenant-