Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/398

 338 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI Smith, a force that had been destined to Gen- eral Sherman in Georgia. This gave General Rosecrans a force of about 12,000 soldiers, seemingly enough to defeat Price's intention and to preserve the state from the Confed- erate raid. The forces came in conflict at Pilot Knob. General Rosecrans had directed General Ewing to gather his force, consisting of a brigade of the second division of the Sixteenth Army Corps then at Jefferson barracks and with this force to patrol the Iron Mountain railroad in preparation for the movement of the troops under General Smith. Carrying out these instructions Ewing left a part of his force at DeSoto and carried the Four- teenth Iowa through the country to Pilot Knob where he found Ma.jor James Wilson in command of a force of a thousand men ; these were companies A, F, B, G, H and I of the Forty-seventh Missouri Infantry, Captain Lindsay's company of the Fiftieth Missouri, six companies of the Third Cavalry ^Missouri State Militia, Company L of the Second Cav- alry, Company G of the First Cavalry and a battalion under command of Captain iIont- gomery ; having assembled these forces Gen- eral Ewing at once began tTie fortification of Pilot Knob. There was already a fort just south of the village — Fort Davidson. It was about seven hundred yards in circumference and was de- fended by four thirty-two pound guns and three twenty-four pounders. This plain on which the fort stood is almost entirely sur- rounded by mountains, the only exceptions a gap between Shepherd Mountain and Pilot Knob, through which runs Stouts creek and a gap to the southeast known as the Slnit-in through which passes the Fredericktown road. General Ewing obstructed the roads and cleared awav the timber on the sides of the hills and dug two rifle pits in order to com- mand the best approaches. General Price and his anny entered this valle.y by the Fredericktown road through the Shut-in. The first engagement took place on the 26th of September when a part of the Federal forces started from Pilot Knob in the direction of Fredericktown. They were driven back by Price's army into fronton. General Price followed tiiem and probably would have captured them at Ironton had it not been for the approach of night and a heav}^ rain storm. In spite of these handi- caps the army of Price was in motion during most of the night and was concentrated about the town of Ironton. In the meantime the Federal forces had been busy moving their stores further up the railroad and in con- structing fortifications. At daylight on the 27th of September, Major Wilson, who was in command at Ironton, was attacked by Price's troops and driven back into the gap between Pilot Knob and Shepherd's ^Mountain. Here he made a stand and during the assault on his position a detachment of the 14th Iowa was ordered by Ewing to take a position on the east end of Shepherd Mountain and then Wilson was ordered to fall back along the side of Pilot Knob so that the Confederate forces might be fired upon from the fort. A long and bloody engagement followed in which the losses were heavy on both sides. General Marmaduke was ordered by Price to take a position on the east side of Shepherd Moun- tain, which he did and planted two pieces of artillery. The fire from the artillery was very effective and he was able to drive the Federal forces out of the gap and to take possession of it. At the same time General Fagan marched from Pilot Knob and assaulted the fort from that side but was unable to take it. When night came on the operations of the forces