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From: "Jim Miller" <>
Subject: [IACLARKE] Letter from Captain Duncan to Mrs. Duncan
Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 23:55:21 -0600


Published in the Osceola Sentinel, 31 JAN 1863:

Letter from Captain Duncan to Mrs. Duncan

Springfield, Jan. 10 1863

My Dear Mary: - As you will doubtless hear of the Battle that has been
fought in this place before this reaches you, you must be uneasy about me:
I thought that I would write and let you know that I am still alive and
well, although I, with my company, was under a heavy fire for a long time.
I never received a scratch. On the 7th inst. We were informed that the
rebels were advancing on Sgringfield [sic], 8,000 strong. Every thing was
in excitement, and all eager for a fight. Strong guards were thrown out;
all the others were under arms all right; but the rebels did not make their
appearance before the town until about 12 o'clock [p.]m., when the
cannonading commenced on both sides, and in a short time skirmishing
commenced on both sides. At one o'clock the engagement became general, our
forces gradually falling back; contesting every inch of ground. Our forces
then under cover of some houses they had taken possession of, checked the
rebels, and held them at bay. Then is when there was warm work. It was not
uncommon for the Union men to have possession of one side of a house and the
secesh the other. This was the condition of thing until just before dark,
when we dislodged them and drove them back on the field again. We lay on
our arms all night expecting to renew the engagement at early dawn in the
morning. At daylight we found the enemy had during the night fallen back
three miles, and was not anxious to renew the attack. Our forces went out
to feel for them and skirmished all day. When night came the enemy was 6 or
7 miles away under full retreat, leaving their dead and wounded in our
possession. From the best information that I can get their loss must be
from 60 to 100 killed and 300 wounded. I went over the Battle field myself
the day after the fight, and counted 20 dead rebels and there is two large
pits where the Rebels buried their dead, but I could not tell how many.
There is three hospitals full of their wounded - 80 in one and in the other
two [illegible] learn how many. Our loss was 17 [illegible: presumably
killed] and about one hundred wounded, among them was Gen. Brown who was
wounded in the left shoulder, and had his arm taken off at the shoulder
joint. The loss of our Regt. Was [illegible] killed and 47 wounded. Capt.
Vanmetre of Co. H, and Capt. Blue of Co. C are both wounded severely, and I
fear mortally. Vanmetre was shot in the thigh joint and is mangled
dreadfully. Cap. Blue was shot through the left lung. Both in Critical
condition; al[so] Capt. Leandis, of Co. D was wounded in the leg and side.
He had command of one piece of artillery, which unfortunately he lost: he
ran into an ambuscade and was completely surprised and the piece captured.

The Rebels lost a number of officers, one Col., one Maj., and I cannot tell
how many Capts. And Lieuts. Our whole force was not over 1,200 and theirs
is estimated at about 5,000. Our men fought well and have the praise of
their officers.

The Rebels left here on the Rollin road, and I hear this morning that they
have taken Lebanon. But report says their retreat is cut off and they are,
or will be all taken today; I hope this is true. The Rebels say that they
must winter in Missouri, if they have to disband to do so; for there is
nothing for them or their horses to live on south of the Boston Mountains
and the prisoners say (two of which are Lieuts.) that it was nothing but
starvation forced them off this time. They have neither tents nor blankets,
and have scarcely any clothes. The prisoners say that they were badly
disappointed. They heard that Springfield was only guarded by 500 men and
the most of them sick, in the hospital, and that none but State Militia were
here, and they did not fear double their number of that kind of troops. But
as soon as they found that there was one Reg. of Iowa troops here, they gave
up all hopes of taking the town, and looked for the best way to make their
escape. They dread the Iowa boys. They say that they had rather fight
soldiers from any state than from Iowa, for they never will be whipped, and
that Iowa officers never learn their men to retreat, and consequently they
do not know there is such a military movement in our Tactics. Not
withstanding we lost and had disabled a considerable amount of men, our
regt. Is in better fighting order than it was before the fight. The men
know they can fight, and as they have received the universal praise of both
citizens and officers, they feel their dignity. All admit, if it had not
been for the 18th. Springfield would have been taken, without a struggle, or
any resistance whatever. As it was we had to burn a portion of the town to
get it out of the way of our guns, and to keep it from sheltering the enemy;
and a great many of the houses in that portion of the town is badly injured
by the shot.

I must close by saying that I do not mind the whizzing and buzzing of the
Rifle and musket balls, although I know they are more dangerous than any
other. But I do despise the awful howling and sickening hissing of those
abominable Shells when they go tearing by your ears making more noise than
forty devils on horseback, bursting now and then, filling your face and eyes
full of dirt, splinter, gravel and everything that is mean.

Capt. W. M. Duncan

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