menced the fight by cannonading the town without having given a moment's time to move the sick and the helpless women and children. Our artillery consisted of two old iron 12-pounder howitzers, one iron 6-pounder gun (rudely mounted, one of them on old wagon wheels and without the ordinary equipments for artillery, hand-spikes and wedges having to take the place of elevating screws), and two 6-pounder brass guns at Fort Numbers 1. The balance of our force consisted of the following-named commands and detachments of commands: Third Missouri State Militia Cavalry, commanded by Colonel W. King (453); Fourth Missouri State Militia Cavalry, commanded by Colonel George H. Hall (289); Eighteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Z. Cook (378); Second Battalion Fourteenth Missouri State Militia Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John Pound (223); Seventy-fourth Regiment Enrolled Missouri Militia, commanded by Captain Green B. Phillips; 48 convalescents, organized by Dr. S. H. Melcher, and stragglers commanded by Colonel B. Crabb and Captain McAfee (447). Total force, 2,099.

General, these troops acted like heroes. I am too weak from the loss of blood to dictate more.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

E. B. BROWN,

Brigadier-General.

Major General SAMUEL R. CURTIS,

Commanding Department of the Missouri.

I will add to the general's dispatch that he was treacherously shot from a secesh residence, while leading a charge of his body guard when the day seemed to be lost.

JAS. H. STEGER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

Return of Casualties in the Union forces engaged at Springfield, Mo., January 8, 1863.

[Compiled from nominal lists of casualties, returns, & c.]

Killed. Wounded.

Command. Officers. Enlisted Officers. Enlisted

men. men.

General staff ... ... 1 ...

18th Iowa ... 5 4 42

Infantry

3rd Missouri ... 1 ... 4

State Militia

Cavalry

4th Missouri ... 1 ... 10

State Militia

Cavalry

14th Missouri ... 3 1 15

State Militia

Cavalry

74th Missouri ... 2 4 46

Enrolled

Militia

"Quinine ... 2 1 13

Brigade"

Citizen ... ... ... 5

Volunteers

Total ... 14 11 135

Continuation: Captured or missing.

Command. Officers. Enlisted Aggregate.

men.

General staff ... ... 1

18th Iowa ... 1 52

Infantry

3rd Missouri ... ... 5

State Militia

Cavalry

4th Missouri ... ... 11

State Militia

Cavalry

14th Missouri ... 3 22

State Militia

Cavalry

74th Missouri ... 1 53

Enrolled

Militia

"Quinine ... ... 16

Brigade"

Citizen ... ... 5

Volunteers

Total ... 5 165

---------------

* A force (so styled) composed of convalescents from the hospitals, and representing various regiments.

---------------