LEXINGTON. 



409 



struction of an earthwork, ton feet in height, 

 with a ditch eight feet in width, enclosing a 

 large area, capable of containing a force of 

 10,000 men. The army train, consisting of nu- 

 merous mule teams, was brought within this. 

 The work was pushed with great vigor. This 

 work went on for three days, or until Thurs- 

 day, the 12th, at which time that portion of 

 the works assigned to the Irish Brigade was well 

 advanced, that of the Home Guard being still 

 weak on the west or New Lexington side. 



The college building, within the fortification, 

 became Col. Mulligan's head-quarters. The 

 magazine and treasure were stored in the cellar 

 and suitably protected. The hospital of the 

 troops was located just outside of the intrench- 

 ments, in a northwesterly direction. The river, 

 at that point, is about half a mile wide, and 

 about half a mile distant from the fortifications. 

 The bluff there is high and abrupt, the steam- 

 boat landing being at New Lexington. 



The artillery of Col. Mulligan consisted of 

 five brass pieces and two mortars, but, having 

 no shells, the latter were useless. The cavalry 

 Lad only side-arms and pistols. 



On the 12th, scouts and advanced pickets 

 driven in reported the near approach of the 

 Confederate force. The attack was led by Gen. 

 Rains with a battery of nine pieces of artillery 

 against the point least prepared to resist as- 

 sault. The Confederates were repulsed, and 

 the result warned them that they had no easy 

 task on hand. The hospital, containing about 

 twenty-four patients, was not spared by the as- 

 sailants. Some of the sick were pierced with 

 bayonets or sabres in their cots. The chaplain 

 and surgeon of the brigade were taken prisoners. 



Skirmishing continued for several days, dur- 

 ing which the enemy brought more of their ar- 

 tillery into action. Messengers had been sent 

 to Jefferson City by Col. Mulligan to urge the 

 necessity of reinforcements, but they had been 

 captured. At the same time, sufficient troops 

 were sent out by the enemy to intercept any 

 Federal reinforcements. Thus a party of 1,500 

 Iowa troops were met and forced to retire when 

 they had arrived within sixteen miles of the river. 



The situation of the Federal force was daily 

 growing more desperate. "Within their lines 

 were picketed about the wagons and trains a 

 large number of horses and mules, nearly three 

 thousand in all, now a serious cause of care and 

 anxiety ; for, as shot and shell plunged among 

 them, many of the animals were killed or 

 wounded, and from the struggles of these latter 

 the danger of a general stampede was immi- 

 nent. The havoc in the centre of the intrench- 

 ment was immense. Wagons were knocked to 

 pieces, stores scattered and destroyed, and the 

 ground strewn with dead horses and mules. 



On the 17th the water gave out, and being cut 

 off from the river, the Union troops were re- 

 duced to great straits. Rations, also, began to 

 grow short. Meanwhile, the contest continued 

 with little cessation, as a brilliant moon shone 

 all night. Gen. Price had sent to Col. Mulligan a 



summons to surrender, to which the latter sent 

 a refusal, saying, " If you want us, you must 

 take us." The Home Guard, however, had 

 become discouraged and disheartened, and on 

 the 21st, while Col. Mulligan was engaged in 

 another part of the camp, a white flag was 

 raised by Major Becker, of the Guards, in the 

 portion of the intrenchments assigned to him. 

 As soon as this was made known to Col. Mulli- 

 gan, he ordered the flag to be taken down, which 

 was done. The severest of the fighting during 

 that day followed in a charge made upon the 

 enemy's nearest battery. Subsequently, the 

 Home Guards left the outer work and retreated 

 within the line of the inner intrenchments,, 

 about the college building, refusing to fight 

 longer, and here again raised the white flag, 

 this time from the centre of the fortifications, 

 when the fire of the enemy slackened and 

 ceased. Under this state of affairs, Col. Mulli- 

 gan, calling his officers into council, decided to 

 capitulate, and Capt. McDermott went out to 

 the enemy's lines, with a handkerchief tied to 

 a ramrod, and a parley took place. Major 

 Moore, of the brigade, was sent to Gen. 

 Price's head-quarters, at New Lexington, to 

 know the terms of capitulation. These were: 

 that the officers were to be retained as prison- 

 ers of war, the men to be allowed to depart 

 with their personal property, snrrendering their 

 arms and accoutrements. Reluctantly, this 

 was acceded to. 



At 4 p. M. on Sept. 21st, the Federal forces 

 were marched out of the intrenchments. They 

 left behind them their arms and accoutre- 

 ments, reserving only their clothing. The pri- 

 vates, numbering some 1,500 strong, were first 

 made to take the oath not to serve against the 

 Confederate States, when they were put across 

 the river, and, in charge of Gen. Rains, 

 marched on Saturday night to Richmond, six- 

 teen miles ; whence, on Sunday, they marched 

 to Hamilton, a station on the Hannibal and St. 

 Joseph's railroad, where they were declared 

 free to go wherever they pleased. "While on 

 this march they experienced generous and hu- 

 mane treatment, both from Gen. Rains and 

 from the residents. 



The Federal force at Lexington was com- 

 posed of the Twenty-third Regiment, (Irish Bri- 

 gade,) Col. Mullisran, 800 ; Thirteenth Missouri, 

 Col. Peabody, 840 ; First Illinois, Col. Marshall, 

 500; Home" Guards, Col. "White, 500; total 

 2,640, with one 4, three 6, and one 12-pound- 

 ers, and two 4-inch mortars. The Confederate 

 force had been increased from 3,000 by the ar- 

 rival of reinforcements to a large number, es- 

 timated at 20,000. It appears by the official 

 report of Gen. Price, who took command at the 

 outset, that, in addition to the large force he 

 brought with him from the southwest, he was 

 joined, before the battle, by the forces under 

 Martin Green, Harris, Boyd, and Patten, all of 

 whom participated in the siege. Green's force, 

 when he crossed the river at Glasgow, was 

 2,500 men ; Harris had 1,000 when he crossed ; 



