NEWS OF 150 YEARS AGO
September 1864
From The Missouri Democrat, Friday, September 30, 1864.
FROM PILOT KNOB.
A BATTLE FOUGHT.
Gen. Ewing Victorious!
1,500 REBELS KILLED AND WOUNDED.
Price in Command
REBEL GEN. CABELL WOUNDED.
Pilot Knob Evacuated!
THE COMMAND ALL SAFE.
SEPTEMBER [illegible], 1864.—To Colonel John V. Du Bois, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Department of the Missouri: At daylight our outposts at Ironton were attacked and forced back in within half a mile of the Fort. The enemy made desperate efforts to get possession of Sheppard’s [sic-Shepherd’s] Mountain, and at [illegible] P. M. succeeded in driving the battalion of the 14th Iowa into rifle pits and getting two six pounder guns in position on the mountain. The three mountain slopes overlooking the Fort were filled with dismounted cavalry. The south front was threatened by four lines of cavalry extending across the valley between the fort and Ironton, commanded by General Marmaduke, while a column passed around the base of Sheppard’s Mountain, and formed at the south. General Cabell commanded the dismounted cavalry on the slope of Pilot Knob. The rebel troops thus disposed, a signal of two guns were fired from the mountain, and the assault in force moved on our works and came up in fine style, to the ditches and went back to the mountain in indecent haste, leaving 1,500 killed and wounded. Among the latter is General Cabell, one Lieutenant Colonel, two Captains and two Lieutenants. Our entire loss is nine killed, and sixty wounded.
Yesterday morning at four o’clock we left the fort and blew up the magazine. Price commanded in person.
CHARLES HILLS,
Capt. and Acting Ass’t Adjutant.
LATER.
General Ewing’s force, on leaving Ironton and Pilot Knob, cut their way through the rebel lines and marched toward the Southwest Branch railroad. On approaching Harrison’s Station, he sent forward a company of mounted men to the telegraph station to announce his coming. It is known in the city that Ewing’s entire force would probably reach Harrison’s Station at ten o’clock last night. We shall doubtless have full particulars of the march to day.
