The Battle of Dug Springs

The Battle of Dug Springs. A State Divided: The Civil War in Missouri. , McCullock assigned Brig. Gen. James S. Rains and his six mounted companies of the 8th Division of the Missouri State Guard along with a company of Arkansans, about 400 men, to take the lead in the southern advance. Rains was given the task because many of his command were from the area and were familiar with the terrain. Rains and his men kept about 10 miles ahead of the rest of the Southerners., At about 9 a.m. on Aug. 2, Rains picket’s cam upon Lyon’s advance guard of four companies of Second U.S. Infantry under Capt. Frederick Stelle and Lt. W.I. Lothrop, a company of 4th U.S. Cavalry under Capt. D.S. Stanley and Capt. James Totten’s battery, the 2nd U.S. Artillery. The road at this point passed through a narrow valley with dense forest at the top of the ridge, obscuring the size of both forces. Each side had little information about the size of the army they were about to fight., After receiving two shots from Totten’s artillery, the Southern pickets retreated to Rains’ camp. Rains ordered his whole guard forward where they met the union troops about 3 miles away. For skirmishing parties forward only to be forced back by Southern sharpshooters., After about five hours, Capt. James McIntosh with about 150 mounted men of the regular Confederate Army, joined Rains and his Missouri state Guardsmen. McIntosh conducted reconnaissance to discover the strength of the Union Army and he determined that there were not more than 150 Union troops. In truth the Union advance guard was a much larger force than McIntosh thought. After reminding Rains that he was not to engage the Union force, McIntosh pulled back to the main body with his men., At about 5 p.m., Steele’s Union skirmishers spotted an advancing southern column. The Federals formed a battle line and moved toward the enemy. Shots were exchanged from both sides as the trooper advanced. Suddenly a large force of State Guardsmen emerged from the woods and attached Steele’s infantry from left and the front, cutting them off from Stanley’s cavalry. In the confusion one of Stanley’s subordinate officers shouted “charge!” and a small group of about 25 horsemen surge forward and cut through the State Guard line., The surprised guardsmen suddenly panicked, broke ranks and fled back to the woods. Here they regrouped, rejoined the larger force of cavalry and counterattacked. This time Totten’s battery fired their two 6-pound guns. The guardsmen scattered again, abandoning about 200 horsed tied in the ravine. Steele’s infantry and Stanley’s cavalry pursued the Southerners for a short distance before Lyon called them back. Rains men retreated back to the main Southern army.