gust Slgel, in
attempting to perform the part assigned to himself, lost his
artillery, lost his infantry, and fled alone, or nearly so,
to Springfield, arriving there long before the battle was
ended. Yet he had almost nobody killed or wounded. One piece
of his artillery and 500 or 600 infantry were picked up and
brought in by a company of Regular cavalry. No effort was
made by Sigel or any of his officers to rally their men and
join Lyon's Division, altho the battle raged furiously for
hours after Sigel's rout; and most of his men in their
retreat passed in rear of Lyon's line of battle.

185

On our return to Springfield, at about 5 o'clock p. m., Maj.
Sturgis yielded the command to Col. Sigel, and the latter,
after consultation with many of the officers of the army,
decided to retreat toward Rolla; starting at 2 o'clock a. m.
in order that the column might be in favorable position for
defense before daylight. At the hour appointed for the
troops to move I found Col. Sigel asleep in bed, and his own
brigade, which was to be the advance guard, making
preparations to cook their breakfast It was 4 o'clock before
I could get them started. Sigel remained in command three
days, kept his two regiments in front all the time, made
little more than ordinary day's marches, but yet did not get
in camp until 10, and on one occasion 12 o'clock at night.
On the second day he kept the main column waiting, exposed
to the sun on a dry prairie, while his own men killed beef
and cooked their breakfast. They finished their breakfast at
about noon, and then began their day's march.

The fatigue and annoyance to the troops soon became so
intolerable that discipline was impossible. The officers,
therefore, almost unanimously demanded a change. Maj.
Sturgis, in compliance with the demand, assumed the command.

My position as Gen. Lyon's principal staff officer gave mo
very favorable opportunities for judging of Gen. Sigel's
merits as an officer, and hence I appreciate his good as
well as his bad qualities more accurately than most of those
who presume to judge him. Gen. Sigel, in point of
theoretical education, is far above the average of
commanders in this country. He has studied with great care
the science of strategy, and seems thoroly c