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Great Battle Near Springfield, Mo.

Special dispatch to the Illinois State Journal.
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 13, 5 P. M.

EDITORS JOURNAL: — The battle took place on Saturday, the 10th, beginning at 9 o'clock, the morning, and continuing throughout the day until evening. Federal forces numbered 5,500, against 23,000 of the rebels. General Lyon is among the killed. Two of the rebel Generals, McCulloch and Price, are also killed. Gen. Sigel routed the enemy and remained on the field of battle during Saturday night. He subsequently fell back through Springfield toward Rolla.

EDITORS DEMOCRAT.

The news from Missouri, which was of so discouraging a character yesterday, assumed altogether a different aspect later in the evening. — What we at first deemed a disastrous defeat, has turned out to be a most glorious victory, saddened, however, by the death of the gallant Lyon. Our dispatches show that he attacked the enemy of his own accord, and fell gloriously fighting under the banner to which his brave deeds have added luster.

As an offset to his loss, we have slain McCulloch, the “big gun” of the rebels in the West, and have forever cured Price of his dysenteric proclivities. We pray that the news of the slaughter of these two worthies may be fully confirmed by further reports.

Sigel is undoubtedly the great General of the West, and probably has no superior as a military commander on the continent. Each new exploit adds laurels to his fame, and if he conducts his present retreat with the same masterly ability as at Carthage, he may justly be styled the Xenophon of the war. The late battle is certainly the most brilliant of any yet recorded, and has few parallels in history, either as to its daring conception or its successful termination. We shall expect to hear of a heavy list of killed and wounded on the rebel side, as Sigel does not fight for fun. He shoots bullets.

The fact that the loss on our own side is so heavy is sufficient indication of what the rebels must have suffered, considering the vast superiority of skill on the side of our troops in handling their artillery. Capt. Totton, of the regular army, has won undying laurels by the use he made of his battery of field pieces, and the victory is undoubtedly due, in a great measure, to his skill and experience. All honor to the heroes of the Western campaign — Sigel, Lyon and Totton!