Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 7.
Frank Moore, Ed.

A division of infantry, Colonel Ingelmann commanding, was placed temporarily at my disposition, and was in position at daylight. So also, Hadley's and Stange's and Lovejoy's batteries, and those of the Fifth and Eleventh Ohio. Merrill's and Glover's brigades were massed behind the crossing at eight A. M. of the tenth, and the laying of the bridge was completed at that hour. Ritter's brigade, with Clarkson's battery was ordered to make a demonstration four miles below, at Banks's Ford,. then held by the enemy. The passage of the river was effected by seven A. M.--all three brigades crossing at the same point-Ritter being ordered up to the bridge, the opposition of the enemy not lasting fifteen minutes under the concentrated fire of our batteries.

No further opposition was met by my division until we reached Fourche Bayou, five miles from Little Rock. Here we found the enemy, consisting of Marmaduke's cavalry, dismounted, and Tappan's and Fagan's brigades of infantry, with two batteries, strongly posted. A sharp fight of two hours duration, of Glover's brigade on one road and Merrill's on another, leading into the main one, during which the Second brigade lost two mountain howitzers, unavoidably, and captured a caisson, drove them from the position toward the city. Every advantageous foot of ground from this point on was warmly contested by the enemy, my cavalry dismounting and taking it afoot through the timber and corn-fields. I had previously sent an officer of my escort, Lieutenant Armstrong, with a guidon to follow along the bank of the river, to mark the progress of my advance to General Steele. The fire of his batteries from the opposite bank, progressively, was of great service to us.

My advance was here made slow by the fact that the enemy, finding themselves threatened in rear, evacuated their works in front of General Steele, and I did not know but that at any moment their whole force would be thrown upon me. I received a message from General Steele, in the event of such contingency, to withdraw my horses from below the bluff bank of the river, and his batteries would cover my flanks.

Finding, however, that the opposition of the enemy was not stubborn enough to warrant the belief that they were all in front of me, I ordered a vigorous advance of Glover's brigade, and when they became exhausted, within two miles of the city, threw Ritter's brigade, sabre in hand, and Stange's howitzers, supported by two squadrons of the First Iowa cavalry, under Captain Jenks, into the city, and on the heels of the now flying enemy. At seven P. M., the capital of Arkansas was formally surrendered by its civil authorities, and the arsenal of the United States, uninjured, with what stores remained in it, was “repossessed.”

Later in the evening General Steele, whose forces had entered the works on the opposite side, came over the river, the enemy being pushed too closely to destroy the bridges.

A column, consisting of Merrill's Horse, the Seventh and Eighth Missouri cavalry, the Tenth and Thirteenth Illinois cavalry, and the First In. diana cavalry, with Clarkson's and Stange's batteries, the whole under Colonels Merrill and Clayton, was organized to pursue vigorously the next morning.

My losses do not exceed seventy killed and wounded. That of the enemy is not yet known. Among their killed is Colonel Corley, commanding General Dodbins's former regiment.

My whole staff--Lieutenant-Colonel Caldwell, Captains Hadley, Gerster, Lieutenants Montgomery, McGunnegle, Gray, Sprague, and Surgeon Smith, Quartermaster Johnson, and Captain Thompson, Commissary Subsistence-served me faithfully throughout the day.

The brigade commanders, especially Colonel Glover, of the Second brigade, and Ritter, of the reserve brigade, deserve honorable mention. Colonel Glover deserves, for his services throughout this campaign, promotion to the rank of a general officer. Lieutenant-Colonel Caldwell, whose untiring devotion and energy never flagged during the night or day, deserves for his varied accomplishments as a cavalry officer, promotion to the rank of a general officer.

Beyond these, I must refer to the reports of brigade commanders, herewith inclosed, for the many cases of individual good judgment and gallantry displayed.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,