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troops against Little, Rock, and another under
Generals Ord and
Herron to
New-Orleans, to reenforce
General Banks for such ulterior operations as he might deem proper to undertake.
Some expeditions were also sent to the
Red River, and to Harrisonburgh and
Monroe, on the
Washita, to break up and destroy guerrilla bands.
After
General Grant left
Vicksburgh to assume the general command east of the
Mississippi,
General McPherson moved with a part of his force to
Canton, Mississippi, scattering the enemy's cavalry, and destroying his materials and roads in the centre of that State.
Department of the Missouri.
The withdrawal to
Missouri of a large part of our forces in
Arkansas, as was stated in my last annual report, left the frontier of the former exposed to raids, of which the rebels were prompt to take advantage.
Marmaduke, with the advance of
Hindman's rebel army, moved forward with the purpose of entering the south-west of
Missouri.
Before the enemy could concentrate his forces for battle,
Brigadier-General Blunt, by forced marches, encountered him at
Cave Hill.
In the
Boston Mountains a running fight took place on the eighteenth of November, 1862, in which the enemy was defeated with a heavy loss.
Our loss was four killed and thirty-six wounded. Four days after the combat of
Cave Hill, from reliable information it was ascertained that
Hindman's army had crossed the
Arkansas River and formed a junction with
Marmaduke at
Lee's Creek, fifteen miles north of
Van Buren, to which point the latter had retreated after the action of the twenty-eighth of November.
The united rebel force was believed to be very much greater than our own, two divisions of which were more than one hundred miles in the rear.
Immediately upon learning
General Blunt's danger from an overwhelming attack of the enemy,
General Herron, by forced marches of one hundred and ten miles in three days, arrived at
Fayetteville, Arkansas, early on the morning of the seventh December, and soon after encountered the enemy in force at
Prairie Grove, while attempting a flank movement to get between
Blunt and the approaching succor, to crush them both in succession.
This skilfully devised project was fortunately frustrated by the valor and endurance of
Herron's division, which stoutly held their ground till about two o'clock in the afternoon.
When
Blunt's forces arrived upon the field, the engagement became general along the entire line, and continued to be fiercely contested until dark.
During the night the enemy retreated across the
Boston Mountains.
Although the enemy suffered much more severely than ourselves, we purchased victory with the loss of one hundred and sixty-seven killed, seven hundred and thirty-eight wounded, and one hundred and eighty-three missing, making a total loss of one thousand one hundred and forty-eight, of which nine hundred and fifty-three were of
Herron's division.
Early in January, 1863, a rebel force, estimated at from four thousand to six thousand, under
Marmaduke, moved upon Lawrence Mills, and proceeded by way of
Ozark to the attack of
Springfield, Missouri, to which place our small force, consisting chiefly of militia, convalescents, and citizens, was compelled to fall back.
This miscellaneous garrison, a motley mass of only about one thousand men, obstinately defended the place most of the day of the eighth of January, with the loss of fourteen killed, one hundred and forty-five wounded, and five missing--in all one hundred and sixty-four.
Under cover of the night the enemy withdrew, and our force was too feeble to make a vigorous pursuit.
Another skirmish took place at
Hartsville, on the eleventh, in which our loss was seven killed and sixty-four wounded. We captured twenty-seven prisoners.
The season was now so far advanced, and the roads so impassable, that further operations could not be carried on by either party.
On the fifteenth of July,
Major-General Blunt crossed
Arkansas River, near
Honey Springs, Indian Territory, and on the sixteenth attacked a superior force of rebels, under
General Cooper, which he completely routed, the enemy leaving their killed and wounded on the field.
Our loss was seventeen killed and sixty wounded, while that of the enemy was a hundred and fifty killed, (buried by our men,) four hundred wounded, and seventy-seven prisoners taken, besides one piece of artillery, two hundred stand of arms, and fifteen wagons.
After several skirmishes with the enemy,
General Blunt descended
Arkansas River, and on the first of September occupied
Fort Smith, Arkansas.
The main body of our troops in the Department of the Missouri had, in the early part of the season, been sent to reenforce
General Grant before
Vicksburgh.
Taking advantage of this reduction of force, the enemy moved against
Helena and attacked that place on the fourth of July.
After a severe engagement he was defeated by
Major-General Prentiss, with a heavy loss in killed and wounded, and one thousand one hundred prisoners. Our loss, in killed, wounded, and missing, was only about two hundred and fifty.
As soon as
Vicksburgh had capitulated,
Major-General Steele was sent with a force to
Helena, with instructions to form a junction with
Brigadier-General Davidson, who was moving south from
Missouri by
Crowley's Ridge, and drive the enemy south of
Arkansas River.
The junction being effected,
General Steele established his depot and hospitals at Duvall's Bluff, and on the first of August advanced against the enemy, who fell back toward
Little Rock.
After several successful skirmishes, he reached
Arkansas River, and threw part of his force upon the south side to threaten the enemy's communication with
Arkadelphia and take his defences in reverse.
The enemy, on seeing this movement, destroyed what property they could, and, after a slight resistance, fled in disorder, pursued by our cavalry, and on the tenth September our troops took possession of the capital of
Arkansas.
Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing did
