General — I have the honor to report that while at
Pocahontas I received dispatches on the 22d February, informing me that
General Price had rapidly fallen back from
Springfield before a superior force of the enemy, and was endeavoring to form a junction with the division of
General McCulloch in
Boston mountains.
For reasons which seemed to me imperative, I resolved to go in person and take command of the combined forces of
Price and
McCulloch.
I reached their headquarters on the 3d of March, and being satisfied that the enemy, who had halted on
Sugar creek, fifty-five miles distant, was only awaiting large reinforcements before he would advance, I resolved to attack him at once.
Accordingly, I sent for
General Pike to join me near
Elm Springs with the forces under his command, and on the morning of the 4th of March moved with the divisions of
Price and
McCulloch, by way of
Fayetteville and
Bentonville, to attack the enemy's main camp on
Sugar creek.
The whole force under my command was about sixteen thousand men.
On the 6th we left
Elm Spring for
Bentonville, and from prisoners captured by our scouting parties on the 5th I became convinced that up to that time no suspicion was entertained of our advance, and that there were strong hopes of our effecting a complete surprise, and attacking the enemy before the large detachments encamped at the various points in the surrounding country could rejoin the main body.
I therefore endeavored to reach
Bentonville, eleven miles distant, by a rapid march, but the troops moved so very slowly that it was 11 A. M. before the head of the leading division (
Price's) reached the village, and we had the mortification to see
Siegel's division, seven thousand strong, leaving it as we