[115]
3d.
A Federal cavalry regiment, with about 200 armed negroes and as many unarmed, was surprised in camp, and, in effect, cut to pieces, losing over 400 killed, wounded and prisoners, with all its baggage.
Colonel Parsons and Lieut.--Col. A. B. Burleson of his regiment highly distinguished themselves.
Our loss was 30 killed and 58 wounded.
Not to discredit
General Hindman's report, but in order to give basis for a conservative estimate of the results of the affair at L'Anguille, reference may be made to the report of the
Federal commander,
Gen. S. E. Eggleston, who said that he arrived at the ferry with ‘a train of 27 wagons, 130 men, and about 100 contraband horses and mules,’ and about daylight next morning was ‘attacked by 600 Texan Rangers, and, after a severe fight of about 30 minutes,’ was obliged to abandon his camp, losing all his wagons, horses and mules, and 14 men killed, 40 wounded, and about 25 taken prisoners. The few who escaped made their way to the old camp near the ferry, to
Marianna, and to
Helena.
After this affair
Curtis' forces were confined within narrow limits around
Helena, watched by
Parsons, while the remainder of
Hindman's troops were encamped at
Little Rock for organization and instruction.
Now
Hindman was confronted with new and serious difficulties.
The scarcity of supplies caused great distress, with the corn crop two months off. Dismounting four regiments to save corn caused many of the men to desert The ravages of disease caused the loss of many more.
To these embarrassments was added the lack of money.
Said
General Hindman:
The men became clamorous for pay. I prevailed upon the State authorities to turn over to me the war tax due the Confederacy, amounting to upward of $400,000, and caused it to be disbursed as pay funds, $100,000 to the troops in the Indian country, and the residue to those in Arkansas; but the unavoidable delay in doing so gave
