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4 miles for the purpose of making a flank movement upon the enemy.
Brigadier-General Parsons' Missouri division was upon my right.
My line was formed at about 4:30 o'clock. . . . threw out three companies of skirmishers, under Major Steele of Grinsted's regiment, and immediately ordered my line to advance rapidly as directed. . . . For an hour and a half we were as warmly engaged with the enemy as it has ever been my experience to witness on any battlefield.
My division, however, never faltered, but moved steadily and firmly forward, with the valor of men determined to succeed or fall in the attempt. . . . At this juncture, learning that the division on the right had been outflanked and was falling back, I immediately directed my attention in that direction and saw that such was the case.
When said division had swept entirely past mine, and my command became exposed to a heavy and murderous fire from the flank as well as the front, I ordered the brigade commanders to fall back with a view of forming a line in a more advantageous position. . . . The exhausted condition of the men, the lateness of the hour (it being near dark), and the denseness of the thicket made it extremely difficult to rally the men. While the battle lasted no men ever fought more gallantly.
This is evidenced by the fact that the enemy made little or no attempt to pursue our line; on the contrary, he fled toward Red river as soon as night came, leaving his dead to be buried and his wounded to be cared for by us. The loss of the division in the engagement was as follows: Killed, 26; wounded, 112; missing, 63.
General Smith,
Banks being now in full retreat, determined to reinforce
Price with the infantry, and
Churchill's and
Walker's commands were ordered into
Arkansas.
On April 17th the general commanding made his headquarters near
Calhoun, Ark.,
Price's headquarters, and assumed command of the operations against
Steele.
Following is the organization of the Confederate forces in
Arkansas,
Gen. E. Kirby Smith commanding, April 20, 1864:
District of Arkansas, Maj.-Gen. Sterling Price; escort, Fourteenth Missouri battalion, Maj. Robert C. Wood.
