Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 4.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

---

[571] The Federals were unjustly accused of having designedly applied the torch, but the haste of their departure, which resembled a precipitate retreat, favored the spread of the fire.

Banks in leaving Alexandria had taken the road to Simsport, for he was in a hurry to gain the banks of the Mississippi, near which, and nowhere else, he believed he would be in safety. Taylor, however, was not able to contest with him seriously his line of retreat. He did all he could with his feeble band to retard his march, in the vain hope that Kirby Smith would yet come up in time to attack the enemy before he was out of reach of its blows. The Federals marched slowly, for they pushed before them an immense train. Polignac, overtaking them, boldly placed himself with Major across their path in a vast undulating plain called the Prairie d'avoyelles, which extends between Mansura and Marksville, while Wharton with two brigades of cavalry harassed their rearguard, made up, as it was always at critical moments, of Smith's corps.

Banks followed the right side of Red River as far as beyond Wilson's Ferry; then, leaving Fort de Russy, whose improvised garrison came to join him on the left, he moved in the direction of Marksville to resume the road followed by Smith two months before.

On the morning of the 14th the Nineteenth corps, which formed the advance-guard, found Mansura occupied by a detachment of the enemy, and captured it after quite a brisk engagement, while Smith, delayed by the wagon-train, was obliged to form into line to repulse Wharton's attacks. The length of his column did not admit getting it all promptly together to enter the fight which Polignac seemed bent on, for the latter had by a skilful deployment of his forces again succeed in deceiving Banks as to his numerical weakness. Smith, summoned to come up with all haste with the bulk of his forces, could not arrive in line before the 15th. The Prairie d'avoyelles offers a magnificent field to manoeuvre the very largest armies. Banks made haste to form his own—Smith on the right, Emory on the left at the head of the Nineteenth corps, McClernand in reserve with the Thirteenth corps and the train. Wharton, who had joined Polignac with his cavalry and horse-artillery, wished to hoodwink the Union general as long as