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A number of horses were killed — all the others attached to the guns being captured with them.
This entire command, as you may readily conceive, is much elated by the brilliant victory above related.
It is none the less glorious, of course, for having been achieved substantially by so small a portion of the command.
Had the plan adopted by Gen. Blunt been fully carried out, had no halt taken place on the night march between Bentonville and Maysville, and could the entire command have reached here, as was his design, by the dawn of day on the morning of the twenty-second, there is reason to believe that a large proportion at least of the enemy's forces, with all of his trains, might have been surprised and captured; for Gen. Cooper himself, as is proven by the certificate of his Medical Director, a copy of which I inclose herewith, remained here yesterday morning until Gen. Blunt was close upon him, never apparently dreaming of such a thing as that he was coming.
The result of the campaign, thus far, is completely to rid South-western Missouri, North-western Arkansas, and the “Indian nation,” of the enemy, who occupied all of that region only three weeks ago to-day, and to clear the road of him between here and Fort Smith, which is believed to be now open to our march upon that place.
And this important work is mainly due to the Kansas division, under the command of General Blunt, which, I verily believe, would have done the whole work alone, without assistance; with some more fighting, perhaps, than has occurred, but none the less effectually on that account.
The command will probably remain here a few days, for the subsistence trains to come up, and to recruit the men and horses, and then march on to its goal-Fort Smith thereby meaning.
The members of the division staff now with Gen. Blunt are as follows: Major Van Antwerp, Inspector-General, and Lieut. Fin.
Hill, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General; Lieut. Collier, of the Second Ohio cavalry, Aid-de-Camp; Capt. Haskall, Staff Quartermaster, and Captain Scott, of Leavenworth, Aid-de-Camp.
Levinus Harris's account.
Will you be so kind as to allow these few lines to find entrance into your paper?
By so doing you will confer a favor upon myself and others here with me, who would like our friends to know our whereabouts, and what we are doing.
The twenty-second of October is one long to be remembered by the few who were engaged in the battle of Fort Wayne, near our present encampment.
We had travelled two whole nights without sleep, and early on the morning of the twenty-second found ourselves in Maysville, where we expected to find the enemy and give him battle.
But the enemy was not there.
Two farmers captured seemed loth to tell the where-abouts of the enemy, when a negro was brought before the commanding officer, Gen. Blunt, and promised his freedom if he would reveal the enemy's position.
He informed us that he was about two miles distant encamped.
Without waiting for reenforcements to come up, the General ordered us — the Kansas Second mounted riflemen--into line, and we marched forward toward the enemy.
We could see parties of them on the prairie, and as we advanced they retired.
Presently we came to a corn-field and wood, where we dismounted, passed rapidly through the field and wood, coming out into the prairie beyond.
Company B, mostly from Edwards, Wabash and Wayne Counties, Illinois, with one or two other companies, were on the left of the column, and reached the prairie last.
On arriving thither, they heard the companies that were on the right engaging the enemy, about a half-mile distant. Our horses had been brought around the wood.
We mounted and were soon on the field of battle.
We dismounted, hurried forward, loading and firing, rapidly advancing upon the enemy, who were posted in a field grown up in small sassafras bushes, and were firing musketry and cannon at us with at least a determination to slay.
They were three thousand in number, with one large brass mounted howitzer and three large brass pieces, European make.
We were not six hundred strong, with two small mounted howitzers; but forward was the command, and the command was quickly obeyed, the men making the air resound with their shouts.
I have heard Indians yell, but they could not come up with our boys.
At double-quick we advanced, waiting only to load; our muskets we depended upon, our pistols at our sides remaining untouched, and having no sabres and no bayonets.
A strange charge!
It was an exciting time.
The air was musical with musketry and cannon-ball strains.
Forward! forward! and the cannon, all that the enemy had, were ours.
The enemy was driven from the field.
Just at this juncture Rabb's battery and several regiments came up, and the field was ours.
Six hundred men had fought the battle and won the day, losing but three men killed and three wounded. The enemy shot over us, or else we would have been mowed down like grass.
Our movements were so rapid and our shouts so deceptive that the enemy thought the fields were full of men, and thus he was deceived.
The enemy's loss is stated at about three hundred, ours ten in killed and wounded.
Our success seems a miracle, and we cannot but see the kind hand of Providence favoring us. He delivered us from the enemy and gave us the victory.
He saved us from seeming destruction and illustrated the great truth that God can save by few or by many.
Our men were almost wild with excitement on capturing the pieces.
The enemy rapidly retreated and saved most of his train, our Indians pursuing him a few miles.
Since the battle company B has been converted into an artillery company, and commands the pieces taken in the battle.
Yours, in love, for our common country,
