Chapter 10:
- Battle of Poison Spring -- battle of Marks' Mills -- battle of Jenkins' Ferry -- subsequent disposition of troops -- Shelby captures the Queen City -- operations of Marmaduke on the Mississippi -- Price's Missouri expedition -- final organization and plans -- the cartel of May 26, 1865.
On the evening of April 15, 1864, said General Price in his report of the campaign, the enemy occupied Camden, ‘Colonel Lawther, with his regiment, gallantly disputing their advance, and giving them volley after volley, as he slowly retreated through the streets of the town.’ Having made his headquarters at Woodlawn on the 16th, General Price disposed his troops to watch all the approaches of Camden south of the river. Shelby was ordered to Miller's bluff, and Marmaduke, with Greene's brigade of about 500 men, maintained the picket force around Camden. General Fagan, who had not until recently commanded cavalry, was at Jordan's farm. On the 17th, Marmaduke informed him that a large train of wagons, with a guard of three regiments and four pieces of artillery, had started out on the road to Prairie D'Ane to obtain forage for Steele's army.1 [249] Marmaduke, as he had only 500 men, wrote to General Fagan for assistance. Fagan sent him Cabell's and Crawford's brigades, but on marching out to attack the train, he learned that it had been reinforced, and sent for more assistance. General Maxey, with Gano's Texans under DeMorse, and Walker's Indians, was tendered and accepted. Cabell's, Crawford's and Greene's brigades took position about noon across the road between the train and Camden, with Hughey's battery in the road. Maxey's Indians were stationed to attack the escort on the flank and rear as the train passed and approached the line of Cabell and Crawford in its front, going toward Camden. Greene's brigade was held in reserve. General Maxey was senior to Marmaduke as to grade, but yielded the command. Thus came on the engagement known as the battle of Poison Spring, April 18, 1864. Crawford's brigade was to the right of the road and the battery. Cabell's brigade was to the left of the line, Monroe on the right, Gordon at the center, Harrell on his extreme left; the latter brigade being drawn up on a pine ridge commanding the road which lay between sloping pine hills. General Maxey explained the plan of battle to the officers on the left of the line: ‘When Gano shall be well engaged with the enemy in his rear, this line is to advance and strike him in the flank. This is the wheeling flank, and should advance at double-quick.’ He was on foot, whittling a piece of white pine, which has been described as the attitude of General Longstreet on more momentous occasions. Gano opened from the rear, half a mile off, and the woods resounded with their fire. Cabell's left, extending along the ridge west of his battery, when ordered forward, went at double-quick, while the enemy's battery cut down the pine saplings around them. Descending from the wooded crest into and across the deserted fields, through the alder bushes, as it struck the road it delivered volleys into a line of [250] negroes in uniform, who stood but a volley or two, when they fled in disorder through the opposite woods. Away trotted, the poor black men into the forest, clinging to their rifles, but not using them, while the pursuing Confederates cut them down right and left. To the honor of the men, be it said, not a man on the left stopped at the tempting train of 200 wagons and mules standing in the road deserted by the escort Some white men lay dead by the train, killed by artillery, but received only a glance of the victorious troops who were after prisoners, batteries, and the mounted men and officers. The batteries were captured, but not a horse with them. A thousand or more mules and 200 wagonloads of corn were taken. The scene furnished proof of the plundering that had been done by the Federals, for piled upon the wagons were little children's and women's clothing in quantities. The negroes of Thayer's command had stripped the houses of the region they had visited of little baby frocks, shoes, stockings, women's bonnets, shawls and cloaks, to take home to their families in Kansas. It was an illustration of the ruling spirit, or the impelling influence of these war movements generally, ‘that he may take who can.’ On the march to the battlefield that day the Confederates passed a neat frame residence, at which a Confederate guard was placed. The only occupant, a woman, had been stripped of all clothing by the Federal foraging party, the bedclothes taken, and she had only the drapery of the windows left. Of the enemy, 350 were killed on the field, white and black; all they had taken was recaptured by the Confederates, and this was done within hearing of Camden, where the doughty Salomon, Benton and Engelmann were. The Confederates took about 100 wounded prisoners, four pieces of artillery and many hundreds of arms. As a creditable achievement, it is stated that Cabell's command first broke the enemy's line, his left wing drawing the first fire. Lieutenant Shipman, of Harrell's battalion, was [251] mortally wounded, and in all, 40 men were killed and wounded. This achievement was a severe blow to Steele's army, and was due to Marmaduke's strategy and the resistless valor of Cabell and his men, valiantly assisted by Maxey and his command, composed of volunteers, directed with sagacity and military skill. It led promptly to other and even more important results. The affair was regarded as a brilliant victory by General Fagan, who looked with gratification at the fancy matched mules brought back to Cabell's headquarters, and the ambulances and trains. On some of the fine mules the brands of the owners who lived along the enemy's line of march were plainly visible. General Fagan was now at the head of his first command of mounted men. Said he, ‘I could have commanded that attack, but might not have made so complete a success. I will try the next one.’ General Cabell, in his report, omitting any mention of the capture of mules and wagons and at least 3,000 bushels of corn, upon which the horses fed sumptuously for several days, says:
The enemy's strength was about 2,500, from all the information I could get—1,500 negroes and about 1,000 white troops, with four pieces of artillery. The number of killed of the enemy was very great, especially among the negroes. I estimate his loss, from what I saw and heard from reliable officers, as follows: Killed, negroes, 450; Indians, 7; white troops, 30; total, 487.2 No estimate of wounded can be made. . . . Never were men known to tight better than my whole command. It was a continuous huzza from the moment the command to charge was given to the close of the fight. Both officers and men behaved with the greatest coolness and the greatest gallantry. It would be doing wrong to particularize when every one did so nobly. I must mention, [252] however, the gallant conduct of Colonels Monroe, Gordon, Trader, and Morgan; also Majors [lieutenantcol-onel] Harrell, Reiff, Arrington and Portis, and Lieutenant-Colonels O'Neil, Fayth and Bull, of Cabell's brigade, Colonel Crawford, commanding brigade, acted with the greatest gallantry. My staff officers—Major Duffy, inspector-general; Captain King, assistant adjutantgen-eral; Surg. John H. Carroll; Lieut. W. J. Tyus, acting assistant adjutant-general, Lieutenants Carlton and Inks, aids-de-camp, and Captain Ballos, quartermaster—and Captain Hughey, with his officers and men, deserve especial mention for gallantry.The Ouachita river, from Camden down, is like an estuary from the sea. The largest steamboats from New Orleans ply to Camden. With the jetties at the mouth of the Mississippi, it is as accessible as New Orleans. The town, upon a high bank on the left side of the river, had been fortified by the Confederates, completely as against any force except a gunboat fleet, to which it would have offered a tempting prize. The Confederate forces were now all around it on the west and south. On the 19th of April, General Fagan, having requested of Marmaduke the addition of Shelby's brigade, prepared to make a march against Little Rock, then but feebly garrisoned. His force was organized in two divisions—one under General Cabell, including Cabell's brigade under Colonel Monroe, and Dockery's brigade; and one under General Shelby, including Shelby's brigade under Col. David Shanks, and Colonel Crawford's Arkansas brigade. General Smith was now near Price's army and in chief command, with headquarters at Calhoun. ‘Here,’ he said in his subsequent report, General Price ‘had submitted to me his proposed attack upon the enemy's train, which on April 18th resulted in the battle of Poison Spring, under General Maxey. On April 19th, I found that General Price had not crossed any cavalry to the north side of the Arkansas river, as directed, and that the day previous the enemy had received from Pine Bluff a [253] commissary train of 200 wagons, guarded by an escort of 50 cavalry. I immediately organized an expedition of 4,000 picked cavalry, under General Fagan, who were ordered to cross the Ouachita, under instructions to destroy the supplies at Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Devall's Bluff, and then throw himself between the enemy and Little Rock.’ Such was the service cut out by General Smith for Fagan, in consequence of the success of Poison Spring, and his knowledge of the extremity of Steele's situation. This position was not Steele's seeking, but against his protest all along. He yielded, of course, to the commands of General Grant. General Fagan moved, on the morning of April 22d, from the vicinity of Camden on the road down the west bank of the Ouachita to Eldorado landing, where a pontoon bridge had been laid, over which the troops crossed, and early the next day he proceeded on the road leading from Chambersville to Mount Elba, on the Saline. There information was received that a train of the enemy3 had departed from Camden and was on the road to Pine Bluff, under escort of 2,000 infantry, 500 cavalry and a battery of four 10-pounder Parrott guns. General Fagan determined, if possible, to intercept and capture this train. By leaving all baggage, except the ordnance train and ambulances, and marching with rapidity, much of the distance in a gallop, he gained a position on the road beyond the enemy, who had camped on Moro creek. About midnight he halted for rest, having marched 45 miles without stopping for any purpose. After a few hours' rest the command was again in the saddle, moving to a point for attacking the train, when on the morning of [254] the 25th the advance guard was fired into by a detachment, which was quickly dispersed. Fagan took position where a road running north and south crossed the Camden and Pine Bluff road at Marks' mills. Shelby's division was ordered to turn squarely off to the right from the road the train was on, and by making a rapid detour, come back in front, near Mount Elba, the Saline crossing. General Cabell's division was placed in line of battle parallel with the road on which the enemy was moving, and from that position Cabell's line immediately attacked the enemy, drawn up on a plateau in the open woods, with his artillery in position on either side of some log houses. General Dockery of Cabell's division had not yet come up, having stopped to forage his horses a few miles back. General Dockery had galloped all night to intercept the enemy, but seeing a quantity of forage which his horses needed, he stopped and ordered his men to give it to them. Neither orders nor cannon-shots seemed to disturb that equanimity which he always carried with him in battle. Jolly, energetic, yet absolutely devoid of nervous sensibility, he appeared to have perfect immunity from both fear and anxiety. Cabell's brigade, commanded by Colonel Monroe and himself in person, advanced steadily upon the enemy, Hughey's battery on his right replying to the rifled 10-pounders of the enemy unflinchingly. Owing to the distance General Shelby had to traverse, his attack was not simultaneous with Cabell's, and for an hour Cabell's brigade sustained the fight alone, gaining ground steadily. Dockery came up and formed opportunely on his left, helping to sustain the unequal combat, but not until many gallant officers and men of Cabell's brigade had fallen. Then Shelby, whose division had galloped ten miles, met the head of the train thundering toward Mount Elba. He formed Crawford's brigade, commanded by the gallant Col. John C. Wright, to the right of the main road in advance; then Shanks' and next, Frank Gordon's regiment, [255] holding his own brigade in reserve, and charged the train and cavalry escort, bringing the former to a standstill and routing the latter, captured two pieces of the famous Battery E, Second Missouri artillery. The resistance to Cabell's line grew feebler. But a movement by the enemy caused the commanding general to withdraw, from Cabell's center, Harrell's battalion and march it by the right flank to the support of Hughey's battery, which was menaced. The enemy having been driven back from this battery, General Fagan in person ordered the same battalion of 400 men on foot, 100 men holding horses back, to deploy as skirmishers and advance (without reserves) to guard against cavalry on the right. The command, advancing at double-quick, arrived at a sutler's train of 100 wagons deserted in the woods, passed through it and found no cavalry, but came upon a large body of Federal infantry moving by the left flank, which immediately held up white flags in token of surrender. There were over 1,000 of them, who, having thrown down their arms, were placed under guard and reported to the general commanding. A few of Shelby's men came up in their rear. The capture was ascribed to General Shelby, who did not then know of their existence. Doubtless the appearance of his division and his attack in front, and Cabell's on the flank, caused this body to attempt to escape, and indirectly brought about their surrender. The entire Federal force, except the cavalry which had fled, surrendered, infantry, artillery and train, besides the large sutler's train. Two hundred of the enemy were killed and wounded. The infantry, Second brigade of Salomon's division, surrendered with all their arms, four pieces of artillery, four stands of colors and the entire train of 300 wagons, a large number of ambulances, and 150 ‘contrabands.’ In his official report, General Fagan said:
Owing to the distance General Shelby had to travel, his [256] attack was not simultaneous with General Cabell's. Soon, however, and when Cabell's division was hotly engaged and acting in the most determined and gallant manner, General Shelby's opening guns proclaimed him in the place intended. Down he came upon the head of the enemy's train, which was now pushing to gain the crossing at Mount Elba, driving everything before him, capturing many prisoners, arms, etc. The engagement was now general. The enemy's lines could not sustain the combined attack. They wavered and showed signs of giving way. Our brave troops moved upon them with terrible and crushing effect. It was not long before the enemy's forces broke in dismay and confusion, completely routed. Our victory was decided and complete. It is but due our troops to mention that they fought a force superior in number. A regiment, at Mount Elba to guard the crossing [against Pine Bluff], had been sent out, which, together with similar details and one-fourth of Cabell's division to hold horses, reduced my command to less than 2,500. It is too frequently the case that all are reported as having done their whole duty, when perhaps the facts do not sustain the assertion. In this engagement, I am proud to say, no exaggeration or embellishment is necessary to entitle the troops under me to the entire confidence and full praise of their commanding generals. The rich fruits of the engagement show with what determination and bravery those gallant men fought. To Brigadier-Generals Cabell and Shelby, commanding divisions, and to Brigadier-General Dockery, and Colonels Monroe, Shanks and Wright, commanding brigades, I take pleasure in according the highest praise. They are well deserving of that credit and honor that attach to brave and gallant conduct. Our loss does not exceed 150 killed and seriously wounded.Brig.-Gen. Joseph O. Shelby said in his report:
It would be unnecessary to mention by name all who distinguished themselves on this day, for all did their duty well and nobly; but I will say that Col. John C. Wright [Arkansas brigade] and his officers and men fought well and gallantly, and by their side came the officers of my own brigade, and especially Captain Williams, of my advance.[257] With the report of Gen. W. L. Cabell, we will close the description of this brilliant victory and deadly blow to the Seventh army corps, although reports of other officers engaged furnish details of great interest and value. The report of General Cabell is as follows:
After getting in the neighborhood of the train, General Shelby was ordered on the road leading to Mount Elba, to intercept the train and to attack in front and on the rear. Cabell's brigade moved up to the road leading direct to Marks' mills. After detaching Hill's regiment and one company of Monroe's regiment, and sending them to ascertain if there was any enemy on our left flank, as we moved down the Marks' mills road the enemy's pickets were soon encountered, and it was definitely known that the train was moving rapidly toward Mount Elba. I at once formed Monroe's regiment of Cabell's brigade in line of battle and dismounted them, and Colonel Monroe, by my order, threw out two companies rapidly as skirmishers, and drove the enemy back until I could dismount Cabell's brigade and form it in line of battle. This was done, Gunter's command, composed of his battalion and Pettus' battalion of State troops, on the right; Monroe's regiment on his left; Morgan's regiment on Monroe's left crossing the road, and Gordon's regiment acting as a support to the battery. Skirmishers were thrown out in front of our whole line, and were engaged all the time with those of the enemy. As soon as I commenced forming line of battle, I sent my aid to General Dockery to hasten forward his command. General Fagan, being present, ordered me to command Cabell's brigade and all the troops in my front, and that he would give General Dockery the necessary orders. After moving Cabell's brigade as far to the front as I deemed it prudent, until I could hear from General Dockery, I sent to General Fagan and informed him of my position, which was then across two roads leading into the road in which the train was moving, which could be distinctly heard. I received orders ‘to move rapidly forward and attack the train.’ This order was promptly obeyed, and my whole line moved forward rapidly under a tremendous fire, driving the enemy through and beyond [258] his train 300 or 400 yards, until he was completely routed. . . . Hearing heavy firing on my left flank and in my rear, I marched to the rear and moved forward to aid Colonel Monroe, who was fighting at least 1,500 Federal infantry, and a battery of artillery posted in the road about 100 yards above a house, which was filled with infantry. As fast as each regiment came into position, it became heavily engaged with the enemy. At this time, Hughey's battery . . . was doing terrible work, and continued to fire grape and canister into the enemy's battery, about 400 yards in advance, until all the horses and many of the cannoneers were killed. The musketry firing was terrible. Notwithstanding this terrible fire, Cabell's brigade stood for an hour and a half without any assistance. The brigade suffered here terribly, and many of its best officers and men were killed and many wounded. After this, General Dockery's command came up on the left of Cabell's brigade, and attacked the enemy vigorously, supported by Hill's regiment of Cabell's brigade. I charged the enemy and drove him into the house and through the train, capturing two pieces of artillery and over 200 prisoners. The train was then completely in our possession. The enemy, however, returned some distance higher up the road to our left, and attempted to recapture the train by taking advantage of the confusion owing to the commingling of commands. I immediately formed line of battle again with Cabell's brigade, and threw two regiments of Shelby's mounted men on my right, and moved rapidly toward the enemy. The firing became general and very heavy. My men continued to advance steadily and routed the enemy the third time, and continued the pursuit until his lines were driven more than a mile beyond the train, when I sent some cavalry in pursuit, which captured many prisoners. . . . The killed and wounded of Cabell's brigade show how stubborn the enemy was, and how reluctantly they gave up the train. Men never fought better than mine. They whipped the best infantry regiment that the enemy had (old veterans, as they were called), and in numbers superior to mine. It would be invidious to particularize any regiment, when all fought, both officers and men, with gallantry and with such daring. Three different positions were taken; three different lines of battle formed by this [259] brigade, and each time they drove the invader off with terrific slaughter. It is not detracting from any command to say that this brigade bore the brunt of the fight For five hours it poured a deadly fire into the enemy's ranks, while at the same time it was subject to a fire from the enemy that has carried sorrow to many a family. Colonels Monroe, Gordon, Morgan, Pettus and Hill; Lieutenant-Colonels Basham (who was wounded), Bull, Harrell and Fayth; Majors Reiff, Portis and Adams, deserve great credit for daring and intrepidity, as well as the faithful discharge of duty during the fight. The brave Lieutenant-Colonel O'Neil, of Monroe's regiment, fell at the front, and Colonel Pettus fell mortally wounded while gallantly urging his men forward. Many officers and men fell that day, who have left proud names for their State to cherish. This brigade, here, as at the Poison Spring, charged the enemy with an intrepidity unknown, and bore the brunt of the fight, as it did there. . . . I wish to return my thanks to Captains Belding and Thomas, of General Fagan's staff, and to Lieutenant Field, of my own staff, for their assistance. . . . Lieutenant Field was seriously wounded.Lieut-Col. F. M. Drake, in command of the Federal forces at Marks' mills, reported that his brigade included the Forty-third Indiana infantry, Thirty-sixth Iowa, Seventy-seventh Ohio, two sections of Battery E, Second Missouri light artillery, and detachments from First Indiana and Seventh Missouri cavalry. Several staff officers, a large number of citizens, cotton speculators, Arkansas refugees, sutlers and other army followers, and some 300 negroes accompanied the brigade. Major Spellman, from Pine Bluff, with 150 cavalry, joined the expedition on the Warren and Camden roads. Colonel Drake estimated that 250 of his brigade were killed and wounded, that less than 150 soldiers escaped the field, and that at the close of the conflict, 800 or 900 men lay dead or wounded on the field. Steele, in his report, gave the escort force at about 2,000, and said that 500 veterans of the First Iowa cavalry, a few miles in the rear of the train when attacked, [260] pressed forward and participated in the fight, but were forced back and retreated to Camden. This engagement took place in a forest of pines not far from the west bank of the Saline river, in a spot usually lonely and undisturbed by any sound ruder than the winds in the treetops, when its calm was disturbed and its silence broken by the jar of artillery and the crash of small-arms for five hours. After the firing ceased, the air was still full of the din of the survivors, men and animals, in whom the excitement was not yet allayed. Steadily the infirmary corps searched for those who needed its offices and bore them silently to the hospital or to burial. The prisoners, officers and soldiers, ‘refugees,’ men who had proclaimed their ‘loyalty’ when Steele entered Camden, and were now running away with fear that he would be driven out; cotton-buyers, negroes and army vultures were collected and guarded. But it was not long until the non-combatants were released to go away as best they might, and the prisoners of war were started under the escort of Hill's regiment of Cabell's brigade on their long tramp to the prisoners' camp at Tyler, Tex. The wagons and mules were driven off by details in charge of the quartermaster; the captured artillery, a source of some contention, was distributed among the captors; and before midnight the blossom-laden April winds again whispered peacefully through the tall pines which waved over the bivouac of the sleeping victors. There were rumors of ‘great hauls’ of greenbacks from the headquarters wagons stopped by Shelby, and of cotton-buyers who were made to distribute their ‘rolls,’ but nothing of this kind was authenticated. The Confederates resumed the march the next morning in the same weather-stained clothing and upon their ill-groomed steeds, and with the same indomitable spirit. There were a few new wagons and ambulances in the train, and several pieces of additional artillery, as fruits of their achievement. They moved up the Saline river and loitered there in different camps for several [261] days. The commanding officer seemed to be in a state of uncertainty, his force having been diminished by the necessary details for taking care of his captives, and by the killed and wounded. He was also without forage or subsistence, and the Saline was rising, though not absolutely impassable. The general's home was upon it a short distance above, and he knew it afforded no insuperable obstacle if he was prepared to advance. But having been ordered to Little Rock and Devall's Bluff at starting, he had since been enjoined not to cross the Arkansas. That meant, that if he should be repulsed at Little Rock he would have to fail back over 80 miles, without forage or subsistence. The order was in effect an arrest of his march. Thursday night it rained; Friday it poured down rain all day. To get forage he must move, and he knew of none nearer than the vicinity of the Ouachita, near Arkadelphia. In the meantime, Steele had evacuated Camden, had passed through Princeton, and was in full and frantic flight to the fortifications at Little Rock. A lieutenant of Elliott's battalion reported to Shelby with prisoners captured from Steele's army at Princeton the night before, that Steele was at Princeton with the remnant of his army. The command marched westward all day, April 29th, and camped 35 miles from Princeton. That night a dispatch was received about midnight, stating that Steele had passed Princeton and was then within 8 miles of Jenkins' ferry. These circumstances General Fagan mentions at the conclusion of his report of the battle of Marks' mills, and explains the mischance by which he left the route Steele had to travel, as follows:
At the close of the engagement (Marks' mills), which lasted about four hours, heavy details were necessarily made to take charge of the prisoners, wagons, ambulances, artillery, loose horses, mules, etc., to be taken to the rear. A strong force was necessary for the safe passage to the south bank of the Ouachita of these prisoners and property. This, with my loss in the fight, reduced my force near [262] 1,500 men. It was night before I got the train and prisoners on the way. We bivouacked on the battlefield, and early the next morning moved up the Saline river on hearing that a Federal train was then en route from Princeton to Little Rock. I continued for several days (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) attempting a crossing of the Saline, but without success. The rumor of the Federal train proved incorrect. The river [Saline] was swimming at every point, and on arriving at the last crossing, before getting to the military road, and finding it utterly impossible to cross there (Pratt's ferry), I moved out on the Princeton and Benton road, where I remained Thursday night, within 25 miles of Princeton, and until after 7 o'clock the next morning, hoping to hear something from district or department headquarters, as I had several days before dispatched to district headquarters my route. Hearing nothing of the evacuation of Camden on Friday morning, and being entirely without forage and subsistence, I moved out toward the Ouachita, at the only point where anything of forage, etc., could be had, between Princeton and Arkansas river. Just before midnight, when 34 miles from Jenkins' ferry, I received a dispatch stating that the enemy was marching on Little Rock, and was within 8 miles of Jenkins' ferry. I at once ordered everything put in readiness and, by the time that I could see the road, moved as rapidly as the animals could travel for the scene of action on the 30th. On my arrival, the fight had just closed. Being ordered by General Smith to do so, I ordered a part of Shelby's brigade forward. They reached the ferry, where further pursuit was impossible.The statement of the chief quartermaster of Steele's army, as to the wagons and mules captured and destroyed in the expedition, shows: ‘Total number of wagons captured by the enemy, 298; total number of wagons burned during engagements by the enemy's projectiles, about 90; total number of wagons destroyed by orders, 247; total number of wagons missing, 635; total number of mules captured, about 2,000; total number of mules lost and abandoned, about 500; total number of mules missing, about 2,500.’ [263] It would appear from the disasters to the Federal armies on Red river and in Arkansas, that General Grant was for once mistaken in his laconic criticism of the purposes of Kirby Smith in making headquarters at Shreveport. He said he could not imagine Smith's object, ‘except it was to avoid being hurt.’ Gen. Kirby Smith's selection of Shreveport as his base of operations for the defense of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas undoubtedly worked out the overthrow of Banks and contributed to the defeat of Steele. Taylor's ‘precipitate’ attack on Banks, as it was called, was no doubt aided by the concentration of troops under Smith's policy. Price's troops did not actually participate in the battle of Mansfield, so unexpectedly brought on by General Mouton and pushed to such a glorious success by Taylor, but their presence was known, and contributed to the victory. The pursuit to Pleasant hill, although a recoil at the instant, added impetus to the overthrow of Banks. The defeat of Banks was the cause of Steele's retrograde movement from Prairie D'Ane into the fortifications of Camden, where he was penned as in a trap, Price, Marmaduke, Fagan and Cabell proving sufficient for his destruction. Perhaps the Fagan march across the Ouachita at Eldorado landing, and the capture of the train at Marks' mills, were entirely due to General Smith's conceptions, carried to immediate achievement. Neither Smith nor Fagan dreamed of striking McLean's brigade, under Colonel Drake, when the expedition started, but General Smith had complained that supplies were being sent to Steele at Camden under an insufficient escort. Hence he ordered the Fagan expedition to Little Rock, and it achieved Marks' mills. The subsequent pursuit of Steele by the infantry from Louisiana, as it turned out, was useless energy as well as waste of the lives of those who fell at Jenkins' ferry. The blow struck on Red river had done its work, as General Smith intended, and destroyed Steele already. His dispositions are an example [264] of fine strategy which proved effectual by its mere design, without its full execution in detail. Returning from Mansfield to Shreveport with the infantry designed to oppose Steele's advance on Arkansas, on the 16th of April, he halted Walker at his camp, 19 miles from Minden, to be thrown against an enemy at either Camden or Shreveport. General Smith went to Arkansas the next day and ordered the Fagan expedition, which resulted in the capture, April 25th, of the Federal train at Marks' mills and the evacuation of Camden by Steele on the 27th. Walker's division was now ordered forward, of which General Smith took command in person. He assigned to General Price the command of the Arkansas and Missouri divisions, commanded, respectively, by Generals Churchill and Parsons. The operations of the army remained under the chief command of General Smith. On the 28th of April, a raft having been laid across the Ouachita at Camden the night previous, the two divisions of infantry moved rapidly in pursuit of the retreating Steele, whose route was marked by cast-off garments and abandoned plunder. Marching from midnight of the 29th until daylight, the pursuing army came upon the enemy's rear near Jenkins' ferry, 22 miles north of Princeton. Marmaduke's brigade, commanded by Colonel Greene, was summoned to General Price and led the advance of the infantry, harassing the enemy's rear near Princeton, after traveling 90 miles without food for horses or rations or sleep for men; and had 6 privates and a major killed, and 9 other officers, 4 sergeants and 30 privates wounded. Gen. T. J. Churchill, in command of the Arkansas division, counting about 2,000 muskets, marched to Camden on April 27th, and on the evacuation of that place by Steele, crossed the Ouachita on the 29th, made a forced march of 27 miles, and after a few hours' rest, resumed the march at midnight in a heavy rain, through deep [265] mud, until about 7:30 a. m. on the 30th, when he overtook the enemy and deployed Tappan's brigade as skirmishers. This order being recalled, Shaver's and Grinsted's regiments were substituted, and finally Shaver's regiment was alone deployed. The latter becoming engaged and hotly pressed by the enemy, the brigade was ordered forward in force. This proving insufficient to cope with the numbers of the enemy, General Price threw forward Hawthorn's brigade in support of Tappan and drove the enemy, but the latter, being reinforced and making desperate resistance, caused the Confederates to fall slowly back to their first position. This conflict of the two armies can only be understood by a view of their relative positions on the ground. At first, woods and wet marshes were on the right of the Confederates, and a succession of little fields in front toward the ferry, two miles distant. When near the ferry the road descends into a little valley or defile, to the left of which, in cane and underbrush, lies an impassable bayou with morass beyond, while on the right rises an abrupt, almost inaccessible hill, or bluff; the road and valley affording barely room for the alignment of a full brigade. The land to the right of the road was a field of muddy plowed land and marsh, the fences of which had been removed or destroyed, and the field cut up and trampled into a quagmire by Steele's trains, artillery, cavalry, and masses of soldiery. The canon was over a mile long, ending at the ferry. Gigantic trees had been felled, lapping across the valley, but had not been joined throughout their length, leaving spaces between them for the movement of batteries and masses of infantry. Behind this breastwork of trees the Federals had lodged themselves in desperation, to hold off the Confederate advance until they could cross their trains and their artillery, which latter was immediately planted across the river to command the approach thereto. There were dead trees standing in the fields also, which gave positions to [266] their sharpshooters, from which to pick off all who came within range. Upon the repulse of brigade after brigade by the fire from the resolute defenders of this narrow gateway to the river, Parsons' Missouri brigade advanced, and forming on the left of Gano's Arkansas brigade, charged through the mud and logs that lay in their march, but they, too, exhausting their ammunition, were forced to retire. Major-General Walker's division had now reached the field. Led by General Smith they pushed beyond the lines that had preceded them, and supported by Churchill's division, which once again marched with renewed energy to the contest, General Smith had the pride of beholding the foe suddenly take to flight and leave the hard-fought field. General Dockery's men, under Colonel Williams, had been detached, and under the supervision of General Smith marched around and across the creek and morass to the left, where they formed a position from which they could reach the enemy's flank. When Gause's brigade had driven the enemy nearly a mile, and Clark's brigade on his left gave way, Colonel Gause resolved to hold his ground, and sent to General Churchill for reinforcements. General Tappan offered to go forward, while Colonel Burns formed his regiment at an angle to protect the brigade; but fresh troops of the enemy began to sweep around to the left and he fell back in some confusion, seeing which, General Churchill, commanding the division, dismounted, seized a rifle, and rallied the remnant of the brigade around him under fire. Soon after this, upon the advance of Walker's division, Gause again moved forward and engaged the enemy, who soon yielded possession of the field. When General Tappan entered into the first charge against the enemy's position and saw that he needed a stronger force, he ordered Colonel Grinsted's regiment to his support. It was when Grinsted was leading his men in obedience to this order that he was shot through the heart. [267] The enemy had the advantage of position in this battle. No attempt to take advantage of position seemed to have been made on the part of the Confederates until General Smith threw Colonel Williams across the creek against the enemy's right and rear. Besides, the enemy had the spirit of desperation in his position. He had to resist to save his train. The enemy, having crossed the river about 2 o'clock, pressed on toward Little Rock night and day, leaving his dead on the muddy field. A little before night his infirmary corps, with proper badges and stretchers, came into the Confederate lines to bear away the dead and wounded. One young man in a Federal blouse had fallen, pierced with seven balls, any one of which would have been fatal, and all from the front, as the stretcher-bearer pointed out. Among the killed in this Arkansas Arcola were Col. H. L. Grinsted and Captain Dickson, Thirty-third Arkansas; Captain McIver, Lieutenants Creden, Lasiter and Ponder, of Gause's brigade; Lieut.-Col. Simon Harris, of Parsons' brigade; Generals Scurry and Randal, of Walker's division; and Colonel Watson, Eighteenth Texas infantry. The return of casualties in the Confederate forces in the engagement at Jenkins' ferry, Ark., April 30, 1864, shows the following: Churchill's division: Tappan's brigade—Hardy's regiment, 8 killed, 18 wounded; Thirty-third Arkansas, 21 killed, 71 wounded; Shaver's regiment, 4 killed, 22 wounded. Hawthorn's brigade, no report. Gause's brigade, 16 killed, 67 wounded; Dockery's brigade, 1 killed, 14 wounded. (Churchill reported total loss of division, 64 killed and 270 wounded.) Parsons' division: Clark's brigade, 18 killed, 73 wounded; Burns' brigade, 11 killed, 48 wounded. Marmaduke's division: Marmaduke's brigade, 7 killed, 43 wounded. Walker's division, no report. The loss of the Federals was believed to be much larger. [268] General Salomon, whose division bore the brunt of battle, reported a loss of 63 killed, 413 wounded and 45 missing. One regiment of Thayer's division reported 73 killed and wounded. The loss of Salomon's division alone in the entire campaign was reported at 103 killed, 601 wounded, and 1,072 captured and missing. Thayer's division reported a loss of 303 at Poison Spring. Those who received honorable mention by General Price for gallantry and faithful service in the campaign were the general officers of his command, members of his staff, Col. J. F. Belton, Majs. Thos. L. Snead and Geo. A. Gallagher, Capts. J. W. Lewis and S. H. Buck, assistant adjutant-generals; Capt. T. J. Mackay, chief engineer; Maj. Isaac Brinker, chief quartermaster; Capt. A. Sigourney, chief paymaster; Surgs. Thos. D. Wooten and C. M. Taylor; and his personal staff, Lieuts. R. T. Morrison and Celsus Price, Col. W. L. Crawford, Capt. D. C. Cage and Lieut. B. F. Scull. Of these, Lieutenants Scull and Price and Orderly D. Kavanaugh particularly distinguished themselves at Jenkins' ferry. Lieutenant Scull, in reconnoitering the position of the enemy, received a wound which caused the loss of a leg. Mention was made by General Churchill of Brigadier-Generals Tappan and Hawthorn, and Colonel Gause, commanding brigades; and his staff, Maj. W. W. Dunlap, chief of artillery; Maj. H. M. Clark, assistant inspector-general; Lieut. A. H. Sevier, assistant adjutant-general; Capt. J. L. Thomas, paymaster; Capts. C. E. Royston and C. J. Hanks, and Col. John W. Polk, volunteer aides; Chief Surgeon A. M. McPheeters; Maj. C. B. Moore, chief quartermaster; Maj. J. R. Upshaw, chief commissary of subsistence, and Capt. C. E. Kidder, ordnance officer. General Tappan mentioned Col. R. G. Shaver and Lieut-Cols. W. R. Hardy and T. D. Thomson; his staff, Capts. Amos Tappan and J. J. Homer, and Lieuts. [269] W. P. McCabe and C. E. Mitchell; and his volunteer aides, W. F. Sale and E. E. Ives. Colonel Shaver mentioned particularly the gallant conduct of Sergt. David McCulloch of Company A, who, being ordered to advance as near as possible to the enemy's line, shot down one of the enemy's skirmishers, and capturing another brought him off under fire. Col. L. C. Gause mentioned Col. J. M. Davis, Lieut.-Cols. Brooks and Hicks, commanding regiments in his brigade; Majors Hathaway and Stanley; Captain Anthony, acting lieutenant-colonel; and Captain Mantell, acting major of Gause's regiment, and the gallant dead—Captain McIver and Lieuts. Cude [Creden], Lasiter and Ponder. Lieut.-Col. H. G. P. Williams, who commanded the dismounted portion of Dockery's brigade, mentioned Lieutenant Gillespie, Captain Franklin, and his adjutant, Thos. H. Simms; and made acknowledgment of the gallant assistance rendered by Lieutenant Cunningham of General Smith's staff. After the battle, the infantry divisions of Churchill, Parsons and Walker were marched by the most direct route to Louisiana, with orders to report to General Taylor. The reoccupation of the Red river valley by Kirby Smith closed the campaign in Louisiana. By general orders, No. 21, headquarters TransMissis-sippi department, May 13, 1864, Brig.-Gen. J. F. Fagan was assigned to duty as major-general, to date from April 25th (Marks' mills); Brig.-Gens. T. J. Churchill and J. S. Marmaduke as major-generals, to date from April 30, 1864 (Jenkins' ferry); Capt. B. S. Johnson as major, and Lieut. A. H. Sevier as captain, in the adjutant-general's department. General Price, returning to Camden, ordered General Shelby, May 5th, to march to the rear of Steele's army, between Little Rock and Memphis, and prevent the use of the railroad east of Little Rock and the navigation of [270] White river. Shelby marched to the Fourche la Fave, northwest of Little Rock, and failing to find a suitable place for crossing with the flatboat he carried with him on wheels, effected the passage of the Arkansas at Dardanelle. Landing safely on the opposite bank on May 18th, he passed through Dover and Clinton to White river, scattering the bands of Federals and jayhawkers that came in his way, crossed White river 20 miles west of Batesville, and remained between Batesville and Jacksonport to recruit his horses and the numerical strength of his army. On the 23d of June, scouting in the vicinity of Clarenden, he found the gunboat Queen City lying off the place. His description of the capture is in the following characteristic strain:
Placing pickets on every road, and arresting every man, woman and child who came out, and all who came in, I kept my proximity silent as the grave. Determining to attack [the gunboats and surprise it if possible, I waited until 12 o'clock at night, moved the artillery to within a mile by horses, unlimbered and dragged the guns up to within 50 feet of the boat, covered all bridges with weeds, carried the ammunition by hand to the guns, dismounted my entire brigade, stationed them along the bank, and waited for the coming daylight. . . . Just as the white hand of morning put away the sable clouds of night, four pieces of artillery sent their terrible messengers crashing through the boat. Then the infantry opened with terrific effect, and in ten minutes the Queen City was a helpless wreck upon the water, her captain surrendering unconditionally. With this capture there fell into my hands her splendid armament of nine guns—six 30-pounder Parrotts, two beautiful Dahlgren boat-howitzers, and one 24-pounder howitzer, with all kinds of the best ammunition—60 officers and seamen, large quantities of supplies and clothing. Everything that could be removed was taken off. The two Dahlgren guns were placed in position on the bank to help blockade the river, with plenty of ammunition. The magazine was opened, a train laid, and in ten seconds the unfortunate boat was. blown into a thousand fragments, the splinters and pieces [271] of iron and wood coming down for hours. I hated to see the six splendid guns go down, but no time was left to tarry over an effort to secure them. I had scarcely changed the position of my battery, got volunteers for the new guns, and reformed my infantry, when the shrill whistling of three boats above warned me to be on the alert. Very soon the Tyler, the Grace [Fawn] and the Naumkeag, three formidable gunboats, came round the bend and opened furiously upon me. For two hours the conflict lasted. Without shelter, on an open levee, my gunners stood to their pieces, and the infantry lines charged up to the bank of the river and kept the portholes closed for a while. I now learned that their vast superiority of metal was telling heavily on my command, and with the two new guns dismounted, and the Tyler within 50 yards, vomiting bushels of grape and canister at every discharge, I withdrew in fine order from the unequal contest, the gunboats patrolling the river until night. They were severely handled in the contest. The Tyler received 13 shots through her; the Grace was towed off, and the Naumkeag was reported sunk while being towed to Devall's Bluff.On the 26th, Shelby was attacked by Federal troops of all arms, landed from eleven transports convoyed by three more gunboats. He gave them a running fight June 27th, and quietly crossed Bayou De View, where he was safe from attack, and took rest. He reported: ‘The loss of the Federals in the two days fighting can safely be put down at 250 killed and wounded; 30 will cover my entire loss, but the most of these can never be replaced in this world. Among my wounded, I am sorry to mention the brave Colonel Shanks.’ General Carr, the Federal commander, reported his loss at 1 killed and 16 wounded. About the same date of his order to Shelby, General Price directed General Marmaduke, with his division of cavalry and artillery, to scout the west bank of the Mississippi, from the mouth of the Arkansas down to Louisiana. General Marmaduke, at the head of his brigade, Pratt's battery, and a detachment of Monroe's regiment from [272] Cabell's brigade, entered Chicot county and fought and defeated a Federal force at Lake Chicot the last of May, engaging the United States steamer Curlew, on the Mississippi, ten miles above Gaines' landing. Col. Colton Greene, commanding a brigade of this division, on the 30th attacked and captured near Sunnyside the steamers Lebanon and Clara Eames; with Monroe's regiment, supported by Hughey's battery, fought and disabled the steamers Exchange and Monarch, and on the 31st struck the Adams with shell 28 times, killed 3 of her men and mortally wounded x. Colonel Greene claimed to have demonstrated the practicability of blockading the Mississippi river. Lieutenant-Colonel Harrell, with part of his command, was sent to relieve Colonel Hill, near Shreveport, taking the Marks' Mills prisoners and about 1,000 additional captured on Red river, 3,500 in all, to the stockade at Tyler, Tex. General Cabell's headquarters were at Monticello, and his brigade was distributed along Bayou Bartholomew and Red Fork, on the lower Arkansas river, occasionally skirmishing with scouts sent out by Clayton from Pine Bluff. These ceasing, for weeks peace once more held temporary dominion. The other commands of General Fagan were on the Arkansas at Douglass' plantation. On August 4th, Maj.-Gen. J. B. Magruder was assigned to command of the district of Arkansas, and Maj.-Gen. Price to command of the cavalry of the district. Gen. Sterling Price had indulged in the belief that he might accomplish more for the Confederate cause by pushing into Missouri, with a large force as a nucleus, and rally around the Southern flag many thousands who only wanted the opportunity to enlist in his army. His military judgment was good, his experience large, and his honorable fame and services rendered a request to be permitted to lead such a force equivalent to a command. Being authorized accordingly, he perfected the organization [273] for a campaign to the Missouri river, assigning his forces to three divisions, under Fagan, Marmaduke and Shelby. Maj.-Gen. James F. Fagan's division was organized as follows:
Cabell's Arkansas brigade, Brig.-Gen. Wm. L. Cabell,4 Lieut.-Col. A. V. Reiff—Monroe's cavalry, Col. James C. Monroe; Gordon's cavalry, Col. Anderson Gordon; Morgan's cavalry, Col. Thomas J. Morgan; Hill's cavalry, Col. John F. Hill; Gunter's cavalry battalion, Lieut.-Col. Thomas M. Gunter; Harrell's cavalry battalion, Lieut.-Col. John M. Harrell; Witherspoon's cavalry battalion, Maj. J. L. Witherspoon; Hughey's battery, Capt. W. W. Hughey. Slemons' Arkansas brigade, Col. W. F. Slemons,5 Col. William A. Crawford—Second cavalry, Col. W. F. Slemons; Crawford's cavalry, Col. William A. Crawford; Carlton's cavalry, Col. Charles H. Carlton; Wright's cavalry, Col. John C. Wright. Dobbin's Arkansas brigade, Col. Archibald S. Dobbin —Dobbin's cavalry, Col. Archibald S. Dobbin; McGhee's cavalry, Col. Jas. McGhee; Witt's cavalry, Col. A. R. Witt; Blocher's battery (one section), Lieut. J. V. Zimmerman. McCray's Arkansas brigade, Col. Thomas H. McCray— Forty-fifth Arkansas (mounted), Col. Milton D. Baber; Forty-seventh Arkansas (mounted), Col. Lee Crandall; Fifteenth Missouri cavalry, Col. Timothy Reves. Unattached—Lyles' Arkansas cavalry, Col. Oliver P. Lyles; Rogan's Arkansas cavalry, Col. James W. Rogan; Anderson's Arkansas cavalry battalion, Capt. Wm. L. Anderson. Maj.-Gen. John S. Marmaduke's division (commanded after his capture at Little Osage by Brig. Gen. John B. Clark, Jr.) included Marmaduke's brigade, under Clark (succeeded by Greene), and the brigade of Col. Thomas R. Freeman, which included, with the Missouri regiments of Freeman and Fristoe, Ford's Arkansas battalion, Lieut.-Col. Barney Ford. Brig.-Gen. Joseph O. Shelby's division included Shelby's Missouri brigade, Col. David Shanks (wounded [274] and captured), Col. Moses W. Smith (wounded), Brig.-Gen. M. Jeff Thompson; Jackman's Missouri brigade, Col. Sidney D. Jackman; Tyler's Missouri brigade, Col. Charles H. Tyler; with the Forty-sixth Arkansas (mounted), Col. W. O. Coleman, unattached.General Price left Camden with his army, August 28th. In the report which he made of his advance into Missouri, to defeat which the veteran armies of the whole West had been concentrated against him, he concludes as follows:
On the 13th [of November, 1864] I arrived at Perryville, in the Indian Nation, where I met three wagons with supplies, and encamped, remaining over one day to rest and recruit my men. I had marched carefully and slowly, stopping to graze my stock whenever an opportunity offered. On the 14th, General Shelby, at his own request, was left behind on the Canadian to recruit. On the 10th, Cabell's brigade was furloughed, as also the brigade commanded by Col. W. F. Slemons, who was captured. On the 21st of November I arrived at Clarksville, where I received an order from Major-General Magruder to march to Laynesport, I. T., and there establish my headquarters. I arrived there on the 2d of December, 1864, having marched 1,434 miles. . . . To enumerate specially the names of the officers who distinguished themselves for skill and courage would swell this report beyond all reasonable limits. . . . Maj.-Gen. J. F. Fagan, commanding the division of Arkansas troops, bore himself throughout the whole expedition with unabated gallantry and ardor, and commanded his division with great ability. . . . Brigadier-General Cabell bore himself as a bold, undaunted and skillful officer. Impetuous, yet wary, he commanded his brigade in such a manner as to win praise from all. I regret that, for the want of reports from their several commanding officers, I am not able to do justice to this as well as other brigades of Arkansas troops. Brigadier-General Cabell's capture was a great misfortune, and his place will be difficult to fill. . . .Colonels Slemons, Dobbin and McCray (the former of whom was captured) acted throughout as brave, daring, yet prudent officers, and are [275] each entitled to great praise. Colonel Freeman proved himself to be a brave and energetic officer, but as his men were mostly unarmed they were not able to render the same brilliant services as other brigades that were armed. . . . In conclusion, permit me to add that in my opinion the results flowing from my operations in Missouri are of the most gratifying character. I marched 1,434 miles; fought forty-three battles and skirmishes; captured and paroled over 3,000 Federal officers and men; captured 18 pieces of artillery, 3,000 stand of small-arms, 16 stand of colors that were brought out by me (besides many others that were captured and destroyed by our troops who took them), at least 3,000 overcoats, large quantities of blankets, shoes and ready-made clothing for soldiers, a great many wagons and teams, large numbers of horses, great quantities of subsistence and ordnance stores. I destroyed miles upon miles of railroad, burning the depots and bridges; and taking this into calculation, I do not think I go beyond the truth when I state that I destroyed, in the late expedition to Missouri, property to the amount of $10,000,000 in value. On the other hand, I lost 10 pieces of artillery, 2 stand of colors, 1,000 small-arms, while I do not think I lost 1,000 prisoners, including the wounded left in their hands and others than recruits on their way to join me, some of whom may have been captured by the enemy.On September 30, 1864, President Davis wrote to Gen. Kirby Smith urging the sending of a division east of the Mississippi, and suggesting that Wharton's cavalry command might be substituted for Walker's infantry division. General Beauregard wrote to him on December 2d, to reinforce Hood in Tennessee or make a diversion in Missouri. The diversion had been made, as General Smith had already written to the President, by General Price, who took with him to Missouri a force most of which was then available for no other purpose. He had thus drawn the Sixteenth army corps (A. J. Smith) from Memphis, and Grierson's cavalry from Mississippi, leaving Forrest free to operate in northern Georgia, compelling the Federals to concentrate 50,000 men in Missouri and diverting [276] reinforcements which would have been sent to Sherman. Gen. John B. Magruder, now in command of the district of Arkansas, kept Steele at Little Rock, in constant apprehension of a movement against that city. General Smith at one time in November seriously contemplated such a movement, and Churchill's, Polignac's, Forney's and M. M. Parsons' divisions were assembled in the vicinity of Camden. Parsons' Texas cavalry was extended from Monticello, Drew county, to Gaines' landing; Wharton's cavalry from Spring Hill to Shreveport; Logan's (Eleventh) Arkansas, mounted, was scouting up through Clark and Saline counties, Hill and Burk north of the Arkansas. November 18th, Churchill's division had moved to Louisville, in La Fayette county, on Red river—‘Camp Lee.’ From Price's headquarters, November 30th, General Clark in command of Marmaduke's division, and General Thompson in command of Shelby's, were ordered to Laynesport; and Gurley's Texas cavalry in that direction to cooperate with General Maxey. By direction of General Smith the Ouachita and Little Missouri were made ‘the true line of defense.’ Colonels McCray and Dobbin were sent into northeast Arkansas. General Magruder, having transferred his headquarters to Washington, Ark., wrote to General Price on the subject of the reorganization of his command, that ‘those regiments best disciplined and officered should be retained as cavalry, and sent to Texas to winter; the others to be dismounted, and the Missourians placed with Parsons and the Arkansans with Churchill.’ He received from General Smith, December 9th, advice ‘that the command was then better prepared to receive an order dismounting them than it would ever be again; that not more than two brigades should be retained, and one should be Shelby's, and the interest of the service should decide him (Magruder) whether the other should be Marmaduke's or Cabell's.’ General Magruder decided [277] in favor of Cabell's, which had assembled in camp at Hillsboro and was under command of Col. John M. Harrell. It numbered over 2, ooo effective men, and was better mounted and armed than before the raid into Missouri. The President did not approve the promotion of Brig.-Gen. M. M. Parsons, and he was ordered to resume command of his original brigade in Churchill's division. This was because of the great reduction of numbers in Parsons' division. The Arkansas troops in the Second army corps,6 commanded by Maj.-Gen. John B. Magruder, are stated as follows, December 31, 1864: First Arkansas infantry division, Act. Maj.--Gen. Thomas J. Churchill commanding: First Arkansas infantry brigade, Brig.-Gen. John S. Roane—Twentysixth regiment, Col. Iverson L. Brooks; Davie's regiment, Col. James M. Davie; Gause's regiment, Col. Lucien C. Gause; Rogan's regiment, Col. James W. Rogan. Second Arkansas infantry brigade (Dockery's), Brig.-Gen. Evander McNair—First consolidated, Lieut.-Col. Wm. W. Reynolds; Second consolidated, Col. Thomas J. Reid, Jr.; Third consolidated, Col. H. G. P. Williams. Third Arkansas infantry brigade, Brig.-Gen. James C. Tappan—Nineteenth regiment, Col. Wm. R. Hardy; Twenty-seventh regiment, Lieut.-Col. James M. Riggs; Thirty-third regiment, Col. Thomas D. Thomson; Shaver's regiment, Col. R. G. Shaver. Fourth Arkansas infantry brigade, Brig.-Gen. Alexander T. Hawthorn—Thirty-fourth regiment, Col. William H. Brooks; Bell's regiment, Col. Samuel S. Bell; McCord's [278] regiment, Col. Henry J. McCord; Polk's regiment, Col. Cadwallader Polk. The Fourth or cavalry corps, under Major-General Price, included the First Arkansas cavalry division, Maj. Gen. Jas. F. Fagan commanding: First Arkansas cavalry brigade, Brig.-Gen. Wm. L. Cabell (captured), Col. John M. Harrell—First regiment, Col. James C. Monroe (disabled); Second regiment, Col. Thomas J. Morgan (detached); Gordon's regiment, Col. Anderson Gordon (disabled); Gunter's regiment, Lieut.-Col. Thomas M. Gunter; Harrell's battalion, Maj. J. W. Bishop; Hill's cavalry, Col. John F. Hill (detached), Lieut.-Col. Basham (killed). Second Arkansas cavalry brigade, Col. W. F. Slemons (captured), Col. William A. Crawford (promoted to brigadier-general)—Crawford's regiment, Col. William A. Crawford (consolidated with Harrell's); McMurtrey's battalion, Lieut.-Col. Elisha L. McMurtrey; Stirman's battalion, Lieut.-Col. Ras. Stirman; Wright's cavalry, Col. John C. Wright (transferred to Cabell's brigade). Cooper's Indian cavalry division, Brig.-Gen. Douglas H. Cooper commanding, included: First Indian cavalry brigade, Brig.-Gen. Stand Watie—First Cherokee regiment, Col. Robert C. Parks; Second Cherokee, Col. William P. Adair; Cherokee battalion, Maj. Joseph A. Scales; First Creek, Col. Daniel N. McIntosh; Second Creek, Col. Chilly McIntosh; Creek squadron, Capt. R. Kenard; First Osage battalion, Maj. Broke Arm; First Seminole battalion, Lieut.-Col. John Jumper. Second Indian cavalry brigade, Col. Tandy Walker—First Chickasaw regiment, Lieut.-Col. Lemuel M. Reynolds; First Choctaw battalion, Lieut.-Col. Jackson McCurtain; First Choctaw and Chickasaw battalion, Lieut.-Col. James Riley; Second Choctaw, Col. Simpson N. Folsom; Reserve squadron, Capt. George Washington. The artillery of Churchill's division was organized in a battalion, under Maj. W. D. Blocher, including the following Arkansas batteries of field artillery, each of four [279] guns: First battery, Capt. Francis McNally; Third battery, Capt. J. G. Marshall; Seventh battery, Capt. J. V. Zimmerman; Fifth (Appeal) battery, Capt. C. C. Scott; Sixth battery, Capt. C. B. Etter; Ninth battery, Capt. John T. Trigg. Capt. William M. Hughey's battery was assigned to Fagan's division, and Capt. Henry C. West's Arkansas battery to Faries' battalion, Polignac's division. And now once more the Confederate army in Arkansas was gathered about the ancient and patriotic town of Washington, the State capital, as well as military headquarters. The pretty girls of that refined and hospitable community had the presence of the officers once more. Maj.-Gen. John Bankhead Magruder—‘Prince John,’ as he was styled in the palmy days of peace—was as much a society man as the youngest officer in the army. His nephew and aide-de-camp was as great a beau as had been his uncle in former days—and would be now. He wore a Confederate uniform, made and finished in regulation style in Paris. The parlors of these two chivalrous representatives of the old South were the scene of many costly and elegant festivities during the winter of 1864-65, while the warriors of his command were resting on their laurels in prospect of a quiet winter spent in quarters. There proved to be but little interruption to this welcome interval of repose. The annoying report of cavalry invasions into northeast Louisiana caused Cabell's brigade, with West's battery, to be hurried out of its snug shanties at Hillsboro down upon the Ouachita, in a long march of nearly 100 miles into Union parish, La The brigade crossed numerous streams, with artillery ammunition carried over by careful details on horseback. Then after scouting and finding absolutely no ground for the alarm, the brigade was ordered into winter quarters at Cherry Ridge, but had hardly erected rude quarters before it was ordered into Texas to go into winter quarters near Corsicana. The inaction at this time of the [280] mounted commands just in from Missouri, in order that the horses might be rested, was not singular. But as the army of the Trans-Mississippi was large and continually called for, the inaction of so large a force, while all the Confederates east of the river were in the field, could only be explained by the fact that it could not cross the Mississippi river. The field returns of the army of the Trans-Mississippi gave totals: First army corps, composed of Texans and Louisianians, under Major-General Buckner, aggregate present, 20,868; Second army corps, Arkansans and Missourians, under Major-General Magruder, 10,885; Third army corps, Texans, under Major-General Walker, 8,251; Cooper's cavalry corps, Indians and Texans, 3,019; grand total, 43,054, with 120 pieces of artillery. Leaving out Indian commands, there was a grand total of 40,000 ‘aggregate present’ Probably the inaction could not be helped, and General Smith was the constituted and best judge of the situation. All of the best faculties of man are required to make a successful leader of military campaigns. Undoubtedly General Smith gave evidence of the possession of great military capacity. His strategic moves were usually good, and admitting that his overconfidence at Jenkins' ferry cost him dearly, he had a right to rely on assistance there. One practical lesson most thoroughly impressed in experience of actual war is that a most trivial accident may thwart a grand combination, and cause disappointment to a heartfelt wish like that expressed by Wellington: ‘Would that night or Blucher would come.’ There was only one Stonewall Jackson, and but one Lee, in the course of centuries. As it resulted, the Western campaign proposed for the spring of 1865, after much preparation and thought, was never fought. It may be well, in reaching the closing days of a great endeavor, to repeat the old adage: ‘Man proposes, and God disposes.’ The Confederacy ceased to exist when its military resources were exhausted. [281] The dispersion of the Confederates in Arkansas was not attended by even a single scene of disorder. The government wagons, ambulances and mules in their hands the soldiers divided among themselves amicably. The separations, after years of common toil and danger, were pathetic. But undoubtedly all felt a measure of relief in the realization that the horrid drama was ended. The Trans-Mississippi was the last to surrender. In general orders, dated April 21, 1865, Gen. E. K. Smith exhorted the soldiers of the Trans-Mississippi to stand by their colors:
Great disasters have overtaken us. The army of Northern Virginia and our general-in-chief are prisoners of war. With you rest the hopes of our nation, and upon your action depends the fate of our people. . . . Stand by your colors, maintain your discipline. The great resources of this department, its vast extent, the numbers, the discipline and the efficiency of the army will secure to our country terms that a proud people can with honor accept. . . .General Magruder issued similar orders, and the men remained steadfast. Then came the news of the convention between Gens. Joseph E. Johnston and Sherman to arrange terms of surrender in North Carolina, which reached them the last days of April. Taylor and Canby and Smith and Osterhaus made terms of surrender at Baton Rouge on the 26th of May. There was a little engagement at Brazos Santiago about the 11th of May, after the entire army east of the river had surrendered, and before Kirby Smith and Canby had entered into terms, but the last Arkansas Confederate had laid down his arms. A few, with Col. J. C. Monroe, went to Mexico. Had the settlement of peace, which they welcomed, been left to the soldiers who had contended against each other, there would have been no bitterness to follow. But the non-fighters, who had not participated in the [282] battles, were now to be placated with difficulty and have an opportunity, when danger was over, to appease their offended patriotism and gratify a growing desire to ‘rally round the flag.’ Yet, after years of political strife, the result is finally, in all departments, a lofty and practical reconciliation. This result attests the reach of nineteenth century civilization, and the superiority of a government which can stand the strains to which nations are subject without weakening, and without losing the esteem of contemporary states and the approval of history. The following is a copy of the cartel under which military operations ceased west of the Mississippi:
Having carefully followed the Arkansas men in many Trans-Mississippi campaigns where fighting was frequent and hardship was familiar, we will turn attention, in the following chapters, to their comrades, under General Cleburne and other brave officers, with whom arduous and dangerous service was done on the east, as it was on the west, of the Mississippi [284]
