The Van Buren press., 1861-08-14
Letter from Camp.
HsAp- QrAHrE.s. Gxx. PEAEcE's CA,R.l
W;lsonsa Greek. Thursday, Aug. 8.

Letter from Camp.
HrAD-QrAnrr,s, Gx PxAEcr's CAnl
Wisons Greek. Thursday. Aug. 8.
Mr. Du.uAx !: Campaigning Of this kind is new
1h-assvell = nsny cf your rssders-snd while
serssspoadsats lay trosble you. as feas do among
= here, yst sse much in camp, that your readers
would be Rid 70 hear Of. therefore present wy S.
lila the flea, without much apology.
Many hard things have been said and published
respecting the conduct and capacity of our State
Uoamander, Brig. Gen. Pearce. Being for the last
Esfk. a constant companion Of the General, am
Wy certain more energetic and able gentleman
fskhe position from our State, could nothave been
selected, having experience a military man. No
one perceives sooner. any irregularities in the sol
diers movement, 81 disasderinl la<ge columns SOON
- than he Everything for the maintenance Of
health aad comfort, within his powes, is looked
ater. No man Of this army more perfectly obeys
his Chief, than Gen. Pearce does. A perfect una
9mity Of feeling exist between the two Generals,
notwithstanding certain gentlemen of Fayetteville,
alwsvs envious of the elevation of those, whom
they we'll know their slanderous shafts must fail
a. all iritate but, the contrary, they doom
ed only to breathe their own poisonous vapors
me of the pers aforesaid, fearing the reaction of
the public mind at home--for. be 1t known. they
afe Of those who would first plunge. the country
isto the blood -bath-have raianhyief the State,
nd arc now feasting upon different camps of our
4my, and travel with bayoneted umbrellas. These
tre some Of the denouncers of our gallant general
8en of whose stamp have been clogs in the wheels
= our State, and who, because the same wheels
Asve crashed them, turn upon men, who. in the
essent emergency. have been pointed out best
to protect its interests-an6 defend it and the
yhole country thus it is We find here. to-day,
shch men have been driven to this army as much
for protection here, as for fear of being drummed
out Of their own precinct, and while here. will
eadeavor to engender unnatural feeling against the
General and his aids and his friends but the
troops know well their commander, and his entire
efficiency at all times, and respect him one fully
eble to lead them victorious over the enemy.
At Cane Creek we expect and prepared to fight
the northern horde--cannon were placed at the
mouth Of gap in tie hills near the Creek to re-
est the enemy's approach but he did not come.
The side of the hills covered with our men and
Lelisianians the hill the opposite side of the
valley frowned with another battery, while the
valley was well covered with men to resist any fnr-
titer advance this was all done under the direc-
ton of Gen. Pearce, in the absence cf Gen. McCul-
loch, with Col. Churchill's Cavalry. who had ad-
ysnced early in the morning. but whose advance
guards beint. driven back, were all now retreating
to lead the en- envy to the bloody abyss prepared fS
gsing on. reeim ent of our State Cavalry was
being led to water tn cir horses one of the Fay
eiesvs&le gentlemen met the command Of the afore-
said regiment, as it was advancing, and accosted
him /: for Gods sake Colonel, don't go any farth-
er--the enemy is covering the hills by thousands
fly. for you'll all be killed" This gentleman
trembled in his saddle, those say, who him.
while recounting the dangers Of any further ad-
vance to the Colonel. and so say ing. fed homeward
instead of rallving the troops by urging them to
puess forward, the gallant and heroic gent would
have led the whole army back to Arkansas in an
honr, if such thing were possible il is unneces-
sasy to say that the Colonel so advanced +;
he only pushed On the harder, to relieve his en-
this gallant gent returned to our camps, when it
was found that the enemy had halted, and would
not be tempted to the feast prepared for him.
Now for the army's movements. Finding We
could not lead the enemy, we determined to mare,
upon him. The next day (last Sunday at l9
O'Clock at night, Gen. McCulloch issued his gener-
al orders for the entire moving of the army that
time. Estimated force said to be $4,000. Mssou-
n, Texas. Arkansas and Louisiana forces included
At midnight the Louisiana forces led off Arkansas
following with her infantry. then Missouri Each
of which were led by batteries Of pieces and,
Lastly the Texas, Arkansas and Missouri cavalry.
St&ctest silence was ordered neither shouting
= esaana Of drums allowed but bold steady
peeted an engagement early in the morning. The
silence that pervaded dead march of large 10 lies
OF armed men, and the groan of artillery wheels is
by far the most impressive movement man can be
found engaged in. The mind is at once batbed in
sober reflection to the destiny few short hours
in the furure shall plunge Que into but above all
rises the peril Of ones country the means of it's
safety. and the careful boarding of that means to
insure the success of cause all ten1 to encour
age resolution in the mind. The sacrifice a few
drops of blood to uphold just principles and sa-
cred rights become only secondary matters elicit
ing only the attention Of Surgeons and are entire
ly forgotten in the firm tread of resolution and the
Curious victory awaiting us. At sunrise after a
continued march of hours we reached the spot
where We expected to hear from the enemy but
they had again retreated.
The next morning. the Wagons coming up. we
ns'ved on 21s miles to this creek where we are
ercamped. This camp is just 10 miles south of
Springfield where we learn the enemy are prepa-
ring to meet us. and wait here only to learn
hew he is fortifying himself.
With Gen. McCulloch and Pearce and their aids
forever on the lookout for forward movements we
xilingly await the command to take up the last
march for the enemy in this quarter for we think
he will be so utterly annihilated here no trouble
may tie hereafter expected this side of the Mssou-
n River.
may write again before the fight comes off.
Yours truly CAMP OBSERVER