Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-08-15
CAMP SEVER, Mo-, July 29th, 1861

Col. T. J. CHURCHILL,
 CO,n'd st Regiment Ark M. Rjdes-
 Sir: In obedience to your command left Camp Sevier, one and half piles east of Keitsvie on the 27th inst, with scouting party consisting of twenty-one men, namely: Serg't Jones, Corporal Bland Fakes, Petit, Epps, Hart, Couch Yarboro, F. Jones, Lewis, Adkins, Hargrove, Ray, Huddle- ston, Jackson and T. A. Pursscll, of the Augusta Guards'' Huddleston, Oldham, Wasson, Keaton, C. and J. Childers, of the "Lawrence Rangers" We intersected the Springfield road one mile from camp, where we fell in company with Judge Price, Joe Peary and Davis, of Missouri. Peary, acting guide for the scouts, travel ed the Springfield road two miles beyond Cassville. Hearing there was formidable organization of Union men, con- ducted perhaps by party of Dutch, on |" Flat Creek" twenty five miles northeast of Cassvile, holding in awe the southern men of the vicinity, and making preparations to join the enemy at Springfield, we turned our course in that direction with view of learning their position and numbers II possible l conducted the command in a north east direction for sixteen miles, when we camped for the night; from which point sent three men,
 
 to reconnotre the country in advance and learn, if possible, the fact of their number and position, who returned about one o'clock, a. m., without learning anything. On the following morning about six o'clock, we again took up the line of march, following down the creek for six miles; when we came to Clark's Mill, we met wagon containing three women, one of which jumped frov fbo H. l. rrf. excited my suspicious and we ran to overtake her and learn from her the facts we sought. The com. mand being somewhat divided in running through the woods, three of the company came unexpect- edly upon body of fifty or sixty horsemen, who retreated down the hollow. leaving behind one of their horses, which we captured. I immediately had the trumpet sounded and bought my command together After a consultation with MT. Peary, (my guide) l came to the conclusion that to at tempt retreat would be equally dangerous (from the geography of the country) as resistance. chose the latter and immediately followed oa. The command had proceeded about two hundred yards when we came upon body of men, variously es- timated at from eighty to hundred and twenty. Two of the men (officers I supposed of the op- pOSlCe party TOue lOrWaFu, one or them demanding
 surrender, the other saying, |" if you wish to fight pitch in,' whereupon the guide and myself being in advance and seeing them making preparations to shoot, fired from our horses and killed them both upon the spot. l then commanded the men to dismount, hitch their horses and take whatever ad- vantage the ground might afford and fire at will after about ten minutes, the officers of the oppo- site party ordered charge, which their men re- fused to make. They then ordered them to file right and left and flank us, which they attempted, and came within about thirty yards of my com mand, when a party of four of the right of my command fired, killing man each, two of the men killed were giving command and encouraging their men. So soon as they fell from their horses, the enemy commenced a retreat. 1 then ordered the men to mount and we returned immediately to camp with loss of four horses killed, one of which was the horse captured by the enemy, none of my command was even wounded--we also had four horses wounded, my own being shot four times.
 The men conducted themselves in a manner worthy of southern men, no men living ever exhi-