The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-25
from General curtIs' Army.

tCoTesaonience Of the Missouri Democrat
HELENA, ARKANSAS, July IL.
MARCH FROM AUGUSTA TO BAYOU CACHE.
July 6.-The Division under Gen.
Steele left Augusta at 3 A. NJ to-day
for the Bayou Cache, where we were to
encamp. We took road by which we
avoided BLOCKADE" of fallen timber.
Our guide, DR.. Prio ear, was behind, and
we missed finding the Bayou which we
were told was about eight miles from
Augusta. Finding no water, the Gene
raj decided TO march five miles further,
where we expected to find good camping
ground, at the junction of the Cache river
with the Bayou Cache, a sluggish stream
connecting the Cache with the White riy-
err. We passed through rich sandy bot
tom lands covered with extensive fields
of corn. But little cotton was planted.
Near the large cotton gins and presses,
which threw out their long wooden
warns, patch of ground was invariably
seen burned black by a recent cOnfagra-
ton of the cotton bales stored in the
sheds. We frequently noticed the space
between the rows of corn in the fields
were whitened by the cotton strewn
along, as if it was the intention of the
owners thus TO save the "staple" from de-
struction by fire, with a lurking hope
that it might be gathered up again after
the first maddening Confederate rage for
confiscation had subsidized. The propri-
etor of what cost them SO much labor TO
prepare for market most probably reas-
oned that it would be much easier to
scrape together the cotton thus spread
over the fields, than pick a similar guam
tity from the bolls.
Before reaching the Cache river, we
dropped down on very low bottom
heavily wooded with gigantic sycamore
and sypress, covered with dense thickets
of cane. Half mile from the river our
progress was arrested by the most formi-
dable blockade get encountered,
The trees some of which were four
feet in diameter, were all felled over
space on both sides of the road, covering
eight or ten acres. The head of the coll
umn halted, and no signs of an enemy
could be seen. The lapse of a few min
utes, however, revealed the fact that the
solemn stiffness which pervaded the
scene was omnous. The silence was
soon broken by the sharp crack Of the ri
he. AS the result became known, il was
found that
THE REBELS WERE CAUGHT IN THEIR OWN
TRAP,
Captain Taylor of Co. /, Third Iowa
Cavalry, and twelve men, armed with re-
volvers, was sent forward by Col. Bussey
to explore the blockade. The men leapt
over the logs and went forward with a
will, uncertain Of the dangers that might
encompass their path. The Captain and
his men had not been gone but few
minutes, when fifteen mounted Texan
Rangers came rushing forward to the
point where the advance was halted, they
having just emerged from the fallen tim
Der on the right hand side of the block
ed road. They were thunderstrucS on
seeing us, within twenty yards of them,
and the leader fred a shot at Captain
Huntly, of Steeles body-guard, when
they wheeled suddenly around and dis
appeared in the fallen timber by the path
they camc out. The rally was sounded,
and every man was in his saddle, ready
for the fray. After the lapse of coup
lie of minutes, we were startled by the
sharp crack of a gun, and then vOlley af-
ter yolley from the direction where Capt
Taylor and his men had gone. Fears
were entertained that they had fallen into
an ambush in the fallen timber. Our
suspense was soon relieved by the APP
pearance of our men, bringing blankets,
shot-guns, and a number Of rebel tro-
plies. We now learned the particulars
of the fight. Soon after Captain Taylor
left us, he struck a trail made by fresh
horse trocks. Following this trail between
large trees and around tree tops, he
reached the ford on the Bayou Cache at
the instant the shot was fired as above
stated. mfewing that il was from q
shot gun, he got his men in readiness TO
meet whatever might turn up, Presently
the fifteen hOrsemen came tearing through
the tree tops, headed for the ford, return
inc ON the trail previously observed. The
band came up within a few feet Of Capt
Taylor, who was standing behind a sash
of fallen timber But the leader having
ON q Federal uniform our mon hesitated
W NV ANNAAhk NANN AAAAsAAN IAN'N ~ NNA''A't
10 our side. Captain Taylor cried out
"Haltp when up flew the shot-guns,
leaving no question that they were rebels.
Capt Taylor then led his men to the en-
trance 10 the Ford, and poured in seven
ty-two shots on the frightened rebels.
The horses tumbled into the stream and
several fell from their horses. Horses
and men who escaped were seen clamb-
ering up the opposite bank, When
came up TO the ford, ten minutes after
the firing, ] saw the carcase Of one dead
rebel just hauled out of the mud, and two
horses were lying on the bayou. We
learned subsequently that three more
were buried the same day.
The several divisions arrested by the
/ blockade made preparations 20 encamp.
We were I'm a dense wilderness with no
signs of the work Of mans hand except
the blockade in front VIM. A. Van Bus
Kirk, with a pioneer party, was already