Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-03-06

| " 0ultlEtl, Dtt DN4iiS lO lttS COtlIuQtkl l ing which followed. 1t was impossible to get any official report of the casualties of the 1 day. On the same day our battery on the l river was engaged with one of the enemy's i gunboats which oceasioned quite lively ] cannonadihg for more than an hour, in which the gallant Captain Dixon, of the engineer corps, was killed instantly at the ! battery. This officer had been on duty for some months at the post and had shown great energy and professional skill; and by his gallant bearing on that day, while di recting the operations of the day under my orders, and justly earned for himself high distinction His death was serious loss to the service, and was a source of no little embarrassment in our after operations.
 On the 18th we had quiet, but we saw the smoke of large number of gunboats, and steamboats short distance below LII
 We also received reliable information of the arrival of large number of new troops greatly increasing the strength of the ene- my's forces already said to be from 70, GOO ! to 30,000 strong.
 TEE BATTLE WITH THE CUNBoATs. On the l3tls these reinforcemeGts were seen advancing to their position in the line of investment; and while this was being 1 done. six of the enemy's iron-cased gun 1 boats were seen advancing Qp theaiyef, five of which were abreast and in line of battle, and the sixth was some distance to the rear 1 When the gunboats arrived within mile 1 and half of the battery, they opened, fire on the batteries. My orders to the off cers, Capts. Sinister and Stankovitch, who 1 commanded the lower battery, of eight guns and Capt. Ross, the upper battery, of four guns, were to hold their lire until the cna- mys gunboats should come within point blank range of their guns. This they did though the ordeal of holding their fire while the eneny's shot and shell fell thick around 1 their position, was severe restraint upon patriotic impulses But, nevertheless, our , batteries made no response till their gun boats got within anger of their guns.-- Our entire line of batteresthen opened fire, The guns of both par ties weIe well served, The enemy constantly y advanced. delivering direct fire agaiostour batteries from his line of emboats, while the Gt- boat, nov ing up in the rear, kept the air filleI with shells, which fellthick and close ali around the position ofour batteries.
 The fight continued, the enemy steadily ! advancing slowly up the river, and the shot and shell from fifteen heavy rihed guns, tearing our parapets and plunging deep in- to the earth around and over our batteries for nearly two hours, and until his boats had reached within the distance of one hun dred and fifty yards of our batteries. Hay ing come in such close conflict, 1 could dis tinctly see the effects of our shot upon his
 rsn-c -cased boats We had given two or three well directed shots from our heavy guns to one of his boats, when she instan- tly shrunk back and drfted helplos, below the line Several shots struck another boat tearing her iron case and making her timbers crao'-. and splintering them aa by a stroke of lightning, when the two fell back Then third received several shocks, made her metal ring and her timbers crack, when the whole line gave way and fell "a pidly back from our fire until they passel out of range.
 Thus ended the first sercIcahd close con- aict of our heavy guns apd the cncmys gun boats, testing their strength and the power of guns tore.st them, the shot from o;lr y pound guns produced but little effect; they struck and rebounded, apparently doing but little damage; but am satisfied from close observation that tjmbers of the frame work did not, and could not, withstand tho ! shock from the 10 inch coluubiad or :}2- pound riled guns. These gnboats never renewed the attack. l learn from citizens living on the river below that one of the in iured boats was sunk, aud that others had to go to talio. This information may or may not be true, but it is certain that all 1 of the boats were repulsed and driven back 1 after most vigorous and determined att tack, anu that two of the boats were badly damaged, and that a thld was more or less injured
 It is difficult to estimate tho gallant bear l ing and heroic conduct of the officers and 1 men of our batteries, who so well aRd So consistently fought our guns until the cne
 mys determined advance brought his boats and guns into such close and desperate con | nict Where all did their duty so we'll, it is almost impossible to discriminate The captains already named, and their lieuten i anus, | NuOSc UthigH Tor want cl OfftCldi " ports 1 cannot give) all deserve the highest commendation.
 Lieut. G. $. Martin, (whose company Is now at Columbus, Ky, but who was order dered tQ that pest by Mai. Gen Polk,) commanded one Of the guns, particularly attlacted my attention by his energy ] and the iudgTpept with which he fa,gAt his gun. Ihe wadding having given out he pulled off his coat and rammed itdown 1 as waddipg, and thus kept up the fire till the enemy was finally repulsed.
 On the evening of this day we received l information Of the arrival of additional re- Inducements of infantry, cavalry and light artillery, by steamboat, all which were ! disempasi&oa : short distance below our position.
 THE BATTLE OF BOYER. On the l4th inst, the enemy was busy throwing his forces of every arm around us, extending his line of investment around our position, and completely enveloping us: On the evening of this day we ascertained I that the enemy had received additional re- Inducements by steomhoats. We were now surrounded by an immense force, sald by persons to amount to fifty-two regiments, anu every road and possible avenue of de- .palturc were cut off, with the certainty that our sources of supply by the rlVer wOuid soor he cut off by inc enemy'S bat