Daily union appeal. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1862-186?, 1862-08-22
NEWS FROM HELENA.
THE CLARENDON EXPEDITION OF THE
FOURTH DIVISIGy.

1 ~ ASAS-sH
/ Special Correspondence Union Appeal.
The 4th division. left the cantonement at
| Helena, Arkansas, August 4th, for march
through the interior to Clarendon, on White
river. It was commanded by Brig.-Gen. a.
P Heyey. and composed of the following
corps, viz: 1st brigade, Col Baker, of the Isl
| Indiana cavalry, commanding; IIth Indiana
infantry, Col. McGinnis, Gath do, Col. Spicely,
lst Ind cavalry, Col. Wood, I'd Ohio battery,
Capt. Chapman, detachments Of companies,
5th nliois, Sd do, 5th Kansas, and 4th and 5th
Mo. cavalry, Major Walker; ID brigade, Col
Fitch, 43d Ind. infantry. Gel. Mclean, 40th
| do, Msjor Gould, lst Arkansas, do, 5th III.
cavalry, and lst III. battery, Capt. Klauss.
The entire force consisted Of 1852 men, with
| trains necessary to carry the baggage and
rations for ten days. These composed and
| furnished the expedition started out. And
during the first days march nothing worthy
| of note occurred, except that the men began
/ to have smack of what they were afterward
to endure from intense heat, perpetualcanopy
of dust to be seen, smelt, breathed, and drank
to their hearts content, or rather discomfort,
and the crying want of water.
On the afternoon of the second day, IS We
halted to rest, intelligence was received that a
band Of Texas rangers were IN the immediate
| vicinity, and that scme of their officers had
bsspoken their supper at Mrs. Norton's, a
| few rods distant. Scouts OF cavalry were i'm
mediately despatched, but after an hour or
| two returned without having fallen upon
them. We proceeded on a few miles farther,
and quite late bivouacked for the night
On the following morning we were turned
| to the "right about, face" ard while the
| teams were sent forward, We were marched
| back some miles, and then taking a southerIv
direction, We're put IN hot pursuit of the
prowling banditti. The cavalry da;hed of in
| full speed the infantry and numbering artil.
| lery bringing up the rear as rapidly as the
| scorching heat, dust, ana roads would allow,
| all on the right track and in clear scent of the
foe But alas they contlived not to let us
see everNheir backs as they fed. And though
| we had not the pleasure OF looking them in
| the face. we had 81 least the consolation of
! 'sy criu .. snelr bespoken sup
| per ia tao o,ening and thelr prepared bI,s.k-
| last in the morning. Their rendezvous was
in a dense thicket not far from one Uncle
| Billy Rinkles, In Phillips county, which We
surrounded and shelleo, and from which they
fed, leaving part of their food and cooking
| utensils. Rumors estimate their numbers in
this vicinity and on this side of White river
| at from 800 to $4,000. 1t is doubtful how
ever whether it succeeds the former figure.
while they are divided up into marauding
squads of from fifty to one hundred, the better
10 carry on their desperate schemes of piilage,
spoilatlon, and murder. having scattered.
at least for the time, and from the immediate
region these highway desperadoes, and thus
| accomplished the end of this side dtrerSioga
we again faced about, retraced our steps, and
continued eur march till we came up with
our wagon train, when we stopped, took q
late supper, and stretched ourselves under the
trees for rest
The remainder of our march was unat-
tended with any incident OF interest, aud ter
minated at about half-psst six o'clock P NJ,
Thursday the TIN inst, bringing Us to Claren-
don, the place of destination.
This important point in Arkansas warfare
is small village on the east bank of White
river, has Court House in process of erection,
few respectable habitations, and popula-
tion numbering probably, in ordinary .lmes,
about 500. Now just fifteen small families, by
actual count, remain to tell that it was once
peopled. One hundred and sixteen out of the
dwelling houses, and all, absolutely all of the
law and doctors offices, the stores, and the
shops of every description are abandoned,
many of them evidently in haste, with goe6s,
tools, furniture, books, letters, documents, etc.,
renasining or strewing the floors. | counted
from ten TO twelve vacant stores and shops in a
!: single row. So complete desolation never
, met my eye before. Even the Masonic Lodge
was despoiled by some ruthless hands of it,
Jewels, its Bible torn in pieces on It's altar, and
Its stands broken to flinders and scattered over
| the floor. This latter work is attributed to the
barbarian bands composing Osterhaus' divi.
sion, who, it is said, when passing through
with Curtis army, went for plumber, theft, and
q general and indiseriminate smash-up o
whatever they could lay their hands on.
A few of the people of this "deserted vii
Iagen have fed Tor fear to places OF safety; b,
tar the greater proportion of the males have
| abandoned all for the war. The day aftel
| reaching this point several of our men, wh,
were enjoying the luxury of bathing in thi
delightful stream, a few of whom had swum Il
the opposite shore, were fred on by rebels con
cealed in the tkicket lining that shore. Tw'
i or three narrowly escaped, the bullets or buck
shot splashing the water beside their ears a
they padded briskly through it on their re
: treat Two of our cannon were soon in posi-
|. ton. a few whizzing messengers from whicl
told them of dangers they did no. wis
to meet and drove them quickly out Q
y sight and hearing in that quarter.
On the following Gay largo fai
boat OF barge lying few miles below, whic
had been sunk by Col Fitcn, on previou
visit 20 this place, toprevent its future use b
l. the enemy, was bailed out, raised and towe
up to the landing, to aid our present opers
Of tions. Ropes were thrown across the streaI
for the purpose of towing the boat around, an
8, in it eight companies OF our men were tran
& ferred TO the opposite shore under charge
Lieut.. Col. Barter, to operate there as picke
and scouts.
On the morning of Saturday, the 9th, son
s thirteen rebel soldiers came in, with the
r, arms on their shoulders, and voluntarily gav
themselves up, took the oath of allegiance al