The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1862-08-30

III aopve our ba4ds h6t with shot AaA ehejI
They bad large forcs II sight. ~ piec~s Of
cannon teoansed) IN the Geld before a., and Ia
the timber esyona they showed an oserwhsim
ing force. While from stiii further bsck their
drums snd buge~ were heard M fur "A the ear
could catch the n0tsr. Under these .,ra,u
stances generalization Of oAicefs was held. and
u wa decided that Is would be- madness - a,
tack thu enemy that by ~ doing xe would
sacrifice "a' .o"mand fop'ishly ami ussle--iy
aud We rstircd In perfect order. by the route We
went oat. 10 the main body Of our forces which
W found already acruss the Cache We were
followed by, the enemy cautiously, and at q
distance, and !oncc 10 y while they would send
after "a a cannon shot, bat they obviously fear.
ed that we had large force near Ly or appre.
hended an anibusrade. Ia any event they aepi
Vt respectful dsstansc. We met At Cotton
Plant on our return. foar miller from the enemys
position, the messenger We bad despatched 10
Gen. Rast, Wis bore from the General an order
70 US 20 rejoin the main l.ody with AZ little de-
lay as possible as he greatly feared W. wnala
be cut on. Nothing would have been easier
than for them 10 have cot ns or Curtis whole
army bad been placed between US and our main
body and while II was only five mile. from The
enemys position to the crossing on the caeh.
we had 10 move round Il miles T. reach the
sans same point. Ges. Rust expressed great
sAesiartion when We rcIoined the command and
said We bad acted with great Judgment, prn.
denee and decision.
The engagement had terminated on the other
SIDE ~ lar A. igh'ing was concerned decidedly
in our favor Parsons men tough, ike berus.
Fiiztsghs fslIgbJbravsly IA did others. They
drove the enemy from tho ground where the
night occurred, captured one piccq Of artillery
Which they attempted 10 move from the field
by haad but cocld not do 20 on account Of the
DOGGY character Of the ground, held possession
o. y ana OF the Held for one hour and simply
retired when ordered to do 80 by Gen Rust and
were not pussucd or tnacsted by the enemy
while doing So. Gen. Rust found Curti-s whole
army Of 10000 men men In position Immediately
before hiin--fhrir position partially fortified
fences torn down, aud regular picket work con.
structsdtrecs feilej in order aud troop. pla.
eed ssEoiNiv heNni th~n awaiting ar attach
| This position tins defended he did not assail
oar fight had been with Cuy,is's Advance gnsrd
and the troops that supported them and We lad
driven them from he Freund they occupied
Rust had not al told exceeding 201 men under
hts command. None hut the cavalry were en-.
gagged INC infantry aud artillery took no part
IN The action. Texans did al the fighting
Our loss was ~ killed and 90 wounded and
missing. The enemy lost 30 dead on the field
and when, the second day after tho fight. they
fetreated directly Tor Helena on the Mississippi
river abandoning the effort o. form q junction
with Fitch At Clarendon. which they were at.
tempting 60 do at the time the nght occurred
ihe} leit near cotton llanf AZ one house "a and
a, another Is " their men m severely wounded
that they could no, bee removed flow many
others less severely wounded they may have
carried on with them we have no means Of dc.
tefminng.
II was Gen Rusts lntcutton 70 engage III. On.
envy again The NEXT day, but learning bv a dis.
patch from nnyail- Bluf that Fitch with his
gun boats and land iesoes was threatening an
attack on that place tthe capture II which
wauld have left the River open o. his suniaat-
and given him command % the Memphis and
Little Rock Railrnadl W we're ordered 90 fe.
treat by way OF Dies Atc IN the Bluff which W.
did anmolosted by the enemy These are the
facts 10 regard 90 The Sigh, on "thc Cache In
reference 70 which there have been so many
contradictory reports TEXANS never fought
better Than on that occasion. Althof gh ambus.
casisd and taken at = frightful disadvantage
they yielded not q foot Of ground but drove the
enemy before them from The held Curtis l.
stated at once abandoned al IDEA ~ forming a
junction with Fiithand rctrcated with hi- whole
army directly across the county IN Helena on
the Mississippi River Fitch Al once abandon.
ed White River with HE eunbnat. transport.
and all his forces aud guiug around by water
formed junction with Curtis at He.na Thus
was Arkansas freed from the invader except the
bare foothold retained by them under shelter Of
their Guuboats on the Mississippi River
Respectfully Yours,
5. B. HENDRICKS.