Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-03-27

iuries from our batteries, and were compelled to fall back The line was broken and the enemy disc0mdtted on the water, giving up tie fight en tirely which he never afterwards renewed. l was i satisfied from the incidents ot the last two days that the enemv diI not intend again to give us bat tic in trenches. They had been fairly repuls 1 ed, with very heavy slaughter, upon every effort 10 storm our position; and it Was fair to infer that they would not again renew the unayailing attempt at our disOdgmeHt, when certain means to effect thesame end without loss were perfectly at their 1 command We were aware of the fact that ex- l tremely heavy endorsements had been continually arriving, day and night, for three days and nights and had no doubt Whateyer that their whole avail | able force on the western waters could, and would | De concentrated here ii it Nas deemed necessary to reGuco our position. had already seen the inn possibility of holding out for any length of time | with our inadequate number and indeiensbc posi- i ton. There was no place within our entrench- ments but could be reached by the tnemy's artil- | lery from their boatS, or ther batteries. It was but fair infer that, while they kept up sufficient
 fire upon our entertainments to keep our men from sleep and preYehJ repose, their object was merely to give time to pass column .J0ye us on the river. both the right and the lett banks, and thus to cut off all our communications and to prevent the possibility of egresS. l thus saw clearly that but one course was left by which rational hope could be entertained of saving the garrison, or d part of it That was t0 disOdge the enemy from his posi- ton on our left, and thus to ptss our people into the open country, lying sOuthWard towards Nash vile. l called for consultation ot the officers Of divisions and Jr! IGdes to take place after dark, when this plan WAS laid before them, approved and adopted, and at which 1t Was determined to move from the trenches at early hour on the next mornin@, and attack the enelay iu his position.-- 1t was agreed that the attack should commence upon our extreme left, and this duty was assigned Brigadier General Pillow, assisted by Rrigader General Johnson, paving also under his command commanders of brlgades, Col. Baldwin, command | ing Mississippi and Tennessee troops, and Col. Wharton aHd Col. McClausland, commanding Nir ginianS. To Brigadier General Buckucr was as signed the duty of making Jhe attack from near tie centre of our lines upon the enenly'S forces upon the V ynn's ferry road. IlIe attack ou the left was delayed longer thau ] expected and con sequently the enemy was found ill position when our troops advanced. The attack, however, on our part extremely spirited. ana although the resistance of the enemy obstinate, and their numbers far exceeded ours our people succeeded in driving them discounted and terribly cue to pieces from inc entire left. line kentucky troops. under Bugadier General Buckney, ady from their position behind the entrenchments upon the N yuu's ferry road, but not until the enemy illd been dri- ven in q great measure from the position hc occu- pied h the morning
 had ordered on the night before the two rpoi ments stationed iI " Fort Donel>onr to orcur, tb
  lorces, which, ther wilu the men whom he de- tached to ass.s, this purpose, thought sufficient to hold them
 Ny intention was to hold with Brigadier Gene raj Buckncr's command the " ynn's ferry road. and thus 10 prevent the enemy, during the night. from ocGupYhS the position on our left which lie ot,,i- Pled Ill the morning gave him orio!s mon the heIJ 10 that effect. Leaving him in position. started for the right o! our command tO see that al a 3.,t, ,, ! coud oe held in Ae coalition they then We're. to move the whole army, it possible, to the open country I}h8 southnard beyond tile Randolph FofSts. Duiin% fAy absence, and from some mis apprehension, pycsuAe, 0G tie previous or.pr 2iYcll bnEadicr General Pillow ordered Br!eaaicr general HnchAer t9 leave his position on the " NhA $ ferry road and 10 resume his place ;n h, renches on the right. This movement sas nearly executed before was aware u4 it. As the enemy were pressing uEU. te trenches. deemed ;bat inc eNccuJ0u 9; tis last order was all that was l4tf to be done iAe tueml, ii fact succeeded M occu plh% all angie Ol the trenches cu the extreme rioh; or Brlgadier General Buckuer's command. and as he fresh forces ot ;he enemy lad -seln already to move towards uul ie!L t0 occupy the position they heiu In tAenorAin-, and as < had no force ad. IHate to oPinse their progress, We had to sulujtto Ihe hioftlhcaiIou oi seeing the ground wlncb WE A"d "0h b, suc.s d seN ere cUnuct u tAe lnorl,ino Te-occupled by the enemy '.e.ole midnight Tbe enemy udu heen !andiug renUrcemeut- throuebnut the day Ills numbers had been algn.ntrd t eighty three regiments.
 Our troops wero completely exhausted lv four days and nights Of continued conflict. TO renew t with any hope or successful result was obyiousy valn, anu such understood tD De the lnaninl1u, oWnlon ot a!' the officers present at the council c&lied tn consider what WIS best to he done thought anu So announced, that desperate onset upoo i-e t11ht ot the enemys forces on the ground pItlls,N El tt. l,tt .f-,,i Et
 result Ill the eXtrlcaton of considerable rroD0r. ton ot the command from the position we wcrein ant tis opinion understood to be coururred in hy d "ilu were present. But it was likewise aoppod with the same unaninity, that it would resnlt in the slaughter of nearly all Who liA not succeed in eiiectlhS tnelr escape. The question thon arose "netIi@., or Fl punt oi humanity and sound nai.i- taly policy, conrse should :,y adopted from which thc pioDAblItles gre that the larger portion of the co;aiaanl would be cut to pieces in nnnayaiI
 ing nghtagaln5t overwhelming numbers un,ier- stood the general sentiment to he adverse to the propositlQD. l felt that iu this contingency whilst 'ttiisht De opeltiunad, whether should, as com lGaItor ot the army, lead it 10 certain destruction i'll m unaYaling fight; vet had a right iudiyidu ally to determine that l woud not survive a sur render there. 'fo satisfy both propositions agreed to hand over the command to Brigadier Gfzeral Buckner through Brgadier General Pillow. and to make an effort for my own eAtgication by any and every means that might present themselves to ne.
 therefore directed Col Forrest, a daring and determined officer, at ;he head of an efficient reci- ment ot cavalry to be present for the purpose oi accompanying ne in what supposed would be an effort Io pass through tlc enemy's lines l an- nounced the Nct dpon turning the command over to EEgadier General Buckncr that would bring away with me, by any means could, my own par ticuar brigade, the propriety Of which was ac- qnesced in on h,l hands. This, hv various modes succeeded in accomplishing to q great extent, and would have brought off my whole command u. one way or another if bad had the assistance of the field officers, who absent from several of the regiments. The command was tumed over to BMgadier General Buckner, who at once opeued negotiations with the enemy which resulted in the surrender of the place Thus ended the conflict running through fear dags and ;3nr RiyhfS; a large portion of which time 1t maintained with tbc greatest fercepess and obstnacy; in which we. with | force not exceeding l3,00o q large portion of whom were ily armed, succeeded iu resisting and driving back, with djSCOnitcra, An army Of more than S0 ,0Q0 men. l have TO melTs of accu- rately estimating the loss of tue eneiuy From what saw gpJu the battle field froGa what wit messed through1 the whole period of the confiict from what Wu4 ..ble to learn from sources of in- formation deemed hy me worthy of credit have no doubt that the enemys loss i'll killed and wound ed reached number beyond (5,000) fine !kaasaad Our own losses were extremely heavy but for want of exact returns am unable tostate precise nnsn- bers thiul, they will not be far from BOO kill eG an,i wounded. Nothing could exceed the cool ness and determined spirit of resistance which an mated the men in this long and lerooions conhct; nothinr qnuiI qX.ppd tha 14tai,uipaI r,nrann