Washington telegraph., 1862-04-02
CAMP s MILES BELOW VAN BuRES, I

7th inst | should have written you before |
this, but after the fight We were on n march Of
eight days, trying to reach our baggage trains |
at Van Buren,; and after reaching them have |
felt much iaied and worn that | have not
felt disposed to write sooner. We left Boston
Mountain (where we were stationed when |
wrote you last Tuesday the 4th inst. to
meet the enemy. We found him in Benton
county. near the main read leading from Fay
etteville to Springfield in tie neighbOrhOod
known as the :. Elk-horn Tavern" Price with
his command engaged the left wing at about .
o clock 4. NJ, and fought them hard until dark
closed in on the scene-driying them from
every point and camping Ut night upon the
ground which they had occupied during the
day. 1t was reserved for McCullOc.i and Me
Intosh to attack tie right wing. Four or five
regiments only were ordered up 20 open the
fight on our side Of the field (AIcNair-, McRaes.
The La. Reg, Mclntosh's, and what other
don't remember to have seen) while the re-
mainder OF the entire command where held IN
reserve to await further orders from our Gene
rails But the orders never reached them; for
our Generals both fell dead, early in the action
the previous orders were never countermand-
ed-the reserved troops were never ordered
out-no one was placed in command. Inc
consequence we that were ordered OUT
stood heavy fire fr~m the enemy for foGr
sistance from artillery, on cavalry, and, tins
programme Of the war entirely lost. The news
of our G ncrals being killed was known by Nh"
Staff and was communicated 10 hea i-qudrtefs
quite early after it, occurrence; nut W T's
known 10y but few, if any, of the soldiers uhti!
after the fight. McNair's, McRaes, anu tue
La. Reg. were together during the hghi, nhi
were all that saw during the engagement.
though the other tCO spoken OF were on "Ai
l,,1 VsaIs mn "a
storm IA battery, when the enemy, lying IN am
bush, opened a tremendous volley Of mu-Eoiry
upon us throwing our lines into perfect cor
iusion-so much 20 that we were never nhle \"
orm them again into Their proper companies
or regiments Louisianians anu Arklnsiah7
intermix ed, without regard to Cap.Mn- nf nD-
lonels and we gave them pGV nell night Tor
the four hours amidst an lnces-ant sh"MtF "
bullets grapcshot, aud hombshei.s-uii'iI hi'i-
ing that we were cpntcn ling against Na7..y ~
perior numbers. taukiug and surrounding ~
with cavalry and artillery, (none of which on
our side ever came to our relief We nband"hri
the field and marched out under our nag OtcA
To where we formed in the morning. ana camp
ed ON our arms until next morning. We eh-
raged the enemy at about L O'clock a. u:
and Win we achel our place for camps and
got one drink of water around, 1t was dusA:
During the engagement, COi. MtNaH I,--
pla.e marked coJlness AMI bravery rs
was seen all the time, where along the
line mounted cheering the men, anu ny nis
manifest disregard OF the surrounding danger,
inspired them with fresh hope and confidence,
and with renewed exertIoas % forward. a
the close Of tile fight he was the only CyipH-I
to be seen in our part vi the held-the othet7
being cut off aud taken prisOners-and wien
Ie found it was vain TO rally The men any
more he remarked: stick u me, All | wIil
take YOU out Or freeze" We stuck 40 him.
and under the flag hr narche u out under a
heavy fire of the enemy's artillery. but without
any additional los.
The /. xt morning, the Sth. Gen. Van y Dirh
finding the Arklnsians. Loui siln.tn anu
Texans without leaders. the men much lai.eI
and iisSoura ged and their iumbcrs greatly
lesseIel nv prisoners taken, men cut uff.
wounded. killed. SC concluded not to risl
an other engagement. Price, however, eugrg-
ed the enemy to divert them untiI we cpEl 4
make good our r"treat, which we dld IA good
order The enemy was fully satisfied nus tY
pursue US. and III far5 was much wnr': Jam
u .el than We Iva Any il-a "t ut the time
dad the same suc-e-~ aticu,ei our efforts. On
the rl.Lt ns did those Ut Price, th- ifty uplll
easily nave been ours. Eut we attacked thtm
| under In any disadvantages. An 4 HIet with lie
| verses at ine outset irtr whch nn aNurt.nn- uu
| the part Df ihc men couli pJss bly, aiplc. The
| enemy has sIIcHd-r generals I'll n WEI but Ee
| Aa- not - god Il -httmz material. 49, hti
been in possession " the country iIr several
| weeks and hal lost nn time ~ nrinaiutin-
hmsei with - re"trap ply. hht a-Fati'us Li'''-
| self oi every advantage 4t iWihl-htl. 4Iir
batjeTic, were planted upon ,Nry enhntna-
| that commanded d yirw VI oar ranks, ann Er
| piav,l them deNteIun-ly. Regiments vi in-
| iantry were placed in ambu sea le II aht on or
| march. aud thyy loaded and fired promptly an
| r,.-u urly but turt -hut oitn bus lttie p.e
! yisiOu.
l. seems unreasonable o9ay that Che enc
/ my's iuss greatly exceeded ours, AMI s.; we
gave up the fel4. Tu,u-h all thing. cyl-ii-
| ered. Il is not unreasonable. ! suppose they
| four f"esl acknowledge themselves that tAyIr
| killed greatly exceeds that on our siie-
| will not attempt to give you an aggregate
| statement of the entire result ia killed, &e.,
| knowing that you will hear it othcrily before
long; but in NcNairs regiment, whi5h was N
| the very thekest Of the fight, the loss il
| killed. 3S wounded, aud 40 missing. Among
the missing great many we know t1 be prs
| oners, many OF whom are making their escape
daily. Not less than D dozen OF this regiment
| have made their way To from the enemy
guard since we came up with our train.
| feel confident. give us tho right leaders,
we can whip them in every engagement. They
| never once Giliiut "a NiiAi anu ulNu
| opportunries to do 50, with telling effect
| Once give US the same advantage Of them
| which they had OF u, and not one will be left
| TO tell the tale For my part, | feel more en-
couraged now, than before the fight. We have
only to be true to ourselves and present a bold
| front, to accomplish all for which we set ont
| They are cOntending for much more than we.
| though we must not fatter ourselves that the
| path before US j. an easy one They are
| fighting for our subjugatiun: To accomplish
| this, if we be true to ourselves, is as imprac
| ticabie as would be effort TO dam up the
Mississippi with straws. We are fighting for
the privilege Of living, hcnceforth, in gov
! ernment OF our own, separate and distinc;
| FROM them-simply to be let alone This
| is not impossible of accomplishment.
| The picture at present Is gloomy; but our
| reverses throughout the Confederacy, are
easily accounted for. In the beginning Of
the contest, the enemy fatterel himself tnat
the task assigned him was one Of easy ac-
complishment. III knew that he had the re
sources Of a once powerful government In his
possession-reled upon hi. superior numbers,
| and fattered himself that there would be many
| elements of disturbance in our mid-t. which
would soon force " to succumb. In this be
| has been agregiously mistaken; while we,
seemingly conscious Of our weakness, an ol
| the ma agnitude of the undertaking before US.
put forth our energies, aud victory perched
upon our standard, on battle fields which Will