Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-03-17

AOlneS river 10 S's'"tt
places b, eakipg up.-Aeohu6 Const''G'
ton.
The old flag has since been elevated
IN the Representatives Hall, with ap.
propriate honors.
Gen. Curtis Biunders.
Translated fro IA the Westlicae Post, VI the 18th
inst.
CAxp NEAR SAGE SPRINGS,
Arkansas, Feb. 25lh, 1862. J
The telegraph and your numerous
correspondents have no doubt informed
YOU Of the progress Of our gorlous cam
paign. What We haze attained you
know but What We might hare attain
ed and did not, is, perhaps, not so well
known TO the public. As counterpart
to the positive l will furnish you with
this negative correspondence.
Oar supposed good luck had ITS
foundation ia the cowardce and lnierl-
ortv Of the enemy, and our misfortune
has been the entire ignoring of all STRAIT
ege,lc principles n our Chief command
err. With all due RESI- ect to Gen. Cur
lis. as man, it is imposs bic, with the
utmost endeavors, to make it pCssoie 70
attribute to the old gent -man the least
talent Of general-not to speak at all
Of acquired military knowledge. Had
the advice Of Sigel been acted on, we
would have destroyed Price entirely,
and thereby prevented him from forming
junction with Mccullough. We
would then have found Arkansas open
for further military operations, bat at
least open for our passage to the Missls-
sippl.
Gen. Sigel's proposed plan was, to at
tack Piice with our main force at
Spring fe.d from the southwest sidc,and
thereby threaten their retreat across
Wilson's Creek towards Cassville. Be
fore the different divisions could take
their positions, We received, on the
morning OF the 18th Of February, at 10
o'clock, the discouraging news that
Price bad evacuated Springfield on the
night before. Cen. Sigcl then suggest
ed the following: The grand army viii
advance slowly on the Fay etteviIle and
Verona roads, which roads Price had
taken, and the whole of our cavalry will
advance in two divisions, the one to
Oz TX and Crane Creeks, thc other via
Little York aud Verona to McDowells,
t. attack the enemy i'll the flank.
Instead OF carrying out this simple
bu, correct plan, the division OF Colonel
Davis ran (you could hardly call it
marching) race with the cavalry, driy-
ing the psnic-slrlcken enemy before
then similar to the boys who chase
colt on the open prairie, and attempt
TO catch it by the tail. SigeFs division,
which was advancing on the Verona
road and on account Of the flank move.
ment, had to describe halt circle, and
on this account had to march about l 9
miles further than the third DAVIS d.
vision, we're, notwithstanding their fore.
ed night march, about two ,nlles behind
the third division a, the junction (Mc.
Dowelfs) while per agreement they
ought to have teen there from eight t,
ten miles in advance Had they given
5 Gel time TO carry oat his IL INK move
mcn,, and Instead Of driving the
enemy before them, followed il
>onc distance, it as pore Ma,,
kelly that the plan would have been
successfully carried out at least could
We have cut IF the eucmy's train, or
destroyed it. The only considerable
tight we have had, was fl .sh in the
pam AZ Sugar Creek the hard pushed
e.r guard of the worried out enemy
turned. The cavalry regiment, "Ells'
Horse was ordered to advance after a
lew shots had been fired in the bushes.
Where 1t was supposed the reb Is were
concealed. s I men leep.n close column,
these poor dtv Is were sent INTO the
tie 90 steps before the cnemy's can
non they were ordered TO haH-l0o,l
ptstots -chorye and at it they went.
lhecub nesand pistols were d scharged,
and then, without using lie sword, they
turned. Nae dead and eleven wound.
cd was the result OF this affair. When
We arrived at McDowell's, Gen, Asboth
| was ordered in advance with two reoi.
'nen's of cavalry AID battery Of I'll, lng
artillery" on side road, to cut off the
enemy, ii p s,ib,e. THIS sexped ton
failed, as Gen. Asboth did not get to
keitsville until Price in his flight had
passed. through. While we were law
ng at Springfield, Price was encamped
alb ut II miles to the South, in the
cross hol'o~s of narrow pass, which is
crossed by a cut oft road. Sigel insist
ed that the whole cavalry, the flying
ARTILLERY, and four mounted howitzers
should advance by Usage Springs and
Midtown, two miles south of cross
hollows, to attack the enemy in the
rear, while the main force would attack
the defile from the front, no,th]; bu,
instead OF acting upon this plain advice
the prosecution Of which would have
been most disastrous to the enemy. the
grant army" rested one day on Sugar
Creek, Max did not like to 90 into III,
VOLTS den, and let the fox very natural
y escape from his hole. McCuloch
| with about 9. GOO Arkansas troons ioina,