The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-07-26

: Gen. Curtis Army.
! his March from Batessv,7iIle /,
Helena.
I; -ap llrod Vie Chicago rrissnsl n-,g s.
Il ii qlGAYoso Houss, Memphis, July ls,
4 AT, last, after long weeks Of impatien
waiting and watching on the part Of the pub
lie, and the most strenuous exertons on. tn,
part Of the military authorities, aided an,
4 assisted by the naval force, and after the ex
petition up White River bad proved saiI
ure, while the utter ruin and devastation o.
his army was almost asre thing, we hav,
reliable information that Gen. Curtis and
his entire army are safe at Helena, Arkansas
having arrived there on the 18th. 9st ,tsJ
/ This important and heart cheering infor.
nation was brought to the city to-day at
Up. m-shys oasrssrmssecssE +t4hSlox, 8,
Gen. Curtis staff This gentleman came for
supplies for the army, which were badly
needed, the men and officers Of the command
not having had one day of full rations since
January last. For some months they have
been subsisting on three e-quarter rations, and
suffering from agreat scarcity of water
The necessary provisions are now on the
way to Helena, where the army awaits their
arrival. Capt Winslow arrived at %. m,
reported to Post Quartermaster H S. Fitch,
and in an hour had Gamer loaded with
-four at his disposal, with steam up ready to
proceed down the river. Other needed sup
plies win go forward as fast as boats can be
found for their transportation. This Is pref
ty positive evidence that there is no sign ef
''red tape" in the quartermaster's depart
ment Of the post of Memphis. =od. afrI
Gen. Curtis official dispatches have been
forwarded by telegraph to Gen. Halleck, ,-di-
rected to Corinth, and viii undoubtedly soon
be made public. Knowing the interest
which is attached to the news Of the late and
long concealed movements Of Gen. Curtis
command, we lay before our readers an i'm
perfect sketch ofits proceedings for the past
few weeks. Tho facts are stated as gather
ed from several reliable sources. 8i .f
af .uot} At BATEsvILLE.4r ,fnido 3 !,
I The last information received from Gen.
Curtis was near,ya month since. through
telegraphic dispatch to Gen. Halleck. He
was then at BatcIville, ard on short rations.
! HE LEAVES BAFRsvILLE.
q On the cath Of june Gen. Curtis, having
waited long AMI patiently for the supplies
his command so badly needed, and which
Col. Fitch and his hraYe Indiana troops were
periling life, health and everything in the
~. .s..-.a-- 40 fs.p;sh him ranrad h;c or,,v
from Batesville,, determined to strike across
the country and within reach Of the Missis-
sippi, where he supposed Gen. Grant to be.
or be extcrminated in the trial All along
the country through which the command
was obliged to march, the soldiers were
greatly annoyed by bushwhackcrs and guer-
rillas, They were not in large force, but in
small bands Of from thirty to one or two hun
dred, and their aim is to harrass pickets at
night, and cut off and kin or capture strag-
glers in the rear of the van, They had not
gone but about forty miles from Batesvile
and were at a point or plantation called Grand
Glaize, when detachment of the Sd Iowa
cavalry, which chanced to be in advance,
VAS attacked by superior force, their num-
bers, after severe struggle, were driven
back to the main body and Lieut.. A. H.,
Griswold and two privates oftbe cavalry kill
ed. On the day succeeding this skirmish,
Col. Brackets cavalry went out on a recon
noissance, met the same force of confeder-
ates and put them to flight without loss on
our side, but the enemy having several kill
ed and some seriously wounded.
f M FIGHT AT MOUND HILL. e
The force arrived at Clerendon--wh
they were unhappily preceded by twenty
four hours by Col. Fitch, still, hunting for
them the Cd Of July. There they Ger.
tainly. expected to find government supplies
and dispatches, but they were doomed to
disappointment none vesa there Pind-.
ing no transports or provisions At that point
Gen. Curtis determined to push forward to-
the Mississippi. A force was sent out from
clarendon, with the intention Of reaching
Helera, at the mouth Of the Arkansas. The
order was shortly afterwsrd given and the
entire army moved. On the 7th inst, by a
strange coincidence, only one day after Gel.
Fitch had engaged portion Of Hindman's
force, eight miles from st. Charles in the
forenoon, As Colonel Hovey was in the ad-
vance at the head Of eight companies Of in
fAntry, the 3sd Illinois, or Normal regiment
and ! Few cavalry, no was attacked by Q 1000
rebels under General Albert Rust. A bat
tle ensued which it would be useless to at
tempt to describe. II was Of short duration
brilliantly carried on, brayely fought by the
federal force, and brought to q successful
termination, the enemy retreating inglorious-
Ily leaving their dead upon the Geld to the
number Of 10. It was perfect rout, The
rebels did nst dare to return to the charge.
tand soon thereafter the main army arrived
upon the spot. This hght took place near
Mound Hill, between Clarendon and Angus
IA; 5000 rebels, reported near at hand, kept
~ 4 4 /. -.