Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-05-30
BEs ARC BRIDGE.
DES ARC BRIDGE
White County, Arkansas, May 10, 1862. 5

| White County, Arkansas May 49, 1862.
Capt Portock, Assistant Adutan General Little Rock
SIR: On yesterday, the 18Th, l LETT the camps
at this place as guide to a party of one hundred
| Texans "a detachment of Col. Parsons Texas
| Dragoons) to ascertain the locality of the enc
| my's foraging parties, and to cut them of if
possible. We found them about two miles east
| of their camp on the road leading from Searcy
to West Point, about three hundred strong On
our route in search Of them we were Joined by
about fifty men under Capt, Hicks We got
between the enemy and their camps and charged
them, finding them well protected behind fences
and secreted in the bushes TIE most of them
were posted behind the locks of fence in lane
running north from the road. The charge was
gallsntly led by Mai. Rog ers, who ordered flank
movement on the left of the lane, while he gal
lantly lead charge down the lane himself
About the same time, perceiving that the en-
emy were flying to the right through the field, l
Immediately had the fence thrown down and
charged them by flank movement on the right
When we had completely routed them and cut
them to pieces, large reinforcement Of the enc
my's cavalry coming up, compelled US to with
draw to point about a mile back in the woods
whence we sent for reinforcements who soon
appeared in number about 300, detachment of
Texas Dragons, when we again formed and
took position again on the road between the en-
emy and their camps, where we would certainly
have intercepted and captured the whole com
m8nd, had not the most of our forces been called
off by some accident or false information that
misled them and took them off in search of the
enemy in wrong direction. l, however, re-
mained there with Lieut. Ayers and ? squad of
men, capturing eight horses and three ambu-
lances, and also a Federal surgeon, who was
on his way to the battlefield to take care of the
wounded.
We also killed at this point two of the enemy
who had arrested Capt. Decius McCreeTy, at his
residence, and were tGkag him to their camps at
the Searcy landing. One OF these was killed by
Lieut. Ayers, the other by James Word, of West
Point Finding no further opportunity for ser
vice at this point, left with my squad and cap
tured property, Except the embulances which
were broken), and proceeded in the direction of
the camp but meeting party on the way to the
battle field, went with them to recover the dead.
We got there just rs thecnemy had left who had
carried off three wagon loads of their dead, and
leaving nine more in the lane. Their less was
from fifty to seventy-fve killed. Ours only
three, so far as we have been able to ascertain,
whose bodies were recovered and viii be decent |
ly inter ed Lieut. Mcdonald fell at the mouth |
of the lane, fighting as brsveiy as any man that
ever lived. DR.. Tapscott, Of West Point. and
one of Capt. HookeE's men, also fell fighting
with great gsllantry-
1t is proper to state that Capt Stokes and
Lieut. Grady led their command into the thickest
of the fight with a steady and during courage, |
of which they may justly feel proud and that al
both officers and privates, fought with a daring |
and intrepidity which was never surpassed. AT |
ter recovering our dead, returned to the camps |
The enemy, about six hundred strong, with two |
pieces of artillery, went up to ,Searcy expecting |
us to return that way, but returned again to their
camps in short time. They have one and
half regiments of infantry and battalion of
cavalry at the Sesrcy landing-three regiments |
of infantry and two batteries of artillery twelve
miles north of the river. This is from inf0rma |
ton that reley on. They are without provis-
ions-hsve had no -four for three weeks, and |
robbiDg the country Of all meat and grain that |
they canreach, also of all good horses and mules,
and many negroes.
Very respectfully, your obt scrv't,
F NJ CURJsMAN