The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1863-11-14
THE BATTLE OF PINE BLUFFS,
ARKANSAS.

rebels, under Marmad IKE and Cabell at
tempted a surprise. Col. CLAYTON had an
hours notice, and prepared for the fight.
He had seven hundred infantry and eleven
cannon. The streets leading to the Court
House Square were barricaded with cotton.
The enemy made an attack from three diff
ferent directions, throwing shells into the
town, without giving notice for the women
and children to leave. They fled to the
Court House, where they remained a short
time. We quote from a special to the Mis-
souIi Democrat:
"They were safe there, but in a few mo- /
ments the rebels from another direction /
fred upon the buildings. and the women
and children were removed under the banks
of the river where they remained exposed /
all the cold. dreary day until the battle was
over, which was about FIVE O'Clock in the
evening.
cat about nine O'Clock the rebel sharp
shooters entered private houses in the vi
cinity of the Court House, and, appearing
ct the windows, commenced firing; artillery
was numbering up and down the streets
against the cotton bIeastWorks.
"Marmaduke sent flag of truce to Col.
Clayton, telling him that he had a force
of 4 200 troops, and had him completely
surrounded, and demanded an upconditiOn-
al surrender Col Clayton answered that
the Fifth Kansas did not know the meaning
of the word surrender; that ne had whipped
Marmaduke six times within the last eigh-
teen months, and should whip him again.
1.-The message was delivered TO Marina
duke, and in ten minutes the engines OF
death were in full motion firing in every
direction upon cotton barbados. Eleven
Union cannon were busy replying, and some
four hundred long range rifles doing the
work Of death. At ten O'Clock Marmaduke
ordered a general charge upon three sides
CisvtGn saw the movement, united his men,
and held his canister and rifles until the
enemy reached within less than one hun
dred feet of him. He then ordered his men
to fire, and the horrid havoc It made com
pletely repulsed the enemy, killing and
wounding a large number.
GA twelve O'Clock another charge was
made by the enemy with the same result.
The firing then ceased for while. In the
evening a third charge was made, with no
better fortune. Col. Clayton had taken the
precaution early in the morning to bring
within his cotton fort some one hundred
and fifty horses, and stabbed them in the cot
ton warehouse on the bank. They were
saddied and bridled, impatient for the fourth
charge.
''The enemy seeming slow to came up
to the scratch, charge on the enemy, ii
was thought, might wake them up The
bugle sounded boots and saddles,' and in
a moment some Of the cotton bags were re-
moved, and one hundred and fifty cavalry,
headed by Colonel Clay ton, started at full
fOr 10 .,
feet off, This caused the butternuts much
confusion, who, by this time, were many
of them visiting private houses and robbing
them. They were COMPOUNDED and dispers-
ed in every direction, and finally were fol-
lowed two miles out of town when, it becom-
ing dark, our troops returned.
''This ended the days work. The last
heard of Marmaduke and Cabell, they were
in the vicinity of Saline river, some twenty
three miles off, on the double quick Near
ly every private house in the city was plum
dered, and the furniture in the houses of
Messrs. Rogers, Allis, Shows and Mills to-
tally destroyed by being broken to pieces.
The enemy left their dead and wounded in
the streets, tG the number Of three hundred.
The Federal loss was eleven killed and thir-
ty-three wounded.
"Ihe reported burningof large quantities
of cotton is an error. Only some forty or
fifty bales were destroyed. Many citizens
of Pine Bluff took up arms and went into
the fight with hearty will. Several here
tofore strong seeesh were among the num-
Der. Three companies of Home Guards
did good service. An artillery company is
now being organized.
"ArkadelphIa, Arkansas, is reported to
be in the possession of Gen. Steele This
place is located on Washita river, and was
the recent headquarters of Gen. Price.
There are now between 1000 and 5000
contrabands in camp at Pine Bluff
cat meeting at Little Rock last week,
over seven hundred volunteers from Yell
county, Arkansas, reported for duty to Gen
eral Steele. At Little Rock two infantry
regiments are being raised by Captain Ryan,
and one by Colonel Fishback, and one by
Mr.. Baxter, at Batesyille.''