, 1863-08-14

utE CuAIEE4
PORTLAND. Aug. s, 1863.
The greater number of the cxcursionists
Will on tomorrow, start for home, some GO
Ing By Boston and Niagara Falls, and some
returning by the Grand Trunk. LC.
letter FROM MAI. GEN. BLUNT.
Tie Battle Of Honey spr1nss-rr1buto
to Negro E1lor.
The Leayenworth Conservative publishes the
following private letter from Major General
Blunt, written to friend In that city. Apart
from the description Of the Honey Springs
battle it is Of interest as paying tribute to the
valor Of negro troops. The following is the
letter:
Ii TIE FIELD, FoRT BIgSr. G: n,
Dean FR1rsp:-rho boys so'h haSe Staj preoab1y asS
written You concerning our trip down here,
and Of the battle Of the 18th. I have been
pressed with official business, Decides being
Gick. This Is the reason have not written
before: NJ " heath Is quite good agaia aoT,
pounds siEce leaving Fort Scott. I was taken
Eick on,.the 14th, and on the 18TH, at mIdnight,I
got out OF sick bed with burning fever,
and, taking three Of my staff, ferrled over
Grand River, got two hundred cavalry and
two loNitzers and tTeuty-six pound guns,
marched thirteen miles up the Arkansas,
torded the river In the Ece Of the enemy's
pickets, Tasscd dowu on the south side Of the
crossing at the mouth OF Grand River, oppo-
site Fo1t Blunt, expecting to come in the rear
had got he scent and hid "skedaddied.' I
had learned that Cooper was on Elk Creek,
twenty-five miles south Of the Arkansas with
SIX thousand men, and was to be reinforced
the next day, 17th. by three thousand men
IRON from EFT EFT Smith, when they expectedto move
crossing my forces at the mouth Of Grand
| River, ferTJing the infnutry on boats had
| built when arrived here md found the river
h'9s: it, column moved f,on tbo ,ont,, n,nt
about ten o'clock, P. M, less than three thon-
| sand strong, and twelve pieces Of artillery,
the latter Of very poor quality. -
Al Daylight came up with their advance
them in. kept al the the time with the nd
vance guard and watched aud superintcndcd
{, cry movement, as IVES playing a desperate
game, md did not dare trust any one but my.
Fiji. With small party went forward and
r rtconnoitered their position with glass.
timber Of Elk Creek, which formed partial
semi circle, the road running through the
center. The timber here was quite brushy
ard formed 4 complete cover for them, but
| Uuu AAtEAE1 kAEku lNAG lAEl1 plS1141ub AIA
knew The "gamc" was there, and, as the pris.
| oners have since told me, they thought they
had very "soft snap" when they SAW us
approaching and intended to "gobble" Us up
certain. could not tell where their artillery
but Eoon found out bY the clark as my
little wearied column closed up. had them
halted behind little rise Of ground to rest
| ond take lunch from their Aaver5acks.
/ After they had rested went back among the
I nff2n nd frnt ,F 63frranf nnn1r1n6S
md told them what I expected Of them.
They we're now about one-haaf mile from the
t rebel lind.
About ten o'clock In tho morning formed
on the right Of the road, and the other under
Col. Phillips on the left. The columns were
closed in mass infantry By companies; cavalry
BY p1atoons and artillery BY sections, with
the cavalry IN the front, I moved MP thts
guns, when suddenly deployed tue column
lEto lire on his right and left, and in five
ninutes my entire force WAS In line Of battle,
covering the whole rebel front. Without
haltipg moment, I moved up in line. going
myself In the advance to encourage the men,
and soon my skfrmfshing drew their fire, and
now the fun commenced. The cayalry who
| we're on the 1anks, Gism0unted, md fought
them on foot with their carbfnes. The attack
Was cEe Of the prettiest atfairs ever ,sitness-
cd. They all moved up to the rebel lines as
cool md steady as If going on dress parade.
| encouraged them to push into the timber
| and engage them at close quarters, which they
did with will for two hours. The rattle Of
musketry and artillery WIS incessant, until at
| last their line gave way and became rout.
They made quite u formidable stand at the
bridge on the creek but were rcpulscd. Honey
| Springs, the headquarters of Gen. Cooper,
was two miles south Of where the battle COM
1nenced, on the south side Of the timber, and
VIXEN they commenced their retreat they set
| fra IN all fhHfr hnf16infrS f4a.
Ftroycd all their supplies. I followed them
up until my artillery horses could dram the
gus no further. and infantry and cavalry
were I'll "pla5 ed on" with fatigue. Their
cavalry sti1l lowered on the prairie in my
front, and about o'clock P. N. Cabell came
up with his 1900 rrinfozcemcnts. Hy anlmu-
nitiou vas nearly exhausted, but bivouaeked
upon the field Ill night, determined to give
them the best turn ! had in the morning It
they were not Jet satisfied; but daylight 70
yealed the fact that they had all "skedaa"
4 Their loss killed upon the field, which we
buried, Was one hundred aud fly, and fifteen
, OF twenty have since died Of their wounds.
Parties Who have come IN With aflag Of truce
say their wounded is between 500 and 400,
and they nIl acknowledge that they we're badly
: thrashed. They had no knowledge that was
, | in the country, until they learned 1t In the
6ght. someo Of the rebel officers whcn taken
when told; replied atlat they thought either a
Blunt or the Devil was there" have about
| fifty prisoners, NIL Texans, among them eey-
! eral commissioned officers. They are much
surprised at the treatment they receive, us
they Ill expected TO- be murdered If taken
, prisoners. Cooper sent nc very warm let.
Ter Of thanks for the care I had taken Of his
;. wounded md the burial OF his dead. They
| continually oVershot my men, which explains
the comparatively smnll loss Of our side. One
Texas regiment went in with three hundred
! = fxuiff nr1u c1x-fv
iment was opposed to the 1st Colored. and
the negrota we're too much for them; and let
me- say here that never saw such fighting
done as was done by the negro regiments at the
battle of Honey Springs. They, fought like
!, surpassed They preserved their line perfect
| throughout the whole engagement, and al
, thong in the hottest Of the fight, they neTe1
once laltered. Too much praise cannot be
awarded them for their ga1lantry. The ques'
ton that negroes will fight Is settled; besides
they make better soldiers In every respect,
than any troops I have eTer had under my
command. Among the trophies, I have one
piece Of artillery, zoo stand Of arms, mostly
] Englieh Enfield rifles and stand Of rebel col
ose But did not intend to Ecribble this length.
commenced to tell >you how I got along.
being sick as 7 was, and hare got entirely Of
, after the battle, when my powers Of endur'
ance gage way, and had to come down in the
bottom Of IN ambulance, from which issued
my orders, until I got back here on the 10Th,
then wns confined to ny bed for several
days. had been, when the battle closed,
all the timc-had eaten nothing for several
days, and drunk gallons Of dirty, warm Water.
But such Ia soldiers lite, and # they don't
like it, they should not 60 to war:
/ know not what am to do In future.
baye given up all idea Of getting troops, and
shall make no more applications. The weather
| prevails. I shall do everything can to pre-
eerre their health by scattering them around
Where they can get good water. Ny cavalry
o!e on the south stdo Of the Arkansas. I can
hot raise over 700 effective men. Cooper
tince he Las been reinforced, has gave, inclu
elSe o. Ehat be lost OF. the 10th, his morning
report ct the 18th, which captured, showini