Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-01-21
SKETCH OF ARKANSAS Post.

The strong rebel position on the Arkansas
eas Pc: is now in our hands. From our dec
patches IL appears that the struggle commenced
1t ArEansa as Post on the evening of January 10.
and on the llth the rebels, finding that they had
ohope, Internationally surrendered the " hole
garrison, Notifications, armaments, munitions,
As., 10 our forces. Our troops had been so
Pia sed that il was impossible for the rebels. who
numbered some 1900 strong, to have escaped,
even If they had attempted IL. as their retreat
wa cut of on both sides of the river.
VALUE oY TIE POSITION To THE REBELS.
The rebels have selected this position for the
eefense OF the passage or the Arkansas river.
which Is The highway 20 LATHE Rock, the
capital OF the State Being one OF the sharp
had been erected At that point could easily have
swept from The waters any vessels tina: might
attempt 20 pass up the stream. The lcvea
Termed = kind OF arrady-made hreaxtvOrk for
rhrnen and others, who would have soon
cleared the deck OF any small yessels-and
large ones could not have assembled the river
sf any number OF men attempting 10 man the
guns.
Thus II would have appeared to have been An
mpossibiiity for our troops 10 have reached the
capital OF Arkansas from the Mississippi river
while the Rebels held the position. Aeauare
fort, with hastions, had been erected, and wa
ht!ec mp with nine guns, four of which were 81.
peunders. one lee-pound Parrot gun, and the
remainder of good size. All these, with a large
susntity OF munitions OF war, have fallen into
eur hands. So valuable was the post consid. =
sred mat over 200 men were detailed 70 guard
NJ, and these have all become prisoners of war.
The fort is built on the first bluff of the Arkan-
sss river, and is situated about 30 miles by
water from its mouth. The channel being
somewhat narrow and tortuous, rendered the
place more Than doubly secure from capture by
water.
SKETCH OF ARKANSAS POST.
Arkansas Post is post village and the capt.
Al cf Arkansas county, State of Arkans as and
rs situated on the lett bank of the Arkansas
rlyer. Ii Is about fifty miles in a direct line
nom the Mississippi river where the Arkansas
smpties INTO II, and about one hundred and
seventeen miles IN an air line, drawn south.
eastsrly from Little Rock, the capital Of the
state. It had landing for steamboats, pre- vious
Ia he rebellion, and then contained several
stores. BuI, Ike many other villa yes in the
SohLh. az has suffered considerably from the
effects OF the war and the blockade Of the rivers
from which II gained its source of existence
LII " As settled by the French in less, and WAS
for many years the depository for all the pe,tries
Of this region. Arkansas county is situated in
eooth- southeastern portion of the STATE, and
contains twelve hundred So mare miles, or seven
hundred and sixty eight thousand acres. It is
Interseeted by the river of its own name. and
fne White river flows along its eastern border.
ne surface OF the country is generally level,
and some valuable prairie land is in the
Vicinity. about one-third of the country being
occupied by portion of the grand prairie,
which IL the largest in The State. The soil of
mis- part Ia very fertile and ADAPTED TO the
sHlIure of both corn and cotton. The rivers
are nayigable tor fiat-bottomed steambo IT'S
during the greater part of the year. Arkansas
SShAiy hstO III icoO = population OF S,Sia, OF
whom 3. 923 were white and 4,S2i were slaves
OF the free, 2,094 were males and 3ie females
Ii VIII thus plainly appear that the garrison
was not supplied from The country only in
which the Notifications were built, although.
doubtless, all the able bodied males were con.
sSripted by the Rebels.
DISCOVERY OF A NEW QUADRUPED.-An new
auadruped has been discovered in N ada gascar
and an agent OF the French Academy of Sciences
has forwarded 10 that body an account of IL
II belongs to the genus fndris, and Is described
2= having q snOut like that OF a King Charles
Apdog, the skin of the face being bare and OF a
pet black Tint. It's fur is long and woolIy It's
paws, or rather hands, are bare aad black: the
fonrth finger is the longest the thumb of the
hind paws (replacing the great toe) is very
mick and nattened- The whole animal rnraI
ares eighty-six centimetres, fifteen of which
belong To the tail. The cry of this animal re-
sembiee that OF human being in distress and
when there are many together they form yery