Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1863-03-19

battle and surrender of Arkansas Post. From oul
own side We have bad scarcely anything authentic anc
rela bic and we have been compelled TO form opinions
upon it from the repor that have reached through
the Northern papers. The first and only authentic
count have from side is interesting mar
rave of the unfortunate affair in letter from DR.. C
Fl. Smith, who chief surgeon Of the Post at the
time Of It's capture, The account he givta conveys
new and very important version Of the mysterious a
ar and alleges that the surrender the direct result
of treaebery and against the positive orders of the
commanding officer, who desired and expected to de-
end the Post to the last extremity We condense tie
material facts of his statement:
The troops garrisonipg Arkansas Pest at the time of
attack consisted Of three brgaea, mostly Texans and
commanded respectively by Coils. Garland Desher and
Dunnington, the whole forming q division under the
command of Rrigadier General L. j. Churchill, and
numbering the day Of the fight not then thr-
ty three bu1dred effective On the 9th day of an
uary scout from below brought Intelligence to Gener
al Churchill of Yankee gunboat having made its ap-
pearance in the Arkansas river some thirty miles bow
the Post; some hours later the same day another
scout brougs news of other gunboats followed by tran
ports making their way up the river. Upon the re-
ceipt OF this intelligence General Churchill ordered
everything in readiness for attack, aed night
closed in all the troops distributed along the line
of entrenchmsnts, where they remained all night in
petng storm of rain. The enemy, in the meantime had
landed force about two miles below the FORT but they
made no demonstration until about nine or ten O'Clock
the next morning, whsn they commenced Smelling the
fort from their advance gunboats that cautiously
and slowly feeling their way up the river.
Our troops held the position first taken by them
til about O'Clock, P. when the General, fearing
flank movement left ordered the to fall back
to line of entertainments near the yet unfinished FORT
which line.was speedily completed and all the troops
properly distributed before night set in Just dark
drawing near, four gunboats approached the
fort and commenced their COMMANDMENT our guns from
the fort answering galany, and after two hours ter
rife shelng, the gunboas retired one of them, the
Eastport badly disabled Our loss up to this time con-
sisted of only three killed and some three or four
wounded.
On the morning of the 18th ultimo, at two o'clock,
or thereabouts, the enemy reserved the attack with
gunboats and land forces combined they had also
erected battery the opposite side Of the river by
means of which they kept up terrific cross fire that
swept the whole area of ground occupied by men.
The firing now continued until O'Clock, P. NJ, when
it seemed to cease and shortly after the cessation there
yell came from the lines which attracted the at
tention of the General Commanding, whose head
quarters had been established four hundred yards
from the trenches On riding forward to ascertain the
state of affairs the General was much surprised to find
the Federal flag floating in every direction along or
lines. Upon inquiry, it was ascertained that some
traitor i'm the 34h Texas regiment bad raised the white
Log and passed the word down the line that General