The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1863-03-04
A SOUTHERN ACCOUNT OF THE FALL
OF ARKANSAS POST.

p f
The public has never been satisfied with
the vague and meagre reports which have
reached US of the surrender Of the Post III
Arkansas. The following is a trustworthy
account OF the disaster, derived IRON 2
southern officer Of high rank:
The Post ON the Arkansas river, distant
from its mouth some fifty miles by water,
and twenty by land. and from Little Rock
by land 10 miles, was under the imnedi-
.ts command ii Gen. Churchill. During
,he last summer aud fall some defences
we're thrown up there, consisting oil an EN-
bankment surrounded by ditch. and
mounted with such guns rs could be pro,
eured--one nine inch dahlgren and two
eight inch colu,nbiads, with battery Of
small pieces arranged to resist al attack by
land. This armament, with corps of
about 1000 men, constituted Gen. Chur-
chiI's entire resources for meeting an at
lack af seven Yankee gunboats and the
land forces of sixty-eight transports--irom
thirty To- forty thousand men, who. having
Jus, been whipped out at vicksburg. had
Gene up the river in search at force
small enough 10 insure them a victory. On
Friday Geu. Churchill. spprised of The adj
vance Of the enemy in large f,rce, sent a
dispatch for rrinioreements. The nearest
point from which such all could be recey-
ed was fifty miles distant. During that
nigh, the enemy landed their forces, aud
early o. Saturday morning commenced
most iurpu, attack from both land aud wa
ter.
Oar men fought not only galIanily hut
desperately, through al Saturday and Sun.
day. sometimes bressting back the assail-
ants from their earth-works with their
bayonrts. and al ether times eneounIer,ng
their dense masses in the upen field. No
endorsements rearbed them Irnm first 10
lat. MecuIloch' division and ino regi.
mrnis IL cavalry, under command al Col.
Gso W. Carter, we're ON then way, but ar
rlyed only in season 70 lock the stable AZ
Ter The hnrsr had bren stolen. IL j. giatf.
i,lng 10 learn that 6en. Churchill. though
carried oil prisonsr. Was nat wounded ~
the fight.
L. i. reported aud believed that the enc.
IN, intended 10 proceed immediately to an
attack on. Little Rock. Bur the reduction
IL lie Fort wa. glory ensugh i"r one expr-
dition. and they departed the next day ss
they came, leaving the guns anharmsd as
the found them. aud the nurses. mules and
wagons ~ shilt for themselves IN the ad
juinlng fields. The capital il taken. @"uld
Afford them no advantage. a. the archise.
are already renewed ihsTrironi, aud the
country il 80 Ear exhausted that The enemy
could not subsist Tor an, length Of uar
without ,mpor,ing supplies.
A detachment Of the Yankee army, nun.
b,rlng about 1000 inlantr, aud artillery.
made a very anlonkrd inr enlTe into Van
Bursn during Christmas week. DRIVING In
sad dispensing our pickles, they l1shed
through the tnwn 10 the river, where the,
srized and scattered sun,e cummIssary
stores. They soon hsd occasion a. leave,
however. for, while Ia mrfias res an undis-
COVERED battery on the opposi'e ,ide Of The
river poured spsn them desdl, TIRE, WHICH
induced them 10 doubt whether he place
VAS altogether rs safe as they had thought
il. Those who escaped slept elsewhere.
aud have fsrgvttrn 20 return since.
Arkansas possesses vast mineral wealth
asvell a. an incompatible soil and climate
for agricultural prndncts. aud immense re-
sources Tor the purposes 81 war. u 4 but
recently That much attention has been "a
Yen 10 the Development oi the latter; yet
~ are iniormed that already great pro-
gress las been made IN the martial arts,
and that nearly all the ammunition used
by our army there i supplied BY the Con.
tolerate Ordnance Works at -, which
are under the direction Of citizen VI Pc
teFsburg, Va. These works are doing
nore for the war than all the other works
athe kind beyond the Mississippi.
The Baltimore Republican. 10 eomnent-
hg on Napoleon's letter to Gen. forey.
.says:
Must We. under the lead of junta u
visionary madmen. still initiate the dog 10