The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-02-06

we have PERMISSION 20 publish the !ol-
lowing letter from p. NJ. Cow.es, OF This
place, to his mother, giving an account OF
the brilliant part taken by the 42d Regi.
ment, in the capture Of Arkansas Post
He is now color. bearer OF the Regiment :
ARKANSAS Posr, up Ark. River,
Jan. l2lh, 1868.
f. Dean MoTHER:--Again have had the
privilege OF planting the tattered stars and
stripes OF the 42d o. v. over the Secesh
fortiiications but this time the Rebels
opposed il more than they did at the Gap.
We commenced the fight on the afternoon
of the 10TH Most OF II was done that
day by the gunboats but Sunday night
our forces were arranged, our brigade IN
reserve. The Fl sht was pretty heavy, and
about or P. NJ, our lille brigade was
ordered up 10 charge the enemy's main
Notifications, the artillery Of which had
been silenced by our gunboats. Just as
we were emerging from the woods, $50
or 600 yards from the fort, we set up a
yell. and started on double quick, when
the Rebels ran up white Aag, and sur
rendered their whole force uncondiIion.
ally. Their force was. 8 regiments OF
Texan Rangers fighting as infantry, and
one regiment Of Arkansas Infantry. They
had dozen or moro heavy guns, (from
0 inch down. We captured verything,
and very, few, tiffany of the rebels go! away,
though a good meny OF them have gone
to their long home. ! have seen good
many men who had been killed in action,
but | never saw men torn TO pieces in tho
way lhev were. There was one pile with
eight in il, and guess there must have
been 80 pieces OF them. Fragments of n
hundred ID. shell showed what was the
cause. Our loss was light; | don't know
how many. Most Of our wounded saw
were slightly wounded. The Rebels had
one iron n-plated. casemaied forl with a o
inch gun In Is. Our gunboats ran up
4 within 10 rods of it, under the cover OF the
river bank, and let into il, blew mp the
magazine, dismoupted the gun, and then
dropped shell into the fort, and dis
mounted most of their guns, blew up sew
eral caissons. killed and wounded men and
horses. Tho Rebels could not move their
guns, for the place where they, each stood
Is marked by pile Of 6 to 10 dead horses.
We thought Vicksburg was a hot place,
but, from the looks on the inside Of Ark.
Post, that was hotter. Gen. Churchill
was the Rebel commander here. Gen.
McClernand, who superseded Sherman
at Vicksburg, after the fight, commanded
our forces. i was very much surprised
at the size oil the Ark. River. Isupposed
river as long as II 10000 miles, would
be very wide, but, when We so; into II.
we found il a stream no wider than the
BIG Sandy. We shall probably go down
stream from here, no one knows where
but, as the river is falling, we must get
out Of here They may take us through
Ito Little Rock The rebels here captured
one batch OF our mail,
! III give you little inciden. of4he ba.
tie. I was on the Rebel brenstwork'
in five or ten minutes after their surrender
: and there, in the fort, were about eqna
numbers OF Rebels and u. S, soldiers, ant
all were as good natured and good friends
as could be, who, not ten minutes before
. had been using every artiice 10 kill eacl
other. They were laughing aud jokin,
together, telling what "close ls'the,
had had ,ssking each o.her what regimen
they belonged to. finding outfit they ha'
: ever fought each other before, all beinI
more peaeeable than a crowd ofthe sam
= size OF one side alone would have been.--
!, All the plumber | got was a splendi'
: crimson blanket. lIried 10 get double
barreled shot gun, OF which there wer
: hundreds, but was too late.
8 | have just been ont talking with tn,
r prisoners. They have got TO talking pol
4 ilics this morning. but, Of course, ii is al
4 peaceable but some.on both sides. get
!. little excited. II is as warm to-day rs
Jaly day there but We have some frost
, nights.
Such little scfsps as this has no efcc
on the war, out we got some 60oo o
: 1000 prisoners to trade of. Ny idea OF
/ Texan Ranger has changed good deal
/ had imagined them 70 be half-civilize'
b men. with huge. .bushy wbiskers, DO, DO,
n but, oa the contrary. they are the most in
q telligen; Rebels ever saw, and are NOR
!. than half under 21 years old. My ide
/. OF Soulherner, before the war, was,
|. dark. complexion. BLACK hair and whiskers
a but all have seen are very light COM
!. plexioned. light hair. almost white whis
! kers. There are some Indians among tb
J. Texans, You must write ofener whel
g we are away In the wilderness, than whel
It where we can get papers and news.