, 1863-01-20
FROM TIE SOUTHWESTERN ARMY


1rnn voo-o 4l,o ,.....,~- - r a..
Yn'e ': no,e luz army o1 tne 1rontlef ms met
WIN slsna4 success-1u TACT, has made the
greatest achievement Of the war in this part
of the country We haze ncpetro+cd The f,s+-
raee ~ +ho noc+aa ,1.,,,,t.,..s -.
-',sa ~ ~ oooton nou"'>Au'S' sao' WIN our
"hoic army, crossed them In ono night, dn
achievement that will make rs historically
r. +oa1- .,a,-o ,,o,.oa D..
~ tooA t"el'e HORSES 10 orag one piece up
many Of the bills. Their pickets were COM
pletely surprised and many Of them captured.
Thu rest alarmed t1,e 1renv =, +ho;r m -, -
-.,s ~. -.4s,. 49, .1 ~ euey ~ A1en e1"P'
Mno made INC greatest eSeF1on to save their
train; but before It got in motion the cavalry
and artillery vcrc unon IT.. The .roone aea
49, 49,. t % ~ s1'"ro "ea
''t4a luz "asaone "en1 on Oh run, agfea5
many were captured.
As nc ncared the town Of Van Buren the
cannonadjnp become fierce md hcarv on,v i,
,,..,1 1s oeso"o "e'ee aua nea's' oh'S
little less than ut Prairie Grove. Many steam
crs wcro at the leyec and plainly showed the
,,osf comn1oto srrnr;ee Soma e+,,+;ro W. q.
,-,.,o. to--arss ra.t sss;.s 49,. ~ ~
l4fcr to"aius eol1 e1na'e' >ouf DINERS went
down the river, one was cut loose and they
cndcayored to float It ofr Init II e+uct ~, :,
nor m IN o,o,r ;r,,,-,os ~ o.a -..sns
pa!, 50 LUG GU" jumped Oh anu "aoed ashore
and soon disappeared In the woods on the
otnef sue.
.c ING easalIy t caasea tnoso gong down and
oIongnt l"1 ,2 o. laSm o3ck. kour were finally
~ ~ XII -! nssaaa. ,aoef M.eA stoses a1ter
"e got 1nu possession Of the town and the
anu Tue poats were brought up TO the levee In
iront o1 me loWn, alnd.nan came down from
tofI OLE omlth M "lth us artillery aud planted 1t
~ tne li1e paah anu enoeaso1ed 10 destroy
1ne ooa.s;
our arlnlefy repned ana that Which had not
1ront: 1ne uI1ng no" became fierce cnd OBJ
s'1tla.e, WIN lhe I1Fef pet"cen, nut little over
4ua1tel o1 niie apart. As battery alter
t.a n.atte!y CAME rushing doWn the hill and get
t1ns INTO poEitlon on the r1ycr bank, the
enemy seemed only more determined to de-
tauy thor lug @ Ooa,s, PuJ oar artillery soon drove
t 1nem on anu We hell inc town undisturbed.
me ooats we're much rtddled and the torn
some 1n1ufea-seseral cltlzens; were Killed
IN. gnc e161ng secssh Young lady had her head
snot @ o. ~ 9al! Hom reoci oa'tcry, with
nas oms y, LILY ~ oetls I'll u WHICH, taa1 INT, shc
WAS gong 10 pan:
1ne ooa's were loaaso WIN corn, sugar,
uis Molaisses, Hnshy, anu SAT-. Nlght now
comlng on tae oafkness prevented further
opetal1ons plt leaving % III complete POSSES
Sa1n 1 u ssc,5anang IN LIS sue ol inc river.
ine 9Gxl morning, INC Whole army was
Gems. Blunt and Heron receiving. the salute
on the leSee, In front OF fhc captured steamers.
The troops remained there during the day.
The property captured, SO FAR as know, WAS
some 200 head Of fine beef cattle, some seventy
wagons, great many horses and mules, o
large warehouse full Of corn, and the four
steAmcrs loaded with corn, sugnr, molasscs,
whisky and salt. There must hare been many
other valuable things which I have not seen.
believe the wagons we're loaded with camp
and garrison equipagc and some provisions,
Including many hams and sides of bacon.
I should think TINT not less than 800 pris-
oners were taken.
During the day everything WAS removed
that We could possibly TRANSPORT. Even the
a1nbulanccs were loaded with thc bedding
from the boats.
The boats were fired little after dark, and
everything that could not be brought off was
burned.
Our troops commenced moving back ut
about o'clock that night, but the cavalry did
not leave until morning, making fortY-eight
hours wc held the place. At about 9 o'clock
that night we went into camp SONG fifteen
miles from Van Buren where VIC met Gen.
Sehotleld coming to take command.
This expedition has cleared up one qucs-
ton, to INC very satisfactorily; that is, there
is plenty Of provisions, corn, and forage even,
on tue very top Of the Boston Mountains. I
saw many cribs Of corn, and there was burned
| hundreds Of bushels in the city that could not
| be transported. So the humbng thatwe could
not live there is again exploded. tits strange
that 1t has never occurred to our great men
| that where th;rty-two regiments Of infantry,
| Ten Of cavalry, and five battcricc, could get .
living, half that number might possibly, with
I what aid they could draw from Uncle Sam,
| exist, if not make fair living.
] regret to announce that Captatn Orme