, 1863-06-12

that be had it would. take two days to cross
Gen. Bl1nt's purpose vas to find q portion o
TIE rebel army on the north side and .defea
item; and afterwards give his attention to tht
:on he morning Of the s7th Of December e.
Gen. Blunt marched from Prairie Grove t.
Cane Hill with s, 600 effective men and thirt1
pieces Of artillery, leaving the remainder o1
his command and I'LL the transportation, camu
had been ordered to prepare Six days cooked
rhtions and be ready to march on the morning
| Of the 9th, yet no one, with two or three ex.
captions, knew the destination until they were
several miles in the mountaina On the Van
Buren, road. On the contrary, the rumor had
going 70 move back to Springfield. The dis.
tance to Van Buren Was fifty miles and over
tie rouEhest road that troops eTer marched.
During the first days march the infantry
crossed one stream nearly waist deep thirty
seven times, while 1t was frequently necessary
get It up Bome Of the mountain cliffs; yet the
first days marcha distance Of thirty. .fiYo miles
was made, the command biyouacing at 10
O'Clock, p. m., and marching the next morn
ing at 1 a. N.
Early on the morning Of the osth the enc.
Of Van Buren, two regiments Of Texas cavalry
we're engaged. Arunning fight now commenc-
ed and Was kept up into Van Buren, resultinr
in the capture Of all the camp and gnrriao1
equipage, killing and Wounding a humber.
find capturing one hundred prisoners. Six
we're captured while attempting to escape, aud
destroyed. After the town was occupied bY
our forces, IN artillery fight took place acrnss
the river, until the rebel batteries were slenced,
And rebel camp was shelled across the riyer
tye miles below Van Burcn, aud madet to leave
II haste. During the night, Hindman, with
his entire army, which was on the south side
Of the river, retrca:ed in disorder towards
Arkadelphia.
The advent of the Federnls on the Arkansas
rirer, struck terror and dismay to the rebel
rupks. Nothing could have been more unex-
pected. They we're confident that the ''Feds''
were retreating towards Springfield, until the
streets, and the cannon commenced its roar
upon the bluffs overlooking the city.
This expedition was made at = time. when
Gen. Blunt was advised By G-n. Curtis to fill
back from prairie Grove and not risk battle
NTH Hindman after he had been reinforced;
Rurcn, Gen. Schoteld, then on his way from
st. Louis, telegraphed to Gen. Blunt to parole
the enemy's SICK and wounded within our
lines, send his own sick and wounded to
Springfield from Fayetteville, ind fall back
With the army into Missouri. Gen. Blunt re.
pttsu " telesss:'pn s 1Mst ne was IN command
~ "a a.u'3 ~ ~ =, niuitilIl, anu Houiu q
..eso1s - % anEs tuee anu tuAt u g1peGtea 10
hisl ps!sa "a ea3!y 'no neAt mofnlns on Van buren,
WIZ men u aIa VIII eIlenaia success.
nsn. ~ osnone!a aI mel Win me army on ITS re,
Blunt under arrest for disobedience of orders
IN not obe5ing his teleEam to fall back 1uto
On the I'd dag OF January Gen. scho field as
at'e. sal.eu tGo4maho, and Gen. Blunt much
1ta!nfe sns leehI,Se o1 inc whose army left for
r. hi,ne.,f raai He coa1a nor IN justice
~ n1mseu remain n snb'raiEatc position,
~ Es1ues @ ne "a. Mas STU IN co.. Land Of the 8th,
wa.tn.s ~ h"u i1tn uls1nets; emoIac!nS Kansas,
M mss,e sa A1kahsas t, anu tle Indian Territory,
W. tatiy Lu1'ss connccleo WIN the interest
t!i ~ tns service .nefe required his personal at-
sd ten,aon; r., ine Sd oEigade Of the first division
HUT VI: W1n. q. fMltfps was detached to
occnpy western Arkansas, and has ever siuce
under 1ne d1Tectlon q Gen. Blunt held pos
e E ssluu VI NSs1eIn Arkansas ana the Indian
1efrltofy 10 the Arksansas. and today por-
. tiun u ~ ~ occupying Fort Gibson. The re-
i3ngee Indians have been restored to their
p,.;", resnes anu are now p'anttng crop, and tho
~ uason nen u western Afkeansas are ral51ng
ana organizing intoa military force.
etStiM attacks nave recently been made
upon lhe forces now In Gen. Blunts district,
anu whose lines are farther advanced than
2, any other Federal force in the Department Of
Tie missouri, and have been rcpulsed. This
Is the only portion Of the army of the from
tier that has done any active service since its
r. urn from Van Buren.
It was Gen. Blunt's intention, after return.
irg from Van Buren, had he remained In COM
mnlid, to hare moved east upon White River
md Kept behind the enemy (who were mov-
ing down the Arkansas Riycr,) and SPRING