Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-11-26
THE BATTLE OF PINE RLTFF
Mafmaduke with 1000 Men is Defeated bs
Colonel Clayton with less than 600.
PINE BIUFE. Ark. Oct "a IS6

FINE BLUFF, Ark, Oct 20, 1853.
The attack that the authorities here have
been expecting for some time, has at last
come, and the roar of cannon and the rattle
of musketry have subsidized, and the smoke
from hard fought battlefield, or rather bat
tle-town, has disappeared enough to enable
US to see where We are and what we have
accomplished.
This place is situated on the south bank of
the Arkansas River, about fifty miles from
Little Rock, ninety from the Mississippi river,
and sixty from Arkadelphia (Gen. Prices late
headquarters. 1t contained, before the war.
some three thousand inhabitants, and was one
OF the finest and most business towns in Ar
kansas. For six or seven weeks it has been
occupied by the Federals, during which time
it has been garrisoned by the 9Th Kansas cav
airy, and the lst Indiana cavalry, under the
command of Col Powell Clayton, of the 9Th
Kansas cavalry. There is also here one COM
pany of State militia, which has been re-
cruited since the Federals came here.
About two weeks ago Col. Clayton took
$50 men and four pieces Of light artillery, and
by making clrcuitOus route, and marching
ninety miles IN thirty-three hours, succeeded
IN surprising and completely routing Col. Dob
bins cavalry brigade at Tulip, capturing one
stand of colors, all his camp and garrison
equipage, quartermaster and commissarv
stores, medical supplies, transportation, &c.
The rebel authorities feeling ashamed and
grieved at this, began to concentrate Gen
Marmaduke's cavalry force at Princeton, for
ty-fve miles from Pine Bluff, Friday, (Oct.
49, about noon, with about 1000 men and
II pieces of artillery, mostly 12-pound rifled
guns, and started to take revenge on Col
Clayton, who only had between 500 and 600
men, and nine pieces of light artillery. Sun
day morning, about o'clock, Lieut. Clark of
the 9th Kansas cavalry, with one company.
was sent out On the Princeton road to see
what he could discover, but did not 90 far
before he met the enemy's advance, which
fired on him at once; they did not skirmish
but a few minutes before all armed party
bearing a flag of truce came forward and the
officer commanding it said:
i must go to the commanding officer i'm
mediately." Lieut.. Clarke replied, 'You can
not see Col. Clayton. You have no right to
be here with flag of truce; you have al
ready been firing on me, but will give you
half an hour to wait here for me to send in
and get an answer. He replied: 81 will not
wait. l have dispatches from Gen. Marina
duke, as l suppose, demanding surrender of
the post. | must go in Immediately" Lieut..
Clark said: you cannot go in. Col. Clay
ton never surrenders, but is always anxious
for Gen. Marmaduke to come and take him
and now, God damn you, get back to your
place Immediately, or | will order my men to
fire on you" He fell back and they COM
menced skirmishing again.
Meanwhile, Col Clayton assembled his
whole command and sent out skirmishers in
every direction, and come the Gen. Jackson
on them by setting 800 negroes to rolling cot
ton bales out Of the warehouse to barricade
Court Square.
In less than thirty minutes every street and
opening leading into Court Square was com
pletely and very formidably fortified, and the
artillery planted so as to command every
street and opening leading into the Square,
and sharpshooters placed in every building
adjacent thereto, so that the rebels could ap-
proach the Square in no way except through
the streets and openings that were command
ed by our artillery.
Thus did Col. Clayton, with few negroes
and plenty OF cotton bales, almost in the
twinkling of an eye," convert place appar-
emily detenceless into a strong fort. Surely
cotton with his ebony sceptre is king. About
nine o'clock the enemy had succeeded in
driving in the skirmishers, and approached us
in three columns, namely on our right, cen
tire, and commenced pouring in their shell
and canister like hail. The first fire was
greeted with loud cheers from our bows, shell
| and canister from the guns, and Shapes
| rifle ball from every man that could get his
eye on "Butternut." From this on there
was perfect tornado of Shells canister and
bullets flying from both sides for five hours
During all this time Col. Clayton rode round
| the works and gave directions with as much
| GOODNESS and cOmposure as though he was di-
rectlng the movements of some celebration
instead of a battle. Every man also seemed
determined to fight as long as he could get a
| round Of ammunition. Between II o'clock
NJ. and l o'clock P. NJ. the enemy set fire to
the buildings on the right, expecting to be
able to rout us by fire, though not able to do
so by force. Two hundred negroes were set
to carrying water and throwing it on the
buildings on the right, adjacent to the Square,
and by thus doing prevented the fire from
doing us any damage.
As soon as the enemy found that he could
not rout US by fire, he changed battery from
the right to the centre, kept up sharp can
nonnading for short time, then retreated,
leaving his wounded and dead on the field
We followed him for about two miles, then
returned and put out pickets the same as
usual. The battle was fought and won. Two
regiments, the 5th Kansas cavalry, the 1st
Indiana cavalry, and one militia company
less than six hundred men in al-fought and
kept at bay for five hours, four thousand men
and finally made them beat an inglorious re-
treat,
% Bravely they fought and we'll,
The gallant six hundred
No words Or comments to show the efficien-
cy and gallantry of these two regiments are
necessary. The battle they fought and won
speaks for itself
Our loss was II killed and 80 wounded,
and one missing of whom 5 of the killed and
II of the wounded were prisoners.
The enemy's loss, as far as ascertained was
So killed and 164 wounded. We captured
three officers and thirty men. Gen. Marina
duke in trying to burn US out, burnt several
of his own wounded men. o, what an act of
barbarity to men who, by taking the front of
the battle, were wounded and unable to get
away. Their screams and groans, amid the
cracking of the flames, and the thun-
dering of the cannon, struck terror to our
hearts, but it was impossible to rescue them.
| They were burned to death , and almost entire
| ly consumed by the fire that was kindled by
| his own ruthless and barberous hand.
! They plundered every house that they
| oould rot to and c+ola from the citizens all