Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1863-03-18
The Fall of Arkansas Post--New Yer
sion of the Affair.

/ The Fall of Arkansas Post--New Yer.
sion of the Affair.
1t little singular how little and mea'
gre has been the information furnished the
| public with regard to the battle and surren
der of Arkansas Post From our own side
we have had scarcely anything authentic
and reliable, and we have been compelled
to form opinions upon it from the reports
that have reached US through the Northern
papers. The first and only authentic &C
count we have seen from our side,:is an
interesting narrative of the unfortunate
affair in letter from DR.. c.. a. Smith,
who was chief surgeon of the Post at the
time of its capture. The account he gives
conveys new and very important version
of the mysterious affair, and alleges the
surrender was the direct result of treachery
and against the orders Of the commanding
officer, who desired and expected to defend
the Post to the last extremity. We condense
the material facts of his statement:
The troops garrisoning Arkansas Post al
the time of attack consisted of three brig
ades, mostly Texans, and commanded by
Coonels Garland, Deshler and Huntington
! the whole forming division under the
command of Brigadier GeneralT. j. Chur
chill, and numbering on the day of the fgh1
not more than $500 effective men. Or
the 9th of January, scout from below
brought intelligence to General Churchill
of Yankee gunboat having made its ap
pearance in the Arkansas river, some thirty
miles bnlpw the Post; some hours later on
the same day, another scout brought news
of other gunboats, followed by transports
making their way up the river. Upon the
receipt of this intelligence, Gen. Churchill
ordered everything in readiness for anattack
and ere night closed in, all the troops were
distributed along the line of entrenchments,
where they remained all night in apelting
storm Of rain. The enemy, in the mean
time, had landed force about two miles
below the fort, but they made no demon
stration until about niue or ten o'clock the
next morning, when they commenced shell
ling the fort from their advance gunboats
that were cautiously and slowly feeling their
way up the river. - -
Our troops held the position first taken by
them until about 4 o'clock, pm, when the
General, fearing flank movement on our
left, ordered the men to fall back}to a line
of entrenehments near the yet unfinished
fort, which line was speedily completed and
all the troops properly distributed before
night setin. Just as darkness was drawing
near, four gunboats approached the fort and
commenced their hombardment, our guns
from the fort answering CALAMITY and after
two hours. terrific shelling the gunboats re-
tired, one of them, the Eastport, badly dis
abled. Our loss up TO this time, consisted
of only three killed and some three or four
wounded.
On the morning of the 10th ultimo, at
ten o'clock, or thereabouts, the enemy re-
newed the attack with gunboats and land
forces combined; they had also erected a
battery on the opposite side Of the river, by
means of which they kept terrible cross
fire that swept the whole area of ground
occupied by our men. The firing now con-
tinued until about four o'clock, p. M, when
it seemed to cease, and shortly after the
cessation there was yell came from the
lines, which attracted the attention of the
General Commanding, whose headquarters
had been established some 400 yards from
the trenches. On riding forward to ascer-
tain the state of affairs, the General was
much surprised to find the Federal Flag
floating in every direction along our lines.
Upon inquiry, it was ascertained that some
traitor in the 24th Texas regiment had
raised the white flag and passed the word
down the line that General Churchill had
ordered surrender, whereupon all the
troops, except Colonel Deshler's brigade,
Immediately surrendered. He refused to
surrender his brigade until ordered by Gen.
Churchill.
When the General rode into the fort and
surrendered, General Churchill told Gen.
Sherman, that he had not ordered sur
render, but on the contrary that he had or
dered the men to fight until all were dead
in the trenches rather than surrender
When asked by General Sherman where his
General Churchilps) men were, and was
told they were all there in sight, he seemed
surprised, and could scarcely credit the fact
that so small body of troops had succeed
ed in battling for so long al time, and killing
so many of his men. General Churchill
had telegraphed for reinforcements, and
hoped they would reach him that evening,
but none were ever sent; save about 200
from St. Charles, on White river, who ar
rived Just in time to be taksl prisoners.
DR.. Smith says that 2 900 would not be
large figure for the enemy's loss in killed
and wounded, whilst our loss was hardly
over hundred. The number of prisoners
taken at the Post was probably about $500
certainly not more than that number.
Richmond E.cansiner.