True Democrat., 1863-01-28
Gen. fiIndmsn'fs neDcrt.
HgAbou REFERS lsr CoRPs, TRANS Mss. ARMY,l
 Camp Fort Smi h, Dac. 25, 1869.

HgAboU.RTrRs 1sr CoRPs, TRANS MIss ARMY,l
 / Camp ncar Fort Sai h, Dac. 25, 1869. { CoLoNE1:-
 marched from nc7r Van Buren on the 3d inst, with nine thousand infantry, two thousand cavalry, and twcltY-two pieces of artillery. Lack of shoes ari arms prevented me from taking my entire force My intention to attack Brig. General Blount, | on Cane Hill reported to have between seven and 1 eight thousand men and thirty cannon. l expec- ted, as stated at the time in dispatches to De- partment Head Quarters, to return immediately I after the engacement-havng barely ammunition enough for one battle, and not sufficient subslst- ence and forage for seven days, at half rations.- l These meager supplies had been accumulated with 1 extreme difficulty, by hauling in wagons of the general train and regim eighty mieS,-my transportation being very limited, the country | around me entirely exhausted. and the river too | low fer navigation. These facts had made it cer tain that must retire the greater part of my | force towards Little Rock; hence it seemed i'm portant, for the security for what was to be left that Blount should be driven from his position.
 Cane Hill is ridge of perhaps eight miles length and five miles width, in the southwest part of Washington county, Arkansas, just beyond the north base of the Boston Mountains. Three vil- lages are built upon it,-Russelville, ii, Boonsboro, and Newburg,-which almost blend with each other, covering distance, the road to Fayette- vile runs, of three or four miles. The enemy's main body was about Newburg.
 The distance from Van Buren to Newburg is 45 miles. The interr 0ediate country is rugged and sterile range of untains The roads across are gathered together at Van Buren. cn the south side, and at Fayettevii e, on the northern. These places are from fifty to siXty-fve miles apart, cord ng to the route traV eed. There four prin cipal roads. One bends to the right and east, with the valley of Frog Bavo u, crosses the mountain, then follows the west ork of White river, and strikes Fayetteville from the southeast. Another, known IS the Telegraph road, proceeds for the most part upnp ridges. di. 'ectlv north. The third leaves the Telegraph road twelve miles above Van Buren, runs along the Cher 'kee line to Evansville and there branches, tn ougf the Cane Hill country, to Fayetteville,-its main trunk going north, by Cincinnati and Maysville, 10 Fort Scott. The fourth turns to the left. from the Telegraph road, at Oliye-'s. nineteen miles above Van Buren, fol- lows the valley of Cove Creek to the foot of the mountains, and, after crossing, passes through succession of defes, valleys and prares, reaching Favettevilie from south westerly direction.
 At Morrow's, fifteen miles above Divers, tts , Cove Greek road sends branch direct to Newbu.- [ seven miles distant Eight miles above Morros $. it is crossed bv road leading from Hog Eye, we miles east or the Telegraph road, to Newbui' = Two miles beyond this 1t sends branch, by t avs Mill to MaysviIle, which crosses the Cane IIJ and Fayetteville road at the distance of two mis from the Cove Creek road. This crossingis sev El miles and half from Newburg, and twelve mi .es and q n {! above this crossing, the Cove Greek TO aG and the Cane Hill and Fayetteville road unit :, There is q road from Newburg, by Rav's Mill. to this iunc. tion-tha distance by the latter rout e being about two miles greater
 The accompanying ,aap may ser ye to make this
 Ma,malaKs-s cl7Tfiiffy 'Gvisi' ,n f,rmo.
 vance moving on the Telegr aph road with do. tacbments on those east a i'd west of if Col wat;as Cherokee rcgmer was ordered to the vicinity of Evansville, ins ructed when the firing ehould commence, to me we forward and occupy certain mills in the Can Hill region and to attack the enemy's train, Ii retired towards Cincinnati. The balance of my Orce moved on the Telegraph l road, and bivouack ed at Divers on the night of l the 4th There received information that a re- inlorcement of t'lree or four thousand men had arrived on Cam: Hill, making Blount's force fully | equal to mine. On the 3th, instead Of getting to | Morrow'F, IS had expected, we went but little further thar half way, in consequence of some of ! those apparently unavoidable delays to which 1 ,rao,,s S, il-providcd as ours are liable. On inc 6tb wa reached Morrow's. In the morning of .l,t iav. Marmaduke's advance, under Col. J. O. 1 cbaIhv encountered the enemY's cavalry, and drovo then back, beyond Morrow's, to within two miles of Newburg.
 There. from the crest of the nountan to it's base, about sunset sharp engagement occurred, in which Col. J. c. Monroe and his brigade of Ar kansas cavalry who had relieved Shelby, greatly
 
 of the enemy's cavalry with boldness and vigor, breaking his ranks, and only ceasing to pursue wfenreca!cd. 1 had previously ordered forward Hunters regiment of Missouri infantry, of Par sons brigade, Frost's division, to hold the ground which the cavalry might gain This order was promp.lv executed The regiment was in posses sion of the heights and defles that might be used for annoying us before the stirmish had ceased. To make sure of this advantage, the remainder of Parsons brigade was thrown forward to the same pcsition
 This being the situation of affairs, the several | commanders of divisions were bled on the nirht of the 6th to receive final instructions when learned that further reinforcement of from four to six thousand infantry, and two thousand cavalry with thirty cannon, under Brig. Gen Heron, was at Fayetteville, on the way to Cane Hill, making forced marches
 I It had been my intention to throw Marmaduke's cavalry, by the Cove Creek road and it's Maysvlle branch, upon the enemy's left and rear, while attack ed in front, by the road leading from Mor rows to Newburg. It now seemed evident that that plan would simply the retirement of Blount upon his achievements, without accepting battle till after the junction should be effected - There was possibility that might, by adopting a different plan destroy the endorsements. and afterwards fight the main body upon equal terms To withdraw, without fighting at all would dis courage my troops, and so embolden the ene- my as to ensure his following me up. His sudden concentration of troops justified the opinion that movement against me was intended in any event
 Influenced by these considera ions, determined to risk an engagement.
 At twelve D. m, after replenishing his camp fires Parsons moved back to Morrow s,-Mon roe remaining in position on the crest of the noun
 tain, instructed to dismount and skirmish as in
 fantry, at daylight so to deceive the enemy anC detan him at Newburg as long as possible; and
 when he should commence retiring, to press hin l vii sly hp ordered. a route, to the Telegraph road, and then to Hog Eye guarded by one hundred cavalry and the disabled men of the infantry, of whom there was, unfortu- nately, considerable number. These arrange ments left me, for the fight, less than ten thou
 sand men of all arms.
 The order was given to march forward at three a. m., On the 7th, the Cove Creek road and it: , Maysvle branch, to the Cane Hill and Favette
 vile road The command was not in motion till
 nearly four and then tho route proved so exces
 sively bad, and the detentons so frequent from , the breaking of artillery harness and debility o
 the battery animals, that the infantry failed tC
 march above two miles an hour.
 A little before sunrise Marmaduke discovered the cavalry of Herron's command, moving on the Cane Hill and Fayetteville road towards Newburg
 Making his dispositions rapidly, and with excellent
 judgment, he attacked them in front and flank
 routed them completely, killing and woundine many, captured over two hundred with the train ofa regiment. and pursued the fugitives five miles,
 in the direction of Fayetteville to the line of bat tie formed by Herron's infantry.
 My infantry was yet far in the pear, but moving