The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1864-04-28
The BATTLES in Louisiana.

It appears from the fuller accounts now
received Of the recent battles in Louisiana
that Gen. Banks forces left Natchitoches
on the 9th inst. that on the 9TH his adj
vance was skirmishing with the enemy ;
that on the Sth severe battle was fought
at Sabine CROSSROADS between small
portion of Gen Banks's army and the
whole Of the Rebel army under Kirby
Smith, resulting IN defeat and heavy
loss to the Union forces; that during the
night of the Sth Gen. Banks fell back to
Pleasant Hill, at which place he was again
attacked on the 9th, and the remainder
of his army having come up, the attack
of the Rebels was repulsed; but that Gen.
Banks the next morning resumed his re-
treat, and returned with his army to
Natchitoches, and to Grand Ecore on the
Red River, and there, at the last advices,
remained. being in communication with
the fleet of ADMIRAL Porter. Gen. Banks,
during the week following the 9TH inst,
advanced forty-three miles, fought two
battles, lost about thirty-iyc hundred
men, twenty guns, two Of which were after
ward retaken, and three hundred wagons,
and returned to the point whence he
started.
These events are important in them
selves and in their probable consequences;
they require, therefore, to be examined
more in detail The fight on the eth may
be dismissed without remark; it was sim
ply a skirmish The serious work be
gins on the 9Th, aud begins in this way.
Gen. Banks advance consisted wholly
of cavalry, whereof there we're three bri-
gades, numbering five thousand men,
Aware that they had an enemy in their
immediate front-they had been engaged
the day before-Gcn Banks allowed
them to push on without an infantry sup
port, and with the whole of their train,
consisting of 800 wagons. There was
but one road. In response to report,
on the morning Of the Sth, that the cav
airy had been checked and were hard
pressed by an infantry force in front,
Gen. Banks sent forward two divisions Of
the 18th Army Corps. These two divi-
sions-being less than onethird Of the
whole army-were precipitated eight
miles beyond the nearest portion of the
main body, and arriving in front of the
enemy were vigorously attacked The
cavalry, in whose support they had come
up, fed. The infantry were outnumber
ed, Aanked, beaten, and attempted to re-
treat. The road by which alone the ar
tillery could move was blocked BY the
wagon train Of the cavalry. 4 scene of
Wild confusion, panic, and finally an utter
rout, followed. Twenty guns were cap
tured by the enemy. "The roads were
so blocked up" says an artillery officer !;
''that the order was given to cut the ira
ces and save themselves The retreat by
.his time had become rout" When it
had continued for a long distance, the
pursuit Of the enemy was checked by the
arrival of the 18th Corps, and of night
From the ground on which the 18th
Corps had taken its stand, Gen. Banks
ordered a retreat to Pleasant Hill, which
was effected during the darkness.
The causes of this disaster were that
Gen. Banks suffered the cavalry to ad-
vance beyond easy supporting distance
that the cavalry train was suffered to get
in front Of the whole infantry force, and
so prevented the use Of the only road for
troops and artillery to arrive or retreat;
and that when Gen. Banks decided to de-
liver battle, instead of withdrawing his
cavalry, he committed to that engagement
against the whole body of the enemy but
a small part of his own force, and sent
that, as he had previously done the cav
airy, out of reach of the remaining in
fantry, by whose aid the battle could have
been won. 1t is remarkable that he here
committed exactly the error by which, in
August, 1862, he lost the battle of Cedar
Mountain in Virginia.
On the 9th Gen Bank, having concen-
trated his army near Pleasant Hill, by
bringing up part from the rear and by
withdrawing part from the front, and
the enemy having continued his pursuit
of that part which was withdrawn from
tha front the aDoarempnt w1S reSumpd