, 1864-04-22

Brom our Special Corrcspondent)
FoET sN1Tn, Ark, April 9, 1854
A messenger being about to leave for Fort
Gibson, Indian Territory, thence north with
the mail Vi. Kansas, yonr correspondent
takes occasion to forwards few brief notes
BY the way.
Ny last informed you Of tho removal Of the
major portion of the army of the
Frontier from Western Arkansas, by Briga-
dier General Thayer. We have dispatches
here this morning to the effect that the force
under his command has effected Junction
with Major General Steele, from Little Rock,
at OF near Canton. General Sterling Price
commanding tbs robe1s, is In full retreat
from South Western Arkansas, towards
Shreveport, Louisiana, where are General
Kirby Smiths hesdqunrter1. From the
news from General Banks Department 1t
would appear that General Albert A. Lee,
with The cavalry, il pushing up in that d.
rection. In all probability there will be an
engagement in Northern Louiglanh Kirby
Smith Is accounted IN able 1nan, aud with
the combined forces Of Price and Dick Tay=
loI, must have considerable army.
We arc having some excitement. here
abouts. Since Gen. Thayer managed to get
one Kansas regiment under his control,s and
then to march them away, this region is left
inviting and open for the "bushWtackers.,n'
They haYc not failed to avail themselves Of
the OCCASION"
Within ten days NC hare had number Of
little ekir1nishes. At Roseville, where the
LIST Kansas colored has beep stationed, gather
ing md ginning cotton, and which is now
held by small cavalry force from the ed and
9Th Kansas, two attacks have been made.
eItisen It'll .s Of s tie pee The:e slsf object ssem
ed to be to destroy the cotton contlscated
from him He succeeded In this, burning 134
bales, q gin and i cling house, all formerly
owned BY himself The attack was renewed
Oh Sunday last upon this place The rebels
Gen. Davis. and principally Texans The At
tack was made at q. m, and the light lasted
over two hours. The rebels we're repnlsed,
leaving eix dcsd, and sixteen prisoners in our
hands. Our loss was two killed and
eight wounded, among whom was Captain
GoEs Of the 9Th Kansas. Capt. Gardner, Of
the ed was in command. Onr men behaved
with great gallantrJ. The cotton at this
point, of which there is a considerable: qnsn-
1ity belonging TO the Treasury Agent, was
used az hrcastWorks. Teams have been sent
from here to bring all the cotton to this
point, and abandon Roscvi1le. The place is
OF no special military Importance, and the
small force in that region render Its coneen-
tration imperative in order to protect the
necessary forage and supply trains, and hold
the route between here and Dardannele, to
which points boats come from Little Rock.
Prisoners takeF It Roseyille report that
that Gano has about eight hundrad men, and
that his intention IL to concentrate the bush
whackcrs zDd make raid through Western
Arkansas. There is bnt little to prevent
them from Golng this, except the scarcity Of
forage. In the frontier district of Arkansas
there are not two thousand effective men, Of
whom one. half are at this place. There are
not three hundred effective horses In the
whole command. It is evident that but little
can be done except to hold the posts and
guxrt1 trains.
Surgeon Falrchild, of tho 9th, was sent
with IN escort Of twenty-five men, to take
charge Of the wounded at Rossville- Within
fittcen miles OF that place, Ills party was AMI
bushed by one hundred rebels. At the last
adviccs from RoseTille The Surgeon had not
been heard FROM, Us also nine of tue escort.
They arc believed to be talen prisoners or
be in the bush.
Another party attacked Clarksvi1le, on the
North side OF the river, weeks since. They
were repulEed and pursucd By party OF the
4th Arkansas, who surprised = camp, killing
five, nounding i've, and capturing ten prison
ers, pfpctccn horses, and camp equipngc,
The pIckets were driven in at Van Buren,
four miles from this place, three nights s,nce,
and small guerilla bands infsst the country
round for many miles. A number Of citizens
have been robbed aud murdered. Two who
came in stated that party came to their
that it was their intention to kill every man
who voted to make Arkansas free State
There ID lit1le doubt that many will be mnr-
dered. It Is quite evident tlitt with the present
force and man cement the raiders viii have
things IN this region pretty much their own
mounted, on thfeefourths fations, and un-
lees the river eoon becomes in boating con-
dit1ou, the prospect Of being rtduccd
| 1gain, for there is not weeks brcadstuf at
this depot. The lookout ahead for Western
| Arkansas is very gloomy. These guerilla
I ed if We had an efficient commander and
more cavalry. But in some things VIC are
| like the Bourbons-we neither learn or no.
learn By experience, Our Missouri border
I powers that be. The Western Arkansas
| gucril1as arc not get we'll organized. They
have no special head. With an efficient com
martcr. they could be routed In detail
| What We ncte want is couple Of regiments
| of Western cavalry, energy and stcrnuess in
mept, and in less than two months large
| portion of this region will be saIe
enoEgh for the farmers to work, which they
dare not do now.
party Of scouts. eight in number, encoun-
tered 1orty-dye rebels, thirty miles south
| tleL Ol pA1EC. Auu Oli3 tnEEtcuCu III Cl-
feeling their retreat after q sharp fight, in
which TWO men were killed. A party of cit
izeps, Mountain Feds" as they are called,
who lived at the Sugar Loaf mountain
range twenty miles south OF here, brought Ia
two prisoners day before yesterday Both
had been in the rebel service. came into our
lines last winter claiming to be conscripts or
| ccser!ers, and enlisted In one Of our rcgi-
| ments. AS soon as they were armed and
clothed they deserted, taking to the brush.
l-tions, and will undoubtedly be shot
From the Indian Territory we hare little
news. Stan Waite was reported to hare
moved to within sixty or seventy miles Of
this point. but an extensive scout, made by
order Of General Blunt discredits the facts Of
the report. Nothing has been seen except
some small bands Of Choctaws, for eighty
miles southwest Of Fort Smith.
1fGen. Blunt had any force to move with,
the opportunity Eow presents itself for doing
et'ectual service In breaking up Kirby
Smiths dcpots of supplies in Northern
Texas, by Iaid through The Chickasaw Ma
tion and the Red River, into Western Texas,
towards the Brazos. Everybody is fretting
at their forced inactivity.
1be weather is very chilly and disagree
able. The t.Sunny South" iB SO far a bols.
tercrs fiction. The river Obstinately refuses
TO rice, and tic rain will not come. Unless
| tue first named event occurs, this region
must be abandoned. ScouT.
FROM WASHINGTON.
| JFrom Our Regular Correspondent