Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-05-20
Raj BANKS ARMY.
FROM GENERAL BANKS ARMY.
THE RETURN TO ALEXANDRIA,.
The Retreat Conducted by General Franklin.
A Severe Engagement.

The Retreat Conducted by General Franklin.
Severe Engagement.
The special correspondent Of the ST. Louis Re
publican with the Red River expedition, gives full
particulars fGenera Bank retreat to Alexandria.
Our forces arrived at that place on the 26th and
9th OF April The Republicans correspondents
says:
GENERAL FRANKLIN CONDUCTING THE RETREAT
General Franklin and General A. J. Smith held
a consultation at Grand Eeore last week and a.
greed upon programme by which they could
| bring the Army successfully back to Alexandria
Franklin laid his plan before General Banks, and
told him that he Franklin) had held consultation
with General Smith, and that they had agreed up
theplan, and that he wonld undertake to conduct
| the retreat, if he (Banks) would not interfere
General Banks assented, and thus virtually turned
the command over to General Franklin. He took
cavalry escort and came on to Alexandria, arriy-
ing here day or so in advance OF the main army.
A SEVERE ENGAGEMENT.
General Franklin took up his march from Grand
Ecore last Thursday, destroying all the stores for
which he had no transportation When his army
| arrived at Cane river, Saturday morning, where
General Franklin expected to cross, he found rhe
rebels under Dick Taylor posted on high emf
nenee on the opposite SIDE in force, to dispute the
crossing. Franklin at once opened on them whith
artillery, and heavy cannonading was kept up all
kodldFudy. nlgflt anu unIt sunday
morning about nine o'clock In the meantime
Franklin sent a large infantry force up Cane river
two or three miles, where they succeeded in finding
ford, at which they crossed over, came down near
the bank, and charged the heights. severe en-
gagement ensued, in which both sides lost heavily.
The rebels were driven from the hill, and eros
sing OF the whole army effected. Two hundred and
fifty of our wounded at this battle came down on
Monday, ON the steamer Red Chief. Their wounds
had not been dressed when they arrived here. ]
have not been able to learn the exact estimate of
losses on both sides. 1t is N.Y. opinion, however,
that our losses will not exceed four hundred in XII
| led wounded, &c The rebel loss is perhaps great
er. The Rebels soon closed in on General Frank
lin rear and there has been sharp skirmshing all
| the way down.
GUERILLAS.
| This place has been in constant state of excite
ment and alarm since it was known that the army
was falling back upon Alexandria. This alarm has
been increased by frequent guerilla raids on the
opposite side of the river On Sunday morning
number of rebels, numbering forty or fifty, made
dash on Pineyile, on the opposite side of the riv
er, fired yOlley at the boats captured some efour
| scouts and pickets, and spread terror among the
women and children of PineyiIle
The gunbOat opened on them, and shelled the
opposite shore for about an hour This caused al
most panic in Alexandria, as the shelhng began
about FIVE 0 clock Monday morning at a time when
the most of the inhabitants were asleep. The can
nonading was loud, and shook the houses, making
the window sashes rattle. This was too much for
the nerves of delicate women, and many were the
! hands that were wrung In horror at the thought
of battle in our midst. The matter was soon ex-
planned and the excitement gradually subsidized =
! The excitement was revived Monday evening. The
rebels made another dash at Pineville causing
big scare. The gnnboats opened out, and shelled
the woods back of the village. Nobody hurt.
A REBEL JOKE
/ 1t is said shat the rebels captured at Mansfield
two wagons loaded with paper collars; and that
General Dick Taylor returned the collars through
flag of truce, with letter to General Banks, in
which the fictitious rebel-said Il have boiled,
fried, baked and stewed these things and can do
nothing with them. We cannot eat them. They
are a luxury for which we have no use, and Iwoud
ike, therefore, to exchange them for like guam
toty Of hard-taek." The joke is good one, and
has convulsed the western boys who have no great
admiration for the 'rIberator of Louisiana. =
When the western troops passed General Bank )
headquarters, coming into Alexandria. yesterday,
they groaned, ieered; and called aloud, How
about those paper collars =
THE BLACK FLAG.
Before the battle of Pleasant Hill, General Dick
Taylor sent in by flag of truce, a letter TO Gen
cral Banks, in which he told him that if negro
troops accre used against tie Confederate drnv tie
Taylor) acout{ raise he bJacl ftag and slloD no
quarter. 1t may be owing to this fact that no ne
gro troops were engaged, they having been sent to
the rear Tor rather to the 'front.' to guard the bag
gage tran ON its way back 10 Grand Ecore.
THE GUN BOATS.
As many viii doubtless attach some blame to
Admiral Porter for getting his gunboats ashore
above the falls. AMI allowing them to be caught. it
is but justice to him and his squadron of brave
men to Sly that the country owes HIM and them
much for the part they performed. Had it not
been for the gunboats above Grand Ecore, after the
battle of Pleasant Hill, the rebels would have cap
tured Banks entire fleet of some thirty or forty
transports, all loaded with valuable stores. The
naval despatch boat Benefit. Captain Leery, COM
manding, while carrying to the transports a hun
dred miles, by river, above Grand Eeore the news
of Bank retreat, and an order for their return
was fired into at Craps Bluffs, forty miles above
Grand Ecore, by battery of four pieces of artli
lery and by about 800 infantry. The rebels freG
forty shots killing the captain of the boat j. T.
Hatcher, and two others; two shells burst in the
engine ROOM The benefit carried two pieces,
which did good service firing fifteen shots, killing
! and wounding some thirty rebels. | am indebted
3 to A. j. JONES' master S mate on the flag ship,
) and who commanded one the guns on the Benefit,
for these facts The rebels must have known that
the Benefit carried dispatches announcing Bank 3
defeat, and hence their desperate effort to cap
: ture her.
LIoUoR IN TIE ARMY-General Howard made