The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-05-27

IS impossible 70 say. They thrOnged
the way, blocking the trains, and di-
putting the narrow, corduroyed road
with the horses and mules, and would
have crowded them from the bridge
had il not been for the prompt action
of this brave and efficient officer, who
has no sympathy with cowardice He
kept them back at the point of the
bsyonet, until the trains had al been
safely crossed, and then they were per
mitted to take their chances with the
brave and honest men who had driven
the enemy from the field, and secured
by their yalor the privilege of crossing
at their leisure.
1t is gratifying to know that there
are only two or three regiments of this
class of Kansas men IN the service
that most of the men from that State
rank among the best and bravest of our
soldiers. These men believe that hon
est means best promote an honorable
and noble cause; and prove by their
conduct that the Kansas quotas have
not been filled by enHstments or their
forces offered by appointments from
the Penitentiaries and .lails Of the
country. They steal not; neither do
they rob or murder; but when neces-
sary, they freely offer their lives a sac
rifce for the good of their coun-
try. They fight, as valiantly as the
best, the guilty enemies of the nation
They do not shun the dangers which
warfare with crime involves. They
practically demonstrate that they are
the champions of an honest and good
noble cause
THE LOSSES OF THE EXPEDITION.
Gen. Steele did not, during the late
expedition, where he commanded in
person, or was present in person, suffer
the slightest reverse. Not a movement
was ordered on any battlefield that mis-
carried; not a calculation made that
proved to be unwisely conceived; not a
battle fought which was not a decided
victory. In the loss of the return sup
ply train, every danger subsequently
developed had been fully compPe-
hended by him, and the utmost pos
sible precautions taken. Col Clayton,
commanding at Pine Bluff, had been
ordered to send all his available forces
to meet it; and reinforcements from
Camden were within a few miles march
when our brave men were disarmed by
the rebels
On the return march, although artil-
lery horses went three days without
being fed, and mules dropped dead
from pure exhaustion, and others were
abandoned, because they had not sufii-
cient strength to take themselves
through the mud, not a thing essential
to keeping his army in the best fight
ing trim was lost, or abandoned Not
a charge of powder or a gun were lost,
or a wagon, or an animal, necessary to
the proper accomplishment of the OBJ
ject in Yiew-the whipping OF the enc
my whenever he gave our men an OPP
portunity to fight him, and the succor
of Little Rock, Pine Bluff, &c.-were
parted with.
On the other hand, everything likely
to impede the progress of the army, or
detract from its efficiency, was driven
off, destroyed or abandoned Thus,
wherever he appeared, Gen Steele drove
the enemy from his path; and acting
on the principle that induced him to
whip the enemy, he destroyed wagons
and abandoned worn out mules and
horses. The object of the enemy was
to secure a formidable position some
where in Gen. Steele's front, which he
could not go around, and from which it
would take time to dislodge them. No
military genius ever yet succeeded in
making fighting soldiers out Of starved
skeletons but military genius has fire.
quently conceived the approximation
of such predicaments when all other
species Of genius were at fault, and
ayailed them by destroying wagons and
abandoning mules and horses, DC. That
approximating event of total ineficien-
cy, or something worse, might have been
the ultimate condition Of his army, had
not Gen. Steele extricated it in the
manner he did And this was 50 well
done, that it is difficult to imagine
wherein there was the slightest mis-
Judgment, or in what particularit could
have been bettered
Fifteen miles of road were corduroy
ed-fve miles through the bottoms Of
the Little Missouri river. Before the
trains were got over, the water had risen
50 as to cover the road.
At jenkins Ford, on the Saline,
where the big fight took place, four
miles were cOrduroyed, and within
three hours after the army had crossed
and safely reached the highland, only
a vast expanse of water, four miles
wide, was to be seen.
At this point the pontOons-two
years old-nearly gave out before the
crossing had been effected. At one end,
the bridge was two feet under when the
last wagons crossed. Only the utmost
care preserved it until then, when it
was destroyed.
On the high land beyond there was
nearly three miles of bottomless mud,
and no timber to corduroy the road
with. The pontoon wagons, useless, be
cause Of the destruction Of the bridge,
were destroyed, and teams doubled on
the remainder Of the wagons, as far as
they went; and then, many Of the wag-
ons had to be pulled out By the soldiers
All the ammunition was saved All the
wagons needed were saved All the ami
mails that could be made to take them
selves away, were saved Six 6-pcund-
ers and two mountain howitzers were
lost during the expedition-captured
with the forage and supply train. Two
of the 6-pounders and one hoWitzer
were retaken at jenkins Ford
The rebels captured exactly 29S wag-
ons-all taken IN the two trains that
fell into their hands This number
comprises all that were captured By
them at any time. They did not cap
ture from General Steele during the re-
turn trip, asingle wagon.
General Steele lost in the expedition
in killed, wounded, missing and prison
ers. between 1900. and 1900 men OF
these, 100 belonged to the Division Of
Gen. Solomon whereas, the rebel loss
in one battle only, (Jenkins Ford was
at least 1000 men. Fifteen hundred Of
the wounded IN this battle, are now at
Princeton; and Kirby Smith admits a
loss of 500 killed on the field
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