The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-04-24


Other battles must soon follow and glorious victories
will Be Won the trans Mississippi rsbels.
The enemy appears 70 have moved his whole forces
near here % crush oas the Union army AcoovdlnE 70
ns 70 S,, Kirby Smith Dcs
General Ranks ard his oommAudsrr.
rhe rebel oss the battles Of Sabine Cross Roads and
Pleasant HUI was three 70 The lack OF water
between Pleasant Hill and Mansfield rendered prudent
70 fan back 10 Grand Eoose where supplies win be
issoed sumcient for long and uninterrupted forward
n4f GRAsD EooRs. La. April u, 1854.
A Aetaehmsnt o. the third cavalry brigade, under
command Of Lieut.. Dol. Kisb. q the Eighty seventh
Illinois mounted Infantry, made arsconnoissance y-ssr
day 70 shs Double bridge, twenty miles the road TO-
wards Pleasant HILL Eight miles OUT small party Of the
enemy. fifteen twenty IN number. wsre seen, VIM
ned precpasly From che bridge, scouting parties we're
sent ont who touched Asir pickets, but dscovsed NO
indications q The enemy IN osoe One Of these scouting
parties led BY Lieutenant v. Hitch, Assistant Adju
tans General Of the brigade, fred ~ BY the rebel
pcksts. Lieutenant Hitch received Q slight wound 10
arm, and leaves for New Orleans 70 day.
Our troops !. excellent spirits and anxious for
another advance. they ssn whip ths enemy IN any
stand up nght, unless much superior force u snccuu
tered. a which thsrs y no ssas whatsvsr.
me rspuse Of our advance guard u -.
biBs Cross Roads = freely discussed. - wsl1
- ths vissosiss which Afterwards followed when
Emorys division up the enemy was pressed hard,
and hs losses must have been TERRIBLE that division,
though lighting amost aieae punshsd We rebels -
vsrsly and forced them back with mmeoss slaughter
Our losses Ia the early part Of the action That day must
have bssn squailsd BY The snsmys ioss 81 10 cless
though the capture q astssy and trains Wa point
gained over us.
In The succeeding days fight q Pleasant m he enemy
must have lost thsse 70 The battle ned. which
No Occupied that night. was ssrewn with their dead and
wounded who also dotted the roads BY which our victo
rious army pursued them until night rendered longer
pursuit. inpnssible.
difficulties encounter which General Banks and his
armyhope 10 me Rcd river, navgable usually
the falls above ALEXANDRIA, IL lower now than ever
saSy Of he gunbnats and Mon tors abous 1iesandra ill
render the abandonment Of military occupation smpTdc
tcab. Light draught transports can pass the falls for
s VII mot
rapidly the waters Of the Red river were OF the or
binary depth this time Of the year. Should the river
fall % BE- navisabe and an advance therefore DC rem
ing Alexandria and Natcht ches remains and 80 far the
forward movement 10 q success.
Between Pleasant Hill and Mansfield, distance or
twenty miles, there IL . deficiency OF water without
which an army cannot be subssted or marched. ,,
therefore, quite desirable that the movement from one 70
ne other OF these points shall be rapid.
the statement that the enemy determined to DIS
this road and tha they expected 10 night aRanet ns
there because II remote from tho river and where
Tho latest advicss from General steele that he
was within either sixty miles, or one days march, o.
shreveport. with fifteen thousand men.
Admiral Porter, with two Monitors and his naesnin,
went M the river from Grand Ecore week since, Il IN
operate against the rebel scat Of
In Louisiana.