White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1864-05-26
Correspondence.
(For the Chief.)

(For the Chief)
FoRr Smith. Arkansas, May 1, 1864.
EDrros WHITE CLOUD CHiEr:-The united
forces under Generals Steele and Thayer got
into Camden, Arkansas, on the 18th Of April.
The next day Gen. Steele ordered Col Will.
liams, of the LIST colored, to take charge of .
forage escort, consisting Of his (ist Colored)
regiment, two guns of Rsbb's Battery. two
hundred cavalry. made up Of the ID, 9Th and
l4th Kansas Regiments, with two small how
itzers. The train to be loaded consisted of
two hundred six-mule teams. Gen. Thayer.
knowing that the enemy were in strong force
near whore they expected to forage, sent,
without the orders Of his superior officer, the
18th Iowa to reinforce them. The train part
ly loaded, about ten miles from Camden, on
the evening of the first day out, and the bal
ance of the wagons were being loaded the
next morning, when they we're attacked by
Cabell's forces. They fought the rebels near
ly half . day. until, overpowered by superior
numbers, they we're crushed and dispersed.
When the officers of the Colored Regiment
held up their arms in token Of surrender, the
enemy took thei. arms and blew their brains
out The negroes, seeing that no quarter was
to be given them, stood and fred as long as
they had ammunition, then took what they
could from the dead around them; and when
this failed, clubbed their guns and wadsd out.
One company went in with 80 men, and was
led out by the Orderly Sergeant, with only IL
men left. Most ofthe Cavalry escaped. About
60 of the 18th Iowa were taken. One-h of
the officers of the lst Co.ored are reported
killed or wounded. Col. Williams escaped
All the trains and guns were OF course captur-
ed One Major got in, in the evening. His
first words we're: " Good God! why didn't you
reinforce us?' The question was asked BY
hundreds. They heard the firing at Camden,
for hours Gen. Thayer wanted to send rein
forcements, but Gen. Steele was not willing.
There he lay, with IL, 900 men. in hearing dis
tance of the guns, (abous or 10 miles,) and
would cot permit reinforcements 10 60, when
they were not orly willing, but anxious to 60;
and more, he let the dead and wounded lie on
the field for four days, without caring for the
wounded or burying the dead. The wounded
died by inches, and crawled into camp on their
hands and knees; and in some instances, not
until flag of truce came in from the rebels,
telling Steele to send out and bury his niggers,
and not to send any nisgers along, were the
dead hnr; ;oI tka Ii r..
About one week after this. he started train
10 Pine Bluffs, for supplies for the army, with
an escort Of 1000 infantry, composed of de-
tachments from the 77th Ohio, Seth Iowa, 10th
Indiana, $50 cavalry, and guns. (Steele was
told the train would be taken, unless he sent a
strong escort.) Soon after the train started,
the enemy crossed, 5000 strong. and well
mounted, attacked the train the third day out,
and captured it and nearly all the escort with
it, about 200 or $50 only making their escape
The balance are either prisoners or killed
Gen. Steele knew the enemy had crossed; but
instead of going out to attack them, or sending
reinforcements to the train, he sent them word
the enemy were coming, and for them TO look
out!
About dozen men of the 18th Kansas had
been on duty with the 2d Brigade; thev had
all been relieved, and were on their way back
to the Regiment, at Fort Smith. Quartermas-
ter Leland, Lieut.. Love, Sergeant Tisdale, and
priva,es Wilson and Collins, made their es-
cape. Sergeant Luce, of Columbus, is thought
to be killed. George Bromley, from near Troy,
with five others belonging to the 18Th, are
prisoners or killed.
Quartermaster Leland reports that the men
were on very short allowance, some of them
taking the corn from the mules to subsist on
in camp. The 10Th Kansas was a part Of the
time on rations of two ears of corn to the man,
and what captured meat they could get. A
train of l25 wagons was started to them, from
Fine Bluffs. on the 18th of April with an es-
cort 5000 strong. If that reaches them, it
will relieve their starving condition for few
days.
Steele's transportation is cut down to two
wagons to the regiment. Both. officers and
priyates are obliged to carry all they have to
subsst upon or shelter themselves with. All
say Steele Is an old rebel.
Those Of the 18th Kansas who escaped, saw |
ed nothing but what they had on.
o. B. G..