Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-05-12
PFom Cen. banks.

=
"A bearer of dispatches from Admiral
Porter. whose character iot intelligence
aad trpthfnlness is established Of Wash-
ingtous arrived Sunday. He gives aa even
more deplorabls account OF Banks cam
paign upon the Red river than any hereto
fore pubtished. Besides eonirmipg in all.
essential respects our statements derived
from private letters, which were published
aeUeek ego, he. adds facts ealculAEsd5 % dis
pei Whatever hopes the friends of Banks
may entertain of q satisfactory explanation.
of his conduct. On the first day column
Of 10000 was disposed on the march in
such 9 fashion that they were easily aud
shametnlly routed by from u, 900 70 IL, 900.
On the second day, Gen. a. j. Smith whip
ped the rebels alone, driving them six
miles. He was in hot pursuit, and eager
to reap all the fruits of his victory and
hopeful OF reaching Shreveport, when an.
order came from Gen. Banks directing him
70 retreat with the rest of the army
Gen. Smith refused to obey. A second
order % fall back he also refused to obey.
Gen, Banks in person brought the third
order aud insisted that Smith, should fan
back before daylight. He begged permis.
sion to stay long enough % bury his dead
and care for the wounded aud sick, PROM
lslng to be on the march in 90 hour after
sunrise, but Banks was memorable, and the
old soldier was obliged, with lears in his
eyes, TO leave his men who had fallen on
the battle deld TO the tender mereies ofthe
rebels. Gen. Smith carried off two of the
tWenty-three cannon which the rebels
abandoned, but was not allowed time 10
spike the remainder.
BOTH ARMIES RErREATmG AT oHcH.
Our forces were retrsating In one dirsc.
tion, and the rebels were retrsatinR in the
opposite direction. Some hours after Gen.
Smiths departure the rebels sent a fi4e
of truce to the battle field to ask for per-
mission to bury their dead, and sought
vainly for somebody to receive it. II NAV
be imagined they pro6ted by this unlocked
for advantage.
REIRFoRCENESTsx NET By Banks.
A few miles out from Alexandria Gen.
Banks while retreating found Gen. Mcoler.
nand with 5000 men on their way 10 rein.
force him. He ordered him to fall back to
Alexaudria at once, after destroying his
grain and supplies. MoCler6and refused,
twice to obey, but on the recent of the
third order set fire to part of his oats
General Smith with 20O0 men took the re-.
sponsibiltty of marching to the spot, ex.
unguished the flames, which he succeed
ed In dong before more than fifty bushels
burned, aud after remaining there all night
marched back again with the remainder of
the oats and all the other supplies. Gen.
Banks requested that these should be given
up TO him, Banks, hut Smith replied that
they were his by right of capture, and he
should keep them for his own use.
BANKS HAS ALL THR BLAKE.
No general bqt Banks was blamed in
the army for the campaign. Stone is pro.
nOunced without fault in the matter. Az,
the time this messenger left, eight iron
clad Runboats were above the Red River
falls, unable to reach Alexandria on ac
count OF tue loWness of the water. and
unprotected by land torces. The Eastport
had been blown up. Admiral Porter's
dispatches, while not going iEto so much
detail concerning army operations, fully
confirm the general CONCLUSIONS as 10 the
character of geLeralship displayed. Gen.
Banks. dispatches are on their way 10
Washington VIA New otIpaus. General,
Candy cannot reach Alexandria before a
week.