Washington telegraph., 1864-09-28
FROM GEN. SHELBY.
HEAD QUARTERs DIST ARKANSAS, }
Camden, Sep. 10th, 1884. !
rExEH4L ORDERS no 40

{ ETEEA Al IBDERS 40. 81.
The Maior-G General com1nauiing this DisrIi,t
announces wish pride TO the troops Que Of the
most gallant pi8its and successful! exp s-itiOns
of the war. The capture OF FIVE forts By the
heroic Shelby and his brave officers and men in
tie face Of superior numbers, and the dsstruc-
tion of large portion Of the railroad between
Little Rock and Duvsll's Bluf The elo4u nt
repor. Of Shelby will best inform his conrad 3
how this was done. The following ls Lis Ian
guage:
MY forlorn hope Of an advance under tn
brave and intrepid Williams, immediately eharE-
ed the Tetreatiug enemy, and wave Of steel
oyerlasped and swallowed up the flying blue
seats. The Tort was surTOunl,sd, the artillery
opened at point bla rag, aud high over tia
white bursts OF the powder cloud that dri.ted
aud foated Away before the battle breeze, q.
white fag waved cat a token Of surrsnd r.
The results Of this espturs were loO prisoners,
200 small arms, besides large I1aatisI-s OF sup
plies.
and destroyed and lGJ is9Ee prisoners added TO
the first
Station Ne 8 shared the same fate while 81
more prisoners swal. I'd the nLmo0r.
Station No S and : were stubborn ard d.
fiaut and h-ld ont tor 3 hie under = p;-ilsss
and splendid artillery fire. Veteran Illinois and
Inciaus Infantry were iD these IcLoUots and
thsv had Ii aatrsd Of surrend-.ing. although |
had never asked them 10 do g. Time pI -ssed.
five hours had been spent in these eations,
and I could not wait. Col. ShaEks command
inr M old brigade. taaa wEom a b.ayer nor q
better man never set squadron in the held
was ordered t0 ciSnoUGt his Command. Col
Jackman also dismoanted portion ot biz brig
ade, aad these, forming as infantry win Col
Snanks, dashed forward under thsir intrepid
/ ader st the pas d. charge, while strong body
of cavalry were held we'll n hand fer any en- l.
gency The garrison grew uneasy. but over
the white puf.s Of the bursting bombs, and the
ripping shots of the sGiTnishe!s, q long blus
line of Federal cavalry and infantry came loom
iug up and as they grew nearer, ont from the
doomed forts OF tue garrison rushed with fran
tic speed for help and hope. Too !e;e As the
dismOuutsi msn gained the dltolss and the pal
i.ades, the reserved cavalry, whose stucds hal
all the long forenoon been champirg impatient
bits, dashed away after them IA long, fierce
gailop. Sharp aud brief tae chase. When
within five nuudred yards of theit friends. the
Folerals we're c, ertaken, surrounded ridden
over, aud Col Mitchell and four hundred and
fifty of his officers and men surrendered uncon-
ditionalv. They were imrnediatsly counter
marched and doable-quicked TO The rear, the bul-
let's OF their friends all the while ringing fierce
discordant nl9tre.
The immediate and tsngibe fruits Of nv ex-
pedition ars 577 prisoners, including one field
officer and eleven line ofhcess over $50 FEEDER
as killed and wounded, ten miles OF railroad
track completely destroyed the ties torn up
and burnt the iron heated and bent, telegraph
DESTROYED, bridges and tr stle-work ruined. 5000
| b lies of has consumed by fire, - hav machines
chopped to pieces, tive forts razed to the ground.
500 stand OF arms distributed to ny unarmcd
men, many fine horses captured, II barrels OF
salt brought off and given to a commsnd suffer
| ing for it. besides supplying many needy sol
diers with blankets, shoes, boots, hats and
clothing.
| Ali thi. was done within Six rniies OF DuvaIl's
! Bluff and my detsis were tearing up the track
uhilo the enemy bullets, fred at tho covering
regim,nts, were throwing splinters in their very
! faces.
| My thanks are due 70 Coils Shanks. Gordon,
! Hunter, Jackman and Erwin, Maj. Mcdaniel
| Captains Williams Langholne, Adams. Mccoy
aui List.-Col. BiacKwe iI,fqr thsir eminent and
| devoted services.
In fact, every officer in m nv eoninand. and the
men rs a body deserve great praise for the h
role manner in which hey slormed ferliicafioni
and met anu deleated larssly superior numbsrs
Of the enemy.
/ Ny less in The entire ieh.inr is l72, killed
and woauded. Among this number there fell,
| 1rortally wounded, Liet Stone Of shank's rcr-
raert, and Lieut.. Dicksy, Of Smiths regiment,
t.,9 as ilsut SPIRITS as ep.- laid Gowa Their