The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-05-21
EXPEDITION OF Gen. EELE.

LltIi.E hOCA, ARK NAV y, IoDt
The public understand by this tune, no
| doubt, that the grand military movement
designed to eH~ctuaiiy r9uelch the rebel
lion vert Of the Mi,sissippi, has, for the
present proved . failure Gen Banks may
| have achieved something since the rebels
withdrew from his front to Concentrate
against Gea STEELE He may now be in
possession Of Shreveport, in consequence
Of its evacuation by Shs rebels But the
chief reliance Of the campaign, if sot its
protector, his failure in Louisau< entailed
failure upon the cooperation force DIS
patched from this psin,
When General Steele left this poin, on
the 23d Of March, with barely S UDU men
TO effect . Junction with Bank soms~here
on tn" Red rirsr, II was the general re-
mark that he was 100 weak handed The
people Of the country through which he
was TO traverse were known TO be hostile
An army Of nearly 10000 rebel. was TO
BE- encountered. A long line of COM
nunica.ien was 10 be kept open. So
when We heard tina, Ranks had been de.
fea,ed and compelled - fall back, al
though Gen Steele had accom- eli,hed his
part Of the programme, we anticipated
what has followsd-hi.retur 10 this point.
Here he arrived with his army Yesterday.
1t has all the while been understood
here that Gen Steele protested agains this.
expedition; and it was believed that he
moved snly in consequence OF the most
! persmp:ory orders We feared tha, for this
! reason ne would endesvor to hold the
fruits Of his success longer than prudence
justified, imperrillins Little Rock, Pine
Blum, sas the country protected by his
cd lIne OF ;hs Arkansas, as we'll a. the
/ afA,v nr
! mediate COR hand We were therefore
| gra,i:ed rh-n We heard tina, lie was re-
turning nlcn more e-st,:ied when we
saw ms vetsraa5 sling through the streets
sa their ~Ay to their old quaI ier,. He
| thus saved the fruits Of his generalshis
| las: GUNNER, although, through, the fail.
| ure Of Gen. Banks. compelled to rslin-
auish some OF these acquired in this e1pe-
sition. BuG the brilliancy of iheso late
ashieveMents-ths triumphant march 10
C,mdss. and the triuu phant return to
Little Reck-the sigsal victories gained
ever . numerically superior fes-the tao
tics sad strategy, and endurance, skill,
discipline and v2lor, have developed abIl.
i,iss IN the general. and eoldierly qualities
! in his sihcsrs and men, that only severe
| trials can call forth. Gen. Steele. in q
brilliAn, campaign last summer, captured
Little Rock, and was greatly sxtol!ed for
| the splendor Of the achievement: but in
this last expedition he has shown greater
abilities than those requisite to the at
tainnent Of that splendid result, and hi.
brave army . more invincibie and stub
born valor, than any event in that caE-
paign developed His men have the boar
ing Of heroes, and such they have proved
themselves.
The prsgrsss Of the little army under
| General Steele was delayed by the non
arrival Of General Thayer from Fort Smith
This junction was effected on the seven
tssnth v eut-the 9th at Eikirs Ferry
ue was delayed because compelled to TAX e
q moro circuItous route than that origin
ally proposed, by want Of forage, ard the
almost ipapassabls character OF the loads
He brought to General Steele 5000 men
making the latter force about l3, 900 men
Previous tn his arrival, the enemy hao
st various times shown hiuss II in force
on Gen Steelss front. The second IA,
out, the 24th. skirnshing commenced
aud until tho expedition reached Arkad~l
phia Oh the 29th, there Was an almost un
Interrupted rattle of musketry from th'
front The progress Of the advance guard
was net, however, At any time, for a ME
nent interrupted.
! At A,kadelphia, the command waite6
until the first Of April for Ger. Thayer
troops Not arriving. or even being hear,
from, Gen Steele marched on to Spencer
Vile On the I'd, nine miles out from
Spencerviiie, near the Little Missouri riv
er, the enemy showed himself in tormila
ble numbers under Marmxduke anL Ca
bell. while Shelby, with q large force, wa
known to be 10 the rear.
He evid. htIy intended to dispute thu
crossing Of Gen Steeles army. Ther'
were three crossings suhject to Genera
Steele's ehoice-Elkin's Ferry, Tates Fer
ry, which was on the direct route to Cam
den, whittier General Steele was bound
and the military road crossing on ths di
rect route to Washington. The enemy
prepared to dispute the crossing at Tate,
Ferry, on the direct road to Camden
Thereupon General Steele t,ok tho roae
toward Warrington, aud Msrched on un
til within ten miles of the crossing A
this point sons troops were tn evn for
ward - if to sszs the ferry, while the re-
maindsr Of the com nand turned Souti
o, the road to Elkins' Ferry. and brig
ade Of cavalry was sent forward to seize il
the Terre Noir creek, Shelby attacked tn
rear guard, commanded by General Rice
Ne executed splendid charge. and hi
men fought desperately; but Gen. Rice
although greatly outnumbered, rsrulse,
him Handsomely, severely furnishing him
o. the Sd the entire command move.
to the Ferry. During the night . cavalr.
force dispatched by the enemy. whs hat
at last OWNED General Steeles plan 70
crossing. bu, were igRerant that he had al
ready executed it. came gallspipg up Il
seize the Ferry 1t was bv running agains
eur pickets in their zeal aad haste tha
th.v discovered their error.
On the Sd. also. fight occurred at Ok
alona hstwses Eagleman's brigade AM
Shelby's rebels, in which. Of course tn