The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-11-01
VICTORIES I'M ARKANsAs.

ue uistflct Oh Arkansas Is so remote that We dc
not,appreciate the continued successes which is at
feBding the Confederate arms there. We have re
ceiVed general order of Major. General Magruder
dated on the 10th ult, announcing the capture anc
destruction OF five forts by General Shelby, anc
the destruction of the railroad between Little Rock
and DuVal's Bluff. The report of Gen Shelby
gives an excellent description of his series of victo
ries. 1t says:
MY forlorn hope of an advance, under the brave
and intrepid Williams, Immediately charged the
retreating enemy, and wave of steel everapped
and swallowed up the flying blue coats The fort
was surrounded, the artillery opened at point.
blank range, struck, and over the white bursts Of
the powder cloud that drifted and foated away be-
fore the battle breeze white flag waved out as o
token of surrender The results of this capture
were one hundred and fifty prisoners, two hun
dred small arms, besides large quantities of sup.
plies.
Station No. 2 was next attacked, captured and
destroyed, and one hundred more prisoners added
to the first
Station No. shared the same fate, while fifty
more prisoners sweled the number.
Stations Nos and 6 were stubborn and de.
hhnt, and held on for a while under pitiless and
splendld artillery fire. Veteran Illinois and Indi-
ana infantry were in these redoubts, aud they had
hatred OF surrendering although l had never
asked them to do so Time passed. Five hours
had been spent in these operations, and 1 could
not wait. Col. Shanks commanding my old bri
gade, was ordered to dismount his command Col
jackson also dismounted portion of his brigade
and these, forming as infantry, with Col Shanks
dashed forward, under their intrepid leader at the
pas de charge, while strong body of cavalry were
held we'll In hand for any emergency. The garri-
son grew uneasy, but over the sea of dark green
prairie, over the white pus of the bursting bombs,
and the ripping shots of the skirmishers a long
blue line OF Federal cavalry and infantry came
looming up, and as they grew nearer and nearer
out from the doomed forts the garrison rushed with
frantic speed for help and hope. Too late AS
the dismounted men gained the bitches aud the
palisades, the reserved cavalry whose.steeds had
all the long forenoon been champing impatient bits
dashed away after them in long, fierce gallop.
Sharp and brief the chase. When within five
hundred yards of their friends, the Federals were
overtaken, surrounded, ridden over, and Colonel
Mitchell and four hundred and fifty of his officers
and men surreDdered Internationally They were
Immediately counter marched and double-quicked
to the rear, the bullets of their friends all the
while ringing discordant metre
The immediate and tangible fruits of my expe-
dtion are SIT prisoners, including one field officer
and eleven line officers, over g $50 Fede,als killed
and wounded, ten miles of railroad track complete
ly destroyed the ties torn up and burnt; the iron
heated and bent telegraph destroyed, bridges and
trestle work ruined, eight thousand bales of hay
consumed by fire, twenty hay machines chopped
to pieces, FIVE forts razed to the ground FIVE hun-
dred small arms distributed to my unarmed men,
many 6ue horses captured. twelve barrels of salt
brought off and given to a command suffering for
it, besides supplying many needy soldiers with
blankets, shoes, boots, hats and clothiog.
Ali this done within six miles of Duval's
Bluff, and my details were tearing up the track
while the enemys bullets, fired at the covering
regiments, were throwing the spluters from the
ties in their very faces"