Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-18

VEl HAT We have heretofore said concerning the
w miHtpry administration of General l. Kirby
Smith. in the Traus-NississpPi Department, has
consisted only of those general conclusions which
snrge,t themselves every mind after eonsidera-
tion of the most salient cs IN the history oil the
last campaign in that section Of the Coniederaey-
We do not know that any takes Issue with these
conclusions: simply because they appear 10 Us 10
80 Inevitable and irresistible but Test any one nSs
,,,agipe that We have done injustice 10 Gen. Smith
we ShaH f5rtify our position by a more detailed
statement Of the facts, both general aud special.
IN March. 1851 General Taylor wrote General
s,itb giving his views of the coming campaign and
;rji,atiry with so much accuracy the plan TO be
,,r>red bv the enemy, that he could not have been
i.t.r informed had Banks disclosed his projects in
.4v,nc6 of his movements. General Taylor stated
elm, fromsiutormatou then in his hands he was con
,-.,eJ that Banks intended 70 throw forward cQl-
,,,,n from Bcrwicks Bay aud another from simms-
4dri. on the AtcLoG1aya, near the mouth OF Red
river and that a cooperating meet would ascend
trat river TO Alexandra at which point these col
,,, would concentrate Tor a. further advance, 90
,..s,me time an auxiliary force under Steele woulr
,.r,i,Ii,. march from Little Rock towards Shrcve-
mi higher mp on Red river, ana near the tIeNa
f-rtf,r In this communication General Taylor Sudr
eel rcfterate the opinion formerly expressed, thai
every soldier reusiuing ~ FsNGs viii be out of ia,
Suriu- campaign Thu. showing tL2f he poriectl.
. ,uleistood what. indeed must already have beeu
obyious--tbat the enemy did not contemplate ~!
serious invasion Of Texas except by the valley
Red River. So well convinced was he that TIN
would Pee the cOmy plan, JhaLhc begged OF Gen
Smith % order the troops tbeu In Texas tmany ".
whom had been detached from his own army few
months be.ore) To- return 20 Louisiana. and at III,
same time expressed his perfect willingness 20 oet
I'm the impending campaign, under the direct order
.feither General MagruJer or General Price TlU
event justified TAYLOR auticipotious. On the 1911
.ogMarch Banks moved from Simmsport on Alex
nndris but TAYLOR having been previously stripe"
,fhiscavairv could do nothing 10 impede the Yam
zee advance. AT the same time, co-opera'iu.
column under Franklin moved forward toward.
Alexandria ilom Berwick, Bay Taylor, with
vastly inferior force YVES compelled torotre ttior,
Banks advance. Fort De Russey taken
finally the enemy concentrated his columns at Alex
auiria hi. first objective point whence lie recon-
rn,nced hi, march TO Shreveport. On the 9th O
April two or three OF Green's regiments arrive,
from Texas. these being the first of the reinforce
rseI1s from that State. On the eth, Gen. Tuyo
discovered from intercepted de'patches that Ii.
corp, comprising BluE,'s army were detached iroH
the remainder of the Yankee forces. lie resolve,
10 avail himself of this opportunity for striking thc
,aem. "a blow uy a,sailiug them iu-ieta and ia,
evening of the 9Th despatched {. Gen. smith FOL
low, irou Mansfield. ..I have determined 10 Civ,
in. enemy battle on the morrow. Gen. Green and
1I~self have Just selected the battle ground Mans
field +, 40 miles from Shreveport, and Gen. Smit
,.bIi have been on the spot by 10 O'Clock tie
morning The battle commenced at 4 \. NJ, anG
closed without Gen. Smths presence Taylor, tliat
ui.bt. despatched him the result-2l pieces of ar
tillery 220 wagons and several thousand prisoner.
captured and the enemy in iul retreat. Still Gen
smith did not arrive. Gen. Taylor again despatch
ed to him. informing him that be would again make
an attack al Pleasant Hill, 70 which place lie hao
driven the enemy. On that night, he sth, Banks
was largely reinforced by Gen. A. j. Smith corps.
having then with him the 18th, lGyh and 18th Army
CoIps.
On the same DAY Taylor was reinforced by TIT
Infantry Divisions OF Parsous and Churchill from
Arkansas. On the 9th Taylor attacked the cucm,
40 Pleasant III The battle was desperate and obsi
na.ely contested. but az the close OF the day the
Conlederates hell the field, and the night the
enemy commenced his memorable retreat, with 9
felten and thoroughly demoralled army Taylor
instantly threw all his cavalry, under Green, on the
rear and flank Of the retiring foe, and prepared to
follow with his infantry: Tbs moment was auspiei-
ous for the cgptgr. OF the whole edera army and
otthe splendid fleet oiG0 transports and u gunboats,
then above the falls at Alexandria and the river SO
Lr that 20 escape in the face Of serons opposition
sas imsossibe. But General smith had Other
views About 10 p n. on the night OF the battle OF
Pleasant Hill BEE arrived at General TSylSr's tent,
having spent most OF the day at Mansfield, l3'miee
distant, and within sound Of the guns But De did
not come either 10 participate in the gIories
ofths campaign, by assuming the direction oft him.
self or 20 strengthen Gen Taylor for the important
p,rpose which he had III view. On that same night
he detached from Toylor's army the Divisions OF
Walker Church. and Parsons, leaving only Green's
cavalry and Polignac's small division with
which. of course It impossible for Taylor t'
eenrs the ripening fruits Of his splendid victories
General smith promised that the detached forces
should return 10 Taylor from Minden, should 1t be
found that Steele was retreating This event actu-
ally took place Steele was already retreatins be
fore Price, which was necessity when the man
expe liton miscarried-But the troops never came
ack to Taylor They were sent of by Gen Smith
into Arkansas, 10 pursue the comparatively inSg-
niicant aud unimporJant army Of Steele, willie the
hosts under Banks and the magnificent array OF
+ran.ports and gunbOJts in Red River, thus relieved
from pressure and from danger, eaecting an
escape which otherwise, would have been impOssi-
HE. Even as it was Taylor shut up Banks in Alex
.,,r-a for six weeks; which WAS the time required
Car the construction Of the dam, by means OF which
the Yankee feet finally made its escape From Al
av.nsria Banks marched 10 the Mississippi, whence
> despatched Cauby's corps to Grant, thus saving
W a,bington from Early and A. J. Smiths corps t'
Memphis. thus saving Sherman frem Forrest.