The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-11-12
THE BATTLE OF JENKINS FERRY.

where Gen. Samuel A. Rice was killed,
; is found in Brick Pomeroy's Democrat, o
Oct II. 1874, and will be read with in
terest by every member of the SD Iowa
1t forms part of a continued novel, tht
incidents of which are located in that sec
ton during the war, called The White
Horse Phantom" written by Confeder
ate Captain in Walker Division. engaged
in that battle, and is the only rebel des
cription of the battle we ever saw The
truthfulness Of it will be recognized by
every participant in that fight He is in
correct in some particulars. He does no,
give the negroes credit for capturing the
battery; and says the battery was recap
tured by his phantom" and troop, which
is net true. as we held it until abandoned
and thrown aside, when We retreated.-
rEDs HERALD
On the morning OF
the 10th of April, the day succeeding the
battle of Pleasant Hill, Gen Walkers di
vision of Texas infantry, Gen. Parsons
command of Missouri troops and divis
ion of Arkansas troops, were withdrawn
from the pursuit of the retreating Federal
army and sent to reinforce Gen. Price
WHO had confronted Gen. Steele in Ar
kansas
General Steele commanded a good force
and, as has been previously mentioned,
would have formed junction with Banks
at or near Shreveport, La. But Banks
having received blow at Mansfield and
Pleasant Hill, as matter of course Gen.
Steele's field of operation was changed al
so !; and nothing remained for him but to
get out of the country with as great ex-
petition as possible. This he would have
done without the interference of Con-
federate soldier, and the force which was
withdrawn from Gen. Taylor, if held and
hurled upon Banks retfeating columns,
would have completely destroyed his
army
We mention the particulars of the
movements Of the two armies, because
they have much to do with the regular
chain of our narrative
The forces which we have already men
| toned as withdrawn from Gen. Taylor's
support after the battle Of Pleasant Hill,
loitered few days between Mansfield and
Shreveport Then they resumed their
line Of march via Shreveport, for Arkan-
sas. Alt>r passing through Shreveport
| about thirty miles, they INDUCED in an
| other rest of two days and moved forward
again.
We soon learned that Gen. Steele had
taken possession Of Camden, Ark, and
fortified that we were to join Gen. Price
and attack the enemy; that he was short
of supplies; that we could probably cut
him off from all resources and capture
him without the fire of gun.
So much for the camp programme, and
information brought through from relia-
BILE sources. There was another side to
the question, however, and both sides
must be consulted before any action could
be taken
Steele had determined that he would
not risk an engagement, voluntarily, las
the sequel will show he would not fight
unless he was forced, he would leave the
| country if permitted to do so, without
firing gun; because it was not his poll
cy to fight. The campaign had failed,
and to return to Little Rock, uninterrupt-
ed, was the obvious policy of the Federal
| commander. Not that he was too weak
to risk an engagement if necessary for
| this was not the case but that the incen-
tive to action had ceased. to exist There
remained IIyUnIng 10 gaIIf Dy-u lui " anu
move, but all to be lost.
The Confederate army was now in rap
id motion. in the direction of Camden
A few days Of forced march, and the stars
! and bars were thrown to the breeze over
| the streets Of that town. on the banks of
| the Ouachita river
The bird had flown, or the lion had
laaped from his lair, and eluded the
huntsnan's shaft
There were no Federal troops in Cam
den. They had left the preceding night
though the place was strongly fortified
There we formed junction with General
Price, and now sat out in earnest 10 catch
Steele. Our trains were left We had
three days rations to cook and carry in
our knapsacks, and with one blanket, we
were upon forced march in pursuit OF
the enemy.
Our skirmishers and light artillery
hung upon the rear with indefatigable
perseverance, hoping to bring them to an
engagement in the open pine woods But
Steele was too good general to come to
terms of that kind. He would grapple
momentarily with the skirmishers, and
then the lion shaking the dew drops from
his name, he would hurl them from him
ard move rapidly on Our troops who
were engaged in that pursuit had all been
over the same ground before, and they
could see the motives of the Federal com
mander. A private of common reasoning
faculties could understand them as well
as Gen. Smith, who was now present, and
in command of the Confederate forces.
About sixty miles southwest of Little
Rock, Ark, on the road by which General
Steele was falling back was situated Jenk.
ms Ferry, on the Saline river. There
was considerable bottom on both sides OF
the river The hill country through
which the retreating army had to pass
before reaching the Saline river was open
pine woods. Hence it was evident that
Steele would not be forced to an engage
ment, if he could possibly avoid it, before
reaching the Saline bottom.
The retreat and pursuit of the two
armies would have equaled the zeal OF
the fox and the well-trained pack-the
one intent upon his escape, and the other
sanguine of his prey Through the high
open country over which this march was
made, the road and ground for one hun.
dred yards on each side was almost car
peted with the baggage, clothing, etc, OF
the Federal army. They lightened up
every few hundred yards. They stripped
themselves for the march. They left on
every rod Of their march some evidence OF
their determination to have no interview
with Gen. +. Kirby Smith and his army
until they had reached some tenable posi-
ton; or if possible, they would escape
entirely. Their pants, overcoats, blankets
and knapsacks covered the ground over
which they passed, torn in tatters, which
spoke in language as loud as the boom of
our cannon on their rear, ~Good bye
We are gone, but what we leave behind
is not for YOUR benefit"