The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-09-15
pATLLE OF PINE HILL.

= .
 M. Quad. in Deuoi free Press
 T the 7th of April, iSo+, General !. solamns of Banks Red river expedi-
 ,-.. was in temporary camp a, Pleasant
 thirty odd miles from Grand Ecore
 ere had been constant skirmishing as
 cnfe ierates were pushed back. and
 ::is day the latter had appeared n
 : strength and made such d determ-
 et stand that II was plaln 10 Franklin
 !: he xAs close upon the concentrated
 7op. commanded by General Kirby
 | This was called the trans -M4ssis-
 amy, and included the commands
 ge or SIX generals. The commands
 ess made ap of rowing bands. regular
 cry. captured deser;ers. renesades
 n the federal army. bushwhackers.
 .sIIlas, ard indeed anything or any
 V capable of firing gun. Every
 .s had been scraped together to
 2 this portion of the Red river l edition check. Says confederate lcer:
 i, was towards the close of the war, z onfederacy was hard up. and such . atmy as WAS there gathered together .s never seen before on American soil. ! f.os, of our artillery was drawn by horses ! messed with ropes and odds and ends :: |e mad maske,s of every make and gre the cavalry horses were run avn, and 10, one trooper in nve had l. 411ie: our ammunition was limited n anti,y asd poor in quality. and if there .s one single confederate uniform !n the sa.e crowd Il 9as on the back of some Y ser who had no fighting record. So .ay comm auds b-ins called n ard con- lated the discipline was ol;rage ous. |-l :he army WAS more like mob ,h m E military comm and
 13pos.i to ,his III D were Lee wlth his ! 3e,o cavalry and Franklin with his e-;ried artillery ani veteran infantry. s! nothing was lacking n ordnance |s:ores or outfit.
 1l ,nis same 7th of April General Inss came up m person ;o assume oaIol of further movements, and when
 ,ais brought in inform atiol ot the con. crate mob confronting him he had no
 olb, oi his ability 10 scatter II.
 oa,he morning of the sth Lee moved
 ]; Wi.h cavalry. infantry and artillery.
 ia four hours fighting had forced
 'e coafederates back eight miles. Wha, Fe 1eieved to be the entire confederate Pofce was a comm md composed of three E<eleton brigades. ordered to fight and b. back until Smith had secured hls ,si;ion. When they a, leng.h feil back fne Glll, below NJ lnsreld. Lee found Eimself d, las; in front of the army called se;her to oppose him. The confederate os;lon was ridge. thick.y wooded and ousiderably broken, running dlagonally --Foss the sandy highway. The open E'olnd in front was obstructed by bushes. nail pines, scattering groves and blind Etches. The highway to Shreveport ran E.most through the centre of the confed- -ra.e army as it settled into position, and lst al this spot one can still find traces i the ear,hworks hastily thrown up to Eael,er the artillery. 4, other points on fae front breastworks O: logs, brush and .iTt were hastily constructed, but the position wa. naturally so strong that F.thcial defenses were no, needed. hole brigades found safe shelter in de- F'essions, and the confederate artillery |oasd not have asked for more command E positions.
 Federal history credits General Smith fffih a force of ,o,ooo men, of which
 amber I2,ooo is set down as cavalry.
 'eaeral Dick Taylor. Tn his narrative.
 aares this figure down considerably, and b.her confederate authorities assert that 't had less than i6 900 men. No official fs3ort was ever made. or at least has not t2peared in print. Few of the regiments
 smbered over $50 men, and some F-arcely 200, and probably i6, 800 or
 900 men would have been a close punt of all on the ground.
 As Lee came up m pursuit ot the small |7mmand which had been fighting, and Fallng back for several hours, he realized F1a; he had hot work before him, and -ai his forces were no, strong enough to any the confederate position. Word sas sent 10 the rear for reinforcements, ol, almost before Lee could form battle ne the confederate skirmishers advanced F.?on him. The plan vas 10 attack and eieat him before reinforcemen,s could 9e brought up. From II o'clock until
 SSat I tuC SuufCuCtd&9 d0sAnlc1 StlH srong slximish lines that Lee could ,ardly hold them back with his line Of la,,le. He saw that a general forward movement would pass both his Hanks, au. he grimly held on and waited for re- iaforcements.
 T never saw such poor results from such fierce artillery fire as Lee main 'ained for two hours," says a confederate asacer who was in Greens command.
 from II to we were moving and aaking dispositions of troops for the con- 'enplzted forward movement. Every gun on Lees front was blazing af us, and y9 do not beheve his artillery Ere 1lled or wounded dosen men. Neaxiy u his missiles Aew over uk en&ting through the tops of she trees, and such as sd in front of our lines rolled into the holes and ravines and were rendered aarmless- One shell fell among the ayalry and killed four men and wounded 'nree others, but this was the only case mere saw anyone hurt
 franklin was in camp in rear of Lee Snen the latter moved out in the morn a2. Through some blunder he was still