The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-02-14
UP THE RED RIVER.
ICoatianed from LIST page.l


present at Pleasant Hill with the exception of
a small brigade of cavalry detached on the
Blain's Ferry road. or lie underestimated his
strength in the latter fight
The total effective strength, on paper, of
that portion Of the 18th and 10th corps engaged
at Pleasant Hill was, on the 31st of March
previous, (by the mode of computation used in
the Confederate army, which excludes officers
I2,421. From this amount mus be deducted
she loss in the 18th Corps on .ihe previous
day, $50, and of A. J. Smiths regiments not
engaged, leaving the total number of Union
troops engaged in tho battle not far from
11,e00 as estimated in the returns ten days
before. In the long march from Natchitoches
it is highly probable that many fell by the
wayside, and a fair estimate OF the number of
men III the 10th and 18th corps who took their
places i'll line ON the morning Of the 9Th of
April would be nearer 10000.
General Camerons troops of the 18th corps
occupied the road to the rear OF Pleasant Hill,
covering the trains that had been ordered to
Natehitoches, under protection of the cavalry.
The position taken by General Cameron also
afforded protection against an assault from the
rear, III case the enemy, masslng heavily upon
one flank, should carry it and thus take the
line in reverse.
The steadines5 of Dwights men on the right
and Mowers on the left prevented this eatas-
trophe. The compulsory retreat OF Benedict's
brigade on the left center was due to the
vigorous charge of Walkers division in eche-
Ion, but there is no evidence OF panic, as most
of the men at once Joined either McAiiIian's
suceorng brigade or Mowers d vision in his
fight ON the left. Shaw's position, although
weil-chosen, as General Stone, Banks chief
of staff, admitted when he pr missed to see
that it was supported, was so far adj
TO I'll =
on the left and Greene on the right, thus
forcing him back to prevent capture. The
line, as reformed, held its own against repeated
assaults, and finally drove off its assailants.
WHAT GEN. A. J. SMITH THOUGHT oF IT.
Having possession of the field, it seems in
credible that even if retreat seemed advisable,
no arrangements had been made Tor transpor-
tation OF the wounded, nor time given in which
TO bury the dead "',Fis true It's pity; pity
tits, It's true" While the Confederate army
was marching away from the field to bivouac
six miles in the rear, the order was given by
General Banks for immediate retreat to Grand
Ecore.
Referring to tho retreat from Pleasant Hill,
General A. ]. Smith says in his official report !:
sAbout IL m. on the night of the 9th / received
orders from General Banks to have my COM
mand IN readiness to move at o'clock IN the
morning, and at that hour to withdraw them
silently from the field and follow the 18th
corps back to Grand Ecore making such dispo-
sition of my troops and train as would enable
me to repei attack ON the rear of the col
umn. represented TO him that the dead of
my command were not buried, and that had
not the means of transporting my wounded !;
that many of the younded had not been gath
cred from the field, and asked of him permits
| sion to remain until the next day to give me
an opportunity to bury my dead and leave the
wounded as well provided for as circumstances
would permit / also urged the fact that Gen.
Thomas hiiby Smiths command, then thirty
miles above us, ON transports in the river,
would undoubtedly be captured and the trans
| ports lost if left to themselves The permits
sion TO remain WAS, however, refused, and the
order To move made peremptory. / therefore
| provided as well possible Tor tie wounded,
left medical officers to attend to them, and
moved at the designated hour, following the
| 10Th corps. We reached Grand Ecore on the
evening of the 11th.-no attack having been
made by the enemy,-and went into camp"
| WHY THE UNION ARMY REITERATED.
| It is only fair to allow the commanding gen.
eral to give his reasons for this most extraor-
| binary movement.
After describing the battle briefly in report
to General Grant. claiming a complete victory,
/ General Banks gives his reasons for the retreat
| OF his forces from the field, as follows: AT the
| close of the engagement the victorious party
| found itself without rations and water. TC
clear the field for the fight the train had been
/ sent TO the rear upon the single line of commu-
nication through the woods, and could not be
/ brought to the front during the night. There
/ was neither water for man nor beast except
such as the now exhausted wells had afforded
| for miles around.
Previous to the movement of the army from
Natchitoches, orders had been given to the
i u IL -
| corps under General Kiiby Smith, to move NJ
/ the river, if it was found practicable, to some
point near Springfield Landing with a view Of
/ efectiHg junction with the army at that
point on the river. The surplus ammunition
| and supplies were on board these boats It was
impossible to ascertain whether the feet had
been able to reach the point designated
These considerations made it necessary for the
army, although victorious in the terrible strug
gle through which it had just passed, TO retreat
to point where it would be certain in com
municating with the fleet, and where it wOulC
have an opportunity of reorganization. The
shattered condition of the 18th army corp
and Of the cavalry made this indispensable
The wounded were gathered from the battle
field, placed in comfortable hospitals, and LEFT
under the care of competent surgeons and as
sistants. The dead remaining on the felt
were, as far as possible, buried during tn,
night The next day medical supplies ant
provisions, with competent attendants, WeFt
sent, and at daybreak the army reluctantly fel
back to its position at Grand Ecore, for thu
| purpose Of communicating with the fleet, Il
the great disappointment of the troops. who
flushed with success, were eager fer anothe
fight"
SCENES AFTER THE BATTLE.
In the darkness of the night hundreds 0
the dead and wounded were left where the,
had fallen in the tangled underground of tn
battlefield, and there they remained, deserte,
by their comrades aud left TO the tender mer
cies of Confederate hospitals and Confederate
prisons.
The following tabular statement of the losse
In the various organizations engaged at Sabn
CROSSROADS and Pleasant Hill is taken iron
official lists of casualties:
K'd. w'd. Krg. Agg'e
18Th 19ti army corps...... 2 a a55 4S6 70
18th army corps............... 46 20 Liz 1,31
10th army eorps..-.............. 81 53g IA %
Cavalry diyision-............... 81 81 i55 81
Total.... ................... 270 I,491 1877 35s
The following correspondence relating to tn
campaign. and more especially to the battle a
Pleasant Hill, will be found somewhat con
fiicting, but it is quite evident that the writer
were participants in the fight.
The fight at Yellow Bayou and Cane Rive
Crossing, together with the descent of Red Rive
by the feet, will be the subject of future pa
per- Meanwhile let US hear from those VIII
were present when the gunboats were aground
|