The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-08-27
LITTLE ROCK.
A Member of the LIST Iowa Cav. Has His Say.


To THE EDITOR: We have waited patiently
| to hear a few more facts from other comrades
| who participated in that engagement, but OF
| the thousands there but very few respond after
Fl years 1t is only another illustration of this
| truth, that no two persons can state the same
facts or occurrences alike. We must differ from
! all the other comrades. Brig Gen. j. w. Da-
wilson, Major of the Regular Army, COM
manded the Cavalry Division that left Pilot
Knob, Mo-, in June, 1862 for the capture of
| Little Rock. Ark. After moving through
Southeast Missouri, crossing the ST. Francis
| River in Arkansas, where we met hundreds of
| paroled prisoners from Vicksburg and first
| learned the news of its capture and surrender,
we moved to Clarendon, on the White River,
and there waited the arrival of Maj Gen. Fred
Steele with his division of infantry. The army
then moved forward. The Cavalry Division, in
| advance. had severe skirmish at Brownsville,
and another at Bayou MetOe at which place
| the LIST Iowa Cav. made a gallant charge to save
a burning bridge, but was repulsed with con-
siderable loss. Finding the direct route
strongly intrenched, it was decided to try
| flank movement by way of the Arkansas River
| the Cavalry Division to cross over and move
on the south side and the infantry to ascend
by the north bank, each division to keep flag
and guard on the river bank to show how far
they had advanced. In pursuance of this plan
an effort was made to lay pontoOn bridge
across the river early in the morning at a
large bend in the river, some six or eight miles
below the city. There was ford some two
| miles lower, at which part of the division was
placed The woods on the south side were &C.
cupied by rebel sharpshOoters, and the first
effort to lay the bridge was unsuccessful
Three batteries were placed around the bend
one at the lowest ford, one at the center of
bend, and one above the pontOOn bridge. After
a vigorous Smelling of the woods the rebs re-
| tired, the pontoon was finished, and Co. l., 1st
Iowa Cav Capt. Mcintyre commanding, was
the first troops to cross the river They moved
into the woods, forming a skirmish-line, and
took possession of the road running down the
river from Little Rock. Immediately after
wards two regiments Of infantry with a section
or battery of mountain hOwitzers crossed, fol-
lowed by Gen. Davidson and part of his staff.
What has impressed this so firmly on our mind
is the fact that the General, with two or three
others, rode rapidly up the road to Little Rock
to Overtake Capt. McIntyre's command, and by
so doing ran into rebel picket, who fired at
us and lit out for the rear. The General then
instructed us to find Capt. Mcintyre and order
his command to the front. The trouble
seemed to be that he had moved down instead
of up the road. After we had secured safe
crossing the two regiments of infantry
recroSsed and Joined the division on the
north side, and the rest of the cavalry Joined
us on the south side. There was rather an
amusing incident occurred about noon ito those
not directly interested). There were two roads
into the city-oue going up the river bank and
the other, further inland, coming into the city
near the Arsenal. At the junction of these
two roads Gen. Davidson had dismounted Col.
GloverS Brigade and sent them to the right to
follow up the rctreatiag rcbs. They had formed
line and moved forward in the timber perhaps
half a mile and halted. The day was hot, dry,
and the roads full of dust, and the General was
overcome with the heat and an attack peculiar
to Summer, and had stopped to rest under a
large, spreading elm. Not hearing any firing in
the front, he directed one of his staff to ascer-
tain what Glover was doing, who reported di-
rectly, stating the fact of the halt The Gen
eral mounted in haste and rode to the front at
full speed, and on reaching the left of the line
gave the command Forward" to which some
officer responded in the center, Halt" This
rather enraged the commanding General, and
he rode in hot haste down the line, exclaiming,
Where is the s. of a b who said halt t?
Pll kill him in minute! Forward For
ward!" The brigade advanced perhaps 20
rods, when few shots were fired, and all at
once several volleys, to which no reply was
made by the rebs because there was none there;
and to stop the firing General Davidson rode
down the front of the line with drawn saber,
threatening to kill the first man that fired an
other shot, and placing himself at their head
the brigade soon cleared the woods.
Another incident occurred at shutdown, after
our troops had entered the city land, by the
way, the LIST Iowa Cav. claims the honor of be-
ing first there). Gen. Davidson, Lt.-Col Cald-
WELL Sd Iowa Cav, Chief of Staff; old Isaac
Murphy, afterwards Governor of the State, and
the only member of the Arkansas Legislature
that voted against secession the last ballot and
your correspondent were riding towards the
city, and when Mr.. Murphy showed the Gen.
eral the city limits, he drew his sword, waved
it above his head, and exclaimed. by God,
Pm the first Federal General that ever set foot
in Little Rock"
The conrad who details his experience in
following Gea cricc 80 miles out of Little Rock
that night made u srca: mistake. He might