The National tribune., 1896-11-19

troops, but was extremely jealous of the
navy. He said:
I'll make a splendid report y; " l
had man up tree" etc.
/ was very hungry and tired, and fear
l did not appreciate the honors in re-
serve for us, and asked for something to
eat and drink. He very kindly ordered
something to be brought, and explained to
me that by his orders he did not wish
to interfere with the actual state of facts;
that Gen. A. j. Smith would occupy
{" Fort Hindman," which his troops had
first entered, and | could hold the lines
outside, and 90 on securing the prison.
ers and stores as | had begun. / re-
turned to the position of Garland's Bri-
gade and gave the necessary orders for
marching all the prisoners, disarmed, to
pocket formed by the river and two
deep gullies just above the fort, by which
time it had become quite dark. After
dark another rebel regiment arrived
from Pine Bluff, marched right In, and
was also made prisoners.
There seemed to be good deal of
feeling among the rebel officers against
Garland, who asked leave to stay with
me that night, to which | of course con-
sented. Just outside the rebel parapet
was house which had been used for a
hospital | had room cleaned out and
occupied it that night. A cavalry sol
dier lent me his battered coffee-pot, with
some coffee and scraps of hard bread out
of his nose-bag. Garland and / made
some coffee, ate our bread together, and
talked politics by the fire till quite late
at night, when we lay down on straw
that was saturated with the blood of
dead or wounded men.
The next day the prisoners were all
collected on their boats, lists were made
out, and orders given for their transport
tation to st. Louis, in charge of my Aid,
Maj. Sanger. We then proceeded to
dismantle and level the forts, destroy or
remove the stores, and we found in the
magazine
THE VERY AMMUNITION
which had been sent for us in the Blue
Wing, which was secured and afterward
used in our 20-pound Parrott guns.
On the 18th we re-embarked the
whole expedition returned out of the
river by the direct route down the Ar
kansas during heavy snowstorm, and
rendezvoused in the Mississippi, at Ma
poleon, at the mouth of the Arkansas.
Here Gen. McClernand told me he had
received letter from Gen. Grant at
Memphis, who disapproved of our move
ment up the Arkansas but that COM
munication was made before he had
learned of our complete success. When
informed of this, and of the promptness
with which it had been executed, he
could not but approve. We were then
ordered back to Milliken's Bend, to
await Gen. Grants arrival in person.
We reached Milliken's Bend Jan. 81
McClernand's report of the capture of
Fort Hindman almost ignored the action
of Porter's fleet altogether. This was
unfair, for l know that the Admiral led
his feet in person in the river-attack,
and that his guns silenced those of Fort
Hindman, and drove the gunners into
the ditch.
The aggregate loss in my corps at
Arkansas Post was 519; viz, four officers
and 10 men killed, "a officers and 406
men wounded. / never knew the losses
in the gunboat feet, or in Morgan's
Corps; but they must have been less
than in mine, which was more exposed.
The number of rebel dead must have
been nearly $50; of prisoners, by actual
count, we secured 4,791, and sent them
north to st. Louis.
ITO be continued