The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-11-11

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battle, and who left him and came TO the col
cred regiment at Fort Smith in September,
and enlisted in Co. G of that regiment, and
served his time out, stated that he fire.
quently heard the Southern officers telling
each other that they did not believe colored
soldiers would fight, and that all they would
have 10 do would be to march their troops
up 10 the colored men and take them in.
The belief that celorcd soldiers would not
fight was not at that time confined to South
ern officers, but gohd many Union officers
and people in the North expressed the same
sentiment, particularly those who were
opposed to enlis,ing colorsd men for soldiers
in the Union army. Col. Williams, who was
familiar with the disparaging comments in
regard to enisting cslored soldiers, and who
had great faith that they would acquit them
selves creditably if given fair opportunity,
when the battle was over and the troops re-
called from the pursuit, sent for Gen. Blunt
to come 10 him in the field hospital where
he was suffering from his wounds.
The Colonel always talked as if he was
grinding on his molars or gritting his teeth
When the General came in the first word
the Colonel said to him was:
General, how did my regiment fght?"
The General replied:
Then the Colonel rejoined 3" l am now
ready to die"
But he did not, and after that was proud
of his regiment, aud he remained away from
it no longer than was necessary to re-
cover from his wounds After that battle
no one on either side in that section could be
heard to say that colored soldiers would not
fight if properly organized and Offered
About 2 O'Clock in the afternoon Gen.
Blunt recalled his troops from the pursuit,
and encamped on the battlefield until the
evening of the nextaay, when he returned to
Fort Gibson, having destroyed Is wagons
and the tents and camp equipage OF one
regiment that fell in his hands. lie reported
his loss as II killed and six wounded. He
also reported that his troops buried $50 Of
the Confederate dead on the field that they
had 400 wounded and that he took II pris-
oners one piece of artillery, one stand of
cOlors, and 200 stand Of arms.
Gen. Cooper reported his loss Mt 134 killed
and wounded He attributed his defeat to
the worthless condition of the powder his
troops used, stating that on damp morning
or in damp weather it became pasie-like and
would not ignite. He had eight regiments
and two squadrOns 10 Gen. Blunt5 three
regiments and three battalions. To make
up for inferiority of numbers, Gen. Blunt had
eight fieldpieces and four howitzers 10 Gen.
Cooper's one four-gun battery.
Gen. Cabell, with brigade of Arkansas
cavalry and four pieces OF artillery, who was
en- route to reinforce Gen. Cooper, and who
was within hearing Of the roar of artillery
during the battle, joined Gen. Cooper about
a o'clock in the afternoon, scarcely two hours
after the conflict had ended. But even with
Mt nf ord IF IN
Gen. Cooper's troops were too much democrat
lied to be again brought into action at once,
and the united forces retired south of the
Canadian River, where they remained until
July 22.
From this point Gen. Steele ordered them
to take I'D a position at Prairie Springs, Is
miles southeast of Fort Gibson, where he
expected in few days 10 receive a rein
forcement OF brgade'of Texans under Gen.
Bankhead.
On the arrival OF this brigade he deter
mined to take up a position still nearer
Fort Gibson, and endeavor to prevent any
reinforcements from coming into Gen. Blunt.
But Gen. Bankhead's Brigade did not arrive
at the time expected, and the assertions
from Gen. CabelPs Arkansas Brigade became
no alarming, many rs 200 men leaving in
single night, that Gen. Steele felt Obliged to
retire again to the south side of the Can
adian.
Nearly all these deserters were Union men
who had been conscripted into the Confed-
crate service, and who determined TO desert
at the first opportunity rather than fight
against their flag and country. They were.
perhaps without exception, men who did
not own slaves, and who did not desire TO
own them, and they could not see how they
would be benefited by the success of the
rebel cause. They had evaded the Confed
crate conscriptinR officers as long as possible
by hiding out in the woods and mountains,
and were then hunted down and arrested
taken off and put into the service. All this
tended to intensity their resentment against
cause which they believed Disseminated
against them because they were poor men or
men Of only moderate means.