The National tribune., 1898-05-26

wore out the day and the distance, re.
polling his foes, who at times enveloped
his flank as we'll as his rear, with loss
of less than 100 men, a good part OF
these from the I'd Mo-, Col. Schaefer,
who, installing an order, had left Ben
tonville considerably in advance, and
who fell into an ambuscade by the way.
Before 4 p. M, Sigel was met by re-
Inducements sent him by Gen. Curtis,
when the pursuit was arrested, and he
deliberately encamped near Leetown,
across Sugar Greek, and in close prox-
unity to Gen. Curtis's center position.
Pea Ridge is the designation of the
elevated lakeland, broken by ravines,
and filling large bend of Sugar Creek,
on which the ensuing battle was fought.
Gen. Curtis, knowing himself
LARGELY oUTNuMBERED
by the motley host collected to over
whelm him, had chosen a very strong
position On which to concentrate his re-
treating force, provided the rebels would
attack it in front, as he expected. The
country being generally wooded. he had
INSTRUCTED most of the lateral roads
with fallen trees; while his artillery
and infantry, well posted and strongly
intrenched, were prepared to give the
foe tie warmest kind Of reception as he
advanced against them up the main
road, leading from Texas through
Fayetteville northward to Keytesville
and Springfield.
But Van Dorm perceived neither the
necessity nor the wisdom of running
into such trap. Advancing from
Fayetteville obliqnely by way of Ben
tonville, ard chasing Sirel off the direct
road from the latter to keytesville upon
the cross road taat passes through the
little village of Leetown and intersects
the Fayetteville road at Elkhorn
Tavern, he diligently improved the
night following Si-el's retreat in placing
his entire army along the road from
Bentonville toward keytesvilIe, on the
flank and in the rear of his foe; so
that all Curtis's elaborate preparations
to receive him on the Fayetteville road
went for nothing.
Curtis woke late on the morning of
the 9TH to a realizing sense OF
HIS CRITICAL CONDITION,
with a far more numerous foe practi-
cally between him and his resources,
retreat ruinous, and COM
pelling him to fight the rebels on the
ground they had chosen, which proliered |
him no advantage, and with which their
guides were far more familiar than his. !
But every moments delay must |
necessarily be improved by Van Dorm
in making matters worse; SO Curtis
changed front to rear, making
The First and Second Divisions, under
5isel and Asboth, his left, and the
Third, under JEFF c. Davis, his center,
and the Fourth, Col. Carr, his right.
The line thus formed stretched about
,hree miles, from Sugar Creek, through /
Leetown, to EIkhorn Tavern; of the |
rebel line confronting it, Price, with his
Missourians, formed the right; Nc !
[ntosh was in the center, and McCulloch
IN the left.
The dispositions being made, at 1870
o'clock, Osterhaus was directed by Cur
is to advance, supporting his cavalry
md light artillery, and open the ball:
while, at nearly the same moment, Nc
Julloch fell with overwhelming force
lpon Carr's Division at and near Elk
lorn Tavern.
A broad, deep ravine, known as
Cross-Timber Hollow, but termed in
some reports Big Sugar Creek, render
ID almost impossible by q windfall of
leavy timber, crossed the battlefield,