The National tribune., 1900-10-11
FIGHTING THEM over.
What the Veterans Have to Say
About Their Campaigns.
MARCHING AND FIGHTING.
Not Much Rest for the Lively Soldiers of A. j.
Smiths Command.

EDITOR NATIONAL 1TRIBUNE: On
March 10, 1864, A. ]. Smiths command
broke camp at Vicksburg, Miss, and pro-
ceeded to the mouth of Red River, COM
prising 10000 troops, namely, 1900 taken
from the Sixteenth Corps and $500 from
the Seventeenth Corps, and divided into
two divisions. One division was COM
manded by Brig Gen. Joseph A. Mower;
the other by Il. Kilby Smith.
The command arrived at mouth of Red
River March u. Next day it marched to
Fort Scurry, about three miles from the
landing (Simmsport. Finding it evacu-
ated, the command returned to the land
ing. The same night, about $50 o'clock,
the force started for Fort DeRussy, La,
arriving about on hour before sundown of
.he 18th. 1t attacked, charged and cap
tured the fort, taking over 800 prisoners
and II pieces of artillery.
The command then moved on to Alex
andria, arriving there on the 18th instant.
On March 81 Mower moved up the river
to Henderson's Hill, there capturing 270
prisoners and four pieces. This he did by
getting control of the countersign; there
was not a shot fired.
On March 26 Smith started for Shreve-
port, Banks's army in the advance. On
April 3 Smiths command arrived at
Grand Ecore. On April Z Smith left
Grand Ecore for Shreveport, being in the
rear of Bankss army. On April 8, about
4 o'clock in the afternoon, cannon began
to roar in our front. Smiths men double
quicked to within about a mile of Pleas
ant Hill, where we went into camp for
the night. The next morning the COM
mand moved up to Pleasant Hill. and lay
there till about o'clock p. M, when Dick
Taylor came onto Smith, he having driven
Banks from Sabine Crossroads. After
Banks's army had passed Smith, the lat
ter gave Taylor real nice little trim
ming.
During the night Banks concluded to
retreat, and fell back to Grand Ecore.
From the latter place on April 20 the
command again moved down the river to
Alexandria, arriving there April 26.
On May Joe Mower had fight at
Moore's plantation, about eight miles in
the rear of Alexandria.
On May ii the army again descended
Red River, Smiths boys guarding the rear
till the command reached Marksville
prairie, where A. j. Smith again 'ound
Dick Taylor in force, but after sharp
artillery fight the enemy withdrew Banks
moved down the river, Smith guarding
the rear and arriving at Yellow Bayou
May II. Next day Mowers Division of
Smiths command had hard fight with
the rebel, POlignac; this was to protect
Banks's army while it recrossed Red
River. Smith, having guarded Banks past
the mouth of Red River May 10, he start
ed to return to Vicksburg, Miss. On June
A. ]. Smiths command started for
Memphis. On June 6, finding Marmaduke
near Columbia, Ark, Joe Mowers Divi-
sion, in the advance, disembarked,
marched around Lake ;Chicot, drove the
rebels from the river, re-embarked and
arrived at Memphis June 8.
Forrest, having repulsed Sturgis at
Guntown, Miss, and through the recon-
mendation of Gen. w. Z. Sherman to the
War Department, Smith was assigned the
task of giving Forrest a whipping. On
July IA, at Tupelo, Smith, assisted by
Mower, dressed down" Forrest Ito the
Queens taste" After the battle of Tu-
pelo Smith returned to Memphis. On
Aug. 8 he took up the line Of march to
look after Forrest again, going as far as
Oxford, Miss, but could not bring on an
engagement. The command returned to
Memphis. From the latter place it went
to Cairo, H.; to Jefferson Barracks. Mo-;
to DeSoto, NO., returning to Jefferson
Barracks on Oct. 2.
Then it started in pursuit of Price, fol-
lowing him to Oxford, Kan. There, learn
ing that Prices army had been broken
up by the cavalry, Smiths command re-
turned to st. Louis, arriving Nov. 10, hav-
ing marched on foot 701 miles from Oct.
2 to that time.
On Nov. a Smith started for Nash
vile, arriving and taking his position in
line of battle Dec. 1. On Dec. - and
16 he participated in the battle, his be-
ing the first troops to break the rebel line,
capturing everything in his front This
was about 4 p. m, Dec. 16.
On Dec. II we pushed on after Hood
to Pulaski, Tenn. There we turned west,
arriving at Clifton. on the Tennessee
River, Jan. 1, 1865. We went up the
river TO Eastport, Miss. On Feb. 8 we
embarked on boats, went down the Ten
nessee to the Ohio, to Cairo, ILL.,, down
the Mississippi to New Orleans, and into
the Southwest Pass and out on the Gulf.
Thence we sailed for Dauphin Island, up
Mobile Bay and Fish River, getting in
the rear of Fort Blakely and Spanish
Fort. At these places, Aug. and 0,
Smiths Corps had front seats to the show
After the fall of the two forts, April 13,
Smiths Corps started for Montgomery,
Ala, arriving April 26, 1865. The war
being over the corps was later on dis
continued as such. At no time did A. J.
Smith have any colored troops except at
Tupelo, Miss. July IA, 1S64.-RoBERT
BLACKBURN, Co. II, S9th Ind, Decatur,