The National tribune., 1901-04-18
BATTLEOF PINE BLUFF
Gen. Marmaduke's Unsuccessful
Attempt to Capture Gen. Clay
toms Command.
By J. A. PINE.

The battle of Pine Bluff, Ark, in the
Fall of 1868, was full of both amusing
and exciting incidents. Pine Bluff is on
the Arkansas River, about 80 miles be-
low Little Rock. 1t was garrisoned by
the 1st Ind. Cav. and 9th Kan. Cav, the
1st Ind. Cav. having battery of four
| small steel-rifled guns attached to the reg
iment. Col. Powell Clayton, of the 9th
Kan, was in command. The Colonel was
afterwards made Brigadier- General, and
is at present our Minister to Mexico.
Our two cavalry regiments had been
stationed at this, the southern, outpost, as
it were, of Little Rock, as it was in the
valley of the rich river bottoms of the
Arkansas River, and immense fields of
corn had been raised, stretching south
ward to the Mississippi River, with the
expectation Of feeding Southern troops
and horses. But man proposes and God
diSposes. At any rate, the Yanks found
this Wilderness of cornfelds ready made
to their hands, veritable Canaan, flowing
with milk and honey.
About eight months were spent by this
command IN garrlSOning this spot, and
while an occasional long scout was in
dulged in, yet we always had our comfort
able quarters to return to, and weeks Of
rest fully compensated for a little extra
hardship on occasional scouting duty.
GeL. Marmaduke conceived the idea
that il would be good thing to take US
in. Els command of about 10000 men
was gathered some place down in the
Wachtaw River region, about 10 miles
distant, and starting one Saturday morn
ing, he reached the outskirts OF Pine Bluff
the next DAY, Sunday morning, about Z
O'Clock.
The writer had passed the night Just
outside the city, at the house Of an old
time friend whom he knew up North sew
eral years previous. AS | was dressing
| heard a numbering noise outside and
parting the curtains Of my windows | saw
train of about 30 empty wagons pass
ing out into the country on a foGaging
expedition. Each wagon had a guard of
six soldiers armed with carbines and pis.
tolls. The negro driver was mounted on
one of the rear mules armed with q raw
hide to gently tap up the six mules max
ing his team.
The breakfast bell now ringing, 1 was
soon seated at the table enjoying South
ern hospitality, mine host telling me he
had younger brother in the Southern
army. Hardly had we fairly gotten to
work at the good things set before us
when we heard musketTy, then the yell
Of drivers, the crack of blacksnake whips
and the shouting of the soldiers
The forage train was evidently coming
back Down the streets they went. Curb
stones, telegraph-poles, fence-corners, all
suffered in that wild hurrying to be at
the front When the wagon would hit an
obstruction away it would 90 bounding
elght to ten feet in the air, emptying the
wagon of half or two-thirds of the occu,
pants.
Had the Confederate advance pushed
the wagon train to their utmost. and
dashed on to the Court House Square,
where our commands were encamped,
they would undoubtedly have captured
the whole outfit before a rally could have
been made; but around the outskirts of
The town were scattered a thin line of
Union pickets. Rallying to the danger
points, these poured in volley after vol
ley, and the Southern boys halted long
enough to slowly drive these outposts be-
fore them.
Retreating from block to block and from
house to house, these pickcts delayed the
advance as long as possible, and by the
time they reached the Court House Square
the whole command had rallied
The cotton warehouses were broken
open and every darky in the town was
working harder than he ever worked
before in rolling cotton-baIes across the
Square.
Our little steel cannon were placed In
advantageous positions, and for an hour
"7 haIttu lOF Lne main force OF the en-
emy to arrive; indeed, coffee was made
and breakfast eaten before the battle
opened all along the line.
All day, we fought; battery played
against battery. Sharpshooters were
placed in the houses facing the Square,
anu woe TO the daring enemy who at
tempted to steal upon us.
The writer will never forget his hur-
,led retreat from that breakfast-table, and
his thoughts that there was a three-ouar-
r,mlle run TO camp, with the chances
OIL beng picked up long before he reached
the goal
had about two blocks the start of a
squad. ran several squares, but breath
was getting short, wind getting scarce.
and turning t sharp corner L dropped on
the ground and rolled under a house set
ting close by the roadside. Here had the
satisfaction of seeing the pursuing squad
ride past looking anxiously ahead for the
tall Yank with the blue coat on. After
very short rest / rolled out from my re-
treat, scooted down an alleyway, down a
by y-street, rolled across a block, under sew
eral different houses, and then made