The Mena weekly star., 1907-10-10
THE EVACUATION
 OF LITTLE ROCK
General Shaver Gives Interesting Description of the sor ca Event in Which He and His Command Played Important
 Part-Thinks the Retreat Not Justified by Conditions.

, sick leave, and stated to him tn directions received from Holmes and asked if he had any changes O notifications to make. He replied in the negative. 1 then suggested \ that it was a considerable distance that the infantry would have t march to get into position to rende the desired support, and that i would be to the advantage of thu troops the infantry be moved tt a point where it would be certain t be near at hand in case needed 1 Price replied that if the regimen was needed the orders would b' given in ample time. On the after noon prior to the evacuation agair called at General Prices headquar ters and inquired of his adjutan general as to what was new at tho front, and he replied All is quiet or the Potomac 1 am satisfied that Steele's movement to the left was { complete surprise and was 90 in tended by Steele.
 "The next morning the city was aroused by Steele's guns, which were smelling our cavalry to clear way to lay a pontoon bridge across the river. It was not long until staff officer appeared with orders from General Price to move the infantry at double quick down to the support of the cavalry, a distance of more than nine miles. l asked the officei if he was certain he was giving the order correctly, as it was a matter of impossibility to move such dis tance at double quick, and he replied that he was certain. 1 told him to say to Price that it was impossible to obey the order and get any eff cient service, but that l would move with the utmost celerity compatible with the efficiency of the command.
 When l reached the Gates place, about two miles out, 1 was over taken by another staff officer who informed me that General Steele had crossed a portion of his forces over the river, and that I was to move my command to the Vaughan place. several miles below, and take a position and prevent the enemy from crossing the Fouche. When l reached and took that position the bulk of our cavalry had crossed the Fouche, and Colonel Newton, who at the time was in command of the brigade, stated that he had orders to form the cavalry on my right, which he did.
 Shortly afterwards I received orders to fall back and take position at the Sims place. In the meantime General Steele was pushing infantry and artillery up the opposite bank of the river and when the infantry and cavalry were in line at the Sims place one of Steele's batteries opened on the line, especially the cavalry part of it. l was then ordered to fall back to the Keats place.
 Up to this time the enemy had not crossed the Fouche, nor do know that they ever did cross it, but our artillery, cavalry and infantry had crossed the river on retreating movement.
 T then received an order to fall back to the city, go up Markham street to the junction of Main, take and leave the city by the Arkadel- phia road, and was told that out at the old fair grounds l would find the cavalry under General Marina duke and would then be relieved of any further duty as rear guard. General Marmaduke brought up the rear to Philadelphia,
 "It has been agreed in justifica- tion of the evacuation that the dis parity of the forces was SO great that it would have been suicidal for General Price to have made a fight, but that position cannot be main tained. The truth is that General Price had as many if not more men than General Steele, and, therefore, we will have to look for some other excuse.
 "As and indication of how the troops felt about the movement, more than one-third of the men deserted during the retreat from Little Rock to Philadelphia. 1t is the only instance save that of the Prai- rie Grove, when superior force of Confederates rctreated without giv- ing battle to an inferior force of Federals."
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