La Junta tribune., 1913-07-05

I the man next to him. We only cap,
tured six men. the others getting
away in the darkness. The effect
of this night attack was that Mar
maduk.s army fell back from the
river about two miles. When the
morning light appeared. ! saw the
most amusing sight OF the war. All
over the ground for the space Of a
quarter OF An acre. were scattered
saddles. brides. blankets. shot guns,
rifles. corn bread. boiled meat. old
shoes. hats and socks. Some Of
these socks looked As II they bad
not seen III. wash in six years.
( Then We mounted and marched
out upon Grand Prairie. The first,
and only prairie I saw In two years
It was a grand sigh, and filled me
with Joy This prairie WAS about
twenty-five niles square. Righ, In
front OF us stood the Confederate Ar
my In line OF battle. stretched along
to the North A. far as the eye could
reach
There could not have been less
than 900 In the line. There were
only $50 of US. but AS far as Gen.
Marmaduke could tell or know. the
whole OF Gen. St.ele's army lay back
L.. q. l.. D.,
ably what he believed. Ther. acre
no aeroplanes in those days and he
had no means o, finding out th"
truth Our marching and counter.
marching IN front of his army vas
only bluff which he did not call
While all this was going on General
Steele had thrown his puutOoa
bridge across White river and his
army was crossing with much speed
At Clarendon yesterday. found
the very spot where the poutnon
bridge was put across fifty years
ago. To me It was an old familiar
spot and recalled many memories Of
war times. Then the march for Lit
tie Rock began as related H. my
last letter We marched across Grand
Prairi. which was covered with grass
two and three feet tall. but not a
house nor ranch could be seen Now
I 4, Is covered with fine r-sidences.
shade trees. flower gardens And the
richest rice fields In the United
States. The staple productions OF
I Arkansas ar. corn. cotton. rice and
Z timber
I passed through Clarendon ~her.
these lines are written. Nith Gen.
Z Curtis Army 81 years ago the 10Th
I OF next month. After the battle
OF Pea Ridge. Mo. where he defeated
/ the Couf.ierat. Army be marched
his army down TO Batessille. Ark.
His was the first Union Army thai,
entered Arkansas Our hatsllion Join
ed him there with 100 WAGONS load
ed with supplies for his army from
Pilot Knob. Mo, IN the month OF
June. 1862 These supplies were all
consumed IN a few days Then he
began his march 10 Helena on the
Mississippi river by way % Claren.
don. distance of i5o miles. with
an army of abou, 600 men Their.
~ ~ The
booming of cannon could b. heard al
most every hour
Gen. Curtis originally iufpnded to
march to Little Rock. but changed
his plans on account of the want OF
supplies His army was In a stArv-
I Ing condition. June 2ist Gen. Cur
lis reported 10 Gen. Hslleck a' 81.
Louis as follows; My eayairy II
breaking down for wan, Of forage"
June 25th. My stock Is almost starv-
( Ing. June :Sth. Il have called In
my outpos,s and will move n Hei.
cna. on the Mississippi river for sup
plics''
Our battalion formed part OF
his advanced guard. In mont of ~
was a Confederate force OF about TO-.
600 men under command Of General
/ Hindman. who In some way obtain.
I'D knowledge Of the starving condt
tion Of our army. and conceived the
idea OF capturing II on It's way thru
the bottoms and bayons Of the white
and Cache rivers. n VAS the o.
por,nni'y Of life tim. and he 1h
no, mean To let II slip. In order TO
inspire his men with the NECESSARY
amount of daring. he addressed -
them the following order:
THE Yankee Gen. Curtis. is as.
tempting To escape. His poaltsoa
has become unsenablc He Is appolt
81 at the dangers tina, uurround Mn.