The Washington herald., 1914-04-10

! From a photo taken after the war;
Gen. Thayer. with a small body of
Federals marched across Arkansas
from Fort Smith to join Gen. Steele
/ at Camden.
and meanwhile had kept up his march
from Little Rock toward Shreveport.
The Fedcrals under Steele had moved
out from Little Rock on March Il. and
after continuous heavy skirmishinC with
! the Confederates and considerable hard
! ship in moving the long wagon train
over Il narrow and muddy prairie road
had crossed the Washita River and oc-
cupied the town OF Arkadelphia on March
.. There the Fcderals waited for a de-
tachmenJ under Gen. John NJ. Thayer
Of 3.S-il men. which was coming across
country from Fort Smith. 1l5 miles north
west. near the border of the Indian Ter
ritory
Gen. Thayers command called the
| Frontier Division. was delayed by the
spring freshets which had flooded the
river bottoms and carried away nearly
every bridge in its path. So Gen. Steele
determinvd to move on without it, and
I on April ! pUt his force in motion. He
had approximately 80 men present for
! duty.
Fighting In Darkness.
The truops opposing Gen. Steele's COM
mand were urGer Mai. Gen. Sterling
Price. who IIad Won reputation as a
skilIful and daring fighter. In the early
days Of the war he had commanded in
| Missouri, but had been driven out of
that State 10y the extension Of Federal
power.
7.OOo cavalry and detachment OF artil-
lery. and been quaTtered near the town
Of camden. on the Washita River. forty
miles down stream from Arkadelphia.
This place was the immediate objective
of Steelc's forward movement. it being
lass than los miles from Shreveport on
the Red River.
In order to deceive the COnfederatcs as
TO his line OF mar,h. Gen. steele moved
southwest toward the town of Washing
ton. B. a feint and fankinE movement,
Steele threw his army across the Little
Missouri River, branch OF the Wash
ita, which was noted for its turbulence
and which carried away the first mill
tary bridge laid by the Fcderals. and by
the evening Of April was within a few
miles Of Prairie DAM, where Gen. Price
had gathered his forces to contest the
advance.
At that point tho main road which led
directly to Spring Hill. on the way to
Shreveport branchcd in two directions.
To the right a road led to Washington.
and to the left another branch ran TO
Camden. forty miles southeast. Price
took position to cover these important
roads
The fight developed to n picturesque
artillery duel For hours the level
stretch OF green prairie land was swept
by a heavy though not destructive fire.
the infantry lying in the shelter of
breastworks which hurriedly had been
thrown up. At nightfaIl the artillery
combat ceased
But Gen Price was not done. Having
carefully ascertained the position of the
Federal artillery. he sent his men against
it a few hours after dark. The struggle
for the guns was wagcd with fury, and
a hand-tO-hand combat ragged for a half
hour. In the end Gen. Prices men were
hurled back from the Federal line.
The following day Gen. Steele inaugu-
rated another flank movement threaten
ing Washington, and Gen. Price moved
to cover the latter place. Immediately
Gen. Steele turned in his tracks and occu-
pied Camden.
While Gen. Steele was waiting at Cam
den for supplies. he learned of Gen |
Banks defeat. He also found that the |
strongly re-enforced by infantry from
the Red River. So Gen. Steele began to |
fall back to Little Rock
At Jenkins Ferry on the Sabine River, !
the Confederates overlook the Fcderals, |
attacked them and were defeated.
Gen. Steele's command returned to Lit |
tie Rock without further fighting.
The total Federal losses in the move |
mcnts in Arkansas were fully SEQ killed !
and wounded. and 2,O0O men. 400 wagons. |
/ COO mules and horses and eight pieces of |
artillery captured.
The Confederates lost approximately !
90 killed. 700 wounded and 80 captured |
and missing.
Banks at Pleasant Hill.
While Gen. Steele was moving to Cam |
den. Gen. Banks, after Sabine Crossroads, |
fell back seventeen miles to Pleasant |
Hill.
Here a detachment OF the Sixteenth |
Army Corps under Brig. Gen. Andrew J. !
Smith, which had not participated in the |
fighting at Crossroads, occupied the most |
prominent position. The Federal line was |
a strong one, running along the crest of |
an abrupt cminence which commanded |
the narrow road over which the Confed- |
crates must approach.
shortly after midday on April the |
ConCcderates under Gen Richard Taylor |
head OF the column was 4 detachment |
under Brig Gen. Thomas J. Churchill. |
comprising tine Missouri and Arkansls !
divisions from Gen. Prices army. These |
troops had7marched forty-five miles and |
we're thoroughly jaded. The other Con-
federate troops had been heavily engaged |
on the previous day and all were suffer- |
ing from heat and thirst. So Gen Taylor