The Prescott daily news., 1919-08-27
BATTLES OF POISON STRINGS, MARKS MILLS
 AND PRAIRIE DEANN
MaJor Estes Tells of the Most suc. cessful Campaign of the Trans
 Mississippi Department.

The following is an interesting ar- .icie that Will be read by our readers rom Major B. M. Estes. A nnn,be,. or our older citizens were members of the companies engaged in these hat ties and will verify the statements made by Major Estes:
 Editor News:
 will endeavor to tell your readers entirely fro memory, of our campaign or 1864, and will ask pardon for any error or oversight that might occur as nave no data and depend upon memory alone for incidents of fifty years ago.
 was private in Capt. W. A.. Greaver's company-Co. c, Col. John M. HarrelPs Battalion, Gen. w. T.. CabelPs Brigade, Fagan's Division C. s. A.
 We broke camp at Camp Washing ton, four miles west of Columbus. Hampstead county, about the last of March. Gen. Cabell and his staff were fromed by the roadside, and as we passed Col. Harrell cried out "Three cheers for Tige and his pups" and we gave the Rebel Yell.
 We soon met Gen. Steele's advance scouts, and skirmishing at different points was kept up daily for week or so. Cabell took a stand on the south side of Prairie Deann, cut tim Der and constructed breastworks. Shelby's and Marmaduke's Brigades were near us and skirmishing daily, Our object, as 1 understood it, was to keep Steele in check and prevent him and Gen. Banks from forming a junc- tion at Shreveport, La.
 All of Prices infantry went to meet Banks at Pleasant Hill and Mansfield and would have captured most of Banks army had not a rise in Red river come to their relief, enabling them to get their gunboats and fleet out.
 Banks being routed, Gen. Price with his worn out infantry started to re- enforce us.
 now commence where 1 left off, back at Prairie Deann. We were in line of battle and had been for quite while when heavy skirmishing be- gan and late in the evening cannon ading began and lasted for some three or four hours.
 I will mention little incident that came up about the time the artillery began. One of our soldiers began to grunt and groan and said the colic was killing him, and every shot of the cannon he grunted the louder. The poor fellow never heard the last of that attack of collie.
 Next evening our horses were or dered up and we were ordered to mount and march to an elevation on the Prairie and support our battery. Gen. Stanwatas Indians were just to our left. and cannon ball came hurt ling through the artillery horses, talk l ing off some of their legs. One h. dian said "Whoop" and away he went, and a bunch of them said "Woof!' and away they went, "lndian no like big gun"
 Steele turned to the left for Cam den. and we dropped in south ot hlm, and think about the 18th ot April we were ordered northwest ana marched until about 1 o'clock p. m' Our artillery was just ahead or us' they halted just ahead of us and the artillerymen ran with their buckets for water for swabbing the cannon in action so we knew that there was business just ahead.
 Battle of Poison Springs.
 our artillery formed on little ridoe overlooking a valley to the west. We dismounted, our horses were sent to the rear, and we were ordered to lay down and support our battery, which we did without any Icoaxing. By this time the skirmish-