_War in Arkansas._
Some time early in the year 1863, Price moved his forces to Little
Rock. The Federal forces under General Steele approached from
Springfield, and Price began preparations to receive them. His army
was much inferior to the attacking force and every precaution was
taken to give us the advantage. We crossed to the north side of the
river from Little Rock and dug a trench in the shape of a rainbow
touching the river above and below the town and more than a mile in
length. The enemy approached within two miles of our trench and halted
and remained in that position nearly a week. We had little rest during
that time. The drum tapped every morning at four o'clock and we had to
crawl out and fall into our ditch, where we remained until the danger
of an early morning attack was over and then got out for breakfast.
On the seventh day, if I remember correctly, the Federals broke camp
and marched ten miles down the river and commenced building a pontoon
bridge. Price sent his cavalry and artillery down to visit them, but
the fire was not heavy enough and the bridge was built in spite of
their best efforts. We were called out of our trenches in the meantime
and taken across the river on a foot bridge built upon small boats.
When we reached Little Rock I was surprised to find everything gone.
Ox teams and mule teams were strung out for miles hauling our freight
and army supplies. We marched behind with orders to protect the train
and I thought we would certainly be attacked, but we were not. Steele
made Little Rock his headquarters for the summer.
About fifty miles south of Little Rock we went into camp. At that time
I belonged to Clark's brigade. Mercer was our Colonel, Gaines our
major and Miller our captain. Clark's division was ordered to go down
on the Mississippi River below the mouth of the Arkansas and destroy
steam boats that were carrying supplies from St. Louis to Vicksburg.
The siege was going on at that time, and the Federal troops were being
supplied with provision largely by way of the river. There were two
regiments in the division and we had with us a six gun battery. We
reached the river and concealed ourselves at a point where the current
approached close to the west bank, judging, by the low stage of the
river, that the boats would be compelled to follow the current. We
had not been in hiding very long until we saw seven boats steaming
their way down the river with a small gunboat trailing along behind as
guard or convoy. When the foremost boat reached a point near the shore
and directly opposite us, it was halted and ordered ashore. There
were soldiers on the boat and they ran out on deck and fired at us.
We returned the fire and cleared the deck the first round. The next
round was from our battery. The range was easy and one ball struck her
boilers. The hot water and steam flew in every direction. She headed
for the farther shore and drifted on a sand bar. The soldiers leaped
from the boat and swam for their lives.
The six other boats received very much the same treatment. They were
all disabled and sunk or drifted helplessly down the river. The little
gunboat was helpless also. When the attack began it was under a bank
and had to steam back up the river before it could get in range to
shoot at us. When the little bull dog got back in range it threw shot
and shell into the timber like a hail storm, but our work had been
done and we were out and gone. The volley fired from the deck of the
first boat wounded one man, John Harper, in the knee. That was our
only damage.
We then went some fifteen miles farther down and from the levee
crippled two more transports. From there we followed the levee until
we could hear the big guns at Vicksburg. That was July 3d, 1863. Next
day about noon the heavy artillery ceased and we soon learned that
Pemberton had surrendered. On July 5th cavalry sent across the river
from Vicksburg were scouring the Arkansas side of the river, looking
for "bushwhackers who had cannon with them." We fled back into the
pine knobs and escaped easily.
I have been unable to recall further active service in 1863. We
remained inactive and in camp most of the time and the monotonous life
failed to impress its small events upon my memory.
Active operations in 1864 began, as well as I recall, about the first
of March, when Steele left his station at Little Rock and started for
Shreveport. We understood that his army numbered forty thousand men.
It was certainly much larger than Price's army. As soon as it was
learned that Steele had started south Price broke camp and set out to
meet him, not with the idea of entering into an engagement, but for
the purpose of harassing and delaying him. I do not remember where
the two armies first came in contact with each other, but I recall
distinctly the weeks of scouting, marching here and there, skirmishing
now and then with detachments of Steele's army, and retreating when
reinforcements appeared. The infantry kept always in front, resisting
progress at every point, while the cavalry under Marmaduke and Shelby
went to the rear and threatened the long train of supplies. They made
dashing attacks upon the line at every available point, fighting only
long enough to force Steele to prepare for battle and then rapidly
retreating. In this way Steele's men were kept on the run, forward to
fight the infantry and backward to resist the cavalry. At night our
men would frequently push a battery up near his camp and throw shells
in upon him all night. I do not know how fast Steele traveled, but he
must have considered five miles a day good progress.
During this time Banks was approaching Shreveport up Red River with
sixty thousand men, and the object was to prevent a union of these
forces. Eight gunboats were also making their way up the river.
General Dick Taylor had about ten thousand Texas and Louisiana troops
and he was resisting the approach of Banks. As I remember it, Taylor
had risked several engagements with Banks, but had been compelled to
fall back each time. Finally he sent to Price for help. Price decided
to employ his cavalry upon Steele so he sent his infantry, about five
thousand, to Taylor. That included me, as my horse had never been
brought back from pasture in Texas.
We made a forced march of one hundred and fifty miles to Shreveport,
and then hurried down Red River to Sabine Cross Roads. We joined
Taylor and on the eighth day of April attacked Banks and defeated
him. He retreated to Pleasant Hill. After the battle we took a few
hours' rest, and when night came Taylor ordered us to cook one day's
rations ahead. About nine o'clock we were ordered out and placed like
blood hounds upon Banks' tracks. They were easy to follow. The tracks
were fresh, blood was plentiful and dead and wounded negroes lay now
and then alongside the road. We marched all night and until twelve
o'clock next day. About that hour we came to a small stream about two
miles from Pleasant Hill. There we stopped and had a drink and ate a
lunch.
About two o'clock in the afternoon we were thrown into battle
line and ordered to march on to Pleasant Hill. Banks had received
reinforcements and was waiting for us. We passed through a body of
timber and there encountered the Zouaves who were hid behind trees.
One of them shot and killed our cook, Al St. John, who was from
Platte County, Missouri. This was a bad start for us, but we routed
the Zouaves and marched on through the timber to an open cotton field
which lay between us and Pleasant Hill. When we passed out of the
timber we could see the town and Banks' army lying in gullies and
behind fences waiting for us.
When we got within range firing began. I do not remember which side
opened, but I know the fight was open and in earnest. Our line was
about a mile long and for a time each side stood firm. Directly I
heard a yell up at the north end of our line. It was too indistinct
to be understood and for a time I did not comprehend it, but it came
closer and closer by regiments one after the other until our regiment
was ordered to charge. Then we took up the yell and dashed forward.
The yell passed on down the line until our whole force was on the
move. We routed the enemy and drove them back into the city where
some of them crept under old out houses to escape the bayonet. Then
our line came to a stop. Their reinforcements came in from the rear
with a yell and went after us. It looked like the whole sixty thousand
had suddenly sprung from the earth. We thought we had gained a great
victory when really we had only driven in the pickets. As they came
the yell went up on the other side. We stood right there and tried to
whip the whole army. We stopped the yell but had to go. As we turned
to go back I saw a battery horse running across the battle ground with
his harness on and his entrails dragging the ground. Several other
horses were running with saddles on their sides, showing their riders
had been shot and in falling had turned the saddles. Those horses were
all killed by bullets from one side or the other before they got off
the battlefield.
We fell back about two hundred yards and rallied and made a second
attack. By that time Banks was moving away from us. When the guns
ceased sufficiently to enable me to hear the report of my own gun, I
could hear also Banks' baggage and trap wagons rattling and banging
out of Pleasant Hill. They went like a cyclone and that ended the
bloody battle. We marched back two miles to the little creek where
we had stopped at noon for lunch and camped for the night. Next
morning Taylor's cavalry started in pursuit and saw Banks safely
back to New Orleans. There Banks lost his job. At the same time the
cavalry started in pursuit of Banks, the infantry began a forced
march to Shreveport to meet Price and Steele. When we reached
Shreveport neither Price nor Steele had arrived and we did not halt,
but continued on toward Little Rock. About forty miles back on the
road we came upon Price camped by the roadside, with Steele penned
up in Camden, a town on the Ouachita River. Steele had gone into an
evacuated Confederate fort to allow his army to rest, and Price had
surrounded him except upon the side next the river. It was about two
o'clock in the afternoon when our forces joined Price. The boys were
all well and in fine spirits and had many things to tell us and
were greatly interested in our experience on the Mississippi and at
Pleasant Hill.
About five o'clock in the afternoon Price rolled two guns up on a hill
and fired a few shots into Steele's camp, but got no answer. He ceased
firing and nothing more was done that night. Next morning Steele and
his whole army were gone, and the bridge across the river was burned.
A temporary bridge was hurriedly built and the infantry crossed and
started in pursuit. We followed all day and all night and overtook
them about ten o'clock the following morning. I understood that our
cavalry had followed by forced marches also and had gone ahead of
Steele. At any rate, Steele, in place of following the main road,
switched off and went about three miles down into the Saline River
bottom. The river was very high and all the sloughs and ditches were
full of water. When we came up Steele was throwing his pontoon bridge
over the river and his forces were digging ditches and felling trees
to keep us back until they could get across.
Marmaduke made the first attack, as I remember, and charged the
rude breast-works. He drove the troops behind them back into the
level bottom and there the Arkansas infantry was set to work. They
forced the line gradually back toward the river, and after an hour's
fighting we were sent to relieve them. Our attack began about twelve
o'clock in a pouring rain. They would make desperate stands behind
rail fences and in clumps of timber and we sometimes had hard work
to dislodge them. When driven from one point they would immediately
take up another. This would force us to maneuver through the mud and
water to get at them again. The last strong resistance was made about
four o'clock in the afternoon. The forces fighting us had managed to
get into a body of timber on the north side of an open cotton field.
A high rail fence separated the field from the timber and this fence
made excellent breast works. In charging we were compelled to cross
the field exposed to their fire. We made a run and when about half
across the bullets came so thick we could go no further. We were
ordered to lie down. Every man dropped on his face with his head
toward the enemy. Lying in this position we fired upon them and turned
upon our backs to reload. We fought in this fashion until Taylor's
infantry relieved us.
When Taylor's fresh troops dashed over us with a yell the forces
behind the fence wavered and finally ran, but it was then about time
for them to run. They had held us until most of the army had crossed
the river. They then made their escape and cut the pontoon bridge
behind them. We secured most of their heavy guns as they had to keep
them back to use on us. The battle was ended and I was glad of it. I
never passed a more dreadful day. With rain pouring down from above,
with sloughs waist deep to wade, and with mud ankle deep over the
whole battle field our condition may be easily imagined. Besides
this we were black as negroes when we went into camp. In biting off
the ends of our paper cartridges the loose powder would stick to our
wet faces and become smeared over them. Our gun sticks were black
with exploded powder, and in handling them with wet hands we became
completely covered with grime. I shall never forget the sorry looking,
miserable, muddy, rain soaked and bedraggled soldiers that came into
camp that night.
We were not the only men who suffered that day. While we were lying
on the field, Price ordered a battery to our assistance. The captain
pulled his battery down the road and ran into a negro regiment
concealed in the timber. The battery boys dismounted and were getting
ready for business when the negroes charged and captured the battery.
About half the company swam a slough and got away. The other half were
taken prisoners. They had no sooner laid down their arms than the
negroes shot and killed them all. As we lay upon the field we could
see and hear but little, but this massacre occurred in plain view from
where we lay. As soon as we were relieved a portion of our forces
immediately attacked the negro regiment and without mercy killed and
wounded about half of them and recaptured the guns; but the negroes
had shot the horses and that rendered the guns useless.
Next day I was detailed to help bury the dead. Several large wagons
were provided with six mules and a driver to each wagon. Four men to
each wagon loaded the bodies in. The end gate was taken out of the
bed. Two men stood on each side of a body. One on each side held an
arm and one each side a leg. The second swing the body went in head
foremost. When the wagon was full it was driven off to where another
squad had prepared a long trench into which the bodies were thrown and
covered up. It required most of the day to complete our work.
The wounded were removed from the field and cared for temporarily as
they fell. The flight of the Federal forces made it impossible for
them to care for their wounded immediately, so they were taken up by
our men and given such attention as we could give them.
Next day was the doctors' day. I was ordered to go along and assist.
Three doctors went together, and over each wounded man they held a
consultation. If two of them said amputate, it was done at once. When
they came to a man with a wound on his head they would smile and say,
"We had better not amputate in this case." It seemed to me they made
many useless amputations.
One doctor carried a knife with a long thin blade. He would draw this
around the limb and cut the flesh to the bone. The second had a saw
with which he sawed the bone. The third had a pair of forceps with
which he clasped the blood vessels, and a needle with which he sewed
the skin over the wound.
The first man I saw them work upon was a Union soldier. All three
said his leg must come off. They began administering chloroform, but
he was a very hard subject and fought it bitterly. They asked me to
hold his head, and I did so. As soon as he was quiet they went to work
on him. When I saw how they cut and slashed I let his head loose. I
thought if he wanted to wake up and fight them he should have a fair
chance. I told the doctors that I did not go to war to hold men while
they butchered them; that I had done all to that man that my contract
called for and that I thought he was well paid for his trip. I was in
real earnest about it, but the doctors laughed at me and said they
would soon teach me to be a surgeon.