Tuesday last, for the purpose of moving up to re-enforce Marmaduke, but have now all gone back to their hole.

My transportation has just come up. I occupy the same position held by Marmaduke when I attacked him, and intend holding it. They will not advance this side of the mountains, except with their combined forces; but I am prepared to meet them, and with my little army whip 25,000 of such chivalry. An officer who came inside of our lines under a flag of truce after night terminated the fighting, acknowledges that they were badly whipped and worse chased.

Lieutenant [J. A.] Johnson, Sixth Kansas, dangerously wounded; may possibly recover.

JAS. G. BLUNT,

Brigadier-General.

Major General SAMUEL R. CURTIS.

HDQRS. First DIVISION, ARMY OF THE FRONTIER,
Cane Hill, Ark., December 3, 1862.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that, on November 26, while encamped at Lindsey's Prairie, 15 miles south of Maysville, I received reliable information that General Marmaduke, with a force estimated at 8,000 men, was at Cane Hill. I further learned that Marmaduke's command was the advance of Hindman's army, the remainder of which was expected to arrive at Cane Hill on the evening of the 28th. I immediately determined to attack Marmaduke, and, if possible, defeat him before the arrival of General Hindman with re-enforcements.

Early on the morning of the 27th, I ordered all of my transportation and commissary trains parked on Lindsey's Prairie, and, after detailing a sufficient guard for its protection, I commenced my march, with about 5,000 men and thirty pieces of artillery, the men taking with them four days' rations of hard bread and salt. The distance to be traveled to reach the enemy was 35 miles, of which 25 were made by 7 p. m. on the 27th, when the command bivouacked for the night. From that point I sent spies into the enemy's camp, and learned that their pickets were strongly posted on the main road (on which I was advancing), and that it could be easily defended.

I marched at 5 a. m. on the 28th, leaving that road and making a detour to the left, by a blind track; struck one that was obscure and unfrequented, and entered Cane Hill directly from the north. As I had anticipated, they had no pickets on this road, and I met no resistance until within half a mile of their camp. the enemy had learned, however, the night previous, that I was moving upon them, and were prepared for our reception. About 200 of the Second Kansas Cavalry, under Colonel [W. F.] Cloud, with two mountain howitzers, under Lieutenant [E. S.] Stover, were in the advance, which, with [J. W.] Rabb's battery and my staff and body guard, constituted the only force upon the ground, the main column having been delayed in ascending a mountain about 7 miles back to the rear. Of this fact I was not apprised until my advance was engaged. In passing down a gorge between two abrupt hills, their grand guard was encountered in considerable force. Dashing on, and driving them before us, a few hundred yards brought us to where the bluff on the right terminated, and in full view of the enemy, who were posted on the right of the road, on elevated ground, with timber in their rear, their guns in battery, bearing upon the road on which I was approaching, and from which they immediately opened a