tearing up the railroad, burning forage, breaking reaping machines, and destroying all kinds of Federal property. The enemy came down upon me in large numbers, but calling up Jackman and getting in all my detachments, I moved off. They charged twice feebly, but were easily repulsed, and I marched back toward Austin, followed by them and fighting them during all the rest of the day. I traveled all night and reached Austin at daylight, having marched forty miles and fought six hours.

The result of the expedition was gratifying. Over 450 Federals were captured, 300 killed and wounded, 6 forts taken and destroyed, vast quantities of forage destroyed, ten miles of railroad torn up, the rails heated and bent and the ties consumed, the telegraph broken down, and hay machines, oxen, wagons, and supplies used up or driven off. Our loss in killed and wounded, 170.

The enemy attacked me the next morning furiously at Austin, but turning upon him at the crossing of Big Cypress, Gordon inflicted such a sudden and terrible punishment upon him that he retreated from my rear and never came in sight again. As General Price did not cross the railroad, as anticipated, and supposing he would come over the mountain route, I sent a large force to Searcy Valley to watch the roads there leading to his left flank if he came that route and frustrate all such designs, if contemplated.

At this time I had 8,000 new recruits in camps of instruction. McCray, Jackman, and Dubbin had good brigades with several unattached regiments and battalions, and I had given the men to understand fairly and squarely that they should go to the regular army when the time came, or whenever I war ordered to bring them. Jayhawking, stealing, plundering of private property, and lawless impressments had been checked and crushed by effective doses of powder and lead and the people enjoyed a greater degree of civil freedom than ever before.

General Adams, whom I found in command of the Northern Sub-District of Arkansas, was retained in his civil capacity, but had no control whatever with troops in the field.

Soon after the expedition to the railroad I sent Captain McCoy to the Saint Francis River, where a large Government boat was hard aground, with fifty men to destroy it. He was successful. Burned the boat and cargo, which consisted of a large quantity of coal for the Mississippi naval squadron. Not long after five steamers, crowded with troops, came up White River to Augusta, where they were ambushed by Colonel Dobbin, and great numbers killed, causing them to beat a hasty retreat.

All the prisoners taken were paroled and sent North, for I was too weak to spare sufficient detachments to guard them to our lines south of the Arkansas River through an enemy's country, for the entire number captured during the expedition was largely over 1,100. Only a partial list of these prisoners can be furnished, as the record of their names was destroyed on the late expedition to Missouri, having been placed in a wagon devoted to the flames. Those saved, being in another wagon, will be furnished immediately, which will be between 700 or 800. There was not a day that some of my scouting parties did not meet, encounter, and whip in every affair a larger force of the Federals, and such was the terror of our arms that they never came against us only with heavy odds. Everything in readiness to move I reported to General Price on his arrival and started for Missouri on September 19.