whether we could carry the place by assault. Every exertion was made to ascertain the exact amount of subsistence the enemy had, in the hope that he might be starved out and compelled to retreat. A pontoon train had started from Shreveport, but most unfortunately through some misconception of orders was turned back. On the night of the 26th, the enemy, having learned of the capture of his train, evacuated Camden. His rear guard left the place at 4 a. m. on the 27th. Our advance entered at 7. It took us all day and all night to construct a bridge over which the infantry could pass. At sunrise on the morning of the 28th, the troops commenced crossing. The enemy had twenty-six hours' start of us. On the night of the 29th, the head of our infantry was at Tulip, 14 miles from the Saline, at Jenkins' Ferry, and 40 miles from Camden. A brigade of our cavalry was at the Bottom of the saline, 3 miles from the river. Our rear was at Princeton, 22 miles from Jenkins' Ferry and 32 miles from Camden. The rear of the enemy's column had passed Tulip at 8 o'clock that morning. The Saline Bottom was, however, a quagmire 5 miles wide, and it was possible his trains had not been gotten over. We had but little expectation of getting a fight. Our pontoon train had not come up, and even with it we could not cross the river in face of the enemy. General Fagan had not been heard from for some days. It was hoped he would hear of Steele's retreat and throw himself in his front, thus giving us an opportunity of catching up and attacking him in rear. Here a dispatch was received stating that he (Fagan), after vainly endeavoring to cross the Saline at points lower down, had gone up near Arkadelphia for forage and would cross the Saline at Benton. He had not learned of enemy's rear guard next morning the troops were rested from dark till 1 o'clock, Churchill and Parsons at Tulip, Walker at Princeton, 8 miles to the rear. At 1 o'clock the column moved forward through deep mud, rain coming down in torrents. At daylight the two divisions were up with the cavalry advance, having marched 52 miles in forty-six hours. skirmishing commenced and the enemy's pickets were driven in. We could hardly believe there was any large force of the enemy on our side of the river. The firing becoming more general, Churchill's division was thrown forward. I give you a rough sketch* of the ground. Dockery's brigade was thrown to the left of a bayou which ran parallel with and very close to the road by which we advanced. It was pushed down toward the Saline, while the other part of the division moved down on the right side. The enemy was soon found in force and Parsons' division was put into action on Churchill's right.

World was sent back to General Walker to hurry one brigade of his division forward on the road we had come, and to take the other two brigades by a road which turns off to the right 5 miles from the Saline, and was said by our scouts to lead to the enemy's left flank. The battle-field was a boggy marsh covered with timber and considerable undergrowth. The enemy were concealed by the undergrowth and fallen logs, so that our men could scarcely see them at all. Scurry's and Randal's brigades, of Walker's division, moved by the road leading toward the enemy's left. Waul's brigade was held in reserve in rear of Churchill and Parsons. The cavalry brigade was mostly thrown forward as skirmishers. Our troops, I regret to say, did not fight well. Before Walker reached the enemy

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*Not found.

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