mand, which joined me at the Little Missouri River. Some few animals were lost in the swamps between Prairie D'Ane and Camden, but think our loss was less than 200 animals from the 23rd day of March to the 15th day of April, the day we reached Camden. There were about 800 wagons and nearly 12,000 public animals with the command on the 15th day of April. The difficulty of procuring forage occasioned great uneasiness, as we were without any base of supplies and with an active enemy in front. The country about Camden contained quite an amount of corn, but the enemy sent out banks of cavalry to burn and destroy all corn and other supplies that could be found. The chief commissary of the army had made requisitions on me for corn for the men of the command, as our supplies of breadstuffs were entirely exhausted, and it was thought best to try and procure sufficient corn to furnish half allowance of forage and one-fourth rations of meal to the men. I accordingly made up, under the directions of the major-general commanding, a forage train consisting of 177 wagons on the 17th of April, and sent them out some 16 miles to a point where I knew of there being some 5,000 bushels of corn. The trains reached the place and found that about 2,500 had been burnt that day, yet loaded 141 wagons and returned to within 12 miles of Camden, when they were attacked by the enemy, commanded by General Price, some 8,000 strong, and after a desperate resistance by the escort, in which we lost 240 killed and wounded, the entire train was captured and destroyed by him.

On the night of the 16th, a steamer laden whit corn (about 3,000 bushels) was captured by our cavalry at a point on the Ouachita River 30 miles below Camden and brought up to that place. My forage parties also found small lost of corn secreted, and the Union people of the place reported to me the amount of corn they had, which I purchased, giving vouchers for. A train of 150 wagons, laden with subsistence, ordnance, and quartermaster's stores, reached Camden on the 20th of April from Pine Bluff, which was a great relief to the command. On the 22nd, they were ordered back to Pine Bluff, Ark., and I added 61 additional wagons to the train, making 211 wagons. On the 25th, they were attacked at a point about 30 miles north of Camden by 6,000 cavalry under command of General Fagan, and the entire train was captured. Nearly 300 of the escort were killed and wounded. It being impossible to procure forage and subsistence for the command, and the rebel General Kirby Smith having joined General Price with a large force of infantry from Shreveport, at a council of ware held on the night of the 25th, it was decided to abandon the line of Ouachita and fall back to Little Rock, distance 120 miles. I received orders to destroy such wagons and stores as could not be removed for lack of animals, which was accordingly done on the night of the 26th, while the army was crossing the pontoon bridge over the Ouachita. A large number of animals had broken down on account of having no forage, and I was forced to destroy ninety-two wagons and a large amount of harness. Several hundred mules were driven along with the command, hoping to be enabled to get them through to Little Rock; most of them were abandoned, however, on the march. Forage was procured for the animals the first day after leaving Camden, but were destitute after that time until we reached Little Rock (six days).

The command reached the Saline River on the 29th of April; the pontoon bridge was laid and the crossing commenced, which