third Indiana, Thirty-sixth Iowa, and Seventy-seventh Ohio, left Camden for Pine Bluff to get supplies. The train was attacked by the enemy in overwhelming numbers. The greater part of these regiments, after a stubborn fight, were captured, as also the whole train. About this time intelligence reached us that General Banks' expedition against Shreveport was a failure; that he had been indeed driven back with loss, and that Kirby Smith himself was at the head of several divisions on his way to Camden to crush General Steele. It now became apparent that the army could not draw its supplies for any length of time from its base, which was so far distant as Pine Bluff, for the enemy could now throw with impunity a very large force in our rear, which he had done already so successfully, even before the re-enforcements from General Smith reached him. The evacuation of Camden, therefore, became an imperative necessity. The trains were taken across in the afternoon of the 26th; the same night the troops crossed, this regiment having the honor to cover the rear, and at 4 o'clock on the morning of the 27th, the pontoon was taken up and the army took up its line of march toward Little Rock. After an undisturbed march of 17 miles we camped for the night.

Reched Princeton the next day, the 28th, leaving there on the 29th, the brigade having the rear. When about 8 miles from Princeton the rear was attacked. Some companies were deployed and left as a support to a section of Vaughn's battery, while the others moved on. Having arrived to within 3 miles of the Saline the regiment, with a section of Vaughn's battery, was left on a ridge, the last piece of high ground before entering the bottom. The regiment was formed behind a crest of the ridge, the first battalion to the right, the second to the left of the section of artillery. From each company a few men were sent forward as skirmishing continued until dark, when the regiment was relieved by the Thirty-third Iowa, in the rear of which regiment we rested for the night. at 3 o'clock the next morning, the 30th, the regiment was ordered about 1 mile to the rear. The men had marched the previous day without any rations, had lain during the night in an exposed position, and although a general engagement cold at any moment be expected, it was necessary to allow the men to cook whatever little they did have. Thus in the rear of the line of General Rice's brigade preparations for cooking were made, while the rattling of musketry at some distance made it doubtless that the enemy had commenced the attack. The Forty-third Illinois was ordered to cross a deep creek, with high steep banks, which runs in the direction of the position occupied by the right wing of General Rice's brigade. While executing this movement the engagement had become general over the whole line. The enemy massing his forces, far outnumbering ours, tired in succession every part of the line of our division.

Owing to the nature of the ground movements in force on the north side of the creek were impossible, and the regiment was ordered to recross it. After having then formed on an open field the regiment moved forward to take its position in the second line of battle, between the Fiftieth Indiana and Fortieth Iowa. Halting in this position for some time it appears that the right wing of the first brigade was hard pressed, and Captain A. Blocki, assistant adjutant-general, brought orders from General Rice to relieve in that