left, had attacked and driven in with loss his flankers to the main body. On the night of the 1st, Steele encamped near Spoonville, having marched onley 10 miles. Shelby encamped that night near Arkadelphia, Cabell on the Antoine. Greene was at nightfall about 8 miles east of Spoonville. The design of the enemy was evidently to co-operate with Banks against Shreveport, his shortest route to Shreveport by way of Washington. The crossing over Little Missouri River on the military road was a good one and entirely untenable for checking his advance seriously. The latest information of my scouts (I was then with Greene's column) on the 1st was that Steele had certainly advanced as far as Spoonville on the direct Washington road. These facts taken into consideration, I ordered Colonel Greene to leave Lawther's regiment, of his brigade, on the enemy's left flank, and marching that night to join Cabell at Cottingham's Store, 14 miles north of Washington and 3 south of Little Missouri River, on the military road. Before daylight ont he morning of the 2nd, I joined General Cabell at Antoine.

At Spoonville a good road makes off from the military road by way of Okolone to Elkin's Ferry, and by roads leading from it to any of the ferries or fords on Little Missouri River. Fearing Steele might take this road and reach and occupy one of the fords below the military road crossing, on the morning of April 2, after leaving Monroe's regiment, Fayth's battalion, and a section of Hughey's battery, of Cabell's brigade, commanded by Colonel Monroe, at the Antoine as a rear guard, I withdrew the balance of that brigade to Cottingham's Store, where it could either re-enforce Monroe when driven back to the river or resist the occupation by the enemy of any of the fords below the military road crossing.

No change appeared in the direction of the enemy's march on the 2nd. His supposed advance came up with Colonel Monroe's rear guard at the Antoine and were driven back with loss, Monroe, according to instructions, falling back slowly. At Wolf Creek he again halted and took position. The enemy came up, and this time Monroe, by his excellent dispositions, the well-directed fire of the small-arms of his command and of the section of Hughey's battery, drove him in wild disorder back to the main body with a loss of 25 or more in killed and wounded. At 2 p. m. the march of the enemy was partially developed; he had taken the road leading off by way of Okolona. Simultaneously almost with this information the small picket which had been stationed at Elkin's Ferry galloped up to inform me that the enemy had occupied that ferry with a small force. About 4 o'clock Greene arrived, having marched, when he heard the firing between Monroe and the enemy, in a northwesterly direction, to the assistance of Cabell (as he then thought), but finding that the enemy were in strong force, and would, in his then position, overpower him, retired to Cottingham's Store. By this time the enemy had occupied Elkin's Ferry with a strong force and posted artillery to sweep any line attempting to drive them from it, while their whole force was in supporting distance.

In the meanwhile Shelby had encountered the rear guard of the enemy, consisting of a brigade of infantry, regiment of cavalry, and battery; had, with the gallantry and dash which ever accompanies him and his brigade, charged in line of battle, mounted, charged and charged again until the sun went down, and driven it to seek safety with the main body, now encamped 12 miles from the scene of his first attack. Shelby then encamped.