On this day I did not see a straggler, while all seemed to fell that we had but to march on to win, and all fought as bravely as the bravest. The enemy's design of crossing here was fully determined. Shelby was enabled to join me on the evening of that day without molestation, and again my whole force was together. On the morning of the 5th, there being no forage in the vicinity of the ferry, I was compelled to withdraw my main force to the south side of Prairie D'Ane, on the Washington road, about 16 miles from the ferry. Here I had breast-works of logs an small dirt-works thrown up with which to deceive the enemy into the belief that I would give them battle here. My outpost (Greene's regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell) skirmished sharply with them, and again on the 6th. On that day I was re-enforced by Gano's command of 400, and Colonel Lawther, after various successful skirmishes with the enemy, rejoined his brigade. On the 7th, the enemy continued to advance slowly, skirmishing all the time with my advance, under Captain Porter, of Burbridge's regiment. General Price now arrived with Dockery's and Crawford's brigades and Wood's battalion and took command. Cabell's brigade was transferred to Fagan's division. On the 8th, the enemy again advanced, driving Captain Porter, with my outpost, to the northeast edge of the prairie. Greene's brigade was then relieved from outpost duty by troops of Fagan's division.

General Shelby had, upon returning to the front of the enemy on April 4, been encamped in the prairie on the Camden road to rest his troops, recruit his stock, and guard that road.

On the evening of the 9th, the enemy, having been re-enforced by Thayer's division from Fort Smith, 4,000 strong (cavalry, infantry, and artillery), marched upon the outposts of our army, under General Dockery, drove them in, and were preparing to flank General Shelby's camp when General Shelby evacuated it; and being ordered to keep in the enemy's front, threw his force into line of battle across the Elkin's Ferry and Washington and Camden roads, ordered Dockery to hold his left safe, and attacked the advancing enemy. the picket fighting soon assumed the proportions of a battle. The enemy threw out line overlapping Shelby's line, opened upon him with fifteen pieces of artillery, and continued to advance. But the resistance was as dogged as their advance was overwhelming. The section of Collins' battery, under the immediate command of Captain Collins, with an almost unexampled courage held the artillery column of the enemy at bay, while the brigade, swept from flank to flank by the fierce artillery and small-arm fire, budged not until the order for retiring came. At nightfall the enemy had advanced but half a mile south of his position in the morning. That night, supposing Shelby had withdrawn, the fore continued to advance, but still the brave brigade withstood the platoon of artillery, and still Collins swept their ranks with shot and shell. At 11 o'clock I withdrew Shelby to camp. The enemy had now reached the point where the roads from Washington, Camden, and Lewisville join, looking northward. He wished to move to Camden, but he could not leave a force so near, on the Washington road, to attack his rear, and he was fearful to attack the fortified position on the southwestern edge of the prairie. Two days were spent (the 10th and 11th) in preparing for battle and throwing the troops into line. On the 12th, his whole force in line of battle, he marched upon the works, flanking them upon the left, to find them abandoned. The works had answered their purpose, forcing the enemy to waste