capture of several hundred wagons as Marks' Mills, yet the tender consciences of worthy quartermasters in and around Camden were so horribly shocked when my requisition was or be filled that skeleton mules and wheezy and ramshackle wagons were all that could be furnished me. Some of these died on the mountains of Fourche la Fave, and one-third of the crazy vehicles never reached the Arkansas River.

On the Fourche la Fave River a notorious nest of jayhawkers, bloomers, and deserters were surprised, routed, 23 killed, 2 wounded and 2 captured, who were shot next day. I reached the rived on the 13th found it very and wide. I had brought with me one flat-boat, and finding one there I concluded to cross. This was 3 miles below Lewisburg, garrisoned by 400 Federals, and I hid my command as closely as possible, with vedettes foot guards around the entire camp, and waited for the coming night. The enemy would not let me rest quietly. A large scout pushed into my very camp. I did not want to fight them then, for I knew by crossing the river unawares I could capture garrison, supplies, and all, and if they found out my purpose I should have trouble in getting over; therefore, only resting hard enough to keep them off, I succeeded in keeping the impression that only a large force of guerrillas were in the neighborhood; but they paid for their temerity by 1 lieutenant and 35 men killed and wounded my command down to the river; called for 100 volunteer swimmers, who came with great eagerness, and filling one boats with picked riflemen, sent them, under command of Colonel Benjamin Elliott, on voyage of discovery. Right opposite where I proposed crossing was a large bar, opposite the bar an island, and between the island and mainland a deep stream filled with quicksand. All these facts I did not know, and when Colonel Elliott had reported and the swimmers all returned with long faces, I destroyed the boats, struck back squarely from the river, and made a wide detour for Dardanelle, knowing it was a much better and safer crossing.

On the 15th my advance charged a scouting of bloomers on a general foray, killed 21; none wounded or captured.

I fed 9 miles from town on the 16th, where 400 Federals were posted, determined to march the night, invest the place, and charge it at daylight. All went until about 12 o'clock in the night, when my extreme vedettes ran into the advance of a Federal force. Both parties fired sharply for several minutes, when the enemy fled toward Dardanelle. I knew no that all hopes of surprise were over, and I determined to charge directly into the place dark as it was. Following up the fleeing foe, made several sudden stands in the midnight hours, I galloped straight into the town and found it evacuated by all but 100 of the garrison, who made no resistance., Many supplies were taken, and the Federals in their frantic efforts to escape overloaded a frail flat-boat, and many of them were lost int he swollen river, their cries ringing wildly out on the night air for help and succor. Making instant preparations to cross two large and commodious boats were obtained, and the crossing commenced immediately.

By the evening of the 18th, evening was safety over and I encamped at Norristown. The next morning my pickets were fired into briskly, but upon throwing pout re-enforcements the enemy were