thenceforth safe; retreating into Arkansas with as many prisoners as we had taken from him; but his losses in killed and wounded were far the heavier.

The next blow in this department was struck" by the Rebels, perhaps 3,000 strong, under Col. Coffey, at Fort Blunt," in the Cherokee Nation, which was held by Col. Wm. A. Phillips, with some 800 mounted men and a regiment of Creek Indians. Phillips's Indian scouts proved untrustworthy, letting the enemy approach him unannounced; still, he had works which they did not care to attack, but, crossing the Arkansas, pounced upon his cattle, that were grazing on his left, and took the whole; only a part being recovered by a charge of his mounted men. "The Creek regiment refused to charge, or they would all have been saved," the Colonel dolefully reports. The enemy posted themselves in a strong position five miles from his fort; and there Col. Phillips attacked them with spirit-he driving them (or they escaping with their booty) over the Arkansas, with a loss of 50 or 60 on each side. Phillips seems to have conducted his part of the affair with judgment and energy. A train of 300 wagons, conveying supplies from Kansas to Fort Blunt, and guarded by ten companies of Western cavalry, with the 1st Kansas colored, 800 strong, Col. J. M. Williams, and 500 Indians, Maj. Forman, had a fight" at the crossing of Cabin creek, Indian Territory, with a force of Texans and Indians under Standwatie, the Cherokee Rebel chief. The Texans fought well; but they were only 700; while the Rebel 18 Near Fort Gibson, Creek Nation. VOL. II.-29

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Indians proved of no account. Standwatie was driven off, with a total loss of 23 on our side, including Maj. Forman, wounded. The Rebels left 40 dead on the field and 9 prisoners.

Gen. Blunt, learning that Fort Blunt, his advanced post, was in peril, rode thither from Fort Scott175 miles-in five days, arriving just in time." Learning that the Rebel Gen. Cooper was at Honey Springs, on Elk creek, 25 miles south, waiting, with 6,000 men, for a rëenforcement of three regiments from Texas, which he expected on the 17th, and purposed then to advance and fight, Blunt could not perceive the wisdom of waiting, but resolved to bring the matter to issue forthwith. So, setting out at midnight," with 250 cavalry and 4 guns, and, moving 13 miles up the Arkansas, he crossed and came down the other side, driving back the Rebel outpost and beginning forthwith to cross in boats his entire force-3,000 men, with 12 light guns. Advancing five miles, he came upon the enemy, posted behind Elk creek: their numbers and position concealed by a growth At 10 A. M., of bushes. Blunt advanced in two columns, under Cols. Judson and Phillips; deploying rapidly to right and left when within 400 yards of the enemy's line, with cavalry dismounted on either flank, armed with carbines and fighting as infantry. In two hours, the Rebels were driven, and, in two or three more, hunted through two or three miles of timber to the open prairie, when they fled in disorder, leaving behind them 150 dead and 77 prisoners, with one dismounted gun and 200 small arms. Blunt estimates

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Hardly had Cooper fled, when Cabeil, at 4 P. M., arrived with the expected Texans, estimated by Blunt at 3,000; but they did not see fit to attack; while our men were exhausted with marching and fighting, and were running short of ammunition. So Blunt halted and waited till next morning; when he ascertained that the enemy had decamped during the night, retreating across the Canadian.

But, though beaten at the front, the Rebels soon began to exhibit a fresh vitality by means of guerrilla raids in the rear of our forces. The 6th Missouri cavalry, Col. Catherwood, holding PINEVILLE, in the south-west corner of Missouri, was next attacked" by Coffey, raiding up from Arkansas; who was beaten off, with the loss of his wagons, munitions, and cattle, with some 200 killed, wounded, and prisoners.

The next raid was more savage and more successful. It was made by a bandit termed Quantrell-though that was not his real name-who, collecting a force of 300 Rebel guerrillas on the Blackwater, in western Missouri, 50 miles from the State line, far within the Union lines, and while no Rebel flag openly floated within 100 miles, rode stealthily across the border and at early dawn" into the young city of Lawrence, Kansas, where no preparation for defense existed, for no danger of attack was ever dreamed of. The people were surprised in their beds, the roads picketed, and every one who emerged from a house with a weapon was shot down, of course. Aug.. 13.

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which was manifestly idle. The Eldridge House, the chief hotel, contained no arms of any kind, and was formally surrendered by Capt. Banks, who, frankly avowing himself a Union officer, insisted on seeing Quantrell, who assured him that none who surrendered should receive personal harm. The banks, stores, and safes, were all broken open and robbed, as were the private dwellings. All the horses were taken, of course; otherwise the booty could not have been carried off. Every negro and every German who were caught were killed at once. The Court-house and many of the best dwellings were fired and burnt. Eighteen unarmed recruits were found at the rendezvous near the city, and killed; as were quite a number of private citizens; several of them after they had surrendered and given up their money under a promise that they should be spared; but those taken in the Eidridge House were protected by Quantrell and saved. Few, if any, who were shot, survived. U. S. Senator J. H. Lane escaped; as did Col. Deitzler and some others; Gen. Collamore, who hid in a well, was suffocated, as were two men who successively went down to help him out. At 10 a. M., the work of devastation and murder was complete-140 men having been butchered and 185 buildings burned, including most of the stores and one-fourth of the dwellings-and the bandits left, being fired at by some soldiers across the Kansas, as they fled, and three of them killed.

A series of fatalities had prevented the receipt of any warning of this 22 Aug. 21.

vance of the raiders, to warn Lawrence, when his horse fell under him and was killed; while the rider was so injured that he died next day. The banditti had been seen, the night before, passing five miles south of Aubrey, near the State line, where Capt. Pike, with two cavalry companies, was stationed; but Pike, instead of pursuing them, sent word to Capt. Coleman, at Little Santa Fé; who, with 100 more horsemen, marched to Aubrey, and, with Pike, commenced a pursuit; but the trail was now cold; and the pursuers were six miles from Lawrence, on horses thoroughly blown, when the bandits, with fresh (stolen) horses, were leaving the scene of their murders. They were overtaken near Palmyra by Senator Lane and a weak party from Lawrence; but these could not attack, and were unable to keep them in sight; and, in short, Quantrell, dodging many times his force, who were after him, rested a while that night 5 miles north-east of Paoli, and escaped next day into the timber of the middle fork of Grand river, Missouri; where his band scattered, seeking and finding concealment with congenial spirits throughout the surrounding region. Perhaps 100 of them were overtaken and killed in the pursuit; but the greater number escaped, and were soon indistinguishable.

Col. Woodson, with 600 Missourians, starting" from Pilot Knob, Mo., dashed into Pocahontas," Ark., where he captured Gen. M. Jeff. Thompson and some 50 others; returning unmolested.

The surrender of Vicksburg and Aug. 21. "Aug. 24. July 31. Aug. 10.

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Johnston from Jackson, having left Gen. Grant's army at leisure, Maj.Gen. F. Steele was sent to Helena, to fit out and lead an expedition for the capture of LITTLE ROCK. The force assigned him for this task numbered 6,000 men of all arms, including 500 cavalry, with 22 guns; but Gen. Davidson, with nearly 6,000 more men, mainly mounted, and 18 guns, soon joined him from Missouri; swelling his aggregate to 12,000 men and 40 guns. Steele soon moved out," Davidson's cavalry in advance; crossing White river " at Clarendon, and sending forward " Davidson to reconnoiter the enemy's position at Brownsville, while he shipped his extra supplies and his sick-by this time numbering 1,000-down to Duvall's bluff, which was accounted the healthiest spot in that unhealthy region.

Davidson advanced, skirmishing, to Brownsville," which Marmaduke evacuated; retreating to his intrenchments at Bayou Metea; whence he was, after some fighting, dislodged " and driven over the bayou; burning the bridge behind him, and so checking pursuit.

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