days more, had constructed several | Gen. Grant, arrived at Alexandria" wing-dams, directly at the head of soon after the return of our army the falls, raising the water on the to that point. Gen. Fitz Henry rapids over a foot additional; and, Warren, who had been left in comin three days more," the gunboats mand at Matagorda bay, with the Mound City, Carondelet, Pittsburg, remainder of those forces, evacuated, Ozark, Louisville, Chilicothe, and soon afterward, all our posts on the two tugs, had successively passed the coast of Texas save those on the Rio falls and the dams, with the loss of Grande, and came around to rëenone man swept overboard and two or force Gen. Banks; but was stopped three rudders unshipped, were coaled by formidable Rebel batteries at and moving down the river, convoy- Marksville, on the Red river, when ing the transports-the back-water he fell back to Fort de Russy and from the swollen Mississippi (150 strengthened that post. miles distant) enabling them to pass all the bars below without delay or difficulty.

Banks, upon reaching Alexandria from above, had found" there Gen. Hunter, with reiterated orders from Grant to bring his Shreveport cam

Banks sent Hunter back" with dispatches, stating that the fleet was above the falls, and that it could not be left there to the enemy, nor yet brought over without serious, protracted effort on the part of the army. Yet, before the dams were completed and the gunboats relieved from their peril, Banks was favored with a fresh dispatch" from Halleck, saying:

Ere this, the gunboats Signal and Covington, with the transport War-paign to a close without delay. ner, steaming down the river in fancied security, were fired on, soon after daybreak," at Dunn's bayou, 30 miles below Alexandria, by a large Rebel force, and thoroughly riddled; the Covington being abandoned and burned; while the Signal and Warner were compelled to surrender. There were some 400 soldiers on board of these vessels, including Col. Sharp, 156th N. York, and Col. Raynor, 129th Illinois, of whom 150 were captured, and perhaps 100 more killed or wounded. The residue took the shore, and escaped as best they could. Soon after ward, the City Belle, transport, conveying the 120th Ohio, 425 strong, up to Alexandria, was likewise captured; only 200 of the soldiers escaping.

"Lieut.-Gen. Grant directs that orders heretofore given be so modified that no troops be withdrawn from operations against Shreveport and on Red river, and that operations there be continued, under the officer in command, until further

orders."

Two weeks earlier, this, with permission to retain Smith's corps, would have been most welcome. But, before it came to hand, the Rebels had control of the river be low as well as above Alexandria, and a renewal of the campaign was judged impracticable.

BANKS RETREATS TO THE ATCHAFALAYA.

551

of May 19th. As it did so, our rear at Yellow bayou was assailed by a Rebel force under Prince Polignac, whom A. J. Smith beat off, inflicting a heavy loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners. Our loss was 150 killed and wounded. The passage of the Atchafalaya was completed next day; and-Gen. Canby, having ap

simultaneously with the departure of the fleet; striking for Simmsport, on the Atchafalaya. That morning, a fire broke out in a building on the levee which had been occupied by soldiers or refugees; and, in spite of the most determined efforts by our men, a high wind and the proximity of inflammable substances insured the destruction of a considerable por-peared as commander of the transtion of the buildings. Gen. Banks Mississippi department-Gen. Banks had apprehended such a disaster, and turned over the army to him and had directed Gen. Grover, post com- hastened to New Orleans. Gen. A. mandant, to take precautions against J. Smith returned hence to his own it; but they proved unavailing. It department with his somewhat deis of course probable that some evil- pleted command. On his way up disposed person or persons purposely the Mississippi, he landed" at Sunnyside, in the south-eastern corner of Arkansas, and attacked, near Columbia, a Rebel force estimated at 3,000, said to be under command of Marmaduke, strongly posted across a bayou emptying into Lake Chicot, who were worsted and driven, retreating westward. Our loss here was 20 killed, 70 wounded; that of the enemy about the same.

started the fire.

On the march to Simmsport, a Rebel cavalry force was encountered just at daybreak" at Mansura, near Marksville, by our advance, and pushed steadily back across the open prairie to the woods beyond; where a stand was made for three hours the fighting being mainly by skirmishers and artillery-until our main body had come up, and Gen. Emory on our right and Gen. A. J. Smith on our left had flanked the foe's position, when, after a sharp but brief struggle, he was driven, with considerable loss-we recapturing a part of the prisoners taken with our vessels on the river ten or twelve. days before. No farther resistance being encountered, our advance reached Simmsport that evening.

Gen. Banks's movement on Simmsport having loosened the Rebel hold on the river at Marksville, Admiral Porter encountered no farther resistance; but moved down the Red nearly parallel with the army, and resumed his patrol of the Mississippi.

Much odium was excited by the circumstance that sundry cotton speculators visited Alexandria during The Atchafalaya is here 600 yards its occupation by our forces, armed wide, quite deep, and no ordinary with permits from the President or bridge material at hand. Under the Treasury department; so that Col. Bailey's direction, a bridge was the campaign wore the aspect of a constructed of steamboats in two gigantic cotton raid, prosecuted at days and a half; the wagon-train the expense of the country for the passing over it during the afternoon benefit of individuals. Gen. Banks

was nowise implicated in these sor- | ling Price, with a considerable force

MARKS'S MILL AND JENKINS'S FERRY.

|

553

(crossing of the Saline)" he was assailed in great force by the Rebels, now led by Kirby Smith in person. Our men had been working in mud and rain throughout the night, getting their pontoons laid and their trains across, having had little or nothing to eat since they left Camden, when, at daybreak, the enemy

was attacked, as it debouched at
MARKS'S MILL, by Gen. Fagan's Re-
bel division, said to be 6,000 strong,
while most of our men were still
making their way through the swamp
with the wagons. A desperate but
most unequal fight ensued, in which
the 43d Indiana and 36th Iowa did
all that men could do when con-
fronted by several times their num-rushed upon them.
ber; Drake making superhuman ef-
forts, and being everywhere at the
point of greatest danger, until mor-
tally wounded. By this time, the
enemy had been enabled to interpose
a strong force between our advance,
thus engaged, and the 77th Ohio,
guarding our rear; when-nearly
one-fourth of our men being killed
and wounded-the residue surren-
dered. The 77th, when assailed in
its turn, of course did the same. Some
of our wagons were destroyed; but
most of them were captured. The
Rebel loss in this engagement was
estimated by our men (probably much
too high) at 1,000. Our own killed
and wounded were fully 250. Our
soldiers here captured were started
southward at 5 P. M., and compelled
to march 52 miles without food or
rest within the next 24 hours. They
reached their destination-the prison-
camp at Tyler, Texas-on the 15th
of May. The negro servants of our
officers were shot down in cold blood
after the surrender.

The river bottom is here densely wooded, which gave a great advantage to the defensive. It was sodden and trodden into deep mire, over which guns could not be moved unless on corduroy roads, and into which the combatants sank at every step. The thin brigades of Cols. Engelmann and S. A. Rice had to bear the brunt of the enemy's attack; the disparity in numbers being enormous. Part of our army was already across the river, and could with difficulty be brought back.

The 33d Iowa, Col. Mackay, covering the rear, was first impetuously attacked and pressed in, though the 50th Indiana had advanced to its support. These fell back behind the 9th Wisconsin and 29th Iowa, which were in turn fiercely assailed; and it became necessary to order up all our troops south of the river to their support. Brig.-Gen. Rice was in immediate command. Three several attacks, with different divisions in front, were made on our steadfast heroes, who repelled each with great slaughter. Our right flank being threatened, the 43d Illinois and part of the 40th Iowa were ordered to cross a swollen, muddy tributary, known as Cox's creek, into which they plunged with a shout, dashed At JENKINS'S FERRY across, and drove off the enemy. "April 30.

Steele, still at Camden, was soon apprised of this disaster, and regarded it as a notice to quit. By daylight of the 27th, his army was across the Washita and in full retreat, amid constant rains, over horrible roads, with the Rebel cavalry busy on every side.

The last grand attack was made on | be destroyed. our left and left center, and succeeded streams, corduroying swamps, and