Knoxville journal. [volume], December 10, 1874, Image 4

About Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986

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THUB8DAY, DEC. 10,1874.
Arkansas Campaign, 1SG1.
A RHfrel Vlrw of It— Inlrreel
ing Sold tff IMli.'ilHb,
'.yjil, and 4CM1* Iowa
Rigimcnli.
letter from G«u.
%ca Democrat)
This I# nfct.troe. If history in
worth anything, it should be f»r the
factx and the deductions therefrom.
If the writer of The Battle of Jen
ilnw' Ferry w»i on tho ground that
V|lay,
he certainly was badly inform
ed ah to the number Of the Con fede
rate forces, both prior to that battle
as well us on the battle-Held. In the
winter and spring of 1HM-4 I had
Command of the cavalry in the Ar
kansas District—coiHiHlinj? of Cabell's
brigade, about 1*,00 men under Iirig
adier-Cien. Caliell—Khelby's brigade,
ti boil iftOQtneif under Brigadier-(ien.
Shelby, and anotlier brigade of about
looo men under Col ton (Ireene.
When Gen. Hanks, in the «printr of
JNljl, moved up lied Hiverfrom New
Orleans, all the available Confederate
force in the Trans-Mississippi was
ordered by Cien. JO. Kirhy Smith to
concentrate near Shreveport. and
move to oppose 'he march of Gen.
.ttaiikf*' hrmy. In their line followed
the battles of Pleasant Hill and
-linnsHrid and the retreat of Banks'
Krniy. All the infantry in tho Ar
kansas DHbricl were moved south
ward by fi\n. Smith and formed a
part of the Confederate force oppos
ing Hanks.
This left Geo. Sterling Price's
headquarters at Camden in command
of the District of Arkansas, with one
division of cavalry (as above named)
nud a few scattering and partially
organized regiment* of cavalry,
which were Just being shaped into a
f^rigade under Gen. Pagan. Soon af
jlljr the movement of our infantry
liouthward, my scouts brought me
(my headquarters were then at Cam
den) information that Gen. Steele
was moving out of Little Rock south
ward with a considerable force of in
fantry, cavalry and artillery, and a
large transportation train which con
firmed the news that lie intended to
'fjiake a Junction with Hanks sonie
where at or near Shreveport. Be
lieving that Steele would make such
ft move was the reason that my di
vision was kept in Arkansas for the
purpose of hitrrassing and retarding
his tintrch until our armies could
iueet and defeat Hanks, then turn
And defeat Steele. A junction of
'flanks' and Steele's forces would
ftave made victory on our part al
most impossible. My estimate wat*
that Steele's force was about l.r»,000
men. Before he had reached Arka
delphia I learned that a force of sonib
fi.OUO to 7,000 men Under Gen. Thay
er had moved from Fort
u*PH W
3I«rm»dah«.
8T. LOUIS, Mo., Nov. 28, 1874.
CAIT. EVANS, OTTUMWA, IOWA:
—In (lie i-«ue of your paper
{Qttmn-
of 19lh inst., I find
quite a lengthy article hemh-d "The
|iattl« of Jenkins' Ferry," taken
from lirick I'omeroy'i» Dem*rat
ufOct. 17th, 1671, in which occurs the
following:
It wan JTMIWRIIy HOpposed, is we
luive lirrelofwrH iiitiiimt*-1, (the wtlp
J»«witi«»II \VH* r.o* at all unreasonable
Hint Steele wouid be prevented! from
crowing the liver l»y crossing it with
our cavalry under the cwiiiniand ol
Gen. Msirnmduke, with a iiHlt'-rv or
two of Htfht artillery andholding
the lrttiflifif^ Ofl the opposite Hide.
The result to the J-ederal army
would have been starvation or snr
render. Thin was not elected, how
ever.
Smith south­
easterly to nlake a junction with
fjteele at or near Arkadelpliia. This
Jle did, making the Federal force, as
$ estimated, about 20,000. Jlowcor
lk*et this estimate la you know better
$l an I, as you were one of Steele's
.HrHcers. My orders were to dispute
every Inch of ground with Steele and
make his march us ditttcult and slow
fn possible. It Was now out of the
Question with i»5' small force of cav
j|lry (*(,000 men) to oiler him absolute
tfcattle, for he could have annihilated
tlie in a few hours. Upon moving
Hut of Arkadelphi, when well
(Wretched out on the march, I hurled
jjiiy three brigades upon him. About
tlie samo time Cabell on the head,
4|helby on tho rear, and Greene on
Hie flank, and this method of war
Hire Was continued (with disputing
yiver crossing) till your forces reach
id Prairie D'Ann. From the time
#te»?le left Arkadelphi till deploying
j^is splendid line of battle in the prai
y|e above named, I think you will
bear nib out that my troops were on
fMs hcelri and his flunk by day and by
Bight, like desperate and daring Cos
tftcks. At Prairie D'Ann Gen. Price
{Wine up ivlth some 1"(M) reinforce
llients (clivalry) rind took command
Ol' the wholb fok-b in the Held. It
was here thdt Steele learned that
Banks had Mien defeated, and like
dMjgttCious soldier as he was, seeing
that a further southern inarch wa#
only adding to his peril—that he
could not well return on his route, as
it was atrip|»ed of subsistence for
man or liens t, wisely and promptly
turned backward
via
Camden, and ho
rapid his inarch that he then dashed
into Camden, giving us but little
chance to get at his heels. He had
had a rough march thus far, exhaust
ive to men and animals, but here he
rested to recruit, and came near rest
ing too long* For in his few days
there my command pretty near used
up a brigade which he had sent out
foraging, capturing somt^&V) wagons
and the HX inule teams. This was
on the road south-west from Camden,
and a day or so then-after Fagan,
Cabell ahtl Shelby knocked to pieces
a like fofrce and captured about
the same number of wagons
and teams on the northeast from
Camden. Steele must have had hors
de combat in these affairs near 4000
men, and lost some 500 wagons with
their
teams. While this was going
on, the Missouri, Arkansas and Texas
infantry, which had been after Hanks,
was hurrying back to engage Steele.
A delay of two more days and his
escape would have been impossible.
Now cornes the correction of tho par
agraph which I have .clipped.
Two days prior to rtteeles' moving
out of Camden, Fagan, who out
ranked me, was ordered fo take his
brigade, Cabell's and Shelby's, cross
the Ouachita some thirty miles be
low Camden and place himself on
Steele*' line of communication with
the Arkansas river, atid oppose his
retreat, while our infantry pressed
him out of Camden. 1 remained
with the infantry, keeping one brig
ade (Greene's) of cavalry to do picket
and fcouting duty on the South side
of Camdt?n. Steele moved out of
Camiteh during the night, and right
upon his renrtheConfederatefw/cwi/r.y
moved into Camden. The pursuit
was delayed by our having no pon
toon train a bridge had to be con
structed on the Ouachita, for the in
fantry to pass. I was ordered to cross
the Ouachita some five or ton miles
below Camden, with Greene's caval
ry, to press forward and got on the
enemy's flank if possible and cause
delay. As you know, tho Ouachita
is a river of considerable proportions,
Hwimming from bank to bank, yet
with a small skiff as my only help
eight hundred of Greene's •brigade
swam that stream and by dawn of
day next morning dashed Into
Steele's column as it was pressing on
to Jenkin's Ferry, and all that day
fought him 6s only a handful of tnen
could fight such ft force. Greene's
brigade was not ordered nor even ex
pected to reach tho head of Steele's
column, much less to cross and oppose
his crossing at Jenkin's Ferry.
That night the Confederate infantry
reached the battleground of Jenkins'
Ferry and the next morning, opened
the stormy fight, which, for the force
engaged, was Sanguinary and Jiard
contested on both Sides. On the Con
federate side no cavalry was in the
fight save the brigade mentioned,
which fought in the lines (diuiiiouut
ed) as Infantry.
J/ Pagan's coihmand had fallen on
the head of Steele's column ns ho left
Catndch and made a heavy resist
ance or he had placed his force
on the north side of the Salino at
Jenkins' Ferry and disputed that
crossing, it is likely, I think, that
Steele's army would have been forced
to an unequal contest and been cap
tured by the Confederates.
I have no criticisms to make about
iTagan's movements, as I do not
know his order# sufliciently well to
justify criticism nor do I know the
circumstances and conditions of his
force and situation. I simply give
you the facts in the ease. At the
time we opened the battle of Jenkins'
Ferry, Fagan was some fifteen miles
west of us and brought his force in
about, or soon after, Steele had cross
ed and the battle was over.
This same paper says, that Gen
erals Scully and Waud (it should be
Waul) were killed and Randall
wounded. The truth is, Randall and
Scully were killed and Waul wound
ed. Our loss in this battle, for the
number engaged, was very heavy.
I want to say one word here about
Steel, poor fellow! he has gone to his
home. For more than a year I had
command of the Confederate cavalr/
which opposed him during his opera
tion in Arkansas. My command
and his iiad a good many fights of
one sort and another, and as his oppo
nent, whoso duty it was to study
closely his movements it is pleasant
for me to say that all his movements,
on and off the battle field evidenced
a faithful, brave and able soldier. I
had occasion too, to have much cor
respondence with him on war mat
tern and he was always courteous,
truthful and bamane Indeed the
goodness of his heart was worth to
his government hundreds of bayonet*
for he was whipping (winning) our
pebpie by tbb hundreds through hlf
heir fthen
branches with a butternut, both of
which are flourishing. If the loss of
evergreens was only in townsorcities,
we might attribute it to the presence
of gas in soil or air,
or
kindness (justice) rather than harsh- The C. B. A. Q. Railroad Company
so kindly in his nature that the peo-
pie of Arkansas at this day love to
4.
accordingly, we could get at a faith
ful history of our battle s and march
es but as it is there are far more lies
afloat on both sides, than truth.
The student of history and the 8tu
jdent of war, wants faet*.
Tho true soldier on either side
should not and would not, I think,
any more hesitate to talk fairly of his
defeats than of his victories.
I have read your notice of
your paper while I thank you for
yotir good motive, I must correct
your error. In Politics I believe I
am as squarely and solidly as any
man for the Union. In
brains,
I
can't and don't claim any of that
genius you talk about the truth is,
I
would be more satisfied than I am
if I had a big store of common (horse)
sense. It is lioth more pleasant and
more useful for a man to carry around
with him, than this tsuperfine brain
called genius.
kviTKreciis.
Frequent cohiplaint's hntecome tft
us from various pHrts of the State of
the dying of evergreens the second,
third and fourth year after setting
out. And as it is generally known
tho writer has been successful in the
cultivation of evergreens on the lawn
of his farm, instructions are asked
what to do to save the pets of the lawn.
We have no advice to give, as we
have had no experience. Over seven
hundred pines adorn our premises,
and none have died, some of which
are forty-five feet high. But they Si^B1*
are all pine (strobm.) It may be our
ne^ He was terrible in battle but have become alarmed at the litiga-,«BW WWA* WlVVUdi
V I k tlon into which they are plunging,
reaHin of
Hl*uj
remember him even though he was General from commencing any more
enemv ^nor
their (t.ien) enemy. they are prosecuted for the
I have written this Wry hastily
0f
and carelessly, so hurriedly indeed, tutional, but which they fear to test
i
that I fear you cannot read it and liefore the
for their benefit
If those who were in the army, on
either side, would quit romancing or
lying, and talk and write just what,*®*®'
they huw »nd no more, and actj XOT"F
me
in
at)d
4
Dept. State lien inter.
Grinding Machines 1
RIDDLE'S IMPROVED FEED-MILL
For corn or small grain is superior to any other cast mill
for the following reasons:
It is twenty-five dollars cheaper than any other mill of
same capacity in the market.
Being all iron, it is more durable, and less liable to get
out of order, a* tlie frame of the mill consists of but one
single casting.
Tho driving pulley being in e#nt*r of spindk, both
bearings will wear alike. The running grinder is driven by
a setf-adjlisting driver, allowing perfect freedom of motion,
and the standing or upper grinder, also self adjusting, will
permit all the driving power that is applied to this machine
to go direct to the work of grinding without side strain or
bihdiug ot parts.
THIS MACHNE
is so simple in construction that any person of ordinary skill
can operate it, the working parts being so arranged that no
mistake can be made.
It
has
Received the First Premium at the State Fair,
and also at the Marion county Fair. For particulars, address
the inventor, LEOPOLD BiDDLK, or
KEEFIE, HEP EK LING 4 BITTEN BENDER
Marion County Foundry and Machine Works, at
KNOXVILLE, IOWA.
w u
i
the Iowa railroad law,
have enjoined the Attorney-
,l
t,M»violation,at!(
)a\v wlii*h they say is unconsti-
Courts.
that its diction is imperfect. pass the hat and take uji a collection
Won't some one
1—Chunlon leader.
1815.
State Begister.
Radical Bepnblioan ill Pol
itics.
FfrM In
Clieapc^t In Price!
fltoremost In Enterprise!
Always for the People!
AND UNOONDITIOXALI,Y
Enlisted against all Monopolies!
The Largest Paper in Iowa
WITH TH K
Largest, Circulation.
Official Paper of
I can't very well sfiy when I shall
be in your city again, not soon I pre- I0W3j 3RU 10W3 lQl^rCStS
sumo but Ian thulcful for your,
courtesies and would be glad to see Let the Towa People Support, the Pa
vnnrimrn here I Per"
Hm
City, Coun­
ty and State, as recognized
toy the People and en
dorsed by
I!n
Party.
ESPECIALLY DEVOTED TO
,,mt
joudoun here Slate, and which labor for its
Yours truly, i Development and Up
JoHIt &
MaRMADUKR
Represent their own
building.
The Register pfives all the News of the
Outside World, and all Iowa
News Besides.
imm VI UKKLY HEUIKTGII
Is a Mamrcoth Forty-Column Sheet, contain
ing Tr the general render, in every issue aa
mufb reading aft a lo»k of 100 pages.
For fiirmer*, it in nl-o an Agiioultur&l, at
well as New* aod Literary Journal, a
a it ha*
a takm department,
•!!fe3
friends are introducing conifers
whose natures are not suitable to our
soil and climate. There must be
something either in the climate or
treatment. Many kinds will not
hear dwarfing nor heavy trimming.
it is said by one writer that pines
will not flourish in the presence of
some other kinds of trees, sucli as
tho walnut, butternut, etc. Phis
position we consider mere speculation per year,
a« we have a large pine mingling its
by a practical farmer, who l'rca on a
fane, and writes of everything in its eoaaon,
as he aeei it in every day'a work.
Pit ICES OF WEEKLY—P08TP
AID.
$2.00
1.76
e e o o i e a a e
Kiv0 C0|,je„' eacil
Ten copi^t, each
copiea, or
1.60
1.50
1.46
U»r«#
TIIE DAILY REGISTER
TnMtnh es
the most and lat«»t new* of anv
Iowa paper. Locnted at the Capital, the
Nevrg
ami Political oen'er
The
of
Proa*.
year
some other
impure influence. lint the complaint
is also from the lawnsof farm-hous"H.
Wejthink however, if tie* white pine
was cultivated in place of the Scotch,
or Austraian, or the firs, there would
be less complaint. .No tree surpasses
it for usefulness or beauty. Its foli
age is soft, its color of the brightest
green, and its whole appearance
stately and graceful. More of them
should be cultivated. They give
comfort to the eye, value to tho farm
and relieve the dreariness of the win
ter landscape amid our ti eel ess prair
ies.—Ayr.
i i _,
tl e State, it al­
to haa entire control fit Doa Moiuea of the
di!*pat hea and market reporti of
the Aitooi-
tutcH of mbioriptioB at follows:
$2.50 for Z months.
li?B will he
the ®*eitlng
eampni^n ever known In l»wa p#litKfc. The
reinspired Democracy will wake desperate
arid *uporhuiuaa effort' to att.«in to power
in Iowa, preparatory to the fcreat Presiden
tial etruKitln in the year following. The
Kegister will tupply tho newt better than
any other paper.
Te K puli''aa Committees and Republican
Club* The Register will make tpecisl ratea,
making it poavible for them to put a Repub
lican [iHpur, during the oampaign, in the
banda of every voter.
Make remittances by draft, money order,
or registered letter, and give jioat-offi e ad
dress in full, State and County. Hpe-imen
copy of either daily or weekly aent free.
Agent* wanted at every posi-offiee.
Aadreaa
IMPROVEMENT IN
GLARKPON RUOS.,
Pubs. State Register,
DKH Moinfs, I
1
StorS Goods I
AXT)
PANIC P3ICES!
EWALT & WRIGHT,
taMw fWibnl Start forawttr
CUbdOBtbe
GROCERIES,
IIATS AND CAPS,
BOOTS AND SHOES,
Purchasers will find la oar stock every
thing in the drug line, of the purest and best
qualities, and nt lowest ca«h prices.
Preseriptionx carefully comp^ountod.
JOLLY'S
How
jiiipile Iihvh
K B. WiJOliRL'l-f.
&wmM by
Kinael. and Wilt MttlSSttt* Humsei
at
SOUTH SIM OF PlIBItC
SQUARE:, RXOXTILLE.
They bare b*en Kurt »rl p«rrba«Ml a Isrjce rtfwk ot
New floods In ad iitioo, and bate now a full line o
DRY GOODS,
NOTIONS, ETC.
and will seD al pmk prteea. Call and tM N*w
stee* On.tl)
UCBEI.TS S DICKIE,
MUUBM ,r
O U S
Ncrti side of Pquaf*,
miOWlLtC, IOWA.
A FULL LINE OP
DRUCS, CHEMICALS.
PAINTS,
FEKFL'MKS,
OILS, SOAPS,
BBITSIIES, VARNISHES
PATENT MEDICINE?,
LAMPS AND FIXTUfiES.
fiCQOOL BOOKS,
STATIONERY,
WALL-PAPER.
'"S® 1 •-•i -xi
(Patented May 86, 1K74)
I* Designed to Aid Beginner*
aad learni'rx Knt.rnlly in ar]ulil-K proper position
nf the hand and pen nnrl tlie uu-ruliir movement it)
wrltiwi As tho twitr l« hent the tree I-fnrlineft.'
t'liplls will
Practice
what ttiey
Very *niall chtMren well *a adults acquire
a
cenernl mplaint
taught
tn
that
ID
wrltinif 1R
our puhlir "rtiools, but
Mireeejed, In pmoticinff nearly
every d«y of their m-hool live*, let hotel repinter* and
other Mtzimture* aoi writing attest. The KKADY
W It 1 TKK wurku PMtiffii' toril parent* should neo
ttiat children n*e It ufti proper hahitn lire natural.
Prof. (ii»en*. of the ol
l«*(t« ha" had hiK -ehonl «uj.pli«-l »m| khv« hni "rMllv
(•"nvinred that
II
will
(to
for
nit tlini la
The
in worth
Itmdy
PROPERTY
Bt USIN«J,
It is unequalled f»r Ik* briliiaMy ft ita
light and its safety.
It surpassed My stkn oQii tk« osarkat far
aconomy.
PRICE, 5« C«BII
per Gallon.
For Sale by all First-Class
Dealers.
*»*•-MLM PROPRIETORS#
JOB. L. TAYL0B A C0„
W*W
Ottumwt, Iov*
fc.WU,
iiyiiFFF Oil's
Hardware,
East Side 3^9 Public 8,,
(|m» eid
Knoxrille.
A
1
aujui Mr.
Shelf awl Henry IIarhr,r,
i
IRON AND STEEL,
NAH.S AND GU:s
TABLE AND PACKET CCIU::
Builders7 Material,
STUDEBAEER WAC-C:::.
WAGON-WOOD,
HOPE—)
to
Inch,
EUREKA WRWVEk,
Flows, Cultivators.
Only Agents in the County for the
MARSH HARVESTER.
J$@=»The Best Genera] Stock
in the County, and sold for tbe
Least Money, is at
WOODRUFF mi
new: show
mmmm
U.-'-i OF
Ah
tbe season te near at hand fir
laying in winter supplies, of course
it will be of some interest to know
where to find a good stock
Oft AS 0
S-m±-d
l.rarn.
hii
ex-
movement ly the ue of tiii» attaohuieiit
Without, a Teacher.
A.
It, i»
not
this IN
junt
aa It
should h« au' tencher known that it, i*»l
iiio«t IttipoMciMp to teKCh ItniiTPRsfully in our nohooli"
under the pre.^nt arrnnirvnx'nt. VVhy epfnil from
ten
fifteen Tearn In a fr,I111• WH ftttempt to le«rn to
write a prarttrxl hmjd wben. hy the use of proper
meaiiR it witl r«-nuire hut a f.-w wi-ekp?
We are now receiving large supplie
of
FALL GOODS,
and purpose keeping a much fullw
line than heretofore, and makint
prices that cannot fail to be pofntfw
We keep a full stock of
clnlmtd
It, and thi* is utily -nicof thoiiNHn U of teetlmo-
uiiiIn
thnt inirht Ih- itiven.
Writer
lla wrlght In uold.
It
rtrmprh
hp pupil to writ* »i he i-lionld. Pent to
*ddre»«. lini»hei in K'md ptyle with fine cedar holder
for "i da. I till iuetructloiu atcouipau,)1 it. Agent*
•ranted. Add rim
G. W. JOLLY, Oiiceola, Iowa.
Insure
YO0R OWN
in fine and heavy calf, fine am
heavy kip, and shall keep a full I'm
of lined goods. In women's mise*
and children's custom calf
E S i
we have the largest stock in towi
Hid very cheap.
We carry the largest stock of
from the Bonaparte Mills of an
house in town. Carol meres, Satii
netts, Jeaus, Ilepellants and Flai
#els, and a very large assortment
yarns from the same mills.
Also keep constantly on hand
good line of fancy caanimeres, clotl
and suitings, which we get up i
suits to order.
We carry a fine stock of
&VS>"VfcY*
and can show suits at all prices.
8VES COATS,
We think we havo the inside tra(
in the way of prices in this line.
In other departments you wl!
find our stock full and complete, ar*
at prices, we think, as low a* ean
Jbuod.
COLLINS $ REED.