Today in History:

730 Series I Volume XXII-I Serial 32 - Little Rock Part I

Page 730 MO.,ARK.,KANS.,IND. T., AND DEPT.N. W. Chapter XXXIV.


Numbers 7. Report of Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke, C. S. Army, commanding expedition.


HEADQUARTERS MARMADUKE'S DIVISION, Princeton, Ark., October 26, 1863.

COLONEL: I have just returned from Pine Bluff, which I attacked yesterday about 8 a. m. The post was garrisoned by the two cavalry regiments (Fifth Kansas and First Indiana), effective force about 600 men, and seven pieces of artillery. I occupied the whole town except the court-house and yard, which was fortified by heavy and effective breastworks of cotton-bales. The Federals could only be captured by storming the works, which would have cost me the loss of at least 500 men. I did not think it would pay. I have captured about 250 mules and horses, about 300 negroes (men, women, and children). The women and children I could not bring away. Some 400 blankets and quilts destroyed (burning a considerable amount of quartermasters', commissary, and ordnance stores), also about 600 or 1,000 bales of cotton, which had been brought to Pine Bluff for sale.

My loss is about 40 men killed and wounded. Federal loss I do not known; do not think it is large.

My troops behaved well. The Federals fought like devils. No news. No sign of their moving southward nor eastward.

Very respectfully,
J. S. MARMADUKE,

Brigadier-General, Commanding, &c.

Lieutenant Colonel J. F. BELTON,

Assistant Adjutant-General, District of Arkansas.


Numbers 8. Report of Colonel Colton Greene, Third Missouri Cavalry (Confederate), commanding Marmaduke's brigade.

HEADQUARTERS MARMADUKE'S BRIGADE, In the Field, October 28, 1863.

MAJOR: In compliance with orders from division headquarters, my command marched, at 1 p. m. on the 24th instant, in the direction of Pine Bluff, with an effective aggregate of 800, and reached that place at 9 o'clock on the morning of the 25th, having halted two hours en route. I dismounted my men on the southwest edge of Pine Bluff, and moved in column, Colonel [Robert R.] Lawther, commanding Greene's regiment and [M. L.] Young's battalion, in advance. Colonel [S. G.] Kitchen's regiment remained mounted. The enemy's pickets were driven in by the advance, and the column deployed into line and advanced, skirmishing with the enemy, several hundred yards. My command formed the center column, and Colonel Kitchen's regiment was thrown on the flanks, to communicate with the columns moving east and west. We advanced rapidly, driving in the enemy's skirmishers, and took the following position within 150 and 250 yards of the court-house, to which the enemy had retired and strongly fortified with cotton-house, to which the enemy had retired and strongly fortified with cotton-bales: Colonel Lawther commanded the left wing, composed of Greene's regiment (on


Page 730 MO.,ARK.,KANS.,IND. T., AND DEPT.N. W. Chapter XXXIV.