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146 Series I Volume XLVIII-I Serial 101 - Powder River Expedition Part I

Page 146 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LX.

Lexington. Not meeting the scout, I marched northeast of Greenton, thence west (leaving Wellington on the right about four miles) to Thorp's Ford, on the Sni, continuing west to Butler's Mill, on the Big Sni, with the expectation of crossing here into Jackson County, where I supposed the guerrillas would go after being driven from Greentown Valley, but this stream was so swollen by the recent rains I could not cross. I then moved southwest, scouting up a branch of the Sni; thence through the timber east of Mr. Fickle's farm, south of Mr. Armstrong's, to Columbus, returning to camp the evening of the 23rd instant. I found the citizens not inclined to give information to Federals as to guerrillas, forage, or best routes of travel. Until they were aware we had run bushwhackers out of the country they would persist in saying they had not seen or heard of any guerrillas in that part of the country for weeks and months.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

RUSH G. LEAMING,

First Lieutenant Company F, Seventh Missouri State Militia Cav.

Major M. C. HENSLEE,

Commanding Seventh Missouri State Militia Cavalry.

MARCH 20-22, 1865. - Expedition from Brashear City to Bayou Pigeon, La., with skirmish (21st) at Bayou Teche, La.

Report of Colonel Simon Jones, Ninety-third U. S. Colored Infantry.

BRASHEAR CITY, LA., March 22, 1865.

SIR: In accordance with general instructions, I wish to submit to the general commanding the following report of an expedition which has just returned from Grand Lake and Bayou Pigeon:

On the afternoon of the 20th instant a note was received at these headquarters from Captain Leonard, commanding naval fleet at this post, asking for a detail of men to go on board the boat Numbers 49, and up into Grand Lake for the purpose of complying with a request from General Cameron in bringing within the lines the family of Mr. Williams, a Government employ at this post. By command of Lieutenant-Colonel Atkins, then commanding post, a detail of forty men, in charge of a lieutenant from the Ninety-third U. S. Colored Infantry, was made, embarking at 7 o'clock on the night of the 20th. From the report made by the officer commanding the detachment I can collate but this: The boat landed at Indian Bend, eight miles above Franklin, and the detachment of Infantry marched across to Bayou Teche, distant one miles, seeing but four or five mounted and armed men, however. While at Bayou Teche a party of from twenty-five to thirty of the enemy rode down to the Bayou on its southern bank, and dismounting, fired a number of shots at my detachment. They then made some movements toward crossing in small skiffs and sugar troughs, but were prevented by the fire of my men. The detachment remained near an hour and a half on shore and then returned to the boat. They gained little or no information in regard to the strength of the enemy in that vicinity, but were informed that it was expected that a flat-boat would that night cross Grand Lake from Pigeon Bayou loaded with horses captured or stolen from the La Fourche country. Upon receiving this information Captain Leonard, of the gun-boat, determined to lay in wait for them


Page 146 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LX.