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295 Series I Volume XLI-I Serial 83 - Price's Missouri Expedition Part I

Page 295 Chapter LIII. SKIRMISH NEAR BAYOU TENSAS, LA.

ADDENDA.

Itinerary of the Post and Defenses of Goodrich's Landing, La., commanded by Colonel A. Watson Webber, Fifty-first U. S. Colored Infantry.*

During the past month various expeditions have been sent from this post into Mississippi and Louisiana; 30 prisoners have been taken.

August 26.-Two hundred guerrillas made a raid upon the plantations above this post leased by H. B. Tibbetts & Co. They cruelly murdered four white men and several colored people. As the rebel citizens living immediately beyond Bayou Macon had petitioned the regular rebel military authorities protectors and raid Yankee lessees, a retaliatory expedition was sent to that vicinity. The villages of Floyd Pinhook, guerrilla rendezvous, were destroyed by fire, some property taken by the guerrillas was recaptured, and 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, and 10 soldiers were killed.


Numbers 2. Report of Major Charles H. Chapin, Third U. S. Colored Cavalry.

HDQRS. FIRST BATTLN., THIRD U. S. COLORED CAVALRY, Goodrich's Landing, La., August 31, 1864.

SIR: Pursuant to orders from Colonel Webber I left camp August 28 at dusk; was overtaken by a storm four miles from camp, and encamped at night at the Transylvania plantation. On the morning of the 29th I marched as far as the Blackburn plantation, at the head of Lake Providence. I there found eight pairs of boots, which were distributed among the soldiers that were without boots. At 1 o'clock moved on as far as Goff's plantation, on Old River, where I captured the horses of two soldiers, who made their escape on foot. On the morning of the 30th started at daylight for Ashton, from there turned west, crossed Bayou Macon, found a good bridge crossing the Macon six miles west of Ashton. At the first plantation after crossing was a squad of soldiers, seven in number. Six were mounted; the one on foot was killed. Papers found on his person showed that he was a Captain Collins, of a Louisiana regiment. I turned down the bayou from that point toward Pinhook, eighteen miles distant. About six miles from Pinhook lived a Mr. Washburn. I found in his house a saddle belonging to one of the plantation scouts, also two of the negroes taken from the Tibbetts plantation; one trunk that was in the house was filled with goods taken from the Wilton place. I gave Mr. Washburn five minutes to remove his goods. I then set fire to the house and every building on the plantation. I then started for Mr. Shaw's, one and a quarter miles north of Pinhook. Mr. Shaw has been furnished with what goods he wanted by Mr. Charles Goff, a man by the name of Canihan acting as mediator between them. This Mr. Shaw told me in the presence of Lieutenants Calais and Sherman. I did not burn Shaw's place, but at Pinhook I left but one house standing. I left Pinhook at 2 o'clock for Floyd, met several soldiers on the way in small squads; most of them were shot before they could get away. Arriving at Floyd about sundown, I gave

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*From monthly return.

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Page 295 Chapter LIII. SKIRMISH NEAR BAYOU TENSAS, LA.