Horses, wagons, and property stolen from the Missouri marked the way, which we followed till late at night and remained until the morning. Among other articles a carriage, said to be the one occupied by Price himself, was passed on the wayside, and everything showed a hasty and terrified retreat. Our curiosity, usual on such occasions, hurried the advance forward, hoping to overtake the enemy. About dark we came upon a cannon which he left in the road, and after a few miles more, darkness and a necessity to close up my forces induced another halt. We had very little chance to feed ourselves or horses and resumed the march early on the 8th, uncertain of our whereabouts, but confident of the enemy's near presence as the prairie was still burning and his broken-down mules, horses, and baggage were again broadcast over his well defined way. Colonel Harrison now had the advance and pushed forward with great vigor to the timber, far in our advance, which proved to be the timber skirting the Arkansas River. A few of the rebel rear guard were driven beyond the stream, and bringing up McLain's battery, we shelled the timber on the south side. Some of our troops crossed over and exchanged a few shots as they supposed with the last of Price's army. Our work was accomplished, and the shout that went up from the Army of the Border and the roar of our cannon resounded through the gloomy forests of the Arkansas, carrying to the camp of the starving enemy beyond our parting farewell. This crossing, selected by Stand Watie's Indians, is a little above the mouth of the Sallisaw, about twenty-five miles above Fort Smith.

A prisoner taken by the enemy, who had escaped or been discharged, a reverend and perfectly reliable gentleman, gave the particulars of the enemy's condition. His troops were so destitute of provisions, an officer being begged by a soldier for an ear of corn was told he had not a grain to give him. The elm trees for miles had been stripped to furnish food for the starving multitude. An officer of the rebel army whom we paroled at Cane Hill said that at Lexington Price's force was 37,000, but now he thought he had lost in killed, wounded, and missing from 8,000 to 10,000. All my information was to the effect that the enemy was over 20,000 strong, but many of his troops were volunteers and conscripts picked up by the way and were only partially armed.

The reports of my militia forces are so imperfect and those of others also I cannot give any correct idea of my own losses, either at each battle or in the aggregate. I was obliged to immediately separate my troops and start them homeward in different columns, so as to collect scattering cattle and the best grass to save our men and horses from greater suffering.

The reports of my subordinates and that of my medical director in the field show that our killed, wounded, and prisoners during the campaign may have reached 1,800 or 2,000. We nowhere stopped to bury our dead or take care of the wounded, feeling confident we left them with their friends, where their wives, mothers, and sisters could safely render them the kind officers so justly due to those who fell in this struggle for their homes and their country. Before separating from the gallant 3,500 that had accompanied me from the Missouri to the Arkansas, and from Newtonia, a distance of 200 miles, been my only comrades in this eventful pursuit, I issued the following congratulatory order, a copy of which I sent you as soon as possible after my return to the settlements:

GENERAL FIELD ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE BORDER, Numbers -.
Camp Arkansas, November 8, 1864.

The object of this organization and campaign is accomplished. The rebel army under General Sterling Price has been confronted, beaten in several conflicts, pur-