both sides of road and shutting out the sun almost. Regular bushwhacker's country. Ground rising; soil poor and sandy. Five miles north of Mount Elba county church painted white on left of road; four miles across to Chowning's Ferry, on Saline River; favorable haunt of bushwhackers. The command goes into camp toward sunset at a deserted from on right of road, six miles from Mount Elba.

Sunday, October 9, 1864, reveille at 3 a. m., general 4.30 a. m., boots and saddles 5 a. m., forward 6 a.m. We pass bridge over Big Creek at 6.30 a. m., bad and dangerous bottom; dense brush and tangled woods line both side of the road. A perfect paradise for an ambuscade; bridge may be held by a few men against a crowd; no way to cross except by bridge and a narrow bridle-path with ford across creek. One fourth of a mile northeast of Big Creek bridge, a big old field extends on both side of the road, affording room to camp for a small army; also, fine positions for artillery.

First white frost of the season on morning of October 9. Right beyond old field a road turns off to the right; 300 yards farther north another road crosses the Mount Elba and Pine Bluff road from southwest to northeast. Big field of Brewer's farm, nineteen miles to Pine Bluff, forming a square cut-out of dense woods; affords fine and ample camping-ground and a fine position, with some water in the hollow indentation in middle of field. A good field of corn, two miles above Brewer's; place of encounter with the advance of Lane's rebel brigade of cavalry and scouting expedition under Colonel Erskine on Sunday, October 11, 1864. This is the only place where corn might yet be found on the Pine Bluff and Mount Elba road. Tracks of rebel forage wagons all around and on cross-road. Frequent fresh marks of rebel camps and feed places. The Warren road joins the Mount Elba and Pine Bluff road twelve miles from town, intersecting from the right as you march north.

Rumor on the road of a rebel courier bringing the news of Price's defeat in Missouri; Fagan killed by Marmaduke in a duel. The rebel force recently concentrated at Monticello is stated to have been assembled there for the sole purpose of preventing troops in General Steele's department from following Price from Missouri. General report says that they all went back to Red River. Forage around Monticello and on the other side of the Saline River as far as the Washita. The troops under command of Colonel Ritter returned to Pine Bluff by 2 p. m. October 9, 1864.

Magnificent weather favored this expedition.

I am, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

FREDERICK BEHLENDORFF,

Major Thirteenth Regiment Illinois Vol. Cavalry.

Colonel A. ERSKINE,

Commanding First Cavalry Brigade.

Numbers 5. Report of Captain Adolph Bechand, Thirteenth Illinois Cavalry.

HDQRS. COMPANY B, THIRTEENTH ILLINOIS CAVALRY,
Pine Bluff, Ark., October 27, 1864.

I have the honor to report that I left this post on the evening of the 24th in command of twenty-six men and proceeded toward Mount Elba. Camped that night fifteen miles from here, between the Warren and