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

Page 864 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LIII.

men and 2 officers; Fourth Arkansas Cavalry, 50 men and 1 officer; Third U. S. Cavalry, 68 men and 3 officers; total 459 men and 11 officers. Assistant Surgeon Madison, Third Arkansas Cavalry, with four ambulances and attendants, accompanied the expedition. The command proceeded toward Benton, finding no opposition. Stopped to water at Collegeville for twenty minutes; distance from Benton said to be nine miles. On arriving at about two miles from Benton, sent the advance, composed of sixty-eight men of the Third U. S. Cavalry, in command of Captain E. W. Tarlton, and Lieutenant William G. Hoffman, forward to charge into the town, with orders to arrest all parties found there. Captain Tarlton charged in, capturing 2 men and 3 horses of the Eleventh Arkansas (J. L. Logan's brigade), then proceeded to picket the roads leading out of town; searched for men and arms but found none; found no forage. The command then advanced toward Fagan's Ford on the Saline, where they encamped for the night. On arriving in camp foraging parties were immediately sent out across the river and found some corn, enough for one feel for the command; heard that Crawford was at Pratt's Ford with about fifty men. Distance marched, twenty-seven miles.

October 20, 1864, left camp a. m. No forage this morning. Roads very bad; numerous cross-roads. Marched toward Tulip and encamped in the woods at a branch said to be sixteen miles from Tulip; found a small quantity of forage. Distance marched, about twenty-three miles by our route.

October 21, 1864, marched at 4 a. m., roads rough and apparently not much traveled, owing to making a detour to get to the east of Tulip, in order not to allow the enemy to hear of our approach. When about twelve miles from Princeton the advance, consisting of a detail from the First Missouri, in charge of Sergeant Stewart, and 100 men from the Ninth Kansas, the whole command in charge of Lieutenants Dow and Haughawout, Ninth Kansas, found the enemy's pickets, about sixty or seventy strong, posted in the roads. The pickets fired on the advanced and then fell back toward Tulip and Princeton. Major Avery then sent part of the command Tulip; and advanced on a road to the east of Tulip, driving the mounted infantry picket ahead of them. The squadron then went through Tulip; joined the main body at the intersection of the Tulip and Princeton roads. The command then proceeded to advance. Just then word arrived from the rear of the column that one of the ambulances had broken down. Major Avery ordered that if it could not be repaired without delay to the column to burn it, which was done. On arriving at about two miles from Princeton, organized a command to charge into town, take and hold it. Lieutenants Dow and Haughawout, Ninth Kansas, with their command, charged, supported by Captain Mills, Lieutenants Green and Adams, with their command, 159 men, First Missouri Cavalry. Lieutenant Haughawout, who was in the extreme front, found about seventy men (cavalry) drawn up in line of battle, but they broke out of town for their camp on the Camden road. We then proceeded to establish pickets, on all the roads leading out of town and proceeded to between fifteen and twenty stand of arms, which were immediately destroyed by the command. The major then sent forward the First Missouri to find the enemy's camp. Captain Mills proceeded out on the Camden road for about two miles, and found the enemy strongly posted in the edge of the woods, with a bayou between fifty and sixty feet wide along their front. He reconnoitered their position and found


Page 864 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter LIII.