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420 Series I Volume XXXIV-I Serial 61 - Red River Campaign Part I

Page 420 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter XLVI.

Itinerary of the First Division, Nineteenth Army Corps, April 1-30.*

April 1.-The division marched from a point 3 miles in rear of Monett's Ferry, Cane River, La.; crossed the ferry and encamped at Cloutier's plantation, about 18 miles.

April 2.-Reached Natchitoches, La.

April 6.-Left Natchitoches; marched to Bayou Dupont, about 15 miles.

April 7.-Marched to Pleasant Hill, about 17 miles.

April 8.-Marched to bayou, about 8 miles; halted there by orders from corps headquarters. About 4 p. m. received orders to march toward Mansfield, La., to re-enforce the Cavalry Division and Thirteenth Corps, then hotly engaged. Arrived there about 5.30 p. m.; engaged and repulsed the enemy; marched about 10 p. m., bringing up the rear of the army, to Pleasant Hill.

April 9.-About 5 p. m. was attacked by the enemy and repulsed them.

April 10.-At 2 a. m. marched to Grand Ecore, La.

April 22.-Marched from Grand Ecore to Cloutierville.

April 23.-Brigadier-General Emory having been ordered to assume command of the army to attack the enemy's position at Cane River Ferry, Brigadier-General McMillan assumed command of the division, and during the engagement supported the artillery and skirmished with the enemy. At night moved across the ferry about 5 miles.

April 24.-Marched about 17 miles; encamped on Bayou Rapides.

April 25.-Marched to Alexandria, where the division is now, April 30, stationed.


Numbers 69. Report of Brigadier General William Dwight, U. S. Army, commanding First Brigade, of engagements at Sabine Cross-Roads and Pleasant Hill.


HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, FIRST DIV., 19TH ARMY CORPS,
Grand Ecore, La., April 12, 1864.

SIR: This command marched from Natchitoches on the morning of the 6th April, in obedience to orders from the headquarters of the division. It encamped late on the same evening just beyond the bayou bridge on the road from Natchitoches to Mansfield, and about 16 miles from Natchitoches. This march was a fatiguing one, because of the delays caused by it coming in contact with many trains, much artillery, and the Thirteenth Army Corps on the road. The brigade marched early the next morning for Pleasant Hill, where it encamped between 4 and 5 o'clock that afternoon on ground selected by the division commander. The brigade marched next morning at 8 a. m., and bivouacked beyond the saw-mill on the Mansfield road, about 8 miles from Pleasant Hill, by orders from headquarters. The brigade remained in this bivouac for about two hours.

At about 3 p. m. orders were received from the division commander to get in readiness to move to the front, with canteens filled

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*From return for April.

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Page 420 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. Chapter XLVI.