ARMY OPERATIONS. 



53 



Crump's Hill four miles further, and half way 

 between Xatchitoches and Mansfield. On the 

 Vth, Gen. Lee pushed forward, maintaining a 

 constant skirmish with the enemy, until he 

 arrived at a position two miles beyond Pleasant 

 Hill. Here the main body of the enemy's cav- 

 alry, under Major-Gen. Thomas Green, was en- 

 countered by the advance of Gen. Lee's cavalry, 

 consisting of a brigade under Col. H. Robinson. 

 Heavy skirmishing ensued for two hours and a 

 half, when Gen. Green fell back upon the Con- 



federate infantry and artillery at Bayou du 

 Paul. Col. Robinson finding the enemy in an. 

 increased force, halted for the night and to 

 await reinforcements. Early the next morn- 

 ing, the infantry brigade of the 4th division 

 of the 13th corps, under Col. Landrum, joined 

 him, and the advance was resumed and contin- 

 ued until 2 o'clock p. M., driving the enemy 

 before them for seven miles. The main force 

 of the enemy now appeared, occupying a strong 

 position in the vicinity of Sabine Cross roads 

 east of Mansfield. They were partly concealed 

 in a dense wood with an open field in front and 

 the Shreveport road passing through their 

 lines. Major-Gen. Taylor was in command. 

 Major-Gen. Green commanded the left wing, 

 Brig.-Gen. Mouton the right, with Gen. TTalk- 

 St's division still further to the right, and two 

 cavalry regiments on the extreme right. Mean- 

 time Gen. Ransom arrived on the fie.d with 

 the remaining brigade of the 4th division of 



the 13th corps. The entire division numbered 

 2,600 men. The 19th corps, under Gen. Frank- 

 lin, were in camp nine miles in the rear, and 

 Gen. A. J. Smith, -with about one-half of the 

 16th and 17th corps, was nearly twenty miles 

 in the rear. The Federal artillery consisted 

 of the Chicago Mercantile battery, the 1st In- 

 diana battery, Mini's Massachusetts battery, 

 and battery" G, 5th regular artillery. Col. 

 Landrum's brigade took a position on the right 

 and centre with all the batteries except one, 

 and Gen. Ransom's brigade on the left with 

 Mini's battery supported by Col. Dudley's cav- 

 alry brigade, while Col. Robinson's cavalry 

 protected the wagon train, and Col. Lucas 

 acted on the right. Gen. Banks had, in the 

 meanwhile, arrived on the field, and at once 

 sent couriers for Gen. Franklin to hasten for- 

 ward with all possible despatch. Heavy skir- 

 mishing commenced at 5 o'clock, and in a short 

 time the skirmishers were driven in by the 

 enemy advancing in force, when the engage- 

 ment became general on the right and centre. 

 To sustain this portion of the line, which was 

 heavily pressed, the left was necessarily much 

 weakened. This was observed by the enemy, 

 who massed upon their right and dashed upon 

 the left of Gen. Banks, which was soon driven 

 back, and four guns of Xinrs battery cap- 

 tured. ISTot horses enough were alive to drag 

 it from the field. Meantime the right contin- 

 ued fiercely engaged and the centre was pressed 

 back, when the right also gave way. The 

 loss of the Chicago battery and the 1st Indiana 

 soon followed. Gen. Cameron came up with 

 a brigade of Indiana troops belonging to the 

 third division of the 13th corps, and advanced 

 to the front, but was unable to resist the force 

 of the enemy. Gen. Franklin with staff, also 

 arrived on the field in advance of his division. 

 The line continued to fall back slowly until 

 the baggage trains blocked up the roads in the 

 rear so that the troops could not easily pass, 

 when a panic ensued. The enemy now pur- 

 sued for three and a half miles, when their 

 advance was checked and driven back by Gen. 

 Emory's division. Here the conflict ended for 

 the day. Six guns of the Chicago battery, two 

 of battery G, four of the 1st Indiana, and six 

 of Xim's* battery were left on the field, with 

 two howitzers of the 6th Missouri. The loss 

 of Gen. Banks was estimated at two thousand 

 killed, wounded, and missing. His force on the 

 field was about eight thousand. The force of 

 the enemy was much larger. Gen. Mouton 

 was among the badly wounded of the enemy. 



As it was now known that Gen. Smith with 

 his force had marched to Pleasant Hill and 

 halted, Gen. Banks determined to withdraw to 

 that place for the sake of concentrating his 

 forces, and of the advantageous position which 

 he could there occupy. The movement com- 

 menced at ten o'clock at night, and before day- 

 light the rear of the army was well on the roa'd. 

 The enemy during the night had pressed his 

 pickets down on Gen. Banks' front, but failed 



