54 



AEMY OPERATIONS. 



to discover the retreat of the troops as it was 

 conducted with the greatest silence and expe- 

 dition. Becoming aware of it in the morning, 

 lie followed after with his main force, his cav- 

 alry being in advance, bnt the cavalry failed to 

 come up with the rear under Gen. Emory, 

 before it had arrived at Pleasant Hill about 

 seven o'clock in the morning. Col. Gooding, 

 of the cavalry division, was then sent out on 

 the Shreveport road to find the enemy. About 

 a mile up the road the advance was seen ap- 

 proaching in strong force. * 



The battle-ground was an open field on the 

 outside of the town of Pleasant Hill on the 

 Shreveport road. It was open and rolling, and 

 ascended both from the side of the town and 

 from the side on which the enemy were ap- 

 proaching. A belt of timber extended almost 

 entirely around it. The division of Gen. Em- 

 ory was drawn up in line of battle on the 

 sloping side, with the right resting across the 

 Shreveport road. Gen. McMillen'g brigade 

 formed the extreme right of the line, with his 

 right resting near the woods, which extended 

 along the whole base of the slope and through 

 which the enemy would advance. Gen. D wight's 

 brigade was formed next with his left resting 

 on the road, Col. Benedict's brigade formed 

 next, with his right resting on the road and a 

 little in the rear of Gen. Dwight's left. Two 

 pieces of Taylor's battery were placed in the 

 rear of Gen. Dwight's left on the road, and 

 four pieces were in position on an eminence on 

 the left of the road and in rear of Col. Bene- 

 dict. Hibbard's Vermont battery was in the 

 rear of the division. Gen. Smith's division, 

 under command of Gen. Mower, was massed 

 in two lines of battle fifty yards apart with 

 artillery in rear of Gen. Emory's division. The 

 right of the first line rested on the road, and 

 was composed of two brigades : the first brigade 

 on the right commanded by Colonel Linch ; 

 the second brigade on the left commanded 

 by Colonel Shaw. The 3d Indiana battery 

 (Crawford's) was posted in the first line of 

 battle, and on the right of the 89th Indiana, 

 The 9th Indiana battery (Brown's) was in 



S)sition on the right of the first brigade. The 

 issouri battery occupied ground on the right 

 of the 89th Indiana. ' 



The second line was composed of two bri- 

 gades. The 13th corps were in reserve. Skir- 

 mishing continued through the day, and at 4 

 p. M. the enemy's line of battle was formed. 

 Gen. Green's division was posted on the ex- 

 treme left ; Gen. Mouton's division, under com- 

 mand of Brig. -Gen. Polignac, on Gen. Green's 

 right; Gen. Walker on Polignac's right, and 

 Gen. Churchill's division of Arkansians and 

 Missourians on the extreme right. About 5 

 p. M. the enemy appeared on the field at the 

 edge of the woods, and the battle began by the 

 Federal batteries opening upon him with case 

 shell as he advanced at double-quick. The left 

 under Col. Benedict came into action first, and 

 soon after the right and centre were engaged. 



The contest now became fierce on both sides, 

 when Gen. Emory's division, pressed by over- 

 whelming numbers, fell back up the hill to 

 the 16th corps, which was just behind tho 

 crest. The enemy rushed forward and were 

 met by Gen. Smith with a discharge from all 

 his guns, which was followed by an immediate 

 charge of the infantry, by which the enemy 

 were driven rapidly back to the woods, wliero 

 they broke in confusion. Night put an end to 

 the pursuit. The Taylor battery lost on the 

 advance of the enemy was recovered, and also 

 two guns of ISTim's battery. Five hundred pris- 

 oners were also taken. Early on the next 

 morning, leaving the dead unburied and the 

 muskets thrown on the field, the army com- 

 menced its march back to Grand Ecore, thirty- 

 five miles from Pleasant Hill, to obtain rest 

 and rations. 



The entire losses of the campaign thus far 

 were stated to be twenty pieces of artillery, 

 three thousand men, one hundred and thirty 

 wagons, twelve hundred horses and mules, in- 

 cluding many that died of disease. The gains 

 were the capture of Fort De Rnssy, Alexan- 

 dria, Grand Ecore, and Natchitoches* the open- 

 ing of Red River, the capture of three thousand 

 bales of cotton, twenty-three hundred prison- 

 ers, twenty-five pieces of artillery, chiefly cap- 

 tured by the fleet, and small arms and consid- 

 erable stores. A large number of citizens 

 enlisted in the service in Alexandria, and the 

 material for two colored regiments was gather- 

 ed, and five thousand negroes, male and female, 

 abandoned their homes and followed the army. 



Meanwhile Rear-Admiral Porter ascended the 

 falls with twelve gunboats and thirty transports, 

 and reached Grand Ecore when the army was 

 at Natchitoches preparing for an immediate 

 march. As the river was rising slowly the ad- 

 vance was continued with six smaller gunboats 

 and twenty transports, having army stores and 

 a part of Gen. Smith's division on board. 

 Starting on the 7th of April, Springfield Land- 

 ing was reached on the third day. Here a 

 large steamer sunk in the river obstructed fur- 

 ther progress; and information was received 

 that the army had met with a reverse. Orders 

 also came to Gen. Smith's troops to return to 

 Grand Ecore with the transports. The fleet, 

 therefore, turned back, but was constantly an- 

 noyed by the enemy on the bank of the river. 

 Two of the fleet at Grand Ecore were found 

 above the bar, and not likely to get away until 

 there was a rise of water in the river. 



The continued low water in the Red River, 

 and the difficulty of keeping up a line of sup- 

 plies, caused the army to fall back to Alexan- 

 dria. The march commenced in the afternoon 

 of April 21st, by starting the baggage train with 

 a suitable guard. At 2 o'clock the next morn- 

 ing the army began silently to evacuate ita 

 position, Gen. Smith's force forming the rear 

 guard. Soon after daylight the enemy observ- 

 ing the movement began his pursuit, but with 

 so small a force that only slight skirmishing 



