HEADQUARTERS ARKANSAS TROOPS,
In the Field, Camp Sallisaw, November 10, 1864.
GENERAL: In obedience to your orders of the 8th instant, I have the honor to make the following report of the movements of my command as connected with the present campaign:
Shortly after the return of General Steele's Camden expedition Major Buck Brown returned to Northwestern Arkansas with a band of 180 marauders, which has since increased to about 500, and Colonel Brooks with 300, since increased to nearly 1,200 men. Brooks was appointed by Magruder to take charge of this district and to organize all the predatory bands into a cavalry brigade, to be commanded by himself...
M. LA RUE HARRISON,
Colonel First Arkansas Cavalry, Commanding.
Major General S. R. CURTIS,
Commanding Army of the Border.
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS, Washington, December 7, 1864. Major-General PRICE:
GENERAL: The commanding general desires to know your views on the subject of the reorganization of the forces now under your command, including all branches of the service. The command of Colonel Brooks will be however omitted in this reorganization, being raised by special authority from department headquarters...
SPECIAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS, Numbers -.
Washington, December 16, 1864.
...Brown's battalion, which is hereby attached to Brooks' command, will report forthwith to Colonel Brooks, near the mouth of Little River Ark., or wherever that command may be...
By command of Major General J. B. Magruder:
W. A. ALSTON.
Assistant Adjutant-General
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS, Washington, December 20, 1864.
Brigadier General W. R. BOGGS, Chief of Staff:
GENERAL: The following plans for the organization of the cavalry of this district are submitted for the approval of the general commanding department. The first is the one I most approve and recommend:
PLAN FIRST.
...Brooks' Brigade Arkansans.
Newton's regiment.......................................... 300
Logan's and Stirman's regiments, consolidated...300
Slayback's regiment........................................ 300
...
HEADQUARTERS TRANS-MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT, Shreveport, December 31, 1864.
Major-General MAGRUDER, Commanding District of Arkansas:
GENERAL: I am directed by the general commanding to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 20th instant, concerning the reorganization of General Price's command, and to say that the first plan appears to be the best, but requires explanation concerning the organization of Colonel Brooks' brigade. The brigade you propose is not the one raised by Colonel Brooks, and to which the general proposed assigning him and contains a Missouri (Slayback's) command. It should consist entirely of Arkansas troops...
The commands brought from Arkansas by Colonel Brooks should be inspected, regularly received into service, and legally organized into regiments. The battalions, with the exception of Buck Brown's battalion, should be combined into a regiment and attached to the Arkansas brigade in the place of Slayback's. This brigade will be the first dismounted when the necessities of the service require it. Before assigning Colonel Brooks to command his relative rank with Colonel Logan should be ascertained...
W. R. BOGGS, Brigadier-General and Chief of Staff.
HQ DIST OF ARK, Washington, Jan 14, J. B. MAGRUDER to...BOGGS, Chief of Staff...: Your letter of the 5th instant has been received. I had reorganized Shelby's & Cabell's bgdes,...
...Brooks' command I have stationed near the Arkansas River, with orders to obstruct, as much as possible, the navigation of the Ark River, between Little Rock & Fort Smith, which I deemed of great importance...
No. 3. Order of Major General John B. Magruder, C. S. Army, commanding District of Arkansas, of operations January 14-17.
GENERAL ORDERS,
HEADQUARTER DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS, No. 18 Washington, January 25, 1865.
The major-general commanding takes pleasure in announcing to the army that Colonel Brooks, commanding Brooks' brigade, composed of Brooks' men proper, Newton's regiment, and Stirman's battalion, after a long and difficult march to the Arkansas River, attacked a heavier force of the enemy near Dardanelle, drove him into his works, killing 8, wounding 19, and capturing 2; loss on our side, 1 killed and 15 wounded. Colonel Brooks, hearing of the approach of streamers from above, by a forced march, with 400 men, reached the proper point at sunrise on the 16th instant. Having placed a piece of artillery and his men in ambush, at 1 o'clock on the 17th, he permitted the leading boat to come well in range, when he opened upon her with his infantry and this piece. She was raked from stem to stern and soon surrendered. She proved to be the New Chippewa. The prisoners consist of 1 officer and 29 men of the Fiftieth Indiana and 40 negroes; also the captain, crew, and a large number of refugee families from Fort Smith. After removing everything valuable the boat was fired. The steamer Annie Jacobs next hove in sight. She was immediately attacked, and the fire was returned by the troops on board. She attempted to destroy our artillerists; our artillery, however, soon disabled her, and she grounded upon an island. Here many men [were] drowned in attempting to make their escape to the opposite bank. During the engagement with the Jacobs the Lotus came down. The troops on board were driven into the water and she to the north bank of the river, where most of them escaped, the iron axle of one piece of artillery having broken. Finding the boats too distant for an effective fire of musketry, Colonel Brooks returned to his camps, taking with him 82 prisoners and the refugee families captured. Federal casualties, 27 killed and wounded, besides those who were drowned; our own loss, 1 killed and 15 wounded. A large quantity of the enemy's store were Colonels Newton and Stirman and Lieutenant Lockhart are spoken of in high terms by Colonel Brooks in his report of their operations...
The commanding general takes great pleasure in returning his thanks to both officers and men of the several commands for their gallant conduct on this occasion.
By command of Major General J. B. Magruder:
EDMUND P. TURNER,
Assistant Adjutant-General