Thank you for your help
Jess Freer
Austin] STATE GAZETTE, June 1, 1864, p2c3.
”Special Correspondence of Gazette” Tyler, May 16th -—
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Twelve hundred and fifty three prisoners arrived here from Camden, Ark. yesterday — 380 more are expected tomorrow. ..They were taken at the fight at Marks’ Mill. ..These, together with those already here, will make 4500 free boarders, who are rather unwelcome visitors to the planters hereabouts, but certainly much more welcome as prisoners than as onquerors. ..These planters, though willing to divide to the last with our own brave defenders, dislike to stint themselves to feed these despoilers of our country. ..Some of the prisoners were left at Shreveport — about 1,000 have been sent to Bonham.
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[Union Gen. Frederick] STEELE lost upwards of 5,000 men in Arkansas. He went from Little Rock with about 15,000 men to overrun South Arkansas and invade Texas. ..He got back to Little Rock with from 3 to 5,000 armed men and a rabble of 2 or 3,000 unarmed ones, (who in their hasty fight had thrown away their arms to increase their speed,) without wagons, artillery, or provisions.
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The railroad from Little Rock to White River was torn up by [CSA Lt-Col. Dandridge] McRAE, who organized a Brigade from men who had gone the Yankees to keep out of the army and deserters from various brigades. ..The Yankees required them to take the oath, which they consented to, but when they were ordered into the ranks of their army it was more than they bargained for, so they left, bushwhacking their Yankee friends ever since. ..He has about 1500 with him now, who are redeeming themselves right well. ..Many are returning, who have been shirking duty under various pretences. ..Such are the fruits of the victory in Arkansas. ..I saw an officer who came to guard the prisoners — some of whom stood guard over him, when he was taken prisoner of Arkansas Post. ..He says that our soldiers are confident, and enthusiastic, and that the Yankees were “better whipped in Arkansas, than they were in Louisiana.”
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STEELE is at Duvall's Bluff on White River, trying to get to the Mississippi River with the demoralized remnant of his army, harassed by our cavalry, who daily send to Camden squads of from 20 to 50 prisoners. Little Rock and Pine Bluff Not having taken down at the time the number of wagons, pieces of artillery, arms, etc., which have taken by our troops I fear to trust my memory, but they were all his army had, except the few they carried them back to Little Rock.
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I understand from a gentleman just from Bonham that the crops of wheat in that region are not very good. The corn is late, and only tolerably good. per Claude de Mogyns, Jr., Austin State Gazette, Jun 1, 1864, p2c3.