The Arkansas in the Civil War Message Board

18 July, 1862

Fremont (Ohio) Journal US
MEMPHIS, July 11. Special to N.Y. Tribune: Arkansas refugees report that General Curtis attacked and completely cut to pieces 500 Confederates under Col. McNeil, 30 miles east of Batesville, on the 4th.
The same paper states that a forage party of 1,000 of Gen. Curtis' men were attacked and nearly all were killed, but a few were captured alive.

MEMPHIS, July 12. ...
Refugees from Helena say that the enemy on the 4th—five hundred strong—attacked Gen. Curtis' advance, but were utterly routed.
Col. Fitch is still at St. Charles. It is reported that he had a sharp skirmish in that vicinity with the rebels, and that the latter were routed.

CAIRO, July 12. ...
The information from White River is that Gen. Hindman has ordered all the inhabitants near Crowley Ridge to burn their provisions and shoot their cattle.
Gen. Curtis bad divided his forces, one portion being between Cash and White Rivers and the other east of Cash River and seventy-five miles from Memphis.

ST. LOUIS, July 14. Dispatches to the military authorities received to-day say Gen. Curtis' command, About 14,000 strong, has reached Helena, Ark., where they are resting for the present.

LOUISVILLE, July 15. News from Corinth of the 13th state that headquarters there had been officially informed of the arrival of Curtis’' army at Charleston on the 10th, after almost daily skirmishing where-in the rebels had almost worsted. , Six thousand made a stand on the 7th on Cache river near Round Hill. Col. Harvey of the 33d Ill., commanding the advance of Steel's division, afterwards reinforced by two companies, attacked and completely routed the rebels, scattering them in all directions, mostly all going towards Little Rock. They also evacuated Durnall's Bluff.
LATER. Curtis’ advance has reached Helena, The army is in good condition and spirits, provisions are scarce but supplies are coming from Memphis,

MEMPHIS, July 16. Gen. Curtis' entire command arrived at Helena on the 11th. His army left Batesville June 24th and reached Jrcksonport on the 36th. On the 2d of July the army started across the country. On the 4th inst., while the 13th Illinois Cavalry were going down White River with a load of cotton they were fired on by guerrillas seven miles below Grand Glaze. The fire was returned when the rebels fled. A contraband taken on board the next day says he saw nineteen dead rebels near the scene of action. On the 7th inst. Gen. Curtis' advance, consisting of a battalion of the 1st Indiana cavalry, 11th Wisconsin, and 23d Illinois, were attacked by two regiments of Texan cavalry and a large force of infantry. The Federal troops had four mountain howitzers, which were brought to bear upon the rebels with terrible effect, causing their cavalry to break into disorder, riding over the infantry, throwing them into confusion which terminated in an utter route. The rebels were pursued by our forces, who captured a large number of prisoners, who were afterwards paroled. After the battle our troops buried 110 rebels on the field. Our loss was 8 killed and 32 wounded. The rebels had no artillery, which accounts for their heavy loss, as compared with ours. Notwithstanding the long forced marches, short rations, &c., General Curtis' army is in good condition. When they arrived at Helena they had but 3 days supplies.

CHICAGO, July 16. Special to Tribune from Memphis:
Two hundred of Col. Fitch's command had an engagement with rebels, numbering four hundred and fifty, on the morning of the 6th. Federal loss twenty -two killed and wounded. Rebel loss eighty-four killed, wounded and missing.
In another engagement on the night the 7th Col. Fitch captured all the enemy's camp equippage and provisions. .
Both fights are said to have taken place within ten miles of Dunall's Bluff, where a large force of rebels are said to be stationed.