Memphis Daily Appeal, CS
FLAG OF TRUCE TO LITTLE ROCK.
Interesting Federal Reports from Arkansas.
From a late St. Louis Journal}
From official dispatches received last evening by Major-General Curtis, from Helena, Arkansas, we are permitted to collate the following unusually interesting narrative:
Colonel R. A. Cameron, of the 34th Indiana regiment, was recently the bearer of a flag of truce to General Hindman, commanding the rebel forces at Little Rock, Arkansas. The truce embraced Captain Serrel, of the 24th Indiana Infantry; Adjutant Mackenzie, of the 9th Iowa infantry, and eleven enlisted men as an escort. They left Helena, Arkansas, on the 21st ult, took the route to Rock Roe ferry over White river, crossed the latter on the evening of the second day, and on the third day arrived at Brownsville, where was Captain Nolan. A.Q.M., C.S.A., commanding this post. Captain Nolan telegraphed to General Holmes, who sent Lieutenant-Colonel S.S. Anderson with train on the Memphis and Little Rock railroad. Taking the train, the truce party was escorted to Little Rock, arriving at 8 A.M., Colonel Cameron delivered his dispatches consisting of two letters from Major-General Sherman, at Memphis, Tennessee, to Major-General Holmes, in person. The delivery took place at half past nine a.m., and a conversation ensued lasting till near twelve, M. The truce party left at 3 P.M., reached Brownsville at 4 P.M., and returned' to Helena on the evening of the 29th.
General Holmes professed his desire to conduct the war upon honorable principles, under the rules of warfare among civilized nations, and even upon Christian principles; that he was filled with horror at the tales of havoc and desolation brought to him, and which he said he was forced to believe. For instance, he alleged, Mr. Moore, living near Helena, reported to his provost marshal general that a party of Federal soldiers entered his house, and, finding a feeble daughter and enciente wife , threatened and terrified them, and snapped caps on revolvers at them, causing the lady to suffer miscarriage at imminent peril to her life.
Colonel Cameron replied that the general commanding had no knowledge of such an occurrence, and that if it had happened and the guilty perpetrators could be found, they would assuredly be punished.
General Holmes then went on to say that a deserter had come to him, and stated as the reason for desertion that the Federal soldiers' conduct was intolerable, saying, "General, I have seen a party of these soldiers rape a mother and her daughter, with my own eyes."
Colonel Cameron rejoined that he was fully satisfied that the story was a base fabrication, for such an occurrence could not have taken place without becoming known; that nothing of the kind had been heard of by him; and that a man who would desert would tell a falsehood.
General Holmes said he did not rely implicitly on what a deserter might say, but added that in the route of General Curtis' army, houses were ransacked, women and children's clothes were taken, and all kinds of damage done to the property of citizens.
Colonel Cameron said that statements of this kind might in some instances and to some extent be true, but that he was satisfied such conduct was never with the consent but always contrary to the positive orders of the commanding officers. Further, that the people of Arkansas complained that Texan and Confederate soldiers had stolen meat and chickens, and it was to be regretted there were in both armies bad men, whom it sometimes appeared almost impossible to control.
General Holmes said he knew General Curtis in his youth, and had expected him to pursue fair and honourable warfare; that he, for his part, was determined to resist organized forces as long as it could be done, but that unless their Independence was acknowledged they should fight until exterminated. While he fought with organized forces, he had, he said, repressed the patriotic ardor of his people near Helena and restrained them from guerilla warfare; but should Lee be beaten in Virginia, and Bragg In Kentucky be crushed, their people would rise as individuals, and each man take upon himself the trust of expelling the invaders.
Colonel Cameron replied that he did not think the Southern people felt so desperate as represented.
He inquired if our army at Corinth had been reinforced, and was assured in the negative, with which he appeared satisfied and gratified. He said that on the 22d, the previous day, he sent a flag of truce boat with a reply to General Curtis' former letter, by way of the Arkansas and Missouri rivers. He liked the spirit of Gen. Curtis' letter, and had at once sent all the prisoners, nearly one hundred, and his reply. The cotton dealers taken by the Confederate soldiers had been or would be released.
"Yes," said the general, "we hate you with a cordial hatred; you may conquer us and parcel out our lands among your soldiers, but you must remember a certain incident of history, that, of all the Russians who settled in Poland, not one died a natural death.
Colonel Cameron replied that he did not, and knew his people did not reciprocate the hatred thus expressed.
The general then discoursed upon his former love for the old flag, and his present hatred at the sight of it, but fell into a pleasant vein in regard to his former acquaintances in the Federal army.
Colonel Cameron relates with remarkable and praiseworthy minuteness the result of the interview and his subsequent observations. He found three roads leading from Helena to White river, all watered and supplied with forage. Beyond, the prairies will soon be impassable. The drouth has destroyed the crops and forage is scanty. The rebels are stacking prairie hay near Brownsville, and by boats bringing corn from the bottom lands to Little Rock. Through scarcity of forage they have dismounted a large part of the cavalry force, including the 25th Texas, Colonel Gidleshire. The Arkansas river is so low as to be impregnable for the lightest draught boats, while White river has risen twelve and a half feet since August, and now has fifteen feet at the lowest point up to Clarendon.
The rebels at Little Rock have Information, which they credit, that Galveston, Sabine, Troy and Houston have been captured by the Federals.
Large quantities of boots, quinine and other articles find their way to the Confederates from Helena and Memphis. Boots sell at twenty-five dollars a pair and quinine at twenty dollars per ounce.