H^d Qrs. Co. "D" 126^th Regt. Ills. Inf. Vols. Camped in "Tent" DeValls Bluff Ark.

June 25^th 1864.

 

                                                Company received orders; with five days rations to march at 8 O'clock A.M. Orders were promptly executed and march to the landing aboard the Transport "Platte Valley" and steamed down stream, accompanied by three other Transports and one Gunboat, at evening "Fleet" droped anchor, 10 miles above Clarendon Ark's in White River. Stationed Pickets ashore who met the Enemy and fought them all night—namly Mosquitos. June 26. 1864 Fleet weight anchor and steamed down channel Gunboat in advance. when within sight of Clarendon distance one miles, Tinclad opened on the Town to draw the Enemies fire but found the few earth works on the bank emty. Fleet landed and troops debarked with all possible haste. Strength of whol force—Infantry—126^th Ills 61^st Ills 106^th Ills 54^th Ills and 12^th Mich. Cavalry—8^th Missouri 11^th Missouri 9^th Iowa and detachment of 1^st Nebraska Artillery Battery "D" 2^nd Missouri Artillery) 6 Guns

 

Aggregate about three thousand. Gen. E. A Carr Comanding The Troops filed out in a northern direction about half a mile, and formed in line of battle, while Cavalry skirmished in front. Regt^l Commander Lt Col. E M Beardsley ordered Co. "D" & E forward as skirmishers for Regt; Company advanced about half a mile and a half over open ground and along the "Cotton Plant" Road. The Enemys skirmishers were disposed to give way though suported by their own Battery of four guns who done acurate fireing. the shots or shells fell in close proximity to our line bespattering the men with dirt and in a few cases men were slightly tutched by explosions and a few wounded by small arms.The Enemy retreated leaveing their wounded in private houses to the care of the citizens ajacent to the road. Infantry rested two hours / Cavalry persued but unsuccessful. The whole expedition rested bivouacked fr 7 miles from river in a northerly direction. Nature of ground level & hard occasionally sloughs or swamps intersecting the roads which the Inft. forded barefooted knee deep rather than make a cirquit to the right or left.

 

June 27^th—Again persued all day marched 20 miles road similar to previous day and heavy timber only little prarrie wher grazzing is good. water clear but stagnant taken from pools or ponds usually colected on low ground during rainy seasons. found few inhabitants and few plantations, usually enough planted to sustain two animals a cow and a horse to bushwhack with. The rifel to support the always sickly looking poorly clad family. Roads are best passable here in the fall during August or Sept. June 28^th Being now 28 miles from river and but scant rations, and the Infantry heaveyly fatigued and the Enemy had again decamped by daylight from our front, persued ceased and we returned toward our base Clarendon where we arived June 29^th with few casualties but minus many pair shoes which I fear will be the loss of the men, but to be strictly just government should pay for them. Troops embarked on Transport "Kate Hart" and immediately steamed for Clarendon DeValls Bluff after waisting much time in rounding the very crooked and many bends in the river Incidental to a stern wheel boat. we arived in Camp at DeValls Bluff Ark^s at 8 Oclock P.M. Absent 5 days.

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