Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 22.djvu/22

 10 Xniit/irt'ii ll'ixtoi-ical Society Papers.

ARKANSAS POST.

Its Fall, January ii, 1863.

Report of Colonel R. R. Garland, Commanding ist Brigade, Army of Lower Arkansas and White River.

The following, in the handwriting of the gallant Colonel Garland, has been kindly furnished by his son, Mr. Walter Garland. Baltimore, Maryland. Colonel Garland was a member of the well-known Virginia family of the name:

CAMP CHASE, OHIO, April i, 1863. Captain:

I have the honor to submit the following report of the " First Brigade," Army of Lower Arkansas and White River, in the action at Arkansas Post, on the loth and nth of January, 1863:

The brigade was composed of the 6th Texas infantry, Lieutenant- Colonel Anderson, commanding, commanders 27, enlisted 515, ag- gregate 542; 24th Texas Cavalry (dismounted), Colonel Wilks, com- manders 41, enlisted 546, aggregate 587; Arkansas Light Battery (6 guns), Captain Hart, commanders 4, enlisted 79, aggregate 83; Missouri Cavalry, Captain Denson, commanders 2, enlisted 31, ag- gregate 33. Total present, Friday evening, January gth, 1863: commanders 107, enlisted 1,690, aggregate 1,797.

Late in the afternoon of Friday, the gth, I received orders to pro- ceed with my command to the rifle pits, a mile and a quarter below the fort. On arriving there a little after dark, the following disposi- tion was made of the brigade, viz: Five companies of infantry, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Swearengen, 24th Texas (dismounted) Cavalry, and Major Phillips' 6th Texas Infantry, were ordered to take position several hundred yards in front of the rifle pits, deployed as skirmishers. Hart's Battery on the right of the line of rifle pits, the rest of the brigade was held in reserve several hundred yards in rear of the line of rifle pits, occupied by the 2d and 3d brigades.

Denson's Cavalry was detached throughout the action. This ordered, was maintained with slight exceptions, whilst we held this position.

Saturday, the loth, about 8 o'clock A. M., the enemy's gunboats commenced shelling our position and continued to do so until we