Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6.
Frank Moore, Ed.

I did not reach Bentonville until daylight of the twenty-first. At the latter place I halted until five o'clock P. M. at which hour my train, left behind at Pea Ridge, came up. having learned from my scouts, sent out during the day, that Cooper and Standwaite were at or near Maysville, with a force variously estimated at from five thousand to seven thousand men, I determined, if possible, to reach their camp and attack them by daybreak. The distance to march was thirty miles, and the road through a rough, and wooded, and hilly country. Three miles from Bentonville I directed my train to go into camp and follow in the morning at daylight, and moved the column forward, Col. Cloud's brigade being in the advance.

At about two o'clock in the morning the advance was halted by Col. Cloud, with the view of letting the column close up. The men were weary and exhausted, and no sooner were they halted than they dropped down in the brush by the wayside and were soon fast asleep, being in the rear of Col. Cloud's brigade. After waiting half an hour at a halt, I took a portion of my body-guard, went ahead to learn the cause of the delay, and ordered the command to move on, going myself with the advance-guard. After proceeding five miles further, an open prairie lay before us of some five miles in extent, over which we had to pass to reach the rebel camp.

At this point I went ahead of the advance-guard, accompanied by Capt. Russell, of the Second Kansas regiment, and two men, for the purpose of getting information. In this we sueceeded admirably. Stopping at a large, fine house, at the edge of the prairie, and disguised as rebel soldiers, just escaped from the Federals, and wishing to get with Cooper's command, I readily enlisted the sympathies of the lady, whose husband was a soldier in the rebel camp. She informed me where their pickets stood, of the location of their camp, and of their strength, which was near seven thousand men, two Texan regiments having joined them the day before.

I now moved the advance across the prairie, and halted a quarter of a mile from their outpost, which was at the edge of the timber, on a little wooded stream, near the town of Maysville. From this point I sent companies B and I, of the Second Kansas, under the command of Captain Hopkins, by a circuitous route, to enter the town in the rear of the enemy's pickets, for the purpose, if possible, of capturing them without alarming their camp.

This, however, proved fruitless, from the fact, as I afterwards learned, that they heard us advancing across the prairie, and ran in, alarming the town as they went, from which all of the male inhabitants speedily decamped, to seek rebel protection.

It was now near five o'clock, and my desire was to attack at daylight; but, while waiting to give Captain Hopkins time to get in the rear of their pickets, on going back to ascertain if the column was closed up, I learned, much to my surprise and disappointment, that during the last two or three hours march, the only troops with me had been three companies of the Kansas Second, two of which had already been sent ahead, under Captain Hopkins.

The main column was back seven miles, where it was first halted. After sending a messenger back to order it up, I proceeded, with the one company remaining with me, to the town, and reached there at the same time with Capt. Hopkins. There I learned that intelligence of an approach had gone ahead of us, and fearing that the enemy would retreat, I sent Col. Cloud, who had come up with me in the advance back, to move his brigade forward as rapidly as possible, while, with the three companies, I determined to push ahead, attack the enemy, and endeavor to hold them until reenforcements could arrive. Finding an intelligent contraband, whose master was in the rebel camp, with the locality of which he was well acquainted, I had no difficulty by promising him his freedom, in engaging his service as a guide.

The route from Maysville to the timber where the rebels were posted lay across the prairie in a south-westerly direction, about three and a half miles distant. Dashing on rapidly, we drove the pickets from the open ground under cover of the timber. The remainder of the Second Kansas with the two mountain howitzers attached, now came galloping up, and the whole regiment was quickly formed in line, and under command of Lieut.-Col. Bassett was ordered to skirmish the woods on foot to ascertain the position of the enemy. At this point five of my body-guard captured ten armed rebels, who had been out of camp and were endeavoring to get back to their command. Lieut.-Col. Bassett, not being able to ascertain the whereabouts of the rebel forces, was ordered to withdraw his men from the woods and mount them.

Advancing through an opening in the timber, about a quarter of a mile in width, I discovered the enemy in force, their line extending across the open ground in front and occupying the road between the point I occupied. Reconnoitring their position and movements, and their line, was a pasture of open ground some two hundred yards, and two fences intervening. Believing that the enemy were contemplating a retreat, I determined to lose no time in trying the effect of a few shell upon their ranks from the two little mountain howitzers. The Kansas Second was accordingly moved forward in line to the first fence and the two howitzers, under command of Lieut. Stover, supported by company A, of the Second Kansas, under Lieutenant Johnson, were ordered to advance through the fence to within two hundred yards of the enemy's battery, from which position Lieutenant Stover opened upon them with shells and with much animation.

The fire was returned by the enemy's guns, and in a few minutes the entire line engaged the small force I had opposing them. I then dismounted the entire regiment. The Kansas Second formed then on foot, and I ordered them to advance through the fence to within short-range