Upon General Cheatham's arrival on the opposite side of the river, the fragments of the Thirteenth regiment Arkansas volunteers, Colonel Tappan; Second regiment, Tennessee volunteers, Colonel Walker, and Thirteenth regiment, Tennessee, Colonel John V. Wright, were formed and anxious to again confront the enemy. These regiments, with others, had already suffered severely in the engagement of the forenoon. In a few minutes these three regiments formed in line, the Thirteenth Arkansas in front, followed by the Second and Thirteenth Tennessee, and moved directly back from the river in the direction of the enemy's transports and gunboats, intending, if possible, to take them in flank. Advancing about half a mile, they suddenly came upon about fifty mounted men, who were hailed and found to be Illinois cavalry; and at the same moment, and immediately in front, they discovered a large body of troops — the Seventh Iowa and Colonel John A. Logan's Illinois regiment-drawn up in line of battle. General Cheatham immediately ordered his column forward and formed a line in a small ravine, the Thirteenth Arkansas on the right, flanked by the Second and Thirteenth Tennessee, with some detached companies from other regiments, and at once opened upon the enemy a most terrific fire, and which they promptly returned; but under the rapid and galling fire of our columns the enemy soon wavered, and were charged upon with the bayonet and completely routed, and under the continuous fire from our column in pursuit were slaughtered from that point to within a few hundred yards of their gunboats, lying more than two miles from the position in which we engaged them.
As early as ten o'clock in the morning, the regiment which I commanded and Colonel Blythe's Mississippi regiment received orders from Colonel Preston Smith, commanding the brigade, to place ourselves under arms with a full supply of ammunition, and hold ourselves in readiness to move at a moment's notice.
