until the
afternoon of the 4th of April, when they marched to Keachi, and reported
to me from that place on the morning of the 6th. Supplies were far from
abundant in the vicinity of Mansfield; and as I might at any moment
receive an order to retire to Keachi, they were directed to remain there
for the present. Green, now promoted to major-general, was placed in
command of all the horse, with Brigadiers Bee, Major, and Bagby under
him.

On the morning of the 7th of April, Major, from Pleasant Hill, reported
the enemy advancing in force; whereupon Green went to the front. Later
in the day the southerly wind brought such distinct sounds of firing to
Mansfield as to induce me to join Green. Riding hard, I suddenly met
some fifty men from the front, and reined up to speak to them; but,
before I could open my mouth, received the following rebuke from one of
the party for a bad habit: "General! if you won't curse us, we will go
back with you." I bowed to the implied homily, rode on, followed by the
men, and found Green fighting a superior force of horse. Putting in my
little reenforcement, I joined him, and enjoyed his method of managing
his wild horsemen; and he certainly accomplished more with them than any
one else could have done. After some severe work, the enemy's progress
was arrested, and it became evident that Green could camp that night at
a mill stream seven miles from Pleasant Hill, a matter of importance.

The roads in this region follow the high ridge dividing the drainage of
Red River from that of the Sabine, and water is very scarce. Between
Pleasant Hill and Mansfield but two streams are found, the one above
mentioned, and a smaller, seven miles nearer to the latter place. For
twenty miles from Pleasant Hill toward Natchitoches there was little or
no water; and at Pleasant Hill itself we had exhausted the wells and
reduced the store in cisterns during our stay. This, as it affected
movements and positions of troops, should be borne in mind.

Leaving Green, I returned to Mansfield, stopping on the road to select
my ground for the morrow. This was in the edge of a wood, fronting an
open field eight hundred yards in width by twelve hundred in length,
through the center of which the road to Pleasant Hill passed. On the
opposite side of the field was a fence separating it from the pine
forest, which, open on the higher ground and filled with underwood on
the lower, spread over the country. The position was thre