he long island formed by the two
branches of the Red River, and recrossed the right arm at Monett's
Ferry. For the whole distance the army was once more separated
from the fleet.

It was half-past one on the morning of the 22d before the last of
the wagons had effected the first crossing of Cane River. By three
o'clock Emory was on the south bank, and A. J. Smith at five.

As early as the 14th of April, at Mansfield, Kirby Smith had
withdrawn Churchill and Walker from Taylor and sent them to aid in
driving Steele back into Arkansas. This left Taylor only the
infantry of Polignac, reduced to 2,000 muskets, and the reorganized
cavalry corps under Wharton, comprising the divisions of Bee, Major,
and William Steele. With this handful, Taylor undertook to hurry
Banks by blocking his communications and beating up his out-posts;
but just at that moment Banks moved and thus, by the merest chance,
brought Bee and Major, with four brigades and four batteries,
directly across his path, on the high ground at Monett's bluff,
commanding the ford and the ferry. At three o'clock in the afternoon
of the 22d, Wharton with Steele's division, supported by Polignac,
engaged Lucas sharply, compelling A. J. Smith to deploy and the
rest of the column to halt for an hour; and thus began a series of
almost continuous skirmishes that lasted nearly to Alexandria, yet
without material result.

At seven o'clock in the evening of the 22d of April, Birge halted
for the night two miles beyond Cloutierville. Under orders inspired
by the urgency, he had been pushing on at all speed to seize the
crossing; in spite of the heat and the dust, he had led the column
at the furious pace of thirty-eight miles, perhaps forty, in
twenty-six hours; but Gooding had already found the Confederates in
strong possession, and now it seemed clear that the passage must be
forced. At nine o'clock Emory and Cameron closed on Birge and halted,
and at three in the morning A. J. Smith came up.

At daylight on the 23d of April, Franklin moved down to the ferry
and began to reconnoitre. His wound had now become so painful as
to disable him; accordingly, after maturing his plans, he turned
over his command to Emory, with orders to dislodge the enemy and
to open the way. With equal skill, care, and vigor, Emory instantly
set about this critical task, upon which the fate of the army may
almost to have said depended, and with this the safety of the fleet.

The grounds