ertainly be in a bad predicament. I could see, in
my mind's eye, our ambulance starting on a gallop for Devall's Bluff,
while every jolt of the conveyance would inflict on me excruciating
pain. But this suspense did not last long. The artillery practice soon
began moving further towards the west, and was only of short duration
anyhow. And we saw no stragglers, which was an encouraging sign, and
some time during the afternoon we learned that all was going in our
favor. From the standpoint of a common soldier, I have always thought
that General Steele effected the capture of Little Rock with
commendable skill and in a manner that displayed sound military
judgment. The town was on the west side of the Arkansas river, and our
army approached it from the east. Gen. Price, the Confederate
commander, had constructed strong breastworks a short distance east of
the town, and on the east side of the river, commanding the road on
which we were approaching. The right of these works rested on the
river, and the left on an impassable swamp. But Gen. Steele did not
choose to further Price's plans by butting his infantry up against the
Confederate works. He entertained him at that point by ostentatious
demonstrations, and attacked elsewhere. The Arkansas was very low, in
many places not much more than a wide sandbar, and was easily fordable
at numerous points. So Steele had his cavalry and some of his infantry
ford the river to the west side, below the town, and advance along the
west bank, which was not fortified. Gen. Price, seeing that his
position was turned and that his line of retreat was in danger of being
cut off, withdrew his troops from the east side and evacuated Little
Rock about five o'clock in the afternoon, retreating southwest. Our
troops followed close on his heels, and marched in and took possession
of the capital city of the State of Arkansas. Our loss, in the entire
campaign, was insignificant, being only a little over a hundred, in
killed, wounded, and missing. The 61st was with the troops that
operated on the east side of the river, and sustained no loss whatever.
A few cannon balls, poorly aimed and flying high, passed over the
regiment, but did no mischief,--beyond shaking the nerves of some
recruits who never before had been under fire.

About sundown on the evening of the 10th, the ambulance drivers hitched
up, and the sick were taken to a division hospital located near the
east bank of the river. Capt. Keeley