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- His parents came to what is now Cleveland county, Arkansas in 1849, and moved to Dallas county in 1860. In 1861 at the age of 18, Edward Atkinson enlisted in Company C, Fifth Arkansas Infantry, and served one year in Missouri and Kentucky. Returning home on furlough, he soon joined Company B, First Arkansas Calvary, operating in Arkansas, Missouri, Indian Territory, Louisiana and Texas.
"The Federal Army under General Steele was camped at Camden, and in order to obtain supplies they must send a supply train to Pine Bluff, a distance of 70 or 80 miles. This they decided to do, starting out 1800 or 2000 cavalrymen under General Forrest to guard a train of 400 wagons drawn by four mules each.
"The Confederate army commanded by General James F. Fagan were camped at Champagnolle on the Ouachita River in Union County, and heard of General Steele's movement late Saturday night, April 23rd, 1864. They determined to capture the train and cut off the Federal Army from all connection with their headquarters in Pine Bluff and started out early Sunday morning, traveling a distance of about 45 miles during the day and night. (Our men were all the more determined to take this army since many of them lived on or near the road the enemy were traveling, and as you of course know, they were robbing every house and barn passed.) They were destitute for food, and not only did they take food, but robbed every household of its silverware, jewelry, bedding, and fine clothing, in fact every article of family stores of any value, besides taking every horse in sight. This you understand, was against the wishes of the Federal General, but permitted by the officers in charge.
- "When our men left Summerville in Calhoun County, Sunday evening
where they had halted for supper, they planned to divide the army into
three divisions of one brigade each, in order to attack the enemy from
the front, rear, and on the right. This was an easy matter, since as I
have said, many of the soldiers lived in this vicinity and knew every 'pigtrail.'
Several of us had the opportunity of visiting our homefolks Sunday night,
learning the whereabouts of the enemy spending a few minutes with homefolks
before going into next day's battle.
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